2019 Subaru Forester

2019 was the SK-generation redesign's launch year; Subaru dropped the prior-gen 2.0XT turbo option, so every 2019 Forester trim (2.5i through Touring) shares one naturally-aspirated 2.5L flat-four rated 182 hp.

Same single 2.5L engine across the range; torque figure is unchanged from the outgoing SJ-generation naturally-aspirated engine.

Consistently one of the slower vehicles in the compact SUV class; multiple outlets independently clocked it in the low-to-mid 9-second range.

The redesigned CVT and revised engine mounting quieted the drone that plagued the prior generation, but reviewers still note a pronounced engine buzz under hard acceleration and unhurried, rather than eager, throttle response.

Lineartronic CVT uses programmed 'shift' steps (paddle-shift manual mode on Sport/Limited/Touring) to mimic a stepped automatic; reviewers found the simulated shifts noticeable but not objectionable, with no notable hunting.

Flat towing rating across the trim range; unchanged from the prior generation and modest for the compact SUV class.

Subaru's Symmetrical AWD is standard on every trim, not an option — no FWD variant exists. Sport and above get an enhanced X-Mode with a Deep Snow/Mud setting and Hill Descent Control new for this generation.

8.7 in of ground clearance (class-competitive) plus standard X-Mode and Hill Descent Control give it real light-duty capability, but there's no dedicated off-road trim, low-range gearing, or underbody protection.

The redesigned 2019 Forester launched with a single naturally-aspirated 2.5L engine and CVT across the entire lineup — Subaru dropped the previous generation's 2.0XT turbo and had not yet introduced the e-Boxer hybrid to the US Forester (that arrived for model year 2020).

EPA rating for the sole 2019 Forester powertrain (2.5L H4, CVT, standard AWD) — no engine or trim variance to average across since every 2019 trim shares this drivetrain.

EPA city figure for the 2.5L CVT AWD powertrain shared by every 2019 trim.

EPA highway figure for the 2.5L CVT AWD powertrain shared by every 2019 trim.

Derived from the EPA-published range figure for the 16.6-gallon tank at 29 MPG combined.

EPA's standard annual fuel-cost estimate for this powertrain, among the cheapest to run in the non-hybrid compact SUV class.

Runs on 87-octane regular unleaded with no performance or durability penalty for skipping premium — no added running cost.

NHTSA gave the all-new-generation 2019 Forester a 5-star overall rating, with 5 stars frontal, 5 stars side, and 4 stars rollover (17.4% rollover probability).

IIHS rated all crashworthiness tests Good except the updated side test, which came back Acceptable overall with Marginal rear-passenger head protection. Top Safety Pick+ applied only to Limited/Touring units built after January 2019 with the Good-rated LED headlights; the higher-volume base/Premium/Sport trims carried Acceptable headlights and did not qualify for the top award.

EyeSight (automatic pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure/sway warning, lane keep assist, pre-collision throttle management) is standard on every 2019 Forester trim including base, but blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and reverse automatic braking are unavailable on base and only optional-to-standard moving up the trim ladder.

IIHS rated EyeSight-equipped 2019 Foresters Superior in front crash prevention for both vehicle-to-vehicle (avoided collisions at 12 and 25 mph) and daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian testing.

Blind-spot detection with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert is absent on the base trim, available moving up the lineup, and standard only from Limited up; coverage is alert-based (visual/audible) rather than active steering or braking intervention.

The 2019 Forester's EyeSight offers lane keep assist and lane sway/departure warning — a corrective nudge back toward the lane center when drifting over a line — rather than the continuous lane-centering steering Subaru made standard starting with the 2020 model year, so highway tracking is functional but less refined than the following year's system.

EyeSight's adaptive cruise control covers the full speed range down to a stop and resumes automatically, but since 2019 pairs it with lane keep assist rather than true lane-centering steering, the combined highway-assist experience is less integrated than the 2020-and-later Forester.

The 2019 Forester has no hands-free highway driving system; EyeSight requires hands on the wheel at all times, and the Touring-trim DriverFocus feature is a driver-attention monitor, not a hands-free-capable system.

IIHS rated the 2019 Forester's LED headlights Good only on Limited/Touring units built after January 2019 (curve-adaptive with high-beam assist); base, Premium and Sport — the higher-volume trims — carried Acceptable-rated LED projectors without curve-adaptive function.

Reviewers consistently praised the all-new 2019 Forester's low beltline, thin roof pillars and large glass area for best-in-class outward sightlines in nearly every direction, a signature strength for the redesigned generation.

The redesigned 2019 generation carries the Forester's boxy, upright rear cabin and wide door openings, giving accessible lower LATCH anchors and enough room to fit multiple car seats without excessive digging.

The 2019 Forester (all-new 5th generation) is a two-row, five-passenger compact SUV with no third-row option on any trim.

Generous front headroom from the redesigned, taller-greenhouse 5th-gen body.

Above-average front legroom for the compact SUV class.

The tall, boxy 5th-gen body gives the Forester segment-leading rear headroom.

Rear legroom grew for 2019 on the longer wheelbase (105.1 in), among the roomiest in the compact SUV segment.

No third row is offered on the 2019 Forester at any trim; it is strictly a five-seat compact SUV.

Cargo volume behind the second row is competitive for the compact SUV class but modest against the broad cross-segment SUV band used for normalization.

Folding the 60/40 rear seat nearly doubles cargo space, a strong figure for a compact SUV.

The redesigned cabin has a wide, deep center console bin, large door pockets and a flat load floor, but nothing that stands out as class-leading storage innovation.

Reviewers and owners consistently praise front seat comfort and all-day support; rear seats are flatter but adequate.

The 2019 redesign brought a more composed, absorbent ride than the outgoing generation, though some firmness remains over sharp bumps.

Wind and road noise are well controlled, but the CVT drones audibly under hard acceleration ('Subaru Moo'), denting overall quietness.

Heated front seats arrive on Sport and up, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel are Touring-exclusive, and dual-zone auto climate is limited to upper trims — rich equipment exists but only at the top of the range.

Entry Base trim MSRP sits at the low end of the compact-SUV band for an all-new, redesigned generation, undercutting most AWD-standard rivals.

Premium is the Forester's traditional best-selling trim, adding 17-in alloys, roof rails, X-MODE with hill descent and a power driver's seat while still landing well under the segment's typical volume-trim price.

Mid-pack for the compact-SUV class; RepairPal rates Forester ownership costs "average" for the segment, and the redesigned CVT and Starlink infotainment carried some early-generation reliability complaints that keep costs from undercutting segment leaders like the CR-V/RAV4.

The Forester depreciates well below the compact-SUV segment average (segment loses ~39.9% over 5 years vs. Forester's ~32.5-35%), and as the launch year of an all-new, well-received generation the 2019 model held value particularly well.

Industry-standard 3/36 basic coverage, at the floor of the compact-SUV band and short of value-brand rivals offering longer bumper-to-bumper terms.

Standard 5/60 powertrain term, at the floor of the compact-SUV band and well short of Hyundai/Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile coverage.

All 2019 Foresters include 24/7 roadside assistance for the warranty period and a complimentary Starlink Safety Plus trial with automatic collision notification and maintenance alerts, but a nationwide multi-year included-maintenance plan was not standard (only offered regionally by some dealers) — better than bare-bones roadside-only coverage but short of a universal multi-year maintenance plan.

$27,670 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (65% retained, or about $17,986) leaves about $9,685 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,910 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $15,595 in total.

The redesigned (5th-gen) 2019 Forester drew mixed-to-below-average predicted reliability signals: Consumer Reports and JD Power's 3-year Vehicle Dependability Study both flagged above-average transmission-related complaints tied to the Lineartronic CVT, offsetting the proven FB25 engine.

Subaru placed well below the industry average and ranked near the bottom of brands (6th-from-bottom in 2019, 7th-from-bottom in 2020) in JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study, a multi-year pattern rather than a single bad year, even though separate ACSI customer-satisfaction surveys rate the brand well.

Three NHTSA recalls hit the 2019 Forester: an electronic power-steering connector that could short and cut power-steering assist, a PCV valve that could separate and cause a loss of power while driving, and rear stabilizer bracket bolts that could loosen. None are fire/structural-failure grade, but the steering-assist and drive-power-loss campaigns are safety-relevant enough to sit at typical-to-slightly-below-typical rather than clean.

The FB25 2.5L flat-four is a well-proven, high-mileage-capable engine family, but it is paired exclusively with Subaru's Lineartronic CVT, which for the 2019 model year carries documented owner reports of shudder, rough/delayed shifting, and in some cases repeat transmission replacements, plus a new thermal-control-valve coolant leak issue — a mixed rather than clean durability picture overall.

Reviewers consistently called out the redesigned cabin as a clear step up from the prior generation, with soft-touch padding down to elbow level even on mid-range Sport/Premium trims, but still dinged wiggly hard-plastic climate/infotainment buttons and awkward blanking plates on lower trims of the top Touring model.

No systemic panel-gap, rattle, or misassembly complaints surfaced for the first-year 5th-gen Forester in professional or owner reviews; assembly reads as solid and typical for the segment rather than class-leading or problematic.

Subaru runs a dense, roughly 640-dealer US network and has a long-standing reputation for strong owner loyalty and dealer-service satisfaction, well ahead of niche or newly-launched brands even if not the industry's single top performer.

Routine parts (filters, brakes, engine components) are widely available and reasonably priced for a mainstream brand, and Subaru has a healthy aftermarket, but CVT repairs/replacements — a real risk on this generation — run roughly $1,500-$4,000, pulling the overall cost-of-repair picture down from best-in-class.

The volume Premium trim uses the base 6.5-inch STARLINK touchscreen; the larger 8-inch unit is optional on Sport and standard only on Limited and Touring.

The 6.5-inch STARLINK system is simple and reasonably responsive with real physical knobs, but the interface is dated and menu-heavy compared to newer systems; the optional 8-inch unit was noted for more lag.

CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across all 2019 Forester trims, but only via a wired USB connection — no wireless projection was offered this model year.

Basic voice command is available, and native navigation is only offered as part of the 8-inch STARLINK Multimedia Navigation package on upper trims; most owners default to phone-projection navigation instead.

Standard audio is adequate for the class; a Harman Kardon premium system is available on upper trims (Limited/Touring) as a modest step up.

The gauge cluster is analog with a small 4.2-inch multi-information display standard across trims — not a configurable full-digital cluster.

The 2019 Forester's STARLINK system had no meaningful over-the-air update capability for infotainment software or vehicle systems.

The MySubaru app paired with the optional STARLINK Safety/Security subscription offers remote lock/unlock, remote start, and vehicle locate, but functionality and reliability lag class leaders and core features require a paid subscription after the trial period.

USB ports are provided front and rear (2.1A) on upper trims, but there is no wireless charging pad at any trim level.

Proximity keyless access with push-button start is standard on Sport, Limited and Touring, and optional on Premium, but the base 2.5i uses a traditional key.

A rearview camera is standard across the lineup and front/side sonar parking sensors are available on upper trims, but no 360-degree surround camera was offered on the 2019 Forester.

No head-up display was offered on any 2019 Forester trim.

Wide-opening rear doors, a tall, boxy cabin and a low load floor make loading kids and gear straightforward, and rear legroom (39.4 in) accommodates rear-facing car seats reasonably well.

Subaru EyeSight (adaptive cruise, lane-keep, pre-collision braking) is standard on every 2019 Forester trim including the base 2.5i, and the model earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ — a top-tier safety proposition at every price point.

Good outward visibility and rear-seat space suit multi-hour family trips, but rear-seat amenities (climate vents, USB access, entertainment) are thin below the Touring trim.

Light steering, a smooth low-speed ride and class-leading outward visibility make the Forester an easy, low-fatigue daily driver, per instrumented and long-term reviews.

EPA-rated 26/33/29 mpg (city/hwy/combined) for the 2.5L flat-4 with standard AWD is solid for a compact AWD SUV, though not exceptional against front-drive-optional rivals.

A compact footprint (182.1 in long) and 35.4-ft turning diameter make the Forester easy to park and maneuver, aided by a standard rearview camera.

Towing is capped at 1,500 lbs on every trim with no heavier-duty option, and there is no bed or commercial-oriented cargo configuration — the Forester is not built for real work duty.

Subaru's boxer engine and standard symmetrical AWD have a solid long-term durability reputation, but the Forester is not marketed or reinforced for fleet/work abuse the way a truck-based SUV is.

Standard roof rails support cargo boxes and racks, but there is no onboard power outlet, load-rated tie-down system, or upfit ecosystem aimed at job-site use.

A composed ride, standard EyeSight adaptive cruise for highway fatigue reduction, and a roughly 440-mile highway range (16.6-gal tank at 33 mpg hwy) make it a competent tourer, though CVT drone under load detracts on long grades.

8.7 in of ground clearance, standard symmetrical AWD, and X-Mode with hill descent control (standard on Premium and up, with a Deep Snow/Mud setting new for 2019 on Sport+) make the Forester a genuine light off-pavement and all-weather adventure vehicle.

A flat-folding 60/40 rear seat, standard roof rails, and 76.1 cu ft of max cargo space handle typical outdoor gear well, though overall cargo volume trails larger crossovers.

The redesigned 2019 Forester turns in crisply with manageable body lean for its tall stance and benefits from reduced body roll versus the outgoing generation, but it remains secure rather than genuinely engaging.

Steering is fairly quick and precise enough for confident placement, but it is numb and offers little road feedback, typical of the class.

No major complaints about brake feel or fade appear in contemporary reviews; pedal feel and stopping power are adequate for the class without being a standout.

The 182-hp 2.5L flat-4 paired with a CVT runs out of breath around 50 mph and feels flat at higher speeds (0-60 in a leisurely 8.5 sec per Car and Driver), with the CVT calibrated for economy over responsiveness.

Under load the CVT produces the well-documented 'Subaru Moo' — a flat, droning engine note that reviewers call irritating, though it is not present at cruise.

A tight turning circle for the segment, aided by the compact overall footprint.

Excellent outward visibility (a Consumer Reports-cited strength), a raised seating position and straightforward control layout make for comfortable, low-fatigue ergonomics across driver sizes.

Reviewers are explicit that the Forester prioritizes ease and practicality over driving enjoyment, with flat CVT-hampered acceleration and little in the way of character.

Every 2019 trim, including Base, comes standard with the full EyeSight driver-assist suite (adaptive cruise, lane keep assist, pre-collision braking), standard AWD, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto — a segment differentiator against rivals that reserve driver-assist tech and AWD for higher trims or charge extra.

Strong practicality-per-dollar case for the newly redesigned generation — class-leading 76.1 cu ft cargo volume (base trim), best-in-class visibility, standard AWD and standard driver-assist tech — offset by a CVT and unchanged 182-hp NA four that trail some rivals' punchier turbo options.

Five well-spaced trims (Base to Touring, $24,295-$34,295) cover budget to loaded buyers, but there is only one engine/CVT combination for the all-new generation's launch year — no turbo, hybrid, or manual option to widen the lineup further.

The all-new fifth generation drove the Forester to its best sales year on record in the US, with 180,179 units sold in 2019 as one of Subaru's top-selling nameplates during the brand's eleventh consecutive annual sales record.

Subaru carries a loyal, outdoor/family-lifestyle brand image with strong owner loyalty and safety reputation, though it lacks the aspirational halo of premium marques.

Subaru is historically a low-incentive, thin-margin brand, and the newly redesigned 2019 Forester launched into record demand, leaving little room for discounting beyond modest demographic rebates (military, college grad, loyalty).

2019 is the launch year of the all-new fifth-generation Forester, built on the new Subaru Global Platform with a full redesign of styling, safety tech and structure — as fresh as the nameplate gets, with no redesign risk for years.

Well reviewed at launch — The Car Connection's repeat "Best Car to Buy 2019" pick and U.S. News' Best Compact SUV for Families — and earned IIHS Top Safety Pick (base headlights fell short of the LED-required Top Safety Pick+ tier that year), but it did not win a marquee comparison-test crown like MotorTrend's 2019 SUV of the Year (awarded to the Jeep Wrangler).