The Forester caters to an increasingly more eco-conscious customer base rather than the traditional on-the-go small SUV consumer. Even so, the Forester still possesses the ability to keep up when the road gets rough and road conditions demand performance. Styling remains sharp and modern-- it is still clearly the Forester from front to back, but with new styling touches to the headlamps, facias, and grille.
There is only one engine available on the Forester, a direct injection, 2.5L high compression 4-cylinder engine that makes 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque while achieving 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. This allows the car to have decent power, while remaining competitive in fuel economy for its class. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
The Forester is available in five trim levels -- Base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring. Standard features on the base trim include EyeSight driver assists, LED headlights, automatic start/stop functionality, automatic dual-zone climate control, a rearview camera, a 7-inch infotainment system fitted with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a USB port.
The Forester Premium adds 17-inch alloy wheels, hill descent control, a panoramic moonroof, roof rails, a rear spoiler, a 10-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, satellite radio, 4 USB ports, a leather wrapped steering wheel, reclining rear seats and rear A/C vents.
Heading up to the Forester Sport adds 19-inch alloy wheels, paddle shifters, heated side mirrors, LED fog lights, 11.6-inch touchscreen, mobile hotspot, and wireless connectivity and device charging.
The Limited trim adds a power liftgate, integrated turn signals in the side mirrors, and 18-inch wheels.
The Touring trim sits at the top of the lineup and adds a video-feed rear-view mirror, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, leather upholstery, driver seat memory, an 11-speaker sound system, voice activated navigation, an unresponsive driver assist system, and a surround view camera system.
Safety features across the lineup include active lane departure, forward collision mitigation, front pedestrian detection and a driver attention alert. The Sport, Limited and Touring trims also add blind spot warning, and rear collision warning.