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2011 Subaru Forester consumer reviews

$20,495–$21,695 MSRP range
side view of 2011 Forester Subaru
(102 reviews)
88% of drivers recommend this car
Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.3
  • Interior 4.1
  • Performance 4.2
  • Value 4.5
  • Exterior 4.3
  • Reliability 4.6
Explore the 2011 Subaru Forester
Shop the 2011 Subaru Forester

Excellent

We traded our horrible 2005 Cadillac Deville in on a Satin Pearl White Forester. And let me tell you I don't miss that big fat bulky piece of junk at all. The Forester is very cool and handles as good as a car. The review says the interior isn't that great but I truly think it's better than the Equinox, to me the Equinox isn't comfortable at all and is overloaded with buttons, and the CRV exterior is just flat out ugly. The Forester isn't the most beautiful car in the world but in my opinion looks better than those two, especially with the chrome door handles and 19 inch wheels. I absolutely love the gigantic sunroof because the back passengers can also have a nice view.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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Best all-wheel drive system

If you're looking for all wheel drive the Subarus seem to be the way to go. t of luxury but well-built & dependable. I'm on my second and have no regrets. You can see some tests of all-wheel drive vehicles on the net and the Subaru always does very well. A lot of these "All-wheel" drive vehicles only engage the rear wheels under certain very unique circumstances so be forwarned.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 4.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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It's just ok

My first Subaru. The engine is noisy, car rocks, and pick-up is sluggish. The interior finishing is cheap feeling and looking. I got the limited 2.5X model w leather and moonroof and after getting it and becoming more familiar with it, it is lacking of basic features that can be found on comparable vehicles such as automatic headlights, light inside glove box, tilting moonroof, automatic locking doors and driver side door release with pull of handle. These are things I had in a basic Camry that can't be found on the limited Forester. Although I got an excellent deal on the brand new vehicle and gas mileage is decent, if I had to do it all over again I would have made a different decision.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 3.0
  • Interior 3.0
  • Performance 3.0
  • Value 4.0
  • Exterior 3.0
  • Reliability 4.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Does not recommend this car
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Emphasis on Utility

The 2011 Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium with All-Weather Package is a CUV (compact utility vehicle) and the emphasis is on definitely on 'Utility'. It won't win many awards for its appearance, but it is not an ugly vehicle. The interior is a bit spartan and has plenty of hard plastic giving a cheap feel. Though larger than the first generation Forester, the third gen (I am not familiar with the 2nd gen) is not difficult to maneuver or park in tight-ish spaces. The 2.5L engine provides adequate power but won't blow you away. The marketing claim is that the Boxer engine will cancel vibration, resulting in a smoother acceleration, but I don't notice it being any improvement over my previous Toyota Camry Hybrid, which was like butter. The AWD system is probably the best in class, and one of the key features that makes this an attractive vehicle. The steering system feels a bit more detached from the road than previous vehicles, including my 1984 Toyota pickup. My biggest gripe with the interior is the stereo. It's got a CD/MP3 AM/FM stereo with an auxiliary and USB input (which controls and powers an iPod), and steering wheel mounted controls - all of which is well and good, but...it sounds like utter cr@p. The FM radio sounds as if it's 20 feet away and hollow. Increasing the volume only makes it worse. The speakers may be the problem, but they make the whole system practically useless. I don't understand how a 2011 model can have a stereo system which sound rivals that of an 8-track player from the 70's...it doesn't make sense how this hunk of trash got approved to be in the Forester. I'll try replacing the speakers and see if there is any improvement. The higher end trim levels have different stereos with more (and presumably, better) speakers that may not have this problem, but I can't speak to that. Overall, this is a vehicle that does its job, but it does it with a utilitarian efficiency. However, I didn't buy the Forester to put me in the lap of luxury. I bought it to have a reliable vehicle that will get me through hills, ice and snow for a long time to come.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 3.0
  • Interior 2.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 3.0
  • Exterior 4.0
  • Reliability 4.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Does recommend this car
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Great car, fun to drive

We purchased a Forester Limited as a second car to supplement our Toyota Sequoia. i looked seriously at the Rav-4 Toyota but the dealer here in Georgia doesn't srock all wheel drive units. I had read several reviews on the Forester's reliability, and when we test drove it we were very impressed. The car has very good head room, an awesome sunroof, and very comfortable seats. The performance is more than adequate for a 4 cylinder, and living in the country I enjoy hitting the curvy roads around here. The car handles like a small sports car and I have to watch my speed to stay out of trouble. The Forester has been getting good gas mileage, and with the price of gas going up we tend to use it more than our very comfortable Sequoia. We've had this vehicle three months, and it has been flawless to date. I would highly recommend this vehicle for anyone's consideration.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Does recommend this car
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Best car we've had in 20 years

We purchased our Subaru Ltd 4 cycle 2 weeks ago. It is loaded with voice activated blue tooth technology for cell phone, GPS. I just love the backup camera, heated seats and outside mirrors, moonroof and remote start. It rides beautifully, it is comfortable, has plenty of pickup and good milage. We love our new car.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 5.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Does recommend this car
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no morw Subaru's

I will never own another Sabaru. Their quality is no longer what it was. We have owned two new ones and have not been able to get more than 70k before major engin work.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 1.0
  • Interior 1.0
  • Performance 1.0
  • Value 1.0
  • Exterior 1.0
  • Reliability 1.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Transporting family
  • Does not recommend this car
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Subaru Forester Premium

I purchased this vehicle after driving the CRV, the biggest reason being the visibility. I also liked the AWD system and the engine layout(I don't like cookie cutter stuff). Anyway, I would have rated the performance higher, but I did not go with the XT which felt like a rocket. Overall I am very impressed and think that I will be keeping this one for a long time.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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Almost sports car handling

Well engineered, comfortable, great mileage for an all wheel drive small SUV. Handles well; almost like a sports car. 4 cylinder non-turbo has plenty of zip to go up hills or get onto an expressway. Handles well in snow. Quiet on the highway, even up to 75 mph. Good visibility all around. Only downside- the 5-speed manual transmission shifting is a little hard to get used to. Still miss the right gear occasionally.

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 5.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Does recommend this car
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great value for all wheel drive

this is my third subaru. I traded a 2002 in for it. It is a terrific car, built to a price point but I would buy another one in a second. my one gripe is the sheet metal seems very thin and I've gotten two dents when thicker body panels would have resisted the dents better. I'm sure the 2002 Outback would not have shown a dent

Rating breakdown (out of 5):
  • Comfort 4.0
  • Interior 5.0
  • Performance 4.0
  • Value 5.0
  • Exterior 5.0
  • Reliability 5.0
  • Purchased a New car
  • Used for Commuting
  • Does recommend this car
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