One comment. The reason why I like my 2017 Premium version over higher versions is that it has cloth upholstery. Rather than firm leather seats that you sit on, you have more cushy seats that you sit in, like a comfortable easy chair in the living room. I wish that manufacturers would make cloth seats available for all versions, and not being plastic or leather, they technically are more eco friendly as well.
I like the easy to clean aspect of leather, but you have a very valid point with cloth. Another thing is that cloth doesn’t roast your legs after sitting in sunlight! I totally get what you mean about that cozy couch vibe as well.
I have a 2023 wilderness and the best feature is the plusher than leather "startex" recycled fiber neoprene like seats. Wish it was optionable on a base model
Thanks to this channel I got my ‘23 forester Wilderness lease. May keep it after the lease. No issues whatsoever. Oil change on time and tire rotations 💯
Base only. I hate the thought of paying for a sunroof. I don't ever use it. It adds costs, complexity, and weight. It weakens the structure and is prone to leaks. Come on Subaru, simply make the sunroof an expensive, undesirable option for those who want it.
The sunroof option also lowers the amount of headroom. I have a sunroof in my 2003 Jeep Liberty, but I don't care to use it either, I see absolutely no use to a sunroof at all. I didn't buy it new, otherwise it wouldn't have a sunroof to begin with LOL.
The reason it doesn't feel as planted as the Outback is because it's a much taller vehicle. The Outback and Crosstrek are low to the ground wagons, and the Forester is a boxy traditional SUV
This comment sent me down a bit of rabbit hole and while saw a few people agree with you most thought it was a waste of money and oil and time. On modern cars. What's your reasoning for a 500 mile oil change of if I may ask?
@@MrBacchus18possibility of fine metal detritus from production. If always done an oil change on a new car at 1000k. A magnet swirled around in the drain basin of the oils typically has some powdery metallic residue. I believe most engine production plants run the engine with an electric spinner at manufacturing time, so recommended oil change for a new car is at the normal interview. However I still do my own at 1000km. Quality control is so poor these days. Feel free to disagree.
@@fogsmart Nah I don't see any harm in it and some agree with you. I'm no car expert I just follow the manufacturer's guidelines. Thanks for the technical response.
Great review! Love the color as the Black stands out against this beautiful White. 2018 Forester Limited owner, 75miles, with no mechanical issues. I bought it for it's superior outward visibility. 34mpg on the highway -:)
Enjoy the updates & reviews. Look forward to Subaru & Chevrolet & possible Toyota reviews as well as your comments on the market conditions 👍👍 The driving dynamics are different on every vehicle.
Absolutely! I made this dealership/truck market video I’ll share in a week or two where I actually speak pretty highly of the Ridgeline. It’s one of the last 3 mid sized trucks to have a V6 (frontier and gladiator). I’d imagine the Honda is the most reliable option there lol. Thanks for watching!
Had my 2025Forester now for about 10 days now… I find the lane centering to be way too aggressive at highway speeds as well on city streets and had to disengage it. Also I find the steering wheel controls to be placed in such a way that my hands always have to be on top of the steering wheel to be comfortable. At highway speeds I actually was concerned driving it being the steering is so tight that with the slightest movement I felt like I was losing control of the vehicle. My 1st Subaru and going to have to get used to its nuances…Feels like the thing has a mind of its own. All the features they offered sounded like a good thing, but I fear it may just be too much, giving too much control to the car’s computer rather than allowing me to decide how I want to drive … Only time will tell if it’s a keeper.
Next year, Subaru is coming with the HYBRID VERSION of the Forester with the modified Toyota hybrid engine fitted to match the Boxer engine. So may be that's what you should look towards. I think the car is bland from the outside, but the inside is good. I love the ride, the comforts, and the safety features, all typical Subaru. Get the Hybrid next year
hello! We just bought our first Subaru and got the 2025 Forester Premium. So far so good! Do you recommend getting the first oil change before they recommend? I think the sales guy said at 5k but I’ve heard it’s best doing before 1k. What’s your thought? What kind of oil do we need? Thank you!
That’s super exciting! I of course have to recommend doing what your owner manual states. Which I believe is 0w-20 oil and filter every 6 months or 6k miles. I may change ours sooner, maybe even at the 1,000 mile mark. Not necessarily because I’m worried about it or think it needs it if Subaru themselves doesn’t say to, but just to put out the video for those who may be curious as others will rack up miles faster than we do. Best of luck!!
Did you buy the 10 year warranty from the dealership, or third party? If from the dealership, is the warranty valid for repairs at that dealership only?
From the dealership, and it’s a legitimate Subaru brand warranty, so it basically just extended both the bumper to bumper and powertrain to 10 years or 100k miles (for the specific combo that we chose). Basically if anything goes wrong outside of the regular warranty we just pay a $100 deductible for the warranty claim. If you want a $0 deductible then the warranty would have cost a few hundred more up front. I hope this helps! 🙂
Not crazy about the looks but honestly that’s all Subarus for me now except the brz and maybe the Outback wilderness. White makes it look better. I might be biased because I have a white 23 Wrx!
Can you please try out the Eyesight lane-centering self-driving feature on highways and let us know how you like it? There are many complaints about the lane centering being too aggressive. I would like to know if Subaru fixed lane-centering and refined the experience in 2025 models.
My 2020 Outback XT lane centreing was not as good as the lane centreing on the newer Subarus with dual pinion steering racks found in the 2024 Crosstrek and now the 2025 Forester. I know that because I own all three of those. My Outback bothered me enough to do the alignment twice just to make sure it wasn’t out. Didn’t help
@@Tonga2 so are you happy with lane centering on 2025 Forester? Does it still bounce back aggressively if you try to steer yourself when lane-centering is active, or is it more subdued now? Subaru really needs to work on the collaborative steering, relinquishing control back to the driver instead of fighting the driver. Also, Subaru needs to incorporate TomTom map data for better predictive steering. Almost all other brands are incorporating map data in their steering-assist technology.
I totally get what you’re saying, I’ve fought with my Outback’s lane keep assist like 2% of the time on the highway. I’ll put out my first driving video with this soon after I get a bit more experience and examples to mention and solidify the thoughts that are starting to form with it.
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 It will be super awesome if you can make a video dedicated to 2025 lane-centering, lane-keeping and adaptive cruising. I know the changes to the steering gearing mechanism will directly affect the lane-centering experience. Perhaps improving the lane-centering experience was the motivation for Subaru to make that change.
Just an added observation here. My ex-wife just bought a 2025 Toyota RAV4 hybrid. She kept wondering what the heck was wrong with it when driving; it seemed to have a mind of its own. Turns out the lane wandering, what you refer to as centering, was on when she picked it up. As she was manually steering it kept bumping her back and she was concerned there was something wrong with the car. Turned it off and was much happier. I have a 2018 Outback and I have never used that option so I gave it a try. After driving it for a bit I would never use it. I find it intrusive and actually dangerous because it feels like the car does not want to do what you are telling it.
Hard backseat. Front seat is OK. So far the CrossTrek has the best seats. The Outback, at least for me, is not working for me, seat back wise. It feels as though there is no support on the upper third on those seat.
Love the Bigger Sunroof BUT we can not fully open it OR close it to and from Fully pushed back (open) I wish it had a Power sunshade. We want the brightness but not the heat from the Sun. As I type my sunroof is getting the sunroof Ceramic tinted to keep some of the heat out.
I get that, I think I’ll have the front windows and likely the sunroof on this one tinted within the next week. It sure does let a lot of light and heat in lol.
Now you’ll need to get a K&N air intake filter and a cabin filter so you’ll never have to replace them.., well the intake filter is guaranteed for 10 years or One million miles and you only have to condition it every 50K miles.
I am using it for 3.5 years and cleaning it every 9-10 k. miles. It has left oil just for one more reoiling. $30 for the kit again. Cleaning, drying up, reoiling is a bit time consuming. 0.3s faster acceleration worth it, but it is not cheaper than paper filters in my case. If you drive on highway only it is possible to change after 20k miles. But if you change it every 40-50k you will have serious problems. Also if I do much driving on dry gravel I change it for regular filter for 3-7 days.
What I’ve heard is that the Wilderness trim level will be announced down the road, and until then they will continue to produce the current 2024 Wilderness. 🤷♂️🤪
I looooove my 2023 Forester Limited whatever its limitations are, it is the perfect vehicle for me. And it’s the Silica green which by the way is just beautiful!
I don’t mind the overall look as much as I thought, but I will say that whoever designed the rear of the current WRX must’ve been the same legally blind individual who designed the new Forester’s grill lol
I’m not a Subaru salesman so I don’t know. But I do think the Touring comes with a 360 cam. I haven’t reviewed one of those yet so I might be confusing it with something else. 🤷♂️😅
To my understanding you are correct, I misspoke and hadn’t caught it in time to correct it. I more just meant excessive idle time to warm up the engine/cool down the interior. 😅
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 We leave our cars running so much in the summer to cool down the interior and keep it cool. I’m consistently getting about 22mpg in my Impreza!
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 Both our cars don’t have as much power in the 100+ real feel days. I think they have a problem breathing when the air quality is poor.
You’re exactly right! NA motors lose 3-3.5% horsepower per 1,000’ of density altitude. In this area the DA can hit 7,500’ during the summer dropping engine performance by around 25%.
Actually today was that day. A visit to family about 90 miles up and 90 back. Very enjoyable drive and a well spent day. The average was 58.4 mpg. Eco & cruise on for the ride home. The drive up was a little more spirited but still managed 40.8 The elevation change is 1500 to 4000. It really was a good day.
Sorry Subaru, I’m done with your nonsensical aggressive driver assists, high prices, slug-like performance, poor towing for an outdoorsy car, etc., etc. Too many other options out there. Will miss the symmetrical AWD…though it doesn’t seem as good as it used to be.
It very well could, and I’ll try to be the first to report about it! Lol. 😂 I seriously love those occasional dealership videos. I never know what I’m going to see. 🤪
I basically do 3 type of car videos. 1). Straight to the point 15-19m long legit car reviews. 2). Somewhat impromptu driving reviews where I overlay body footage. And 3). Time wasting chatter mixed with subjective thoughts and opinion updates on my own vehicles or whatever topic I’m providing an update about. Which usually also answer or discuss a number of the questions my regular viewers ask or talk about. Thanks for giving it a try even if my styles not for you. 🤷♂️🤪
One comment. The reason why I like my 2017 Premium version over higher versions is that it has cloth upholstery. Rather than firm leather seats that you sit on, you have more cushy seats that you sit in, like a comfortable easy chair in the living room. I wish that manufacturers would make cloth seats available for all versions, and not being plastic or leather, they technically are more eco friendly as well.
I personally love Leather interior.
It’s easy to keep clean and if you condition it once a year, it’ll last for years.
I like the easy to clean aspect of leather, but you have a very valid point with cloth. Another thing is that cloth doesn’t roast your legs after sitting in sunlight! I totally get what you mean about that cozy couch vibe as well.
I have a 2023 wilderness and the best feature is the plusher than leather "startex" recycled fiber neoprene like seats. Wish it was optionable on a base model
Actual video starts at 3:15
More or less 😂
Thanks to this channel I got my ‘23 forester Wilderness lease. May keep it after the lease. No issues whatsoever. Oil change on time and tire rotations 💯
That’s awesome, those are cool vehicles! I’m glad my videos could be helpful to you. 🙂
Base only. I hate the thought of paying for a sunroof. I don't ever use it. It adds costs, complexity, and weight. It weakens the structure and is prone to leaks. Come on Subaru, simply make the sunroof an expensive, undesirable option for those who want it.
I agree, the sun roof should just be like a ~$600 option but not standard.
The sunroof option also lowers the amount of headroom. I have a sunroof in my 2003 Jeep Liberty, but I don't care to use it either, I see absolutely no use to a sunroof at all. I didn't buy it new, otherwise it wouldn't have a sunroof to begin with LOL.
Wouldn’t drive my ‘25 without the sunroof.
With the all black interior now on the roof, the cabin is so dark, need that liiiiiight
@@Meerkat000I do love the dark roof though!
Bought my first Subaru last month and this channel helped me tremendously. Thanks for your thoughtful work. 👍
That’s awesome, which model and trim did you go with? I’m glad you find my videos helpful, I have a lot of fun making them. 🙂
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 I got a 2024 Outback XT touring. Figured, why dip your toe when you can dive 🤷♂️.
Great info. The stability of the Outback most likely comes from the 9+ longer wheelbase along with the 2-3" wider track.
For sure, thanks for adding this!
The reason it doesn't feel as planted as the Outback is because it's a much taller vehicle. The Outback and Crosstrek are low to the ground wagons, and the Forester is a boxy traditional SUV
On a new car (any make) you should change the oil at or before 500 miles ... this is a must if you plan to keep the car ..
This comment sent me down a bit of rabbit hole and while saw a few people agree with you most thought it was a waste of money and oil and time. On modern cars. What's your reasoning for a 500 mile oil change of if I may ask?
My subaru dealer changed my oil at 3000 miles and all the other service stuff like tire rotation etc…
@@MrBacchus18possibility of fine metal detritus from production. If always done an oil change on a new car at 1000k. A magnet swirled around in the drain basin of the oils typically has some powdery metallic residue. I believe most engine production plants run the engine with an electric spinner at manufacturing time, so recommended oil change for a new car is at the normal interview. However I still do my own at 1000km. Quality control is so poor these days. Feel free to disagree.
@@fogsmart Nah I don't see any harm in it and some agree with you. I'm no car expert I just follow the manufacturer's guidelines. Thanks for the technical response.
Great review! Love the color as the Black stands out against this beautiful White. 2018 Forester Limited owner, 75miles, with no mechanical issues. I bought it for it's superior outward visibility. 34mpg on the highway -:)
Enjoy the updates & reviews. Look forward to Subaru & Chevrolet & possible Toyota reviews as well as your comments on the market conditions 👍👍 The driving dynamics are different on every vehicle.
I’m glad you’ve been enjoying them! I really appreciate you choosing to watch and follow along. 🙂
The reduced stability is more due to higher center of gravity.
Give the Honda Ridgeline a drive. Naturally aspirated V6. Love my 2024. Infotainment and gauge cluster updated.
Absolutely! I made this dealership/truck market video I’ll share in a week or two where I actually speak pretty highly of the Ridgeline. It’s one of the last 3 mid sized trucks to have a V6 (frontier and gladiator). I’d imagine the Honda is the most reliable option there lol. Thanks for watching!
I use to drive Subaru Forester and now drive a 2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport. Love how BIG the interior space is compared the Forester.
Don't like the VCM
Love the shot at 5:02 , good job!
I’m glad you liked that! Thanks for watching. 🙂
Had my 2025Forester now for about 10 days now…
I find the lane centering to be way too aggressive at highway speeds as well on city streets and had to disengage it.
Also I find the steering wheel controls to be placed in such a way that my hands always have to be on top of the steering wheel to be comfortable.
At highway speeds I actually was concerned driving it being the steering is so tight that with the slightest movement I felt like I was losing control of the vehicle.
My 1st Subaru and going to have to get used to its nuances…Feels like the thing has a mind of its own. All the features they offered sounded like a good thing, but I fear it may just be too much, giving too much control to the car’s computer rather than allowing me to decide how I want to drive … Only time will tell if it’s a keeper.
I too would have liked a slower/relaxed steering response on highway. My ancient Ford edge is much more stable at speed.
Next year, Subaru is coming with the HYBRID VERSION of the Forester with the modified Toyota hybrid engine fitted to match the Boxer engine.
So may be that's what you should look towards.
I think the car is bland from the outside, but the inside is good. I love the ride, the comforts, and the safety features, all typical Subaru.
Get the Hybrid next year
Hopefully it is not the same version that they have in Europe, I heard that system is mediocre at best.
@@Moondoggy1941 I think it will be a Hybrid borrowed from the Prius inserted next to the Boxer, so it will not be the same
@@TheOtherKine That's good. I remember my 07 Legacy it got horrible gas mileage.
hello! We just bought our first Subaru and got the 2025 Forester Premium. So far so good! Do you recommend getting the first oil change before they recommend? I think the sales guy said at 5k but I’ve heard it’s best doing before 1k. What’s your thought? What kind of oil do we need? Thank you!
That’s super exciting! I of course have to recommend doing what your owner manual states. Which I believe is 0w-20 oil and filter every 6 months or 6k miles. I may change ours sooner, maybe even at the 1,000 mile mark. Not necessarily because I’m worried about it or think it needs it if Subaru themselves doesn’t say to, but just to put out the video for those who may be curious as others will rack up miles faster than we do. Best of luck!!
Did you buy the 10 year warranty from the dealership, or third party? If from the dealership, is the warranty valid for repairs at that dealership only?
From the dealership, and it’s a legitimate Subaru brand warranty, so it basically just extended both the bumper to bumper and powertrain to 10 years or 100k miles (for the specific combo that we chose). Basically if anything goes wrong outside of the regular warranty we just pay a $100 deductible for the warranty claim. If you want a $0 deductible then the warranty would have cost a few hundred more up front. I hope this helps! 🙂
Not crazy about the looks but honestly that’s all Subarus for me now except the brz and maybe the Outback wilderness. White makes it look better. I might be biased because I have a white 23 Wrx!
Own 2 Subaru's and still not thrilled about the CVT. Should have stuck to the 4 speed tranny like my 2007 Impreza had.
It looks like the RAV4 and the Explorer had a baby!
Isn’t that the truth!
One could probably stick a Ford badge on the front in order to really confuse folks.
Can you please try out the Eyesight lane-centering self-driving feature on highways and let us know how you like it? There are many complaints about the lane centering being too aggressive. I would like to know if Subaru fixed lane-centering and refined the experience in 2025 models.
My 2020 Outback XT lane centreing was not as good as the lane centreing on the newer Subarus with dual pinion steering racks found in the 2024 Crosstrek and now the 2025 Forester. I know that because I own all three of those. My Outback bothered me enough to do the alignment twice just to make sure it wasn’t out. Didn’t help
@@Tonga2 so are you happy with lane centering on 2025 Forester? Does it still bounce back aggressively if you try to steer yourself when lane-centering is active, or is it more subdued now? Subaru really needs to work on the collaborative steering, relinquishing control back to the driver instead of fighting the driver. Also, Subaru needs to incorporate TomTom map data for better predictive steering. Almost all other brands are incorporating map data in their steering-assist technology.
I totally get what you’re saying, I’ve fought with my Outback’s lane keep assist like 2% of the time on the highway. I’ll put out my first driving video with this soon after I get a bit more experience and examples to mention and solidify the thoughts that are starting to form with it.
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 It will be super awesome if you can make a video dedicated to 2025 lane-centering, lane-keeping and adaptive cruising. I know the changes to the steering gearing mechanism will directly affect the lane-centering experience. Perhaps improving the lane-centering experience was the motivation for Subaru to make that change.
Just an added observation here. My ex-wife just bought a 2025 Toyota RAV4 hybrid. She kept wondering what the heck was wrong with it when driving; it seemed to have a mind of its own. Turns out the lane wandering, what you refer to as centering, was on when she picked it up. As she was manually steering it kept bumping her back and she was concerned there was something wrong with the car. Turned it off and was much happier.
I have a 2018 Outback and I have never used that option so I gave it a try. After driving it for a bit I would never use it. I find it intrusive and actually dangerous because it feels like the car does not want to do what you are telling it.
Hard backseat. Front seat is OK. So far the CrossTrek has the best seats. The Outback, at least for me, is not working for me, seat back wise. It feels as though there is no support on the upper third on those seat.
Love the Bigger Sunroof BUT we can not fully open it OR close it to and from Fully pushed back (open) I wish it had a Power sunshade. We want the brightness but not the heat from the Sun. As I type my sunroof is getting the sunroof Ceramic tinted to keep some of the heat out.
I get that, I think I’ll have the front windows and likely the sunroof on this one tinted within the next week. It sure does let a lot of light and heat in lol.
I have my sunroofs tinted 95% as soon as I buy mine! I can leave the sunshade pulled back all year.
Now you’ll need to get a K&N air intake filter and a cabin filter so you’ll never have to replace them.., well the intake filter is guaranteed for 10 years or One million miles and you only have to condition it every 50K miles.
Yeah, that’s a good point!
I am using it for 3.5 years and cleaning it every 9-10 k. miles. It has left oil just for one more reoiling. $30 for the kit again. Cleaning, drying up, reoiling is a bit time consuming. 0.3s faster acceleration worth it, but it is not cheaper than paper filters in my case. If you drive on highway only it is possible to change after 20k miles. But if you change it every 40-50k you will have serious problems. Also if I do much driving on dry gravel I change it for regular filter for 3-7 days.
@@toddmobby1595 I can’t figure out how to reoil it, so I just buy a new one
So....are they still continuing the Wilderness models? A few 2025 reviews and no mention of a Wilderness model.
What I’ve heard is that the Wilderness trim level will be announced down the road, and until then they will continue to produce the current 2024 Wilderness. 🤷♂️🤪
I looooove my 2023 Forester Limited whatever its limitations are, it is the perfect vehicle for me. And it’s the Silica green which by the way is just beautiful!
That’s awesome!!
I don’t mind the overall look as much as I thought, but I will say that whoever designed the rear of the current WRX must’ve been the same legally blind individual who designed the new Forester’s grill lol
Nice review! Can you tell us if the blind spot detection has an audible sound or just the flashing lights? Thx
Unfortunately it is only the flashing lights. Unless there’s something in the settings that I’m missing. 😕
That’s a bummer. My CR-V flashes and beeps when someone is in your BS when you activate your signal. I was hoping the Forester did that too. Thx
I’ve heard that it doesn’t beep even in the Touring.😢
Bummer:(
Can you at lease one of these things for around 350 a month and does it have a 360 camera?
I’m not a Subaru salesman so I don’t know. But I do think the Touring comes with a 360 cam. I haven’t reviewed one of those yet so I might be confusing it with something else. 🤷♂️😅
I never knew a naturally aspirated engine needed a cool down. I thought that was only turbos.
To my understanding you are correct, I misspoke and hadn’t caught it in time to correct it. I more just meant excessive idle time to warm up the engine/cool down the interior. 😅
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 We leave our cars running so much in the summer to cool down the interior and keep it cool. I’m consistently getting about 22mpg in my Impreza!
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 Both our cars don’t have as much power in the 100+ real feel days. I think they have a problem breathing when the air quality is poor.
You’re exactly right! NA motors lose 3-3.5% horsepower per 1,000’ of density altitude. In this area the DA can hit 7,500’ during the summer dropping engine performance by around 25%.
Did someone say road trip? We need to break in a new motor over here.
Do it!! Your Camry would love that. 😎
Actually today was that day. A visit to family about 90 miles up and 90 back. Very enjoyable drive and a well spent day. The average was 58.4 mpg. Eco & cruise on for the ride home. The drive up was a little more spirited but still managed 40.8
The elevation change is 1500 to 4000. It really was a good day.
Классный дизайн ,мужская машина
Sorry Subaru, I’m done with your nonsensical aggressive driver assists, high prices, slug-like performance, poor towing for an outdoorsy car, etc., etc. Too many other options out there. Will miss the symmetrical AWD…though it doesn’t seem as good as it used to be.
The only concern you might have is, as the car ages, the Subaru parts department might collapse
🤣👍 Just kidding
It very well could, and I’ll try to be the first to report about it! Lol. 😂 I seriously love those occasional dealership videos. I never know what I’m going to see. 🤪
traded our 24 outback for a 25 forester.......we would not go back.
Is he speaking English? Cant understand a word he says.
Time wasting chatter for first 3 or 4 mins. First time seeing your videos.
I basically do 3 type of car videos. 1). Straight to the point 15-19m long legit car reviews. 2). Somewhat impromptu driving reviews where I overlay body footage. And 3). Time wasting chatter mixed with subjective thoughts and opinion updates on my own vehicles or whatever topic I’m providing an update about. Which usually also answer or discuss a number of the questions my regular viewers ask or talk about. Thanks for giving it a try even if my styles not for you. 🤷♂️🤪
Buying that boring white color was………..😂😂😂😂😂😂
Haha easy to keep looking clean! 🤷♂️🤪
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 lol, my mom has a white 2019 one, I’ve teased her a few times!
Haha I get that. It’s honestly so sad that 70% of vehicles today are a shade of white, gray, or black.