To see the Lane Centering Assist doing its stuff in the dark and the rain, skip to 3:51 For more info on Lane Centering Assist, I have a full video on it here: th-cam.com/video/7D_y1h5RyUw/w-d-xo.html Thank you for watching!
I recently took my 2020 Forester limited (same vehicle) from Reno, NV to Medford, Or. Had it about 2 months. Drove various speeds mostly 65-70 with cruise control, passing trucks on the 2 lanes and some city. Got 36 mpg on the way there and 33 on the way back by the computer numbers. Around town I average 26,27 with no frwy. Pretty happy with that.
I have a 2018 Forester. I get a solid 36.7mpg. Sometimes I get up to 40. I drive hwy 90 percent of the time. I still can't get over the awesome mileage. This car is a tank. 36.7 to 40 is incredible.
Great review! Just got my '21 Forester 2 days ago and am expecting great numbers cruising at 65 on the hwy. Had an Dodge Charger with a V6. Would get 35 mpg hwy with cruise set at 65. I know I'm gonna enjoy my Forester. Thanx again!
I have a 2016 Subaru crosstrek limited. It’s rated for 34 on the highway. I get 40mpgs. I go 65mph with cruise control, air recirculating on and properly inflated Michelin defenders.
Our 2020 Sport now has 13,000 miles (the first 6000 took ten months; we normally put at least 20,000 a year on our car and a third of that on the truck). Our Sport's mpg has never dropped below 30 mpg and generally stays around 33, 34. Of course, we're driving in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. No mountains. And except for the little driving in the Detroit area when we visit, nearly all rural driving.
Great singing voice! Curious to hear your comments about the cabin noise in the 2021 Forester at 80 mph on the highway. I couldn’t hear much in your video but want to know about your experience. My 2016 Crosstrek is terrible with wind/rose noise. Thanks & keep the videos coming!
Road and wind noise you would find a new Forester to be quieter and more refined than your 2016 Crosstrek for sure. A new Crosstrek would also be more refined since its been redesigned since then. I would certainly recommend you test drive one to see if it would be worth it for you to upgrade, but it certainly is quieter than what you have now. Thank you for the compliment and thank you for watching!
How is your experience with the latest generation (2024) of Subaru lane centering technology? I keep reading about complaints that the lane keeping/centering dangerously pushed the vehicle out of its lane. Also, is the lane keeping/centering technology more accurate on the Ascent, since the vehicle is taller and therefore has a better view of the lane markings?
@@CarDietrich If seems like Subaru is not doing enough to advertise the feature. There is also a lot of fear and paranoia surrounding the feature, some of which may be genuine, and Subaru is not doing enough to quell the fears.
If you're basing this on what you have read on forum posts online, that always magnifies the "fears" because people are far more likely to complain if they have had a bad experience, and far less likely to take the time to go on there and type "yeah, mine works great I love it!" I've used most of the modern ACC/Lane Centering systems (check my "How To Use Adaptive Cruise Control" playlist) and Subaru's system is one of the better ones. Any of these systems can be confused if you're on a road that is poorly paved or if they just repainted the lines and shifted the lanes but you can still see the remnants of the old lines. The car's camera sees what it sees and literally interprets the lane to be in the wrong place. That's when it's your responsibility as a driver to take control and keep the car in the lane it's supposed to be in. These are not self driving systems, they are driver aids. And of course, you can always just not use it if you don't feel it works well for you.
Incorrect, the engine is driving all four wheels at all times and all speeds on a Subaru Forester. The can change the torque percentage sent to the front or rear wheels depending on traction needs, but the car never goes into a two-wheel-drive mode,
Hi Mr Channel guy ! If NZ are unable to get the RAV4 Prime by early next year, do you feel the 2022 upcoming standard hybrid or the PHEV Subaru would be a fairly equal candidate for me ? Auckland. NZ
Hello we just leased a 2021 forester premium. We love ours so far. Nice video. I will be putting Amsoil in at 1500 miles. So I should see 3 more miles per gal.
FWIW I'm on my fifth Subaru, and I've played around with putting fancy oil in them (I'm a Royal Purple man myself) and I've found they run best and are happiest with the factory oil, the stuff that literally says "Subaru" on the bottle. Just my experience, take it for what it's worth.
This was the most legit video I've seen regarding the Forester and its road tripping. I'm thinking of getting a 2022 Sport trim, but the CVT has me on the fence. How did it perform going over the Grapevine? What speed were you able to maintain going through there? Its a pretty big pass, i feel the CVT will just drone to death.
Interesting results, I own a 2020 Forester and I was able to get 500 miles of range in one trip. Now a lot of miles were achieved going downhill. I wish the trip computer would be a little bit more accurate on actual MPG since it seems to be off by about 10%
Were the seats comfortable on your trip? I have a stock 18 Forester with manual seats & they are not comfortable at all. How is the adjustability on the 21 seats?
I found the seats to be firm but comfortable, no issues on the eight hour drive. This was a Limited model so it had the power driver's seat (as all Foresters except the base model do), and I find the power driver's seat to be preferable because it gives you adjustable lumbar support. You can also adjust the angle of the bottom of the seat, something you can't do with the base manual seat.
I have a leather 2014 Forester and I find the seats very comfortable. They do get hot though and there is no in seat air fan like my Wive's Enclave. Yet her seats are not as comfortable to me.
I probably don't have enough material myself to make a video like that, but I'll give you my experience. I bought a 2016 Forester XT in November of 2015. I had that car for 26,000 miles, the only thing that ever went wrong was at like 450 miles the VDC Control Module failed and had to be replaced under warranty. Apparently Subaru got a bad batch of them from their supplier around the time that car was built. My mom had a 2017 Forester 2.5i Limited (the one in the second half of this video) for three years and put a little over 30,000 miles on it. The only thing that ever went wrong with that car was the battery needed to be replaced maybe two years into her ownership, which was weird because she never let that car sit or anything like that, it was driven regularly. Subaru did pay for that battery replacement because the batteries on Subarus are covered for 3 years or 36,000 miles. Other than that, and the fact that the customers I sold them to when I was selling Subarus generally had very good luck with Foresters, I can't really add much else. I can tell you that I bought one myself, I sold my mom her first Forester and facilitated the sale of her second one, so if I think its good enough for my mom I definitely think its good enough for you.
@@CarDietrich The owner's manual in my wife's 2017 states the battery is not covered. So I didn't even bother taking it to the dealer for replacement. The factory battery is garbage anyways: If you look at it, shining a light through it, the lead plates are only about half as tall as the battery case. Essentially it is half the battery it appears to be. I replaced it with an Optima, and have no further issues.
@@CarDietrich thank you for replying. I very much enjoy your videos. Looking forward for the Forester getting a turbo engine next model year. Seems like the 2.5 engine in your Forester was acceptable in terms of highway driving dynamics.
2.5 liter engine has plenty of power for 99% of people who will actually buy a Subaru Forester. The turbo that's coming next year will be a little quicker because it has more torque, but I think the biggest difference will be refinement. It will be a little quieter and smoother, especially at higher RPM. As far as MPG, that will all depend on the driver.
@@ahbenjamin2889 Actually, I'm pretty impressed at the engine in my 2020. I had a 2015 Forester for a few years before I traded up, and the engine in that was a bit anemic even for a 2.5 liter, I was willing to sacrifice a bit of power for the ability to do some soft offroading without scraping the bottom of the vehicle. But my new one, even though on paper it only pulls 182 hp, it does feel like a bit more than that when you're driving it. My 2014 Malibu technically put out 196 hp on the same size of engine (albeit I-4 instead of a Boxer-4), and my current Forester feels a little more powerful than that was when I had that.
HELLO EVERYONE AND LISTEN TO THIS. YOU CANNOT USE THE CAR COMPUTER TO GET AN ACCURATE MPG. The only way to get accurate gas mileage is to fill up the car tank right to the top. Hit zero on the trip odometer. Drive until you are near empty then fill it up. Read the trip odometer and divide that by the total number of gallons you just put into the tank.
This test isn't accurate. The vehicle isn't broken in yet....my 2018 Subaru Impreza got about the same MPG when I first got it. I drive 1600 miles a month all highway. Now after 6 or 7 months. I'm getting about 31 to 32 mpg.. with the engine nice an loose... The truck will get better gas mileage as the miles increase. Also, what type of fuel are you using regular unleaded, or super?
Car is brand new and you’re speeding. Of course gas mileage is going to be garbage. My 2020 Crosstrek loaded with stuff and 2 passengers, with EyeSight set at 70 going from Hesperia to Lake Havasu ac blasting averaged 34.6 mpg this summer.
It would get more mpg. But where I'm from we don't really do the speed limit, so it's a real world test. And I kept the engine RPM under 4,500, so for break in it was fine.
I own a 2021 crosstrek 2.5 the gas mileage on it is terrible. I get 26 miles per gallon on a long ride maybe 15 in town. But on the good side them Honda boys are quite surprised once I zoom past them Mazda’s 😂
You will never achieve the epa mileage rating doing 80 mph. The Forester can get 33 mpg all day long cruising at 65-70 mph. You can either be a speed demon or get good fuel economy, not both.
Before my AT tires I was getting around 24/25 city and 28/30 hwy. I have a 2021 sport and have a few videos up th-cam.com/video/MzxAmgnAHI4/w-d-xo.html my Crosstrek would get 26-27 city easy
@@CarDietrich a heavy foot kind of guy I see. I ain't mad at cha. I notice that on my motorcycle. When I ride at 70mph compared to 90mph big difference. Also you said the engine was new also, so I'm sure that played a part as well.
Cruising in the passing lane like all other California know nothing drivers..oh no at 6.00 he moves into the number 2 lane where he actually belongs..so something must be wrong
If those were common features when this generation launched, a case could be made for that. At the same time, this car also has features that are standard that many cars are still making optional.
@@niuhuskieguy they could of put it in no excuse. Alot of vehicles i. Its segment have those features. I was in tge market yo buy a new suv ill be skipping forester because it lacks those features. And alot of people will also not buy it cause it lacks those features. Not gonna spend 30k on a vehicle with no wirless charging or carplay.
![2021 Subaru Forester | How Foresty is the Forester Really? [OFF-ROAD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZSlzOQByC7s/mqdefault.jpg)
To see the Lane Centering Assist doing its stuff in the dark and the rain, skip to 3:51
For more info on Lane Centering Assist, I have a full video on it here:
th-cam.com/video/7D_y1h5RyUw/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for watching!
I recently took my 2020 Forester limited (same vehicle) from Reno, NV to Medford, Or. Had it about 2 months. Drove various speeds mostly 65-70 with cruise control, passing trucks on the 2 lanes and some city. Got 36 mpg on the way there and 33 on the way back by the computer numbers. Around town I average 26,27 with no frwy. Pretty happy with that.
That’s great. I’m debating trading in my Mazdaspeed 3 Trubo for one of these.
I just got a 2020 Subaru Forester touring. Love mine. Got my forester June 2020 and already at 9400 miles
Just picked up a touring Wednesday. Love it so far
@@getnautical9579 that’s awesome. Taking my forester back to get serviced cause I noticed a bubble of rust coming up.
@@xlprincess123567 ouch that sucks. Hope it works out and doesn’t get worse
@@getnautical9579 thanks
I have a 2019 Forester, averaging 32 mpg driving fairly conservatively. No complains!
I have a 2014 Limited, car is great really appreciate the mpg for a crossover with leading ground clearance in it's segment and a active AWD system.
last weeks vacation , 1300 miles overall . 2020 Sport 16k miles, fresh oil change. 4 Adults loaded with luggage, pulled 30.3 calculated. Mostly 78 to 80 .
I'd be interested to do the same test on the same car when the motor is broken in. Who knows, maybe in a couple years I will.
23-24 mpg in the 2017 Rav4 when cruising at 80mph... what you got is really good for an AWD crossover.
Thank you for letting me know!
I have a 2018 Forester. I get a solid 36.7mpg. Sometimes I get up to 40. I drive hwy 90 percent of the time. I still can't get over the awesome mileage. This car is a tank. 36.7 to 40 is incredible.
Great review! Just got my '21 Forester 2 days ago and am expecting great numbers cruising at 65 on the hwy. Had an Dodge Charger with a V6. Would get 35 mpg hwy with cruise set at 65. I know I'm gonna enjoy my Forester. Thanx again!
I have a 2016 Subaru crosstrek limited. It’s rated for 34 on the highway. I get 40mpgs. I go 65mph with cruise control, air recirculating on and properly inflated Michelin defenders.
Our 2020 Sport now has 13,000 miles (the first 6000 took ten months; we normally put at least 20,000 a year on our car and a third of that on the truck). Our Sport's mpg has never dropped below 30 mpg and generally stays around 33, 34. Of course, we're driving in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. No mountains. And except for the little driving in the Detroit area when we visit, nearly all rural driving.
Gas mileage is usually based on 55 mph and drag is up greatly at 75, causing lower mpg.
At the Most we get on a Subaru Forester is 35 mpg. My 2014 Forester Base model 2.5i
Great singing voice! Curious to hear your comments about the cabin noise in the 2021 Forester at 80 mph on the highway. I couldn’t hear much in your video but want to know about your experience. My 2016 Crosstrek is terrible with wind/rose noise. Thanks & keep the videos coming!
Road and wind noise you would find a new Forester to be quieter and more refined than your 2016 Crosstrek for sure. A new Crosstrek would also be more refined since its been redesigned since then. I would certainly recommend you test drive one to see if it would be worth it for you to upgrade, but it certainly is quieter than what you have now. Thank you for the compliment and thank you for watching!
@@CarDietrich I was going to say the same thing. About your singing voice i mean. And you didn't even fumble the lyrics
How is your experience with the latest generation (2024) of Subaru lane centering technology? I keep reading about complaints that the lane keeping/centering dangerously pushed the vehicle out of its lane.
Also, is the lane keeping/centering technology more accurate on the Ascent, since the vehicle is taller and therefore has a better view of the lane markings?
I just spent a few days driving a 2024 Crosstrek and I used the lane centering for at least 100 miles and had no issues with it, worked like a charm
@@CarDietrich If seems like Subaru is not doing enough to advertise the feature. There is also a lot of fear and paranoia surrounding the feature, some of which may be genuine, and Subaru is not doing enough to quell the fears.
If you're basing this on what you have read on forum posts online, that always magnifies the "fears" because people are far more likely to complain if they have had a bad experience, and far less likely to take the time to go on there and type "yeah, mine works great I love it!" I've used most of the modern ACC/Lane Centering systems (check my "How To Use Adaptive Cruise Control" playlist) and Subaru's system is one of the better ones. Any of these systems can be confused if you're on a road that is poorly paved or if they just repainted the lines and shifted the lanes but you can still see the remnants of the old lines. The car's camera sees what it sees and literally interprets the lane to be in the wrong place. That's when it's your responsibility as a driver to take control and keep the car in the lane it's supposed to be in. These are not self driving systems, they are driver aids. And of course, you can always just not use it if you don't feel it works well for you.
Very helpful! Appreciate the real world point of view! That matters most!,
Now I was told that the forester does not drive in 4 wheel drive when u r on the highway they told me it's mostly in front wheel drive. Is that true??
Incorrect, the engine is driving all four wheels at all times and all speeds on a Subaru Forester. The can change the torque percentage sent to the front or rear wheels depending on traction needs, but the car never goes into a two-wheel-drive mode,
@@CarDietrich thank you for the correction. So it's all wheel drive all the time.
Hi Mr Channel guy ! If NZ are unable to get the RAV4 Prime by early next year, do you feel the 2022 upcoming standard hybrid or the PHEV Subaru would be a fairly equal candidate for me ?
Auckland. NZ
The Forester and the RAV4 are similar in size and purpose, so yes the Forester would be a great alternative for you if the RAV4 does not work out.
Are you using cruise control? I found in my 2017 forester you end up with better mpg when using cruise.
I used cruise control for some of that drive, I'd say maybe 35%
I would love to own a Forester
Hello we just leased a 2021 forester premium. We love ours so far. Nice video. I will be putting Amsoil in at 1500 miles. So I should see 3 more miles per gal.
FWIW I'm on my fifth Subaru, and I've played around with putting fancy oil in them (I'm a Royal Purple man myself) and I've found they run best and are happiest with the factory oil, the stuff that literally says "Subaru" on the bottle. Just my experience, take it for what it's worth.
This was the most legit video I've seen regarding the Forester and its road tripping. I'm thinking of getting a 2022 Sport trim, but the CVT has me on the fence. How did it perform going over the Grapevine? What speed were you able to maintain going through there? Its a pretty big pass, i feel the CVT will just drone to death.
Not as issue at all. You can maintain 80 or even 90 going up the grapevine with no drama.b
Interesting results, I own a 2020 Forester and I was able to get 500 miles of range in one trip. Now a lot of miles were achieved going downhill. I wish the trip computer would be a little bit more accurate on actual MPG since it seems to be off by about 10%
Were the seats comfortable on your trip? I have a stock 18 Forester with manual seats & they are not comfortable at all. How is the adjustability on the 21 seats?
I found the seats to be firm but comfortable, no issues on the eight hour drive. This was a Limited model so it had the power driver's seat (as all Foresters except the base model do), and I find the power driver's seat to be preferable because it gives you adjustable lumbar support. You can also adjust the angle of the bottom of the seat, something you can't do with the base manual seat.
I have a leather 2014 Forester and I find the seats very comfortable. They do get hot though and there is no in seat air fan like my Wive's Enclave. Yet her seats are not as comfortable to me.
Wow ,amazing song
Please make video on subaru forester reliability.
I probably don't have enough material myself to make a video like that, but I'll give you my experience. I bought a 2016 Forester XT in November of 2015. I had that car for 26,000 miles, the only thing that ever went wrong was at like 450 miles the VDC Control Module failed and had to be replaced under warranty. Apparently Subaru got a bad batch of them from their supplier around the time that car was built. My mom had a 2017 Forester 2.5i Limited (the one in the second half of this video) for three years and put a little over 30,000 miles on it. The only thing that ever went wrong with that car was the battery needed to be replaced maybe two years into her ownership, which was weird because she never let that car sit or anything like that, it was driven regularly. Subaru did pay for that battery replacement because the batteries on Subarus are covered for 3 years or 36,000 miles. Other than that, and the fact that the customers I sold them to when I was selling Subarus generally had very good luck with Foresters, I can't really add much else. I can tell you that I bought one myself, I sold my mom her first Forester and facilitated the sale of her second one, so if I think its good enough for my mom I definitely think its good enough for you.
@@CarDietrich The owner's manual in my wife's 2017 states the battery is not covered. So I didn't even bother taking it to the dealer for replacement. The factory battery is garbage anyways: If you look at it, shining a light through it, the lead plates are only about half as tall as the battery case. Essentially it is half the battery it appears to be.
I replaced it with an Optima, and have no further issues.
The stretch of highway that had a lot of snow while driving the 2021 Forester - where was that ? Lake Shasta area ?
Highway 50 over Echo Summit, heading towards Lake Tahoe
@@CarDietrich thank you for replying. I very much enjoy your videos.
Looking forward for the Forester getting a turbo engine next model year.
Seems like the 2.5 engine in your Forester was acceptable in terms of highway driving dynamics.
2.5 liter engine has plenty of power for 99% of people who will actually buy a Subaru Forester. The turbo that's coming next year will be a little quicker because it has more torque, but I think the biggest difference will be refinement. It will be a little quieter and smoother, especially at higher RPM. As far as MPG, that will all depend on the driver.
@@ahbenjamin2889 Actually, I'm pretty impressed at the engine in my 2020. I had a 2015 Forester for a few years before I traded up, and the engine in that was a bit anemic even for a 2.5 liter, I was willing to sacrifice a bit of power for the ability to do some soft offroading without scraping the bottom of the vehicle. But my new one, even though on paper it only pulls 182 hp, it does feel like a bit more than that when you're driving it. My 2014 Malibu technically put out 196 hp on the same size of engine (albeit I-4 instead of a Boxer-4), and my current Forester feels a little more powerful than that was when I had that.
@@DilanGilluly thank you so much for your reply. I will reconsider the turbo then. Maybe all i need is the 2.5 engine.
How is the comfy is the 2021?
I found it to be very comfortable that day, I think the total drive was 510 miles no issues at all.
Good review thanks
HELLO EVERYONE AND LISTEN TO THIS. YOU CANNOT USE THE CAR COMPUTER TO GET AN ACCURATE MPG. The only way to get accurate gas mileage is to fill up the car tank right to the top. Hit zero on the trip odometer. Drive until you are near empty then fill it up. Read the trip odometer and divide that by the total number of gallons you just put into the tank.
Yes that's what I did
This test isn't accurate. The vehicle isn't broken in yet....my 2018 Subaru Impreza got about the same MPG when I first got it. I drive 1600 miles a month all highway. Now after 6 or 7 months. I'm getting about 31 to 32 mpg.. with the engine nice an loose... The truck will get better gas mileage as the miles increase. Also, what type of fuel are you using regular unleaded, or super?
Regular 87 octane per the manufacturer specifications
It tells me that this vehicle is a rental yes?
My mom's new ride, I was delivering it to her.
Car is brand new and you’re speeding. Of course gas mileage is going to be garbage. My 2020 Crosstrek loaded with stuff and 2 passengers, with EyeSight set at 70 going from Hesperia to Lake Havasu ac blasting averaged 34.6 mpg this summer.
Why can’t they make a real hybrid option?
Well they do offer a couple of different Forester hybrid models in other markets. Hopefully we'll get them soon in the USA
Dang! You have over 30,000 miles on a new 2021 Forester!! Where have you been going 😱😱😱
Lol no... you must have skipped ahead, that's a 2017 that has 30k miles on it
If you didn't have all that crap to help you stay on the road you could pay attention to your driving and stay safe.
Way to break in a new car. Haha
I wonder what would happen if you actually did the speed limit?
It would get more mpg. But where I'm from we don't really do the speed limit, so it's a real world test. And I kept the engine RPM under 4,500, so for break in it was fine.
I own a 2021 crosstrek 2.5 the gas mileage on it is terrible. I get 26 miles per gallon on a long ride maybe 15 in town. But on the good side them Honda boys are quite surprised once I zoom past them Mazda’s 😂
Engine breaking is the differentiating factor imo
Never mind lol. Your driving a 2017 lol
In the second half of the video yes I am, 2021 is the first half.
You will never achieve the epa mileage rating doing 80 mph. The Forester can get 33 mpg all day long cruising at 65-70 mph. You can either be a speed demon or get good fuel economy, not both.
Well, it almost gets 33 MPG at 65-70 MPH
th-cam.com/video/T7TQr8MF4p0/w-d-xo.html
driving 80 in the rain, smart...
Smarter than 90!
Before my AT tires I was getting around 24/25 city and 28/30 hwy. I have a 2021 sport and have a few videos up th-cam.com/video/MzxAmgnAHI4/w-d-xo.html my Crosstrek would get 26-27 city easy
If you slow down to the speed limit, you will get 33 mpg
You are probably correct. Unfortunately "slowing down to the speed limit" has never been my strong suit.
@@CarDietrich a heavy foot kind of guy I see. I ain't mad at cha. I notice that on my motorcycle. When I ride at 70mph compared to 90mph big difference. Also you said the engine was new also, so I'm sure that played a part as well.
@@CarDietrich be safe out there!
Cruising in the passing lane like all other California know nothing drivers..oh no at 6.00 he moves into the number 2 lane where he actually belongs..so something must be wrong
Please like and subscribe! It's the only way I'll learn my lesson
No ventilated seats . No wirless phone charging or wirless carplay. Not worth it for price .
If those were common features when this generation launched, a case could be made for that. At the same time, this car also has features that are standard that many cars are still making optional.
@@niuhuskieguy they could of put it in no excuse. Alot of vehicles i. Its segment have those features. I was in tge market yo buy a new suv ill be skipping forester because it lacks those features. And alot of people will also not buy it cause it lacks those features. Not gonna spend 30k on a vehicle with no wirless charging or carplay.