2009 Subaru Forester consumer reviews

Hate My Forester. In less than 8k miles, it's been in for service 8 times: broken window regulators, loose dash assembly, rattling, etc. I would have thought it inconceivable that a company could build such a lousy automobile, but the Subaru Forester is proof beyond a doubt. I would never, ever, ever recommend this car (even to my worst enemy).

I love this car! I bought an '09 gently used. It is quick and handles nice. It seems a little loud in lower gears (I have the 5sp) but it is very smooth at all speeds. It is very comfortable. I have driven through Chicago rush hour and open highways. Very comfortable in all conditions. I can get about 31 -32 mph on the highway with cruise locked at 75mph - higher at lower speeds. Try to find an all wheel cross over with the same mpg and price I dare you! This car is great for a single driver, or hauling an entire family. Plenty of room for four adults and luggage for a weeks vacation! Its not a race car, but it is very quick and peppy. The stereo sounds good, but looks a little outdated with its weak display. Thats the only con I can find so far. Even my dog loves this car!

I have a 2009 xt which is lovingly cared for and gently driven. At 26,866 miles, the engine quit. No lights, no warning. The engine just started jackhammering. I pulled to the side of the road immediately and was carried in to the nearest dealership. Verdict--blown bearings and rods. Was wella taken care of with loaner vehicle for 9days and no charge for a new short block. Needless to say, I'm nervous even with a new engine. From my research, I'm not the first.

Really good car. Well styled and comfortable. Fuel economy ~25 mpg. A bit underpowered for the mountains of Colorado, but that goes hand-in-hand with the fuel economy. Wish it had a better sound system and better drink holders. But overall, this is a great car and certainly well suited for winter driving. Handles well. Nice overall features. Great value for the $s.

I love my subaru forester. The people that sold me the vehicle were wonderful and helped me get this car at a price i could afford.

Excellent all around package. Excellent handling, brakes, interior room, space utilization, & gas mileage. Very reliable. Good Dealer support. Plenty of accessories available. When fully loaded with A/C on, could use a bit more oomph!

We bought this car looking for a replacement for our 98' legacy. We looked around at Rav4, Escape, CR-V, and the old Equinox. We missed the new Equinox by about a week, and was perhaps the worst mistake ever. The 09' Forester X is absolutely the most basic of what can barely be called an "SUV". Lets face it, this is an outback with a higher ceiling, and it shows. The four cylinder engine is LOUD! It does a decent job when it comes to acceleration and power for a four cylinder, but the transmission is on some kind of crack as is hikes up to around six-thousand RPMs at completely random times. The ride is not smooth, you feel every bump in the road, the seats are comfortable, but I cannot find a single comfortable driving position. The fact that the rear seats do not fold down makes cargo space extremely limited and the sloped back seat makes butting large objects in the vehicle a very difficult task. The fuel economy is good, Ive averaged up to 31.5 mpg, but in the winter it takes a huge dive, this car is not a cold weather vehicle and averages about 13 mpg on a cold morning. The interior is incredibly cheap, toy cars have better build quality as parts of the interior are continually falling off, not to mention the hard cheap plastics they're made of. The dash controls are so-so, some buttons are hard to reach, but radio controls are nice and simple. No rear air vents, a disappointing feature in this day and age, exterior is decent, hood is unattractive, but the car has an overall sporty look. The bottom line is, if you're looking for the cheapest SUV on the market you might like this, but there are much better options like the Ford Escape or the 2010 Equinox.

My 2009 Forester, manual transmission, Premium package, is almost a year old and has about 17,000 all highway miles. The average mpg over the last year has been about 25 mpg, but most of the miles have been with a ski rack and/or rear bike rack on, I've found this summer with both racks off it gets around 30 mpg. A few complaints: (1) there are some rattles, right hand door, back tailgate the fact that neither of these have damped my love of my Forester is proof of how good the rest of the car is (2) the passenger air bag light on the dashboard is really annoying, I'm about to do as someone in these reviews recommended, put electrical tape over it. (3) some of the interior feels a bit "cheap" (4) really wish that I had had the option of getting the electric seat adjustment with the cloth seats (which I understand is now the case for the 2010 Forester) On to the good stuff: Simply put it handles like a dream. Acceleration is solid not jerky, it has a lot of get up and go more than I had anticipated. Shifting is smooth, clutch can be a bit tricky, it has a long depress, which was a bit of an adjustment for me. But the best part... handling is FANTASTIC! Between the VDC and the antilock breaks it's a solid predictable performer. I was on some really nasty roads (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming) as I headed home for Christmas, and it handled it all brilliantly. And it has to be mentioned that the Forester has fantastic visibility from the driver's seat. I drove everything in it's class (CRV, RAV4, Rogue, Escape, etc) before buying my Forester and NONE of them had the clear view that you have in the driver's seat of the Forester. In the opinion of this reviewer, there is nothing that compares, just go buy a Forester and you won't be disappointed.

We rented the base model from a major agency for vacation two weeks ago. It is the best vehicle for small families and it was almost perfect. Pros: 27-29 mpg even along some tough mountain driving and highway speeds 5 to 10 mph over the limit; great seating position; sport shift auto tranny was fun once I got used to the vehicle; decent stereo; very decent low end torque!! Cons: A little noisy; brake lever against my thigh; narrow cockpit made for some uncomfortable long trips (but, hey, I'm a big guy!); no lumbar support; windshield cracked (not a Subaru issue. I also notice lines in paint giving the appearance of the finish was cracking.Cruise control was forgettable. I like the Forester and recommend I buy one!

We bought the car in the middle of May and did try other similar type of vehicles. Honda CrV, Toyota Rav4, Scion Xb. We did like the Scion Xb, it had alot of room and the ride was good. The down side is the blind spot and the darkness of the cabin. The CrV was a nice car and the ride was nice but again the blind spot and getting in and out of the back seat was below ave at best. With 2 boys 6ft and above that was a major factor. The Toyota Rav4 was nice and alot of room in the car, but it rode like a truck and also it was a little troublesome getting in and out of the back seat. Also the rear door opening the way it does not have a positive attribute for me. The Subaru Forester had all the qualities of car like ride with a SUV look. It has great safety options, a good dash layout and is easy to get in and out of with the rear seats. Having heated seats and not having to upgrade to leather was a plus, The heating and A/C works well and that the visibility all around is fantastic. In city driving we are getting around 22mpg. Have taking it out on the xpressway and the ride and acceleration is fine. The big windows and massive moon roof just add to the overall beauty to the Forester.