X

2019 Subaru Forester: Welcome improvements for an already solid SUV

Subaru's 2019 Forester is new from the ground up, but doesn't stray too far from its already successful formula.

Steven Ewing
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
2019 Subaru Forester
1 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

The new Subaru Forester is... a lot like the old one.

2019 Subaru Forester
2 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

But considering how successful the Forester was in its fourth generation, it's no surprise that this fifth-gen SUV doesn't stray too far from that formula.

2019 Subaru Forester
3 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

The Forester rides on a brand-new platform, though it's less than an inch longer and wider than its predecessor. 

2019 Subaru Forester
4 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

All Forester models are powered by a 2.5-liter flat-4 engine with 182 horsepower.

2019 Subaru Forester
5 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

Both the turbo and manual-transmission models are gone for 2019, but that's fine, considering both of them represented about 5 percent of overall Forester sales... combined.

2019 Subaru Forester
6 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

Depending on trim, the Forester rides on either 17- or 18-inch wheels.

2019 Subaru Forester
7 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

All Foresters use a continuously variable transmission with "shift" logic that mimics that of a conventional seven-speed automatic.

2019 Subaru Forester
8 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

Like most Subarus, the Forester comes standard with the company's Symmetrical all-wheel drive.

2019 Subaru Forester
9 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

Forester pricing starts in the mid-$20,000 range, and goes into the mid-$30,000s for higher trims.

2019 Subaru Forester
10 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

Keep scrolling for more photos of the 2019 Subaru Forester from our first drive in Asheville, North Carolina.

2019 Subaru Forester
11 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
12 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
13 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
14 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
15 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
16 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
17 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
18 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
19 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
20 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
21 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
22 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
23 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
24 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
25 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
26 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
27 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
28 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
29 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
30 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
31 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
32 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
33 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
34 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
35 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
36 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
37 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
38 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
39 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
40 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
41 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
42 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
43 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
44 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
45 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
46 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
47 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
48 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
49 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
50 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
51 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
52 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
53 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
54 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
55 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
56 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
57 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
58 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
59 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
60 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
61 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru
2019 Subaru Forester
62 of 62 Greg Jarem/Subaru

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos