The 2023 Subaru Forester Dominates With 2 Crucial Advantages
It doesn’t matter that the Subaru Forester is aging. It still has plenty of value to provide. The Forester is dominating the competition in two significant areas for success. Check out what the 2023 Subaru Forester is doing better than its rivals.
Is the 2023 Subaru Forester worth buying?
Yes, the 2023 Subaru Forester is an excellent SUV to consider. It’s reliable, maintains an excellent resale value, has standard all-wheel drive, comes with a long list of driver assistance features, and features above-average off-roading capabilities.
Now the Forester is making the pot even sweeter by pointing out two significant advantages. The 2023 Forester can flex against the competition by being super reliable and fuel efficient.
So, while saving on fuel, it could also last much longer than the competition. In order to make the list, each vehicle needed to provide a good performance on the road, get 28 or more miles per gallon, and have at least an average reliability ranking.
It has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque. While this engine may seem underpowered, it gets an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in the city, up to 33 mpg on the highway, and about 28 mpg combined.
The acceleration is lackluster, and the engine is a bit noisy, but the fuel economy doesn’t get much better than that.
How reliable is the Forester?
The Subaru Forester has an above-average reliability score from J.D.Power. It earned an 83 out of 100, so that’s good. Scores between 91 to 100 are great, and scores in the 80 to 70 range are average.
You can expect your Subaru Forester to last between 200,000 to 250,000 miles. However, there are a few models that have passed 300,000 and even 500,000 miles. Proper care and regular maintenance make a key difference.
Once a Forester surpasses 100,000 miles, it’s considered to be high mileage. If you drive about 15,000 miles annually, then you could get between 13 to 15 years of service on the road.
The annual maintenance cost for the 2023 Forester is about $632, which falls just under the $652 average for SUV models.
Should you wait for the 2024 Subaru Forester to come out?
Maybe, the 2023 Subaru Forester has plenty of perks, but it lacks engine power and can only tow up to 1,500 lbs unless you spring for the more expensive Wilderness trim that boosts its capacity to 3,000 lbs. Still, rivals like the Toyota RAV4 can tow up to 3,500 lbs.
The current Forester is part of the fifth generation that came out in 2019 and got a slight refresh in 2022. The 2023 model is primarily a carryover option, but the 2024 Forester will be completely redesigned.
It could feature more engine power or a hybrid powertrain option with an increased towing capacity and increased refinement. You can expect a brand-new exterior and interior as well.
However, if you don’t want to wait, the 2023 Forester is efficient, comfortable, ready to tackle the wild, and value-packed. It could be sportier with more cargo space but has an excellent resale value. You could easily upgrade it for a newer model later.
