Inside, the Forester is more functional than flashy, but it’s roomy, easy to live with and very practical. It’s not glamorous, but the Forester is a must-shop for small crossover consumers, particularly those who want to venture off the pavement. Around town and in daily use, the Subaru isn’t a particularly engaging or exciting machine, but it does many things quite well and gets better gas mileage than its off-road rivals. The systems, like the standard adaptive cruise control, work well and aren’t necessarily included on every competitor. Some of the tech is active-safety gear, and in this department, Subaru’s comprehensive array of assists are matched by top-notch scores from IIHS and NHTSA. The upright shape houses a highly functional, utilitarian cabin, and tech features are generous on the higher trims without getting too expensive. The seats are firm, but not as firm as Foresters from years past, and there’s plenty of legroom even if it’s slightly shy of the class leaders in back. The Forester’s overall cargo capacity approaches the class leaders, and its recently reinforced roof rails are good for hauling Canoes or rooftop camping. Its ability to haul people and gear are also a strong selling point. All models are quite capable on dirt trails, but the top trims with the company’s X-Mode drive settings, and especially the Wilderness can take you deep into the wild without complaint. Off the pavement, however, the Forester lives up to its name and Subaru’s off-road rep. It delivers good fuel economy, compliant handling and a soft ride, but little excitement on the road. It’s hard to be all things to all people with a single powertrain, but the Forester makes the best of its 182-horsepower flat-four engine and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) setup. New last year, the Wilderness adds more ground clearance and some additional off-road hardware that improves the models’ already good off-road capability. The Subaru Forester is practical and value-packed, but it’s also an adventurer. Thanks to its adventursome nature, it also plays for buyers looking for more rugged wheels, such as the Jeep Cherokee and smaller Jeep Compass Trailhawk models as well as the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands. But the Subaru can do things even the RAV4 TRD Adventure trim can’t, as evidenced by our recent head-to-head comparison. The Forester still competes with best-selling compact SUVs such as Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota RAV4 that get high marks for styling, fuel economy and reliability. Following a significant refresh last year that introduced enhanced safety technology, revised front-end styling and the even-more-rugged Wilderness trim, the 2023 Subaru Forester receives only a minor interior change that brings its outboard rear seat headrests into compliance with the high standards of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for reducing whiplash. Introduced way back in 1997 and redesigned five times since then, the pioneering but understated Forester is now sometimes lost in the increasingly crowded sea of imitators. Sensible, reasonable and ridiculously capable-it’s a niche that the Subaru Forester effortlessly owns. The brand has become the hallmark for a certain type of unfussy outdoor enthusiast with a passion for national parks and rescue animals. BRZ and WRX excepted, Subaru has fitted nearly all of its 21st-century vehicles with all-wheel-drive, and keen mixture of high ground clearance but a low center of gravity. The formula for a practical compact sport utility vehicle was perfected by Subaru long before crossovers became the de facto daily driver for a growing majority of car buyers.
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