OPINION: Why don’t more people buy the Subaru Forester? 

I’ve always had a soft spot for Subarus. My grandad worked for Subaru UK back in the late 2000s, so I grew up around Imprezas, Legacy Outbacks and Foresters, but in recent years it’s become too easy to forget about this Japanese brand.

This could have something to do with the demise of the WRX STI in the UK back in 2017, but Subaru still makes solid, dependable and rugged family cars with a lot of appeal. This is backed up by the 2024 and 2025 Driver Power surveys, in which Subaru topped the charts as brand of the year according to the people who actually bought one.

So owners clearly love them, but there aren’t many of them. In 2024, just 2,419 new Subarus found homes. By comparison, Suzuki shifted more than 23,000 cars in the same year, and Toyota sold over 100,000.

Of those 2,419 new Subarus, just 677 of them were Foresters. You can think of the Subaru Forester as an alternative to SUVs like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Nissan Qashqai, but after spending a couple of days with one I can think of a few reasons I’d buy the Forester instead.

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The first is comfort. I didn’t look at the Forester’s seats and immediately think “ooh, they look comfy”, but after a three-hour stint behind the wheel I emerged from the car feeling no fatigue at all. They’re superbly supportive, making this one of the most comfortable cars I’ve driven in a long time.

It’s also really practical thanks to the boxy body. Rear legroom is palatial, with plenty of room for my 6’3” frame to sit behind my driving position. The rear seats also recline for added relaxation – I could do a long road trip in the back of this car no problem at all.

And that boxy shape has another benefit: visibility. You get a huge amount of glass area in this car, unlike a lot of the sleek and swoopy SUVs out there these days, which makes it easy to place on the road.

If you’re after a family SUV which can actually go off-road, the Forester can do that as well. It has a permanent all-wheel drive system and various driving modes to help it cope on the rough stuff, making it one of the few jacked-up family cars which can actually handle a green lane.

So, there’s plenty to like about the Subaru Forester, and the few people who actually do buy them find them to be hugely reliable and enjoyable to own, but that doesn’t explain why they sell in such small numbers.

One factor could be the dealer network. A lot of Subaru dealers tend to be small, family-run operations out in the sticks. Great for friendly customer service, with buyers reporting being very well looked after by their local retailer, but it’s not the best for brand visibility.

The other issue is the fact that the Subaru Forester isn’t perfect, with a few quirks which impact its mass appeal. The infotainment system is hilariously outdated and fiddly to use, and the 2.0-litre hybrid flat-four engine is pretty gutless and thirsty. I managed to eke 38mpg out of it on a long, steady run, but in reality you’re going to see closer to 30mpg every day.

It’s also not quite as posh-feeling as something like a Volkswagen Tiguan or Kia Sportage. You do get some soft-touch plastics on the dashboard, and everything feels robust enough to last for decades, but the layout is pretty old-fashioned and it does seem a bit agricultural compared to similarly-priced SUVs.

And that’s the final sticking point for the Forester: the price. It starts from £39,995, which is about the same as a Skoda Kodiaq or a Peugeot 5008. Admittedly, if you want either of those cars with four-wheel drive then you’ll pay a lot more than £40,000, but the vast majority of people have no need for the off-road ability, and will prefer a more modern and posh-feeling cabin.

But I love the Subaru’s rugged charm and old-school vibe. If it were my money, I’d buy a Forester in a heartbeat because it’s supremely comfortable, generously equipped and super-practical. The ability for it to tackle off-road adventures seals the deal for me. More people should give it a chance.

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*Savings are made up of the maximum dealer discount off RRP – subject to dealership, location and trim. Prices correct at the time of writing.