2017 Subaru Forester Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by mjd1123

Exterior styling

- Inoffensive and sedate - Fantastic visibility due to the design of the windows - very airy feeling cabin - XT model is essentially a WRX in crossover form but the styling gives no indication the car is a fast as it is! Truly a sleeper.

Powertrain performance

- Stellar 250hp 4 cylinder turbo with selectable sports modes. - Scary fun to drive fast. The engine is a monster. - Terrific acceleration and passing power.

Driving position & visibility

OUTSTANDING visibility - There is very little blind spot and parallel parking the Forester is very easy. This is an excellent crossover for someone living in a city - Very easy to park.

Depreciation

Subarus traditionally hold their value better than most cars

Safety & braking

Excellent crash test ratings

Front seat support & comfort

- Terrible front seat support - The cushions are too short - It's not noticeable on a test drive right away. I would not have bought the car! Test drive extensively! - Surfaces where your elbows would lay are too hard - I purchased foam pads to make it feel better. - Tall drivers like myself will struggle with the telescoping wheel's short extension range. - It is hard to get into a fully comfortable driving position. The memory seats in the XT help somewhat by retaining your seat settings if moved. - Front seat cushions are too short - Yes I said this twice - Front seat cushions are too short - Yes I said this THREE times! Subaru are you listening? The front seat cushions are WAY TOO SHORT!

Quietness

- The cabin gets a bit noisy at high speeds from wind noise - The switchgear seems to use cheap feeling and sounding relays. Turn on your windshield wipers and prepare to hear a clicking sound from your dash. - Little rattles from various places and the car only has a little over 6,000 miles on it.

Controls and instruments

- Bewildering control setup - It's like 5 independent groups of people designed multiple user interfaces and slapped them altogether. No consistency! - Bluetooth audio controls are awful - Common functions still need you to use the touchscreen while driving - It's complicated and distracting.

Audio & nav systems

- Terrible navigation system - Maps lack details, the settings are awkward to configure and the voice reconigition system does not work well. - SD card based maps do not seem to get updated often. - If you use the SD card map you lose the ability to use the SD card slot for anything else. - Included apps on the nav system are lame and hard to use. - Navigation system is outdated!

Materials & workmanship

- Interior surfaces look good but they're very cheap. - Places where your body contacts are hard and uncomfortable. - Many pieces are installed loosely. - The area behind the steering column is totally exposed! Only a cheap piece of fabric hangs down to conceal the innards of the car behind the wheel. Zero refinement! - Lots of exposed bolts and attachments. - Steering wheel is too small. - Power rear liftgate is fussy to operate. - Lots of cheap clicking sounds in this car. - Door lock switches don't light up at night after you turn off the car. - No switch illumination aside from the drivers door. - Doors do not lock automatically - on a 2017 vehicle!