2012 Subaru Forester consumer reviews

My Subaru Forrester is great, after 5 years it still going strong. The handling is wonderful and turning reticence is awesome. I love my Subaru

I learned how to drive in this car and I never felt safer. We've barely had mechanical issues with it in the past 5 years of ownership.

This is a good vehicle however for the age of the car, I am experiencing much more repairs than I expected.

I had my heart set on buying an Outback. I changed my mind after test driving one. It was very sluggish, and felt like a tank. I test drove a Forester of the same year, 2012, and it was very easy to drive. It is very comfortable to sit in, and the driver's seat went high enough for me to see the end of the hood. It's a fun car to drive.

I have owned my 2012 Forester for a little over 3 years now and at 65,000 miles it needed a new small block because it lost 5 quarts of oil over 2,000 miles. Subaru didn't want to cover the cost of the rebuild because it was out of the factory warranty. Luckily for me I purchased an extended warranty which saved me from a $8,000 bill. This is an acknowledged flaw in the design of the engine and they will do nothing to fix it until your engine needs to be rebuilt. Since the rebuild it still burns a quart of oil every 1,000 miles which according to Subaru is "acceptable". I bought a Subaru because of their history of reliable vehicles and supposed customer service. I have gotten nothing but headaches and regrets from this vehicle. Subaru has lost all of its loyalty to its customers that once made it stand out. I will never buy a Subaru again after this experience.

We purchased our 2012 Forester 2x limited with just 14500 miles which leaves a lot of warranty but not the new car price. It is spotless inside and out. Great visibility. It replaced another SUV. The Forester has lots more get up and go much more gas efficient and most all the amenities that our previous car had. My only complaint is its lack of a true easy to access cup holder. That is a small inconvenience for al of the positives! We have had it for about a month so have not experienced the winter weather which is our biggest concern but, we are sure it will do well

Recently bought a 2nd hand 2012 Subaru Forester XS Premium with 15000km. Had it for 6 months and enjoy it immensely. Like styling and it is very comfortable and enjoy luxury and equipment. Performance is quite brisk and ride is very comfortable - all wheel drive is very impressive. 4 speed automatic bit disappointing in cruise mode hunting for optimal gears especially up hills, but in manual it has enough torque to drive comfortably. Fuel consumption bit on high side if driven hard. Has few minor rattles but can live with it. So far it is a real pleasure to drive, will definitely look at the new version in future. New Subaru supporter .........

Car has impressive cargo storage but few other redeeming qualities, besides AWD and a sport shifter. Suspension is quite spongy / bouncy and 2.5L 4cyl engine is suprisingly wimpy. If it has 170hp, you've got to show me where they are because it seems about 20 less when driving this car with any regularity, even when new or following all the scheduled service. Just don't plan on taking it up any significant hills (a strain) or over 60mph (starts to drink gas). Interior design and overall comfort are average and lacks modern touches or design including poor/old design of radio, heating and cooling system (no backseat vents). Front seats are OK but could use a little more support, while the back seat is a bit thin but relatively comfortable. Front legroom and headroom are typical. Seats fold down 60/40 which is beneficial, and fairly easy to engage/disengage.. Full time AWD powertrain is the redeeming mechanical feature of this vehicle, at least in the non-turbo model. It grips well and provides good handling around corners and steady footing over wet roads, snow, mud, etc. Safety rating is pretty good and has many airbags but the seatbelts have strange designs and the rear middle seat dangling in your rearview mirror the entire time you're driving is a hindrance. Visibility out of the rear is OK but nothing great. Extremely limited gears (4 speed transmission, no overdrive) does not allow the car to achieve above 25mpg at highway speeds, even on flat roads and with careful driving - which is far below usual in this classification, smallish crossover / family car built in only the last few years. Additional annoyances: Rear cargo area DC power port requires the car ignition to be in the Acc position with the key engaged which basically defeats the purpose of having one. Standard moonroof on all trim models (why????) is pointless and for the first 20,000 miles the thing had more rattles than a tin can. Finally subsided somewhat after the outer seals aged a bit. Do not recommend. Pros: Full time AWD, good tires, long cargo area, sport shifter available on automatic. Cons: Wimpy standard engine and 4-speed automatic transmission, no standard foglights, backup sensor or camera even on the "Premium" level trim (just below Limited). actual real-world mileage well below listed fuel ratings.

Just bought our 1st Subaru Forester a week ago. So far we love it. We've had our eyes on either an Outback or Forester for a few months. It seemed that every time a dealership would get them in they would be gone just as fast. We jumped on ours right away when we saw it. The vehicle looks sporty and has gotten a lot of attention from co workers and friends. It isn't loaded with Luxury items, but that's not what we we're looking for. Living in South Dakota the winters are pretty extreme and this has handled all conditions great so far. Cold starts and stability in imperfect driving conditions. The interior is spacious and comfy. Being 6 foot tall I had plenty of room in both the front seats and the back and would feel confident riding anywhere for long road trips in this vehicle. The AWD has a great feel to it. It really hugs the road with precision and grace. No buyers remorse on my part. Love my Sub!

My first. Have had other mid size suv's, but wanted all wheel drive and fond the Forrester to be the cheapest, much less than Honda, Hyundai and Ford products. I do not evern consider GM products. I have driven 4K miles in 4 months and love the car. My radio is actually qujite good (a 2013 model. the bluetooth picks up my phone music and sounds great.) However, the radio receiver is not much to brag about, but I just listen to news on terrestial radio anyway. I feel this car fits me to a t. It hugs the road. Cruises easily at 70 with minimal road noise. I had back up cam and fog lights added which help. Visibility all aroundis great. No so with some of the suvs going for the style element. Has good safety rating. My insurance dropped because of that, and it has excellent resell value. All very important.