Subaru Forester (2026)

Alex on Autos is strongly positive about the 2026 Forester Wilderness, calling it a well-balanced, pragmatic adventure vehicle rather than a true rock crawler. He praises its 9.3 inches of ground clearance, capable X-MODE software, all-terrain grip, excellent ride quality, and superior everyday civility versus a Bronco or Wrangler. Still, the 180-hp engine, modest underbody protection, lack of lockers, long front overhang, smaller cargo area, noisy cabin, and slower braking limit its ambitions. Overall, he considers it an attractively priced, highly livable choice for the mild off-roading most owners actually do.

Paul Maric is disappointed, judging the 2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid as competent but ultimately uncompetitive. He praises its comfortable ride, composed handling, effective all-wheel-drive feel, comfortable seats, and well-integrated driver display. However, the hybrid feels sluggish and less efficient than a Toyota RAV4, while off-road ability reportedly falls behind the previous Forester. Maric is also frustrated by intrusive safety alerts, laggy infotainment, poor camera quality, limited comfort features, compromised cargo space, and dated lighting. His verdict is clear: it’s a pleasant, capable SUV, but better options exist for the money.

Drive.com.au is clearly impressed by the 2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid Sport, calling it a genuine step forward for Subaru. The Toyota-sourced hybrid feels smooth and responsive, delivers roughly 6.5 L/100 km in testing, and works seamlessly with the familiar symmetrical all-wheel-drive system. Ride comfort, spacious seating, practical cargo space, improved driver monitoring, and easy-to-use controls also earn praise. Still, the cabin feels less polished than rivals, rear-seat adjustability is limited, cornering brings some body float, and power trails stronger Kia and Hyundai hybrids. Overall, it is a confident, practical, and newly competitive family SUV.

CarsGuide’s Chris Thompson is strongly positive about the 2026 Subaru Forester, calling it a major improvement that remains comfortable, practical, and genuinely capable off-road. He praises the composed suspension, smoother CVT, excellent visibility, spacious cabin, easy-to-use technology, and restrained safety systems, while finding both petrol and hybrid powertrains pleasant enough. The Forester handled rivers, muddy ruts, rocks, and fast gravel roads convincingly, though the hybrid’s efficiency trails Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid, its missing spare tire hurts adventure practicality, and the styling feels anonymous. Thompson’s verdict is enthusiastic but targeted: it’s ideal for outdoorsy buyers, less compelling as a purely suburban SUV.

The Right Car is strongly positive about the 2026 Subaru Forester overall. He praises its comfortable ride, spacious cabin, clever cargo features, standard AWD, easy-to-use controls, and smooth new strong-hybrid system, which is a major improvement over the previous hybrid. However, he’s disappointed by real-world fuel economy, which falls well short of expectations and trails the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Road noise, intrusive driver-assistance alerts, limited hybrid towing, and the lack of a spare wheel also count against it. Still, he considers the Forester practical, capable, thoughtful, and good to live with, though not the best-value or most efficient choice.

Car Confections is strongly positive about the 2026 Subaru Forester, especially the value of the new Sport Onyx Edition. They praise its standard all-wheel drive, comfortable ride, roomy rear seat, practical cargo area, premium lighting, improved console storage, and lower pricing. The gas engine is usable but slow, while the hybrid offers quicker off-the-line response and better efficiency. The main disappointment is Subaru’s dated, sluggish infotainment system, which feels increasingly basic beside newer rivals. Overall, they view the Forester as a smart, capable, well-priced compact SUV for practical buyers, though tech-focused shoppers may prefer alternatives.

Jasper is strongly impressed by the 2026 Subaru Forester, calling it a highly recommendable family SUV. He appreciates its understated styling, excellent visibility, spacious and practical cabin, abundant standard equipment, physical controls, comfort, quietness, and confidence-inspiring Symmetrical AWD. The Forester feels solid, dependable, and easy to drive, with particularly effective safety systems and useful cargo space. Jasper’s main reservations are modest performance from the 2.0-liter mild-hybrid powertrain, some cornering wallow, occasional bump harshness, and fuel economy that could be better. Overall, his enthusiasm clearly outweighs the compromises.

Gold Pony is strongly positive about the 2026 Subaru Forester, calling its safety and symmetrical all-wheel drive exceptional. The test drive left him pleasantly surprised by the adequate acceleration, confident braking, heavier WRX-like steering, comfortable ride, useful visibility, and capable cargo area with underfloor storage and a spare tire. He also appreciated the comfortable seats, improved storage, and decent six-speaker audio. His reservations are modest: the infotainment feels laggy, the analog gauges look dull, and some interior plastics feel basic. Overall, he presents the Forester as a practical, safe, capable, and easy-to-recommend SUV.

Shari Prymak is positive about the 2026 Forester, especially as an affordable, efficient, reliable everyday SUV. The standard 2.5-liter engine feels underpowered and unrefined when loaded, but the hybrid is smooth, economical, and arguably the strongest long-term choice thanks to its Toyota-based system and eCVT. Prymak also praises the Forester’s visibility, comfortable ride, standard Symmetrical AWD, safety, and value. Still, the Outback offers a roomier cabin, better infotainment and controls, a smoother ride, and stronger towing and turbocharged performance, making it the better pick once budgets rise.

Realistick is positive on the 2026 Subaru Forester, but sees it as almost—not quite—great. After 500 miles, he praises its exceptionally comfortable ride, excellent visibility, approachable handling, versatile cargo area, standard full-time AWD, and the hybrid’s smoother power delivery. The Wilderness trim adds meaningful off-road hardware and towing ability, though it isn’t available as a hybrid. His major frustrations are the slow, sun-washed infotainment, awkward 360-degree camera behavior, unreliable lane-centering and driver-monitoring aids, modest performance, and increasingly ordinary value. Overall, it remains a rugged, easygoing family crossover held back mainly by poorly executed technology.

Automotive Anonymous is clearly enthusiastic about the 2026 Subaru Forester Sport Onyx, calling it attractive, smooth, safe, practical, and especially capable in winter and on light trails. The hands-on review praises its excellent visibility, comfortable seating, effective driver aids, useful cargo space, and proven 2.5-liter boxer engine, backed by ownership of three Subarus. Still, the 180-hp engine feels merely adequate, with a GPS-tested 0–60 time of 9.51 seconds, while the infotainment, heated seats, fuel economy, and camera quality trail some rivals. Overall, it’s a warmly recommended, sensible crossover rather than an exciting one.

Willie from WTF Car Reviews is highly positive about the 2026 Subaru Forester Premium. He praises its comfortable ride, quiet cabin, nimble low-speed handling, spacious seating and cargo area, standard all-wheel drive, and strong value—especially with potential dealer discounts. The 180-hp engine is adequate rather than exciting, and steering feels floatier at highway speeds, while the interior remains fairly basic and the vertical screen limits backup-camera size. Still, Willie considers the Premium exceptionally comfortable and practical for families wanting year-round capability without paying for a higher trim.

Howard Ritchie is highly enthusiastic about the 2026 Subaru Forester, calling it an unusually honest and capable SUV. He praises its exceptionally smooth, quiet ride, standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, generous space, comfort-focused seats, ruggedness, and strong value versus pricier European rivals. The Forester’s practical design and long-term dependability matter more to him than speed or flashy technology. Still, he flags a very slow 0–60 time, potentially higher fuel, insurance, brake, and servicing costs, and the loss of Subaru’s beloved heater dials. Overall, he sees it as a sensible, cozy, adventure-ready family car that makes more expensive SUVs look wasteful.