Subaru has updated its compact SUV for the 2023 model year, including a new off-road-ready trim level and an updated exterior design. Alternatively, the 2023 Forester is basically the same SUV that has long served as a well-rounded compact SUV. Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue are among the competitors.
The Forester integrates the love of adventure with optimism thanks to standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, available X-MODE with Hill Descent Control, up to 9.2 inches of ground clearance, and innovative safety features. For even more off-road capability, the Forester Wilderness is available.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Subaru Forester.
Subaru Forester 2023 Specifications
- Key Details: Subaru Forester 2.5i-S 2023
- Cost: $46,340
- Colour: Pearl Horizon Blue
- Alternatives: None
- Competitors: Kia Sportage, Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5
Interior
The first thing you will notice inside a 2023 Subaru Forester is how well it sees. You can not only turn your head a full 360 degrees for uninterrupted views from the outside of the car, but the low cut of the window line and higher-than-average seating place allow you to peer down and out close to the car as well.
It makes the car ideal for use in crowded, shared driveways, such as those discovered in apartment buildings or small housing complexes. After admiring the large glasshouse, you can relax in the rest of the cabin. The interior design is unobtrusive, straightforward, and traditional. Whereas almost everyone else has gone to semi or fully digital instrument clusters, Subaru sticks with a pair of analogue dials flanked by a tiny centre screen.
It’s still flawlessly legible and easy to use, but it looks a little dated in comparison to the rest of the class. The steering wheel is another throwback, with its 20 buttons (including the horn) looking and feeling dated. Aside from some of their design flaws, it is ergonomic and simple to use, so you decide whether you like them or not.
The rest of the cabin is well-designed and well-thought-out, with cupholders and large storage areas, foam-backed vinyl trim over the lower parts of the centre console for your knees to knock against, and great tactile buttons for the climate-control system.
Even so, placing the USB port for smartphone integration in an open-air cubby under the stereo implies your cables are always on display, messy, and always in the way of the automatic shifter. Unless you purchase a shorter cable, you are still stuck with the unsightliness. It’s ridiculous when there’s a wonderful armrest console with a 12-volt power outlet that can relocate these ports and hide everything instead.
Connectivity and Infotainment
An 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, native navigation, and digital radio broadcasting controls the infotainment system in the 2023 Subaru Forester 2.5i-S. Although connectivity is 85% complete (just lacking wireless smartphone mirroring), the screen size is small by today’s standards.
Many others in the segment have 10-inch-plus screens and more modern software interfaces similar to your Apple iPhone. Despite the sloppy graphics, Subaru’s system is simple to use and comprehend, and it is legible in all lighting conditions. As a top-tier Forester 2.5i-S model, you also get an eight-speaker Harman Kardon stereo with its own amplifier.
Technology and Safety
The 2023 Subaru Forester 2.5i-S received a five-star ANCAP safety rating after being tested in 2019. It received a high score of 94% for adult occupant protection but fell slightly short for safety assist systems, receiving a score of 78% overall.
Even so, this is true across the board, and only some models benefit from the same levels of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). As a top-of-the-line model, it includes features such as forward-and-reverse auto emergency braking, cameras on both sides of the car, lane-keeping support with semi-autonomous mode, and rear cross-traffic alert, to name a few. It is well-equipped and will keep your family safe.
Driving
The 2023. Subaru Forester 2.5i-S is as humble and open to drive as it is to look at. When you start the car, you’re welcomed with its signature and high-revving boxer-engine cold start. Aside from its endearing nature, the powertrain is a pleasant surprise, as even with the historically lossy CVT auto, it feels anything other than underpowered.
It’s quick on the move, accelerates quickly from a standstill, and maintains those good characteristics even when fully loaded with supplies. With a timber, wheelbarrow, and potting mix in tow, it had no trouble performing right-lane overtakes and generally keeping up with the traffic. The ride comfort is also excellent, with the overall ride and handling mix favouring touring and relaxation.
At normal speeds—and in reality—it’s excellent, with excellent mid-corner bump absorption and the capacity to remain composed on bad roads at high speeds. Subaru nailed the ride-handling balance here, foregoing the useless upper echelons of its high stability for the comfort and bliss it provides 99% of the time in everyday scenarios.
Conclusion
If impressing your companions, neighbours, and friends is one of your minor considerations, you should look elsewhere. However, if you want a good, clean, and honest family SUV, the 2023 Subaru Forester 2.5i-S is one of the better options. Its ride comfort is ideal for a family vehicle, and its boxy-yet-safe proportions make it an ergonomic marvel.