Subaru Forester S4 XT Premium (2013-2018)

With baby on board we decided to upgrade the Impreza to a Forester as we needed the extra space and enjoy heading out on camping trips. The sedan wasn't cutting it any longer. I've been generally unimpressed with the performance of previous cars so this was an opportunity to pick up something with a bit more oomph. I test drove the current version and whilst nicely packaged, the performance was lacking and reminded me of the Impreza and some engine whine. With a bit of searching and test driving, I managed to pick up one of the very last XTs fu...Read more

I have a my18 XT Premium Forester, for the uninitiated that’s means a petrol turbo charged, symmetrical All Wheel Drive vehicle with leather interior. I owned it since new for nearly 18mths with over 32,000 km travelled.

Coming from a Highway Patrol background and presently being a National Road Safety and Compliance Manager for a global company, I have over 30 years experience in road safety and collision investigations, I cannot give a higher recommendation than I personally entrust this vehicle to convey my most precious cargo of two kid...Read more

Pros:
• Excellent steering, acceleration, braking and suspension.
• Looks brilliant!
• Roomy interior.
• Quality construction as you would expect from Subaru.
• Wonderful safety features inc. eyesight camera which alerts you about things like lane departure and collisions ahead.
• One of the best 4wd’s in its class, IMHO.

Cons:
• Cannot program automatic central locking after driving at a certain speed (eg, 10km/h). ...Read more

I have been looking forna suv in the range of mazda tribute cx5 Rav4 Xtrail Hondu crv vw tiguan and compared all models in that range for about 6 months.
i looked at youtub comparison and diffrent writers opinions.
i picked the forester because it was the most reliable high Ancap, most features for the money.
most of the features are made by the same Japanies companies that make the Mercedes features.
The big draw card was looking back inside the vehicle you have a clear alround view.
when I drove it i found it was generations ahead of m...Read more

The engine is too quiet!? Have to look at the tacho when in manual mode. It is very good otherwise, dare I say better than the 2.5 engine.

The CVT in this car does have fixed ratios when in manual mode with 6 speeds in I or S and 8 speeds in S# (sports sharp) mode. When in drive mode the paddles can be used to select gears and the box stays in that fixed gear for a while - pretty good - but still little engine braking with an auto.

The adaptive cruise control with the cameras is very handy when it slows you down the speed of the car in fr...Read more

I wanted to leave my review for couple of months so I could get the full impression of what the Forester is like to live with. After driving 5,500 km's in 2 months I've got to say I'm very happy with the Forester as my choice of vehicle.
I find in XT Premium form it has all the luxury and safety extras I could want in a car along with plenty of power. I live in a rural area and ride quality and quietness were both important for me, and while assessing that is more of a subjective opinion, for me the Forester easily has that covered.
Everythin...Read more

We were deciding between Forester S or XT, decided for a 4k extra we opted for the more powerful engine. Love the acceleration for an SUV, the looks, as powerful as a v6, fuel mileage expected around 9-9.5 on 95ron, can do between 8-8.5 on freeway. haven't revved hard on the suv yet but 7.5 secs to 100km is definitely achievable, probably more if use S mode. Back seat can alter angle - great for long trips. heaps of leg room for rear, slightly smaller boot compare to others but enough for use

Disappointments include poor screen resolutio...Read more

So far my only problem is the low beam headlights. The halogen units are designed to throw light out to the sides, so visibility directly in front is poor. Also once dark the Eyesight constantly disables (as it can't even see), which also disengages the cruise control, which can be very annoying.

For example, I travel a 100km round trip to work everyday, 20km is unsealed roads. Whilst on the unsealed road (before I had sidesteps fitted I was only doing a max of 40km/h) I had a very large kangaroo sitting in the middle of the road in front of...Read more

The 2013 Subaru Forester XT Premium is the most sure footed powerful SUV in its class and price range. It might be lacking the boy racer bonnet air intake but you soon release the XT can get you down the road very quickly with its 177kw turbo 2 litre engine with CVT transmission. The eye sight safety technology is a great feature but my only issue is it will turn its self off if the sun is directly effecting the cameras and like wise if raining very heavily but will turn on again automatically once the eye sight can read the road.
There is hea...Read more