LOVE this car, maybe a little biased since this is my 5th Forester, my 2nd Wilderness. My first Wilderness was totaled in a head-on collision when a young driver spilled coffee and veered into my lane and struck me head-on. That was my 1st Subaru Forester Wilderness and IT SAVED MY LIFE. Full curtain all-around airbag deployment with a roll, the Wilderness coming to rest on it's right side, me still strapped into seatbelt, and the Subaru automatic crash notification with a live person on the speakers asking me if I was ok and needed 911! Smoke still coming from the airbag deployments, and there is a live person coming over the speakers asking me if I'm ok. It was surreal. SUBARU FORESTER WILDERNESS SAVED MY LIFE! TYVM Subaru! LOVE this car! Gets 25+ MPG with conservative driving, a great ride and suspension, superior traction in mud and snow, load-out practically anything/rack bikes (or whatever on the roof racks), sleep in the back with ample room, superior rear-gate lift mechanism with memory, seats super-comfortable and easily adjustable, solid rear-seat leg-room, easy rear-seat fold-downs for massive cargo area that takes my full HVAC tool load-out for servicing ice baths all over the NorthEast US. A great value, especially CPO with +10K mileage (vs. new) MONEY WELL SPENT! SUBARU FOR LIFE

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..

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.