Compact but quite roomy and sporting an airy greenhouse that makes for an excellent outward view, the 2024 Subaru Forester shines as a compact 5-seat SUV that blends good fuel efficiency and versatility with great safety technology and a rugged outdoorsy character.
All Subaru Forester models continue to be powered by a 2.5-liter flat-4 engine that sends 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
Virtually unchanged, the 2024 Subaru Forester has standard all-wheel drive (AWD) and EPA fuel-economy ratings of 26 mpg city/33 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. Behind the rear bench (which splits 60/40 and folds flat) is 26.9 cubic feet of cargo room. While that’s less accommodating than a Toyota RAV4 or a Honda CR-V, the Forester profits from a wide 51.2-inch opening.
On the safety front, all 2024 Subaru Forester models are equipped with the EyeSight safety suite. In addition to a forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, EyeSight has a lane-keeping assist and a lane-departure warning.
Subaru continues to offer the Forester in Base, Premium, Wilderness, Limited, and Touring trim configurations. While most 2024 Subaru Foresters can tow 1,500 pounds, the Wilderness, with lower gearing and an extra oil cooler, is rated to tow a 3,000-pound trailer.
Competitors in the compact SUV category abound. Among the Forester’s top rivals are the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Others to consider include the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
What’s New:
The 2024 Subaru Forester Premium gets LED fog lights (they were halogen), while the grille accents of the Forester Touring have been changed to dark chrome. Also, all 2024 Subaru Forester models add coat hooks to the rear seat grab handles.
Our Recommendation:
We’d get the Forester Premium. For only about $3,000 more than a Forester Base, you get a lot more equipment: alloy wheels, larger front brakes, heated seats, a panoramic moonroof, a cargo cover, X-Mode AWD, raised roof rails, and optional blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic assist.
Forester Base
Starts at $26,895 | See 2024 Subaru Forester Base Model for Sale
- 2.5-liter engine with 182 hp
- Symmetrical AWD
- Apple CarPlay/Android Auto with 6.5-inch screen
- Remote keyless entry
- 8.7 inches of ground clearance
- Steering-responsive LED headlights
- 17-inch steel wheels
- Black folding side mirrors
- 60/40-split folding rear seatback
- Tilt/telescope steering wheel
- Automatic climate control
- 4-speaker audio system
- See more
Forester Premium
Starts at $30,095 | See 2024 Subaru Forester Premium for Sale
- Heated front seats/mirrors
- Windshield wiper de-icers
- 10-way power driver’s seat
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Keyless access/push-button start
- Panoramic power moonroof
- X-mode AWD with Hill Descent Control
- Raised roof rails
- 6-speaker audio system with CD player
- See more
Forester Sport
Starts at $31,665 | See 2024 Subaru Forester Sport for Sale
- Paddle shifters
- Gloss-black exterior trim with orange accents
- Black 18-inch alloy wheels
- Dark gray upholstery with orange accents
- Sport styling enhancements
- Subaru SI-Drive with Intelligent and Sport Sharp modes
- Dual-function X-Mode AWD
- Blind-spot detection/rear cross-traffic alert
- Dual rear USB charging ports
- Cargo area light
- See more
Forester Wilderness
Starts at $34,720 | See 2024 Subaru Forester Wilderness for Sale
- Unique front fascia
- Upgraded off-road suspension
- 9.2 inches of ground clearance
- Front skid plate/new-terrain tires
- Dual-function X-mode AWD
- 180-degree front-view monitor
- Water-repellent upholstery
- 3,000-pound towing capacity
- More robust roof rack
- Matte-black 17-inch alloy wheels
- Full-size spare tire
- See more
Forester Limited
Starts at $33,775 | See 2024 Subaru Forester Limited for Sale
- Leather upholstery
- Power tailgate
- 8.0-inch multimedia screen
- Dual-zone automatic climate control with voice controls
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Body-color side mirrors with turn signals
- One-touch folding rear seatbacks
- See more
Forester Touring
Starts at $37,195 | See 2024 Subaru Forester Touring for Sale
- Distraction mitigation system
- Gesture-controlled automatic climate control
- Upgraded leather upholstery
- Navigation
- Harman Kardon premium audio
- Power front seats with driver memory
- Heated front and rear seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Satin-chrome folding side mirrors
- Chrome badging/silver-finish roof rails
- See more
2024 Subaru Forester Base: $26,895
In base trim, the 2024 Subaru Forester Base comes fairly well equipped. In addition to the boxer engine and full-time AWD, the entry-level Forester is fitted with 17-inch wheels, 4-wheel disc brakes, and power windows, door locks, and mirrors.
Other standard fare includes automatic climate control, a tilt/telescope steering wheel, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, remote keyless entry, and a pair of USB-A input/charge ports. The 2024 Forester Base also has variable-speed windshield wipers.
Subaru StarLink continues to be standard. This comprehensive communications and multimedia system includes a 6.5-inch high-resolution touchscreen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM radio, and a 4-speaker sound system with a CD player.
Subaru EyeSight also is standard. This driver-assist technology suite brings adaptive cruise control, lane-centering, pre-collision braking, and a lane-departure warning. You also get lead vehicle start, which lets you know when the vehicle in front of you at the red light has taken off.
Still priced at $625 is a popular option package that includes silver-finish 17-inch alloy wheels and a black-finished roof rack with a static load limit of 700 pounds. Thus equipped, the 2024 Subaru Forester Base can support a rooftop tent.
Adding the $1,295 destination fee to this Forester’s base price brings the total to $28,190. With $0 down, financing for 60 months at 5% interest works out to a monthly payment of $532. See 2024 Subaru Forester models for sale near you
2024 Subaru Forester includes:
- Seven airbags – The Forester’s standard electronic safety suite is supplemented by seven standard airbags — driver and front passenger, side curtains, side pelvis/torso bags, and a driver’s knee bag.
- Apple CarPlay/Android Auto – Who doesn’t like having convenient smartphone features in their vehicle?
- Subaru EyeSight – This standard safety suite is highlighted by adaptive cruise control and a forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking.
2024 Subaru Forester Premium: $30,095
The Forester Premium represents an outstanding value, getting you loads of extra equipment for only about $3,000 more than the Forester Base.
Notable upgrades included larger front brake rotors (12.4 inches versus 11.6), a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, heated outboard mirrors, a push-button starter, a panoramic sunroof, keyless entry, a windshield de-icer, and a Wi-Fi hot spot.
For 2024, the Forester Premium also gets LED fog lights and a rear roof spoiler in Crystal Black Silica.
Other standard niceties in the 2024 Subaru Forester Premium include a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 6-speaker audio system with a CD player, dark-tinted privacy glass, and black 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels. You also get ladder-type roof rails and X-Mode AWD, which works better in off-road situations and includes Hill Descent Control.
Inside, the 2024 Subaru Forester Premium has a leather-wrapped steering wheel with silver stitching, chrome-finish interior door handles, and black dash trim with a silver metallic finish.
We highly recommend the one available option package. For $1,165, you get a power rear liftgate, a blind-spot monitor with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic emergency steering and dual USB-A charge ports on the back of the center console.
The Premium also gets Subaru’s SI-Drive. With Intelligent and Sport modes, this system helps the Forester driver extract the best performance from a 2.5-liter flat-4 engine that sends 182 hp to all four wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). For the record, a manual gearbox hasn’t been available in the Subaru Forester since 2018.
Adding the $1,295 destination fee to the Premium base price makes the total $31,390. Financing that amount with $0 down for 60 months at 5% interest works out to $592 per month. See 2024 Subaru Forester Premium models for sale near you
2024 Subaru Forester Premium includes:
- 10-way driver’s seat – This power driver’s seat includes a lumbar adjustment to help comfort your lower back on long trips.
- Rear-seat a/c vents – People who ride in the back of the Forester Premium can direct the warm (or cool) air where they want it most. It also has rear USB ports.
- X-Mode AWD – This system helps off-road by limiting wheelspin much more effectively than the basic AWD system of the entry-level Forester.
2024 Subaru Forester Sport: $31,665
With its gloss-black body trim, bright orange accents, and black-finish 18-inch wheels, the 2024 Subaru Forester Sport looks sporty and youthful.
But it’s not all aesthetics. The Forester Sport also gets standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, plus paddle shifters, 18-inch alloy wheels, and the dual-function X-Mode AWD system with a Sport Sharp S-Drive mode that sharpens throttle response.
Dual-function X-Mode also has Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes, which allow more wheelspin than the standard X-Mode system to help the Forester Sport keep moving forward in especially slippery conditions.
Also notable: The EyeSight safety suite on the Sport also comes with automatic emergency steering, which will steer the Forester away from an impending rear-ender if the adjacent lane is clear.
We like the one available option package on the Forester Sport. For $1,645, you get the 8-inch Subaru StarLink Multimedia Plus system, reverse automatic braking, a 9-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, and a power rear liftgate.
Adding the $1,295 destination fee to the Forester Sport base price totals $32,960. With $0 down, financing for 60 months at 5% interest works out to a monthly payment of $622. See 2024 Subaru Forester Sport models for sale near you
2024 Subaru Forester Sport includes:
- Blind-spot monitoring – This system warns of traffic in your rear 3-quarter flanks, making lane changes much safer. It’s grouped with a rear cross-traffic alert, which warns of crossing traffic when the Sport is in reverse.
- SI-Drive with Sport Sharp – In Sport Sharp, you get an even quicker throttle response than you do in regular Sport mode.
- Manual-shift mode – The Forester Sport has paddle shifters with 7-preset speeds that feel like the gears of a conventional automatic transmission.
2024 Subaru Forester Wilderness: $34,720
Do you plan to drive to remote trailheads in your Forester? Get the Wilderness. Now in its third year, the Subaru Forester Wilderness tackles rough dirt roads a bit better than a standard Forester largely because it offers 9.2 inches of ground clearance versus 8.7 for the standard version.
What else makes Wilderness different? In addition to the raised suspension, the Forester Wilderness boasts slightly lower gearing, an underbody skid plate, an additional oil cooler, and raised roof rails. It also has water-resistant StarTex upholstery and rubber floor mats (in the cargo area, too), which are easily cleaned after a week of, say, muddy camping.
The Wilderness also has Low Ratio Gradient Control, which automatically switches the CVT to a lower ratio to slow the vehicle on steep grades while off-roading. Complementing that is a 180-degree Front View Monitor, which shows you the dirt road immediately in front of the Forester and helps you steer with added confidence.
Visual changes to the 2024 Subaru Forester Wilderness include prominent wheel-arch cladding, a unique front fascia, a hexagonal grille, hexagonal LED fog lights, and a matte-black anti-glare hood decal.
Also matte black are the 17-inch alloy wheels, which are fitted with all-terrain Yokohama tires that have raised white lettering. The Wilderness also has a full-size spare (under the cargo area), giving the driver extra confidence to motor in remote locations.
Other standard features on the 2024 Subaru Wilderness include automatic emergency steering, a one-touch folding rear seatback, and reverse automatic braking.
Note: The Wilderness roof rack can support a stationary load of up to 800 pounds, so a rooftop tent is a possible consideration.
One option package is available on the 2024 Subaru Forester Wilderness. For $1,850, you get the 8-inch StarLink Multimedia Navigation system, a premium Harman Kardon sound system, and the power rear liftgate.
Adding the $1,295 destination fee to the Forester Wilderness base price brings the total to $36,015. Financing that amount with $0 down for 60 months at 5% interest works out to $680 per month. See 2024 Subaru Forester Wilderness models for sale near you
2024 Forester Subaru Wilderness includes:
- Raised suspension – The Wilderness has a half-inch extra clearance compared to the standard Forester. While that may not sound like much, it helps tremendously on rough dirt roads.
- Unique bumpers – Reshaped front and rear bumpers give the Subaru Forester Wilderness better approach and departure angles when driving off-road.
- Dual-function X-Mode – This AWD system, featuring Low Speed/Low Ratio Gradient Control, is exclusive to the Wilderness. It also supports Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud drive settings.
2024 Subaru Forester Limited: $33,775
In the simplest description, the Forester Limited is a Forester Premium with a lot of upgrades. These include machine-finished 18-inch alloy wheels, body-color mirrors (with integrated turn signals), and gray-trimmed fog lights with black covers sporting a geometric textured surface.
More immediately noticeable to the Forester Limited buyer, though, will be the perforated leather-trimmed upholstery, which is complemented by a leather-wrapped steering wheel and transmission selector. Dual-zone automatic climate control also comes standard, with voice control. A power rear liftgate is standard on the Limited, along with automatic emergency steering and a one-touch folding rear seatback.
The only option package is a good one. For $1,695, you get the 8-inch StarLink Multimedia system with navigation, reverse automatic braking, a heated steering wheel, and a premium 9-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.
Adding the $1,295 destination fee to the Forester Limited base price brings the total to $35,070. With $0 down, financing for 60 months at 5% interest works out to a monthly payment of $662. See 2024 Subaru Forester Limited models for sale near you
2024 Subaru Forester Limited includes:
- Dual-zone automatic climate control – With voice activation, this system automatically maintains set temperatures for each side of the Forester.
- Power liftgate – You grow to quickly appreciate this. Adjustable for height.
- Harman Kardon audio – Part of the option package, this 576-watt system, with nine speakers, fills the boxy Forester cabin with glorious sounds.
2024 Subaru Forester Touring: $37,195
Returning in 2024 as the top Subaru Forester model is the Touring.
Still priced comfortably below $40,000, the 2024 Subaru Forester Touring boasts everything the Forester Limited has, plus several other notable features like the DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System and hand-gesture controls for the climate control system. You can raise or lower the temperature inside the Forester Touring via simple hand gestures.
Other standard features on the Forester Touring include perforated leather upholstery in black or saddle brown. Moreover, the 10-way power driver’s seat is complemented by an 8-way power front passenger seat, both heated, as are the outer rear seating positions and steering wheel.
Visually, the Forester Touring is set apart via machine-finish 18-inch alloy wheels in dark gray, plus its exterior folding mirrors in satin chrome with integrated turn signals. Other changes include LED fog lights with black and chrome textured covers, chrome exterior badging, and silver-finish roof rails that complement the silver color used on the front, rear, and side valances. The Touring also has chrome exterior door handles and gloss-black trim on its roof pillars.
Adding the $1,295 destination fee, the 2024 Subaru Forester Touring costs $38,490. Financing with $0 down for 60 months at 5% interest works out to about $726 per month. See 2024 Subaru Forester Touring models for sale near you
2024 Subaru Forester Touring Includes:
- DriverFocus – Using facial recognition technology, this distraction mitigation system can tell if the Forester Touring’s driver is drowsy or distracted.
- 8-way power front seat – Why does the driver always seem to get the power seat? Not a concern in the Forester Touring.
- LED cargo lights – The Forester Touring’s cargo compartment can be seen easily at night thanks to LED lighting that shuts off automatically.
Is the 24 forester touring available now
Which 2024 model wold come “close” to a 2013 Avalon Limited with all amenities?