The 2021 Subaru Forester compact crossover SUV adds more standard safety equipment and bumps the price by up to $ 440 over the 2020 Forester, the automaker announced this week.
The best-selling Subaru model already had safety at the forefront, with standard all-wheel drive, automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control. For 2021, Subaru adds adaptive LED headlights and automatic high beams to increase visibility at night, and a rear seat belt reminder so all passengers are buckled in or subjected to chimes and message alerts. Competitors such as the 2021 Toyota RAV4 and 2021 Honda CR-V offer similar safety suites.
Available in five trims and powered by a 182-horsepower 2.5-liter flat-4 that drives all four wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), the base 2021 Forester costs $ 25,845. That $ 340 price increase from 2020 includes a bump in mandatory destination charges from $ 1,010 in 2020 to $ 1,050. It comes with two USB ports, a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and a CD player. There’s no lighter, though.
At $ 28,845, the Premium trim hits the sweet spot for value. The increase of $ 440 over 2020 applies to Premium and higher trims. Premium adds keyless entry and ignition, heated front seats and side mirrors, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 17-inch black alloy wheels, roof rails, and a panoramic sunroof.
The spunkier Sport model costs $ 30,445 and comes with 18-inch black wheels, a black rear spoiler, and black with orange exterior trim pieces. Inside features gray cloth upholstery with orange stitching and accents. Blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alerts are now standard on the 2021 Sport, and the CVT has a 7-speed manual mode.
The 2021 Forester Limited costs $ 32,445 and loads up creature comforts such as perforated leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, voice-activated dual-zone climate control, power liftgate, and some minor cosmetic flourishes outside.
At the top of the 2021 Forester lineup is the kitchen sink known as Touring. For $ 35,945, it adds unique 18-inch black wheels, power folding mirrors, LED fog lights, and silver accents. Inside, heated rear seats are standard, perforated leather upholstery comes in black or brown, and a driver attention monitor is included.
Built in Japan, the 2021 Forester arrives in dealers in October.
