2009 Subaru Forester consumer reviews

We're very happy with our new-to-us Forester. It's fun to drive and I like that it's got a higher clearance than most smaller cars. We've had Subaru's in the past and have always been pleased with them, even over the long haul. This one could use a bit more padding in the seat, as it's not super comfortable for long drives, but that's the only thing negative I can think of. Really happy with our choice!

My 2003 Forester has been good to me: over 180,000 miles with routine maintenance! So when my wife & I decided to trade in our old sedan- we agreed that another Forester was the logical choice! The 2009 model is bigger & more comfortable than our 2003! I was supposed to keep driving the 2003, but I convinced my wife to let me use it for my 75 mile round-trip travel to work! (I'm a schoolteacher; she'll get to drive it during the summer months!) There's plenty of room for hauling our vacation luggage- or whatever supplies we need for our weeeknd projects. We both appreciate the the security of Subaru's all-wheel drive and other safety innovations!

This is absolutely the worst car I have ever owned. And I've owned cars for 40 years. Before this car I had four Legacy wagons in a row. I sold each of them when they were at about 120k miles, except my last one which, with only one major bit of work around 130k, had 260k on it when I sold it to buy this new piece of junk, the 2009 Sub Forester. This Forester has been nothing but trouble and expense. It had a leaky head gasket at 30k which I had fixed under warranty. At 70k (and only 2 1/2 years old) it required replacing the coil tower, the lines to the spark plugs, and all of the plugs for $750. Last week at 86k miles and one car payment from being mine it apparently was burning oil (bad rings? Shouldn't have been happening on an engine that has 86k highway miles) and burned it all up and threw a rod. So now it needs a new engine. $4-5k. I had all routine maintenance done on this car regularly except that I had missed my last oil change. But it shouldn't have burned it all up. I've heard so many nightmare Forester stories since this happened. I will never buy a Subaru again after having this lemon.

I just bought my first used car and first Subaru 2 months ago. So far I am very pleased with my purchase. I had wanted AWD for a long time as the winters can be very rough where I live. I got a limited edition and love the fancy features which I never could have afforded in a new car. It gives a very tight, smooth ride and handles very well around curves. A friend of mine who drives a Mercedes found it very comfortable and was surprised by how well it drove. I recommend it.

Traded a 2003 Honda CR-V for a 2009 Subaru Forester. The Subaru is quieter, has better visibility and aerodynamics The only thing I do not care for in the Subaru is the position of the cup holders, as they are situated too far back in the middle column. Other than that, I love the Forester.

On the plus side is spectacular reliability, handling in the snow, turn radius, and a cavernous interior capable of swallowing an eight foot ladder or 10' lengths of pipe. On the minus side is a dated transmission that inefficiently utilizes a somewhat undersized engine, and really below average gas mileage - I barely manage 23 mpg in mixed driving. Yeah, I know it's AWD but still... So, I would recommend this car to a friend but with the caveats noted above.

I drive this car more then any other car I've owned! It's great, I feel very safe knowing that it is all wheel drive and that it is built to protect me! It's very comfortable to take on long drives. I've even taken it off road and it handles great! I would recommend this car to anyone who is wanting a great, safe car! In fact I show it off quite a bit and try to get others to buy a Subaru!

Very reliable smooth running car, much improved over earlier versions. The new boxer engine is smoother and more powerful.

Leased this 2009 2.5X in late summer of 2008 and for the most part this has been a very reliable car. I was looking for a basic SUV/Crossover and this is basic. I'd recommend it, but with reservations. I haven't experienced any of the major problems that I've noted in some of the negative reviews, nor have I experienced anywhere near the astounding mileage that some are claiming. I'm getting almost exactly what Consumers' Reports states in the Forester review - 22.5mpg overall. Definitely not terrible for an AWD vehicle, but definitely not a fuel efficient vehicle, especially with gas prices that have been well over $4.00 gallon here recently. Positives: Handling/cornering, ride quality, relatively low road noise. Seats are relatively firm but could use better lumbar support. Visibility is good with few blind spots. Cargo space is good, I have no problems laying my rear seatback flat to extend cargo space. This is much more easily done than in some other cars where you have to wrestle with removing the headrests to be able to lower the seatback. The audio controls are relatively straight forward and the audio quality is decent. Negatives: Acceleration. Trying to pass another vehicle really challenges the hamsters under the hood. This would be more acceptable if the mileage was anything but mediocre. A/C is rather weak, a drawback here in the desert. It's necessary to turn off the A/C to be able to get any acceleration to enter the freeway, not a pleasant thing on a 110 degree day. Interior surfaces are cheap. The exterior paint is thin and scratches really easily. The inefficient 4 speed automatic probably adds to the mediocre mileage. The bottomless pit of the center console makes finding anything impossible except with major excavation. I was considering buying a new car when the lease is up on this one, but considering the overall reliability of this car, I'll probably buy it off the lease. The residual will be considerably less than what these are selling for on the used market.

I have owned the 2.5X Premium with All Weather Package since 2009, and have been thoroughly impressed with the handling, torque, comfort and overall performance of this vehicle. As my first Subaru, I wasn't sure what to expect - what with the all-time all-wheel drive and the higher price tag. TOTALLY WORTH IT! If you drive in the rain, snow, fog - this is the car for you! If you opt for it, get one with the moon-roof - its totally worth it in summer/spring/fall days (almost like driving a convertible!).