Used Subaru Forester for sale near Scandia, MN

I never write reviews first off. So the fact I’m writing this should tell you everything you need to know about my experience. I will start off by saying car shopping is one of the least pleasant experiences in life in my opinion. Generally there’s a lot of shenanigans that I don’t have the time or patience for. I called and inquired about a vehicle I saw online. The vehicle was still in transit. The salesman (Kevin) had informed me he would contact me when it arrived. I’ve heard this a few times over the last few weeks. I have never actually gotten a call “when the vehicle arrives”. It’s miraculously always sold when I contact them again regarding said vehicle. Kevin called me while the truck was legitimately sitting in the middle of the lot. It looked like it just rolled off the car trailer. I was shocked. +1 for actually contacting me. I asked him if he could hold it for me If I put money down. Unfortunately they aren’t able to do that. He then informed me that the vehicle had to go through an inspection the following day before it could even be eligible for sale. At this point I was concerned that I would loose out on the vehicle because of the drive I had and how quickly they were selling. Kevin informed me the best they could was a travel hold. Basically that means if I am on my way they are allowed to hold the vehicle for me. Which isn’t great but I understand. I was a remote buyer from SE Wisconsin in the Milwaukee area. This is a 5+ hour drive for me. I said I would be there first thing in the morning to look at it. Kevin informed me to hold out because if there were something that needed to get fixed on the vehicle and they didn’t have the part he didn’t want me to waste the time driving for nothing. A few hours later the vehicle made it through inspection with no problems. At that point Kevin contacted me and gave me the news it was officially for sale. It was around 11:40 am at this point. He informed me they could do a travel hold. This meant as i was driving and on my way they would hold it for me. That was a huge relief. So I left work and started my drive. Weather and traffic pushed my arrival time past the normal operating hours. I explained this. He told me not to worry. On the way he sent me paperwork to fill out( I had a co driver to help) so the process could start. I got there at 6pm. The truck was clean and ready to go. Kevin was pleasant to deal with and friendly even though he was working past his scheduled shift. After we completed our portion of the paperwork we moved onto the financing. Max had everything prepared as far out as he could to help speed the process along. He was easy to work with, personable, and wasn’t pushy on add ons. The whole process took a little more than an hour and went what I would consider smooth and effortless. After all I had to turn around and drive 5 hours back home. I would highly recommend working with either of these 2 gentlemen.

Likes: spacious interior despite modest exterior dimensions, easy to maneuver, great visibility all around, comfortable ride, good traction, handling, and braking, nice interior finish on sport model, strong steering responsive headlights yet they don't blind opposing traffic, very good optional Harmon sound system, numerous effective safety features, low insurance premiums, adequate acceleration..a few cons: actual economy slightly under EPA estimates, seat may be a bit too firm for some but easy to address by adding a thin seat cushion, mandatory sunroof on all but the base model..I wish Subaru would just make that a single option..rough engine start-stop ..however I disable it each time I start engine so it can be a non issue...no reliability issues yet but since this has a cvt and fairly complex safety features, long term reliability is unknown..

The buying experience was awesome! Everyone was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and patient. I didn't feel any pressure to buy. My salesman Ryan P did a great job. It was most.definitely a "Buy Happy" experience!

I’ve owned this car for about 18 months. It has I bought it new and it now has about 17,000 miles on it. I love driving it. The safety features are excellent! The performance is good. I’m getting around 32 MPG for all around driving. I have the car maintained at the dealership and haven’t had any mechanical issues. I would definitely recommend this car.

Carlos Ross was a very patient and courteous & understanding to the Pacific needs of what kind of vehicle that I was looking for. At the end of the day I was pleased with the vehicle that I had purchased. I would highly recommend Carlos Ross if anyone is out there looking for a vehicle. I would give him a five-star review for his Excellency and expertise of his job. I am one happy customer and if I ever need a vehicle in the future, I will definitely go to Carlos Ross. Thank you, Christie Reynolds

Bought this car three years old with less than 50K miles on it. I’ve loved it since we got it. It has been very reliable, fun to drive, with pretty minor drawbacks. For example the maintenance has been very minimal. I haven’t noticed ANY oil burning or leaking (I have personally changed the oil every 3-4K miles). Sometimes on long trips it will burn some oil and need a top off, which the car alerts us to. Overall I’d buy this car over and over as long as it fit my needs at the time. Currently looking into an Ascent for future hockey trips and other trips.

Mandie is amazing! She cares for her customers I will be back with all my friends and family. Love the lifetime warranty. Wish I would have found them sooner.

This car is so comfortable! The driver sits up high, with great sight lines in all directions. The seats are comfortable. The features are very intuitive. My car has automatic door locks so when I walk up to the car with my key fob, put my hand on the door handle the doors unlock. It has automatic headlight dimmer which works great. It has plenty of power for freeway acceleration. All wheel drives makes it great in snow. I’m very happy with this car.

My service representative was prompt and professional. Comfortable atmosphere while waiting for service to be completed.

Other than battery replacement , car has been amazing ! 1 exception cup holders are located too far aft and require driver to look down to locate cup without removing eyes from road ! This issue has been partially addressed in later years by offsetting passengers holder slightly forward of drivers, but still awkward position ! both should be more forward nearer to dash !

Very friendly and courteous staff. Service was performed and completed as promised. I had some other issues I wanted looked at and I was updated and happily I didn't need them(brakes).

This is our second Forester. Our first was a 2011 Premium we bought as a CPO in 2014 and unfortunately went through the headache of excessive oil consumption within months of buying it. Subaru did eventually replace the engine short block on their dime, but only after repeated oil consumption tests and being told by the dealer service department that it was within normal limits. Calling Subaru of America was the only way we got it resolved. I was impressed that they approved the service, and that's the reason we bought another Subaru. We also have a 2018 Outback Premium in our garage--no oil consumption, and no major issues except replacing the radio for failed lighting behind the volume knob and a minor leak in the oil pan (no dripping underneath the car though) at about 42k miles. We like our 2023 Forester Sport overall, and first and foremost we like its excellent safety ratings and features. I will say the ride is much firmer than our Outback which is only a couple hundred pounds heavier. Wish it had a little more storage in the center console and beneath the climate controls. We look forward to many years of driving with the Forester (and our Outback). Based on our experience, I do feel getting a Subaru-backed extended warranty is worth it for peace of mind (we bought them for our first Forester and now our Outback and both eventually paid for themselves). You DON'T have to buy the warranty when you purchase the vehicle. Call different dealers in your state and ask for their price on an extended warranty for your vehicle--we saved hundreds of dollars by doing this. You have until your manufacturer warranty expires to add an extended warranty.

This was my 1st experience with CarMax and I have absolutely nothing but WONDERFUL things to say about the entire process. Everyone that I dealt with, throughout the entire process had amazing attitudes and willing to help in any way possible. I truly felt like everyone enjoyed their jobs and their main goal was to make sure all their customers got into the vehicle that they truly wanted. I can't thank this team enough, for making our Yukon purchase as smooth as it was!

I had to make a 5 1/2 hour drive recently and loved how smoothly my car drove, especially using cruise control with “eyesight” so it slowed when I was too close to the car in front of me. I couldn’t even feel it; I watched the speedometer. Love the safety features and extras like seat warmers and large sunroof.

Everyone we dealt with at the dealership gave us excellent and friendly service. Their follow-through left nothing to be desired. When we picked up our vehicle, it was sparkling clean, had a tankful of gas, was ready-to-roll.

The Forester is the first SUV I ever owned. It has had a few issues, but the dealership, Kenny Ross in Irwin Pa, has always been top notch in customer service. First issue was the orignal tires went bald after only 10,000 miles. I called Kenny Ross and they said they would contact corporate. Got 4 new tires at no charge. Next issue I did not even know I had. Took it in for an oil change and they tell me I need a new CVT. Didn't know I had a problem. No charge again. Last issue was a radio that kept giving an error message and would not work. Took four visits to isolate the problem, but now have a new radio that brings in more stations. Again for free. Highly recommend the bumper to bumper warranty. Money well spent.

Ty made good suggestions about what my car needed on this visit and what it didn't. He accurately predicted the cost and time of completion. He was personable throughout.

I have a 2020 Forester with 19000 miles. I love it, especially as a tall and aging man. It it easy to drive, easy to get in and get out. Miles per gallon is great, typically well over 30 mpg in day to day city driving. I have noticed a number of complaints about batteries. I think in 2019-2020 they had a bad supplier of batteries. My experience was total battery failure at about 10000 miles. I had to purchase a replacement from AAA. Such stories were common during that period. I was irritated but received reimbursement even though it is not typical for a dealer/car company to do so. Smart dealers want to keep your business. The only other expenses were created by potholes knocking the car out of allignment and nails in parking lots puncturing the same tire twice! Sweep your xxxx parking lots retailers and restaurants.

Carmax was a great place to purchase a vehicle. Friendly no pressure atmosphere! The people in the business office, especially Alex, were very helpful and pleasant. Ryan, my sales guy was awesome as well.

Great value considering the superior safety features, low maintenance and reliability. Rear wheel bearings have been replaced twice and just had the AC compressor and serpentine belt replaced. Albeit expensive repairs, all cars need something after the first 3 years. It's been 8 years and the car still run and drives like new.

The best sales person Megan Erickson. She is so amazing! I would recommend her to anyone that's looking for a used car. Very honest and very helpful to the customer.

I have owned my 2017 Forester since late 2016. Except for normal maintenance I've had no problems with thr vehicle. All of the warning systems work very well,they have saved me from accidents numerous times. The automatic seat repositioning when some one else has used my is really handy eliminates all the adjusting needed to get the position back to my needs. Traction and controll during winter and bad weather are excellent. My forrester get used like a truck at times. Great overall car.

I love my Mercedes of St Paul team! Greg Clark is an amazing salesman as well as kind and caring person! He always gives personal attention and makes his clients feel appreciated! And thank you Tony in service, for quickly retrieving our handicap tag out of the door! With a smile and a handshake. You are so kind and friendly and it was the first time I met you! Thank you, Tony! 😀 I've been coming to Mercedes of St Paul for years and have done lots of business with them. Every associate from reception to check out and even walking through the dealership, I'm greeted with smiles, head knods and kindness! That means a lot in this day and time.. They are why I keep going back! Rose

I've never owned a Subaru before but after purchasing the Forester, I may never own anything but a Subaru again! I love the Eyesight Drivers Assistant that it came equipped with. I can see why this car has one of the best safety ratings out there. The interior is very open, spacious, & comfortable and the panoramic sunroof is amazing! It drives and handles like a dream. I would recommend this car to anyone. You won't be disappointed!

Not your average dealership. Had a great experience. Wouldn’t buy anywhere else after this! To those in the market this is a place to consider!

Had this car for seven years, never any problems, very low mileage. Very nice to drive, smooth gas mileage around 30 mpg. Traded it in for a new forester, I actually was ready to cry, when I left it. Very reliable.

I bought a 08 Honda Accord in 2018, I still drive the car. I bought it with 79k miles and now have 203k on it. Nothing bad has ever happened with it. Except normal wear and tear. One rule about buying used cars, either know what you’re looking for, or have someone else check it out.

I've owned a 2011 Subaru Forester for years and it has been supremely dependable through northern Michigan weather. Super cold to humid and muggy, it's been a comfortable, reliable ride throughout.

The Subaru Forester is indeed one of the safest cars on the road. I was in an auto accident (not my fault) and all my air bags blew. Wow, what a site--air bags everywhere! Car was totalled--got hit in front drivers side--and my only injury, aside from bruises, was a broken ankle. Impressed. Aside from that, we have had several Subarus and they have always gotten us through. The all-wheel drive system can not be beat!

I just helped a very dear senior friend of mine buy a car here, Subaru Outback Limited and explained to the salesman (Dan) that this transaction had to go very smooth without stress as I was out of state so my help was coming both to my friend and the dealership via phone and e-mail. I have to say that not only did they have the perfect car for my friend Cathy, but we were able to do 90% of the transaction prior to Cathy ever getting to the dealership. When Cathy arrived, her new car was all ready, they took in her trade, she signed docks and she was out the door and on her way back home in only about an hour! Cathy said she was treated extremely well by everyone involved at White Bear Lake Subaru and just loves her new car! Thank you Dan, and all at your dealership for making this a positive and happy experience for me and my dear friend! You guys ROCK!

The radio and the heat settings leave a lot to be desired. If you’re looking for a heater setting, you won’t find it. Nothing annoys me more than unrequested updates on flood watch/warning. it just can’t be tailored to exactly where you live. But every 6 minutes is a bit of overkill. And our previous Forester had a tray in the middle storage (glove box). Even though we asked our salesman about that, we have heard nothing. Missing the change tray a lot.

Christopher was an excellent sales consultant during a busy year-end with a more complicated sale that required shipping the vehicle out of state to a rather picky buyer (me). Compared to another dealer I contacted this experience was “night and day”. I’d definitely recommend others to consider working with this dealership at least for the sales experience. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Chris found another RSX driver amongst the White Bear employees to perform a brief road test of my eventual car to set my mind at some ease for a real-world experience. They also were fairly cooperative about most of my requests to “seal the deal” (minor touch-up/clean up items). My only suggestions would be to see about hastening the shipping experience if that’s even possible and put a bit more effort into detail of the car before listing for sale - the car had been in their hands for a couple of months and just needed a couple small detail items to make it close to perfect for selling a 20+ year old vehicle (these were the items I had to request at time of negotiation). Nice work overall - just looking forward to the shipper to arrive that will be a great day!

This is my first Subaru Forester and I could not be happier with the car. Super pleasant dealer experience and lots of features for the price. Will definitely get another Subaru.

Good experience. Michael was great - went over and above to make sure vehicle was as good as can be. Car was as advertised. Clean and runs well. Great coffee. Fine, friendly dealership. Love our "New" car.

Next to top rating in Consumer Reports. Lives up to its rating 100%. Only concerns thus far, after three weeks of use. 1) takes time to learn use of various electrical and mechanical controls -- after 20+plus years of VW Jetta ownership, "a lot is different." Just have to be patient learning all the new features. 2) Auto-safety features (staying in lanes, braking distance warning, etc.) are helpful to some less-attentive drivers but annoying to this long-experienced user. Fortunately, they can be turned off and stop the chirping.

Very professional and knowledgeable staff,the purchase went very smoothly with no issues.Will definitely purchase another vehicle in the future.