Former Subaru employee. These cars are some of the easiest to work on in the industry. They're all the same and they are the Legos of cars. A decent Subaru tech could pull that engine in 45 minutes or less. The boxer engine is easier to work on than a traditional inline 4. Exceptions are spark plugs (not really that bad) and other valve cover related things.
Litltle tip: As someone with a '24 Crosstrek with the 2.5 engine, it helps to put it into sport / S# when merging onto the highway, helps it accelerate without having to push down the pedal as much.
@@TheMichaelInglis I had a 2021 Forester. Very comfortable and quiet on freeways, spacious inside. But the body roll made any kind of cornering feel risky.
I have a 2017 Forester Premium with cloth seats, Eyesight, the winter package. Mileage on a 1100-mile road trip that I completed earlier this week was 26 mpg at the worst, going 80 mph from Idaho to Wyoming and the best 32 mpg going between 80 mph and 35 (in a blizzard). Great outward visibility, easy to drive, direct steering, excellent-unsurpassed AWD system that runs all the time rather than being reactive to loss of traction, durable plastics, good displays, and a quieter ride than my brother-in-law's Santa Fe. I've been tempted to trade it in for a newer model, but I am contemplating living in an area far from the nearest Subaru dealership, so I am holding off on that decision. Fun video.
Didn’t love it when it first came out, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t grow on me… Something about the visibility, practicality, comfort, understatement. It’s soo practical for its class.
One of the only Subaru's that fit my short wife (4'10"). We tried them all and she loves the Forester. I would get the Sport but the Touring is the only one that comes with memory seats and since I am more than a foot taller, they're needed to make life easier.
My friend has a 2014 forester that’s lifted, it has 200k mi and he floors it everywhere …. CVT is original and still works well. He also takes it off road when we take our Jeep out.
I have a '24 Forester sport in this same color and love it. I've not had a chance to drive a '25 to see the difference. I dont find issue with the acceleration or the CVT. I also have a 1981 Pontiac Bonneville and a 1985 Chevrolet Caprice and this will out accelerate both of those. I traded a 2013 GMC Terrain for this just for reference. Your thought about the Sport being just the right amount of equipment and none of what you dont want is the same thought I had when I got mine. It has what I do want and none of what I dont want.
I currently have a 2023 Forester Sport with option 24, and I absolutely love it. I plan on keeping it forever. I’m not a fan of the redesigned Forester, so my 2023 Forester is priceless to me. At the beginning of the video, when you started the trip, the road looked familiar especially westbound i-94-I knew it was Michigan. It's my daily road to work. Great video!
I bought my first Subaru in March 23. Got the Outback. I'm very impressed by it. 33k miles of road trips have been fantastic. I look forward to having to go places just so i can drive it. It's not a sports car. It's a near-luxury practical do-nearly-everything car.
LOVE that greenhouse. If I didn't have 3 kids, this is what I'd be looking at. A great ride and plenty of space. Not to mention the ease of maintenance. My concern with this is the infotainment and lack of physical controls for a number of things - but that's not an issue unique to Subaru.
I'm not a Subaru technician but I've owned my 06 STi since 2008 and I'll just say I've never changed the spark plugs myself, since I've owned it. As far as Eyesight goes, I've heard some owners saying it has randomly applied 100% brakes out of nowhere, nearly causing accidents.
Forester is sold just about everywhere, the Legacy/Outback/Ascent are the main NA-specific models. I don't know if I've ever seen one with a filler door on the driver side, I think they're all passenger side
Foresters are nice. I’d take one over any other SUV in its category (CX-5 only loses because of cylinder deactivation), but I probably won’t buy one as long as they keep making Outbacks. I know the total cargo space isn’t too different on paper, but I think the wagon shape makes more usable space than a vertically taller box.
There were fewer comments from your road trip about ride quality and noise levels. Those are pretty much the main things about a long, highway road trip that I'm interested in. Still enjoyed the video. 👍
Easier to replace for customers down the line. My old Town & Country had an led bar as the third brake light and I had to go out of my way trying to find a parts store that had it and pay $10 for it, whereas the Odyssey that replaced it just has a regular 921 bulb that cost $1.25 and could be found anywhere.
There would be 0 benefit to go back to a standard automatic. You'd have worse MPG, worse acceleration, less smooth and 0 guarantee that it would have better durability than the CVT.
I would disagree the first advantage is the Drone would disappear I'd rather have peace and quiet and pay little more in gas over my daily 60 miles of 80+mph trip to work one way, on the other hand if you use it under 60mph in the city it's a perfect vehicle. @@KeithSchwerin
Regarding your mileage: My all-time high for a tank of gas on my 2020 Subaru Forester Touring was 40.531 mpg from Bisbee to Gila Bend, Az on 4/12/2024. My usual mileage on the highway is around 32 mpg.
I wish Subaru would drop the CVTs and use traditional automatics, these modern ZF automatics with 8 or 9 speeds are just as reliable and efficient as a CVT. Besides a traditional automatic would bring more smoothness to the driving experience.
Hi!! I was wondering if u could do a 2025 ford explorer video on this channel, I see the thetopher already did it. You could get a lot of views if u did it, the rwd model probably will give u views. But keep up the great work mostly all ur videos i watch like the Maserati grecale, Subaru Outback, this one, Toyota grand highlander, and I’ve watched all ur road trip videos.
Great vídeo as always, was this filmed with a GoPro or DJI? I feel like low light quality is not quite there :( thought you were switching to DJI for this reason
This was GoPro. I'm still torn on what I like best. the DJI is great for low light but im not huge on the wide angle look (feels kinda distorted). I need to play with the settings a bit more.
"You've got X... which does not seem to be working right now." Seems to be a phrase you could say about something in every new car these days lol. ESPECIALLY in regards to the wireless charger. The one in my Honda I'd say... that it functions purely in the legal sense. Are any of them good? lol Also. I used to be deep in the Subie game and I have to say that their CVT's are probably the worst I've experienced long term. They learn really funky things and I had to reset its learning often. They're so jerky over time. They're actually the entire reason I bailed on Subaru altogether. Last car was a Crosstrek and that thing's CVT was horrendous. I'll never buy another Subaru again. Take that for what its worth (jack diddly anecdotal squat lol).
The door panels front and rear look so much cheaper in design and materials than the previous gen. Way less accenting fabric/star-tex/leather (depending on trim), and the overall design is much more simplified and bland. Cost cutting at work?
More like the nickname "sport". Like "Hey how you doin, sport". Not actually sporty, just slightly respected while simultaneously also being slightly looked down upon.
didn't buy 2024 because of interior quality, or lack there of. the second i pulled on the door handle to close the door at the test drive, it felt flimsy. plastic moved all around. 90's Kia quality vibes
As a Former late model Subaru owner, I'll never buy another subaru unless they put a traditional gearbox in one. Had a 2017 Outback with the 3.6 eat a transmission even after doing the overpriced fluid changes. The outback and forester with a torque converter 8 speed would be MILES better
If manufacturers want to give us manual control for CVTs, they should do an analogue dial to adjust gear ratios. That would make more sense than adding paddle shifters - that's for transmissions with distinctive steps.
In my opinion, Subaru really fell off, from the kind of vehicles they made in their previous years...noways, they are just "Meh", ordinary cars that just move someone from point A to point B...nothing particularly exciting about them...unlike Mazda or the modern day Toyota who strive to make exciting cars "GR" brand.
It is not a hot take, Subaru's early ones were unreliable at best but the past 5-6 years have been on par with other Japanese CVTs (and better than Nissan)
Former Subaru employee. These cars are some of the easiest to work on in the industry. They're all the same and they are the Legos of cars. A decent Subaru tech could pull that engine in 45 minutes or less. The boxer engine is easier to work on than a traditional inline 4. Exceptions are spark plugs (not really that bad) and other valve cover related things.
You sure can! Full engine reseal in under 5 hours is crazy and all take almost the same amount of engine oil too!
Litltle tip: As someone with a '24 Crosstrek with the 2.5 engine, it helps to put it into sport / S# when merging onto the highway, helps it accelerate without having to push down the pedal as much.
Same 2.5 engine with 182 hp that is in your Crosstrek (and mine). It has to be slower in this bigger model than in the CT.
@poturbg8698 For sure, power to weight ratio is definitely worse. The only way I'd get a Forester would be if they made one with the 2.4 turbo.
@@TheMichaelInglis I had a 2021 Forester. Very comfortable and quiet on freeways, spacious inside. But the body roll made any kind of cornering feel risky.
Maybe the upcoming hybrid option will help with the acceleration.
I have a 2017 Forester Premium with cloth seats, Eyesight, the winter package. Mileage on a 1100-mile road trip that I completed earlier this week was 26 mpg at the worst, going 80 mph from Idaho to Wyoming and the best 32 mpg going between 80 mph and 35 (in a blizzard). Great outward visibility, easy to drive, direct steering, excellent-unsurpassed AWD system that runs all the time rather than being reactive to loss of traction, durable plastics, good displays, and a quieter ride than my brother-in-law's Santa Fe. I've been tempted to trade it in for a newer model, but I am contemplating living in an area far from the nearest Subaru dealership, so I am holding off on that decision. Fun video.
28:28 rarest car in this video, a Buick regal tourx wagon , only 10k units were sent to the us from opel in Germany!
This bro cars 🫡
Didn’t love it when it first came out, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t grow on me…
Something about the visibility, practicality, comfort, understatement. It’s soo practical for its class.
One of the only Subaru's that fit my short wife (4'10"). We tried them all and she loves the Forester. I would get the Sport but the Touring is the only one that comes with memory seats and since I am more than a foot taller, they're needed to make life easier.
First world problems lol.
This thing needs a trim level that adds the 2.4T from the Outback XT.
@@SteremyJeele That would be awesome
Crosstrek needs a turbo option as well!
@@TJDawgs72 Agreed. I would 100% buy a Crosstrek XT as a daily driver.
I was hoping impreza rs had the turbo too
My friend has a 2014 forester that’s lifted, it has 200k mi and he floors it everywhere …. CVT is original and still works well. He also takes it off road when we take our Jeep out.
You have to floor them to get any power. Granted they are tough.
I have a '24 Forester sport in this same color and love it. I've not had a chance to drive a '25 to see the difference. I dont find issue with the acceleration or the CVT. I also have a 1981 Pontiac Bonneville and a 1985 Chevrolet Caprice and this will out accelerate both of those. I traded a 2013 GMC Terrain for this just for reference. Your thought about the Sport being just the right amount of equipment and none of what you dont want is the same thought I had when I got mine. It has what I do want and none of what I dont want.
I currently have a 2023 Forester Sport with option 24, and I absolutely love it. I plan on keeping it forever. I’m not a fan of the redesigned Forester, so my 2023 Forester is priceless to me. At the beginning of the video, when you started the trip, the road looked familiar especially westbound i-94-I knew it was Michigan. It's my daily road to work. Great video!
I bought my first Subaru in March 23. Got the Outback. I'm very impressed by it. 33k miles of road trips have been fantastic. I look forward to having to go places just so i can drive it. It's not a sports car. It's a near-luxury practical do-nearly-everything car.
LOVE that greenhouse. If I didn't have 3 kids, this is what I'd be looking at. A great ride and plenty of space. Not to mention the ease of maintenance. My concern with this is the infotainment and lack of physical controls for a number of things - but that's not an issue unique to Subaru.
Heard exterior noise when you were driving. Loved how the dashboard looked during the night drive
Having the heating steering wheel on my outback and legacy its a must have for me.
Hi from Melbourne Aus great review thanks for that
I'm not a Subaru technician but I've owned my 06 STi since 2008 and I'll just say I've never changed the spark plugs myself, since I've owned it. As far as Eyesight goes, I've heard some owners saying it has randomly applied 100% brakes out of nowhere, nearly causing accidents.
I've heard this too! No issues with this latest version on my trip. Things feel smoothed out overall.
Forester is sold just about everywhere, the Legacy/Outback/Ascent are the main NA-specific models. I don't know if I've ever seen one with a filler door on the driver side, I think they're all passenger side
good to know!
YOU CAN ALSO TELL THE FORESTER WHAT TEMPERATURE YOU WANT
Foresters are nice. I’d take one over any other SUV in its category (CX-5 only loses because of cylinder deactivation), but I probably won’t buy one as long as they keep making Outbacks. I know the total cargo space isn’t too different on paper, but I think the wagon shape makes more usable space than a vertically taller box.
Yep, and also the Outback can be optioned with the 2.4T with 260 horsepower. Surprised they don't offer the Forester with that option.
@@SteremyJeele Nobody bought the last turbo Forester
@@SteremyJeele mine is 👍
There were fewer comments from your road trip about ride quality and noise levels. Those are pretty much the main things about a long, highway road trip that I'm interested in. Still enjoyed the video. 👍
That spyder rs that Charlie was driving 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Always wonder why taillights aren't fully LED these days..
Same with led reverse lights too. The fact there are differences in models with this in the same brand is so frustrating.
Cost
Easier to replace for customers down the line. My old Town & Country had an led bar as the third brake light and I had to go out of my way trying to find a parts store that had it and pay $10 for it, whereas the Odyssey that replaced it just has a regular 921 bulb that cost $1.25 and could be found anywhere.
so you replace a 10 dollar bulb instead of buying a whole new light assembly for 500 dollars. you are welcome
@@MrApplesaucestuff plus LEDs don't melt ice
If these just switched the CVT for a standard automatic or manual transmission id buy it in a heartbeat.
Give us the Mazda 6 speed AT lol
There would be 0 benefit to go back to a standard automatic. You'd have worse MPG, worse acceleration, less smooth and 0 guarantee that it would have better durability than the CVT.
@@warriors_6247 I would take one with a traditional transmission even if it's a 6spd
I would disagree the first advantage is the Drone would disappear I'd rather have peace and quiet and pay little more in gas over my daily 60 miles of 80+mph trip to work one way, on the other hand if you use it under 60mph in the city it's a perfect vehicle. @@KeithSchwerin
@@KittRemboa sluggish, inconsistent transmission that would hurt acceleration and fuel economy? why??
U DIDN'T TURN AROUND FOR THE FORD PROBE?! 😢
That touchscreen is a deal breaker. Give us more knobs and buttons.
im kinda happy with my 2013 forester. the new ones really lack in horsepower than before
This has 10 hp more than yours assuming it's not an XT. Yours had less
@ it is an XT. It has 224 hp. That’s why I said it’s less fun
@@avontewilliams1902 mine too
Thankfully the 24 forester still comes with the normal infotainment lol
That's what I got.
8:45 what was the setting changed? I have a 24 Outback and any assistance would be appreciated.
Regarding your mileage: My all-time high for a tank of gas on my 2020 Subaru Forester Touring was 40.531 mpg from Bisbee to Gila Bend, Az on 4/12/2024. My usual mileage on the highway is around 32 mpg.
The Fordbaru Explorester
Bud that looks nothing like an explorer.
@@ZACH_95_ It looks nothing like a good-looking car either.
@ZACH_95_ It absolutely does and I am far from the first person to say it.
@@ZACH_95_ Bud
@@ArthropodSpidey Didn't like it at first, but now seeing the older model, it's wayyy better and cleaner. No more buggy/alien look.
33:47 literally have never heard of that before. Guess that's an expensive car thing
This thing would be so cool with a manual transmission
I noticed Subaru is really dampening down on the CVT shifting. My partner has a 21 ascent and the new 24 ascent I really didn’t notice it
Here is an easy test. Drive the car until the gas empty, put Chevron 92 octane on it and see if the throttle response and acceleration are better.
Sad they killed the XT. Our 2018 XT is the last Forester we will ever own.
Does this video do justice to the road noise? Sounds very prominent even with the music test
Most people say it's a lot quieter than previous ones
It's pretty accurate to the audio here, yes. It's definitely one of the louder choices in the segment, but better than previous gen.
Genuinely thought it sounded fine to good, but I'm used to ten and twenty year old Civics which I've gathered is a loud car
I wish Subaru would drop the CVTs and use traditional automatics, these modern ZF automatics with 8 or 9 speeds are just as reliable and efficient as a CVT. Besides a traditional automatic would bring more smoothness to the driving experience.
Yeah, I’m willing to pay more.
The early CVTs were very smooth, then they added fake "shifts" to make it feel more like a regular auto
Would hurt the MPG and Subaru then might not make CAFE govt. regulations.
Hi!! I was wondering if u could do a 2025 ford explorer video on this channel, I see the thetopher already did it. You could get a lot of views if u did it, the rwd model probably will give u views. But keep up the great work mostly all ur videos i watch like the Maserati grecale, Subaru Outback, this one, Toyota grand highlander, and I’ve watched all ur road trip videos.
It's so fast and sporty.
As a '24 Crosstrek owner with the same infotainment system, PLEASE O PLEASE post here about what feature had to be disabled to speed up the system.
it was the wifi hot spot!
Practical and useful but way underpowered without a turbo. Take someone heavy along for the test drive and you will see what I mean.
20:59 sounds like it’s coming from the subie
Great vídeo as always, was this filmed with a GoPro or DJI? I feel like low light quality is not quite there :( thought you were switching to DJI for this reason
This was GoPro. I'm still torn on what I like best. the DJI is great for low light but im not huge on the wide angle look (feels kinda distorted). I need to play with the settings a bit more.
"You've got X... which does not seem to be working right now." Seems to be a phrase you could say about something in every new car these days lol. ESPECIALLY in regards to the wireless charger. The one in my Honda I'd say... that it functions purely in the legal sense. Are any of them good? lol
Also. I used to be deep in the Subie game and I have to say that their CVT's are probably the worst I've experienced long term. They learn really funky things and I had to reset its learning often. They're so jerky over time. They're actually the entire reason I bailed on Subaru altogether. Last car was a Crosstrek and that thing's CVT was horrendous. I'll never buy another Subaru again. Take that for what its worth (jack diddly anecdotal squat lol).
no pink cup tho :(
Does the Sport have a stiffer ride than the Premium
No normal handbrake, digital dash... Subaru too:(
Gotta know what the Topher did to the infotainement!!
He disabled the wifi hot spot!
The door panels front and rear look so much cheaper in design and materials than the previous gen. Way less accenting fabric/star-tex/leather (depending on trim), and the overall design is much more simplified and bland. Cost cutting at work?
How quickly does Android auto connect when you start the car and it's already pre paired?
Fast, under 10 sec on my 24 crosstrek.
It looks nice
me gusta mas el modelo 2024 exterior
There's nothing SPORT about a CVT vehicle 🤣
More like the nickname "sport". Like "Hey how you doin, sport". Not actually sporty, just slightly respected while simultaneously also being slightly looked down upon.
They’ve always just been aesthetic packages, lol.
More like them claddings
🤓
Have you even driven one? Great daily driver.
Why does this remind me of early 2000s ford suvs?
How tall are you that you are almost hitting the ceiling?
He's 5'11 but might have a longer torso
@@ElliWoelfin My son is 6 foot 3" and has no problem with head room in the Forester.
No hood struts... why Subaru lol
You should start playing some Olivia Rodrigo songs in these cars
Bring back the XT version then they can call it a SPORT
Shift paddles in a CVT!!
Good god.
Get a real stick if you must.
Nice car otherwise.
Good review.
didn't buy 2024 because of interior quality, or lack there of. the second i pulled on the door handle to close the door at the test drive, it felt flimsy. plastic moved all around. 90's Kia quality vibes
They change the great parts and keep the crappy parts
Don’t care for the new 2025 redesign but my 2011 Subaru Forester is the easiest vehicle I have ever worked on.
As a Former late model Subaru owner, I'll never buy another subaru unless they put a traditional gearbox in one. Had a 2017 Outback with the 3.6 eat a transmission even after doing the overpriced fluid changes. The outback and forester with a torque converter 8 speed would be MILES better
The interior STILL looks hideous :(
Driving touring model
I like my 23 premium wayyy better 😚
If manufacturers want to give us manual control for CVTs, they should do an analogue dial to adjust gear ratios. That would make more sense than adding paddle shifters - that's for transmissions with distinctive steps.
REGULAR gas!? NO (lol)
Welcome to Subaru: Some of the worst drivers, most boring, underpowered cars🤣🤡
Infotainment is not good , lot of glare and it was laggy in some others models
Boxer engines are definitely NOT difficult to work on!
Great car, I'm sure, but I suspect they're actively trying to make this brand unattractive as possible
CVT 🤮
NPC-mobile
edit: If you squint, it has the proportions of a old X3
every car ever made is a so called “NPC-mobile”
Under powered.
And boring, and overrated lol.
Makes me sick how far Subaru fell
So True
They Sold their SOUL a long time ago
How so?
@@27ZangleThey've become the definition of an npc car
Wow a solo run, what gives?
Subarus aren't the same without you, Sean :(
In my opinion, Subaru really fell off, from the kind of vehicles they made in their previous years...noways, they are just "Meh", ordinary cars that just move someone from point A to point B...nothing particularly exciting about them...unlike Mazda or the modern day Toyota who strive to make exciting cars "GR" brand.
Yeah.... that IS a hot take. Subarus don't make the best CVTs. Honda and Toyota do. Subarus have had plenty of failing CVTs
It is not a hot take, Subaru's early ones were unreliable at best but the past 5-6 years have been on par with other Japanese CVTs (and better than Nissan)
@blue-tb2fd that's a sad reality you live in.
@@ArthropodSpidey is that always your retort when people disagree with you? I'm not sad about a thing.
@@blue-tb2fd Hope you have a better day!
@@ArthropodSpidey hope you figure yourself out!
No one wants Emily in the review,we’re here for the car only
We want Emily!