2012 Subaru Forester 2 litre petrol from Japan

Summary:

Steady, reliable, unexciting, sturdy and roomy

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

Very quiet, smooth driving. The engine is not so powerful compared to my previous 1996 Honda CR-V, but the economy is better by about 15%.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th March, 2020

23rd Apr 2021, 14:01

Additional comment.

Now done around 24,000km.

The car is faultless. Have had two services by Subaru. Always starts first time. The engine does not excessively use oil as some others have complained elsewhere, but I check it regularly anyway. I average about 1,000km per month, mostly highway. Fuel economy is around 13km/Litre. I use winter tyres from Nov to April, but there was little snow last winter so I have not really been able to test it properly in snow/ice.

2012 Subaru Forester Premium 2.5 boxer four from North America

Summary:

Rugged, practical and roomy

Faults:

No problems so far.

General Comments:

It's been a great little ute for us. It's pretty civilized on the freeway, has a ton of room (kudos to the boxy shape) and gets decent mileage.

One of the reasons that we bought it is because it has decent ground clearance for a non-truck based SUV. We've taken it off-roading a bit (more than forest service roads, but less than the Rubicon) and it's done great.

Overall it's a great little truck that's for folks that spend 95% of their time in the city and 5% in the mountains.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th April, 2013

2012 Subaru Forester L from North America

Summary:

Great all wheel drive car

Faults:

Recent new car purchase, good so far.

General Comments:

The all wheel drive is very good; the car handles bad weather with ease.

Gas mileage is also good for a full-time all wheel drive vehicle.

The engine power seems adequate for the size of the car, but I'd really like to see less engine and road noise.

The seats are just OK, but driver vision is excellent with no blind spots.

Biggest complaint would have to be the bland and rather cheap appearance of the dash and interior finish; other makes and competitive models do much better in this area.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th November, 2012

2012 Subaru Forester X Premium 4 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Best SUV deal on the market

Faults:

Seems to have trouble cold starting.

General Comments:

We researched all the different SUV models, and the Subaru was a far better deal than any other car on the market. It comes with a lot of standard options.

Good gas mileage for an SUV. 27 average MPG.

The car is very comfy compared to the Civic I previously owned. I'm hoping this Subaru is going to last 300,000.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 3rd March, 2012

27th Aug 2012, 16:41

Good deal on Foresters, very true.

I like the versatility of the car; good gas/mileage, good visibility, sharp handling.

I don't like the noisy engine and poor interior build quality.

16th Sep 2012, 16:56

My car now has 15k on it, no problems so far. It's hard to get used to the sound of the motor. Still getting 27/28 MPG overall. The heated seats are nice on cold mornings.

18th May 2013, 08:48

Cold starting issue was a weak battery issue, replaced by Subaru free of charge.

11th Feb 2014, 22:39

I'm getting less happy with Subaru. Windshield wiper on the driver's side stopped working, and I now have 50k on it and it needs front and rear brakes? Seems a bit early, as I'm easy on cars.

11th May 2015, 16:01

50K miles is above average to go without replacing brake pads. My girlfriend's Nissan Rogue needed them at 36k. My Impreza will probably need them around 30k.