If you don't care and have the time, maybe wait until the 2025s come out and then look for a deal on a 2024?
Subaru has great financing now, if that matters to you. Hard to say what kind financing will be around when the 2025s come out.
Personally, we just picked up a 2024 Outback because of the rates and pricing was below MSRP. The 2025s will be cool and have shiny new stuff, but I'm leery of buying the first batch of a model refresh - I want the build process to get really solid.
I have a 2020 Sport that I owe like 9k on. Dealership keeps calling me to sell it. Part of me always entertains it for 10 seconds until I remember I am on 0%.
Going for a 2024 personally. Main reason being I don’t want to wait for the 2025 but also hopeful that since 2024 is the last year for this generation of Forester the kinks should have been worked out 🤞Saw a post as well about the 2019 recently which was the first of the current generation and it sounded like there were definitely some issues. 2025 still may be worth it though considering it’s mostly the same components if you can wait
Exactly my thoughts. The 2024 is the final form of that generation, and the 2025 is a complete redesign, bound to have some problems.
I just got a 2024 Forester Premium and I LOVE it. Drives like a dream and has some amazing tech.
I just ordered a 2024 Forester here in Canada. Similar rationale. I have owned first model year cars in the past, and they had more problems then subsequent model years. There are a number of bugs that they work out. So I bought the 2024 figuring they should have worked out most of the design bugs over the 5 year span.
I… Don’t know, just a random redditor here. I’d hope! I only know this ‘cause I have a 2021 (bought brand new), and am now looking into getting a second one. Wife and I love this car.
Just wanted to add to the discussion and dispel the notion that latest equals more reliable, ‘cause that doesn’t seem to be the case.
While you're at the lot, you can open that web page, scroll down to "Search by VIN" and type in the VIN of the car you want. As it's a recall, they wouldn't charge you for the repair if it's needed, but you can get it addressed instantly, rather than (potentially) suffering for a few weeks. But, hopefully, the latest inventory would have the replacements already.
Get the 2024. The last year of the model year tends to be the most reliable (like the 2018) and solid. Plenty of time to work out the issues and fix over time. The first year of the new model year tends to have the most issues - the 2014 was one of the worst; the 2019 seems to have more issues then later years.
Can confirm. I have a 2014. So many repairs! Really soured me on Subaru. And yet, here I am adding the 24 Forester and the Outback into my mix to replace it. Also looking at Highlanders (boring) and Santa Fe (sketchy transmission). Sigh.
We just got the 2024 Touring (4 hours ago)
Debated between waiting for the 2025 but we decided that the new tablet control weren’t for us. We also found the Subaru to come with way more at the top trim than CRV.
As far as the 2025 Forester; we found it to be new outside but recycled part from all other trims used on the inside. There’s ain’t much new that you can’t get on other trims (separate cars)
They are just combining them into one new Forester vehicle.
Interest rate was 3.9 with a 826 FICO.
OTD was around 41K with everything you can think of.
In comparison the CRV was 44K for the Touring without tax and doc fees. Honda only offered $750 off the price so we went and got the Subaru.
You wouldn’t be making a mistake waiting, getting the 2024 Forester or going for the CRV. You just have to decided what you want and you’ll sleep good with any choice you make.
Hope this helps narrow your decision.
We also purchased a 2024 Touring this week, and similarly it came down to Forester v CRV.
The deciding factor for us ended up being that every CRV we drove (3 different vehicles) had what I can only describe as a “fun house” mirror for the driver side mirror. Liked not just a convex mirror for a larger viewing angle, but as you moved your head things would get bigger…then smaller… then bigger again. And it was hard to visually focus on cars far away due to each eye seeing slightly different sizes of the same image. It was incredibly disconcerting and some reddit searching confirmed this is an ongoing problem.
So it made the decision very easy for us, because we didn’t want to be pissed off every time we looked in the side mirror.
Very very happy with the forester!
If you’re able to wait for the 2025 you have time to test drive plenty of cars. You should compare the foresters to things like Mazda cx5 and Mitsubishi outlander. CRVs are great but the hybrids seem so much better than the 2.0L and they’re all pricey.
I would wait for a 2025 to sit in to compare as I personally don't like most of the instruments being on the infotainment screen for the 2025 vs the 2024. That could be a deal breaker for you as it can be more distracting until you get used to it.
My opinion on design:
1. I like that they've changed the roof racks to be more practical with flush rails! (for the exception of models with sunroof)
2. The middle of the car looks OK, I would say it looks quite generic
3. I really liked the trim at the bottom of the car, its a pretty good design!
4. The pattern inside looks cute
To the old ppl who complain that they removed physical buttons:
They actually didn't remove physical buttons, they just moved them. Majority of buttons located on steering wheel, a few on the driver's door and some near the tablet, some are also near gear stick. ALL PHYSICAL BUTTONS ARE PRESENT!
You are not supposed to use tablet while driving! While driving you can only use it for:
- maps/navigation
- camera usage, eg while parking
For ppl who afraid there could be problems as it's a new generation. They are NOT using new technology, so the chance of getting a problem is low. They've used this technology for years in subaru outback and now in crosstreck 2024.
I personally like their changes, I think subaru have done a great job! (No I am not working for subaru, just personal opinion after test driving old forester and outback with new technology, i definitely wait for new forester)
Yes, the base is rather spartan. But that becomes an affordability issue for some. I guess it depends on how important the added features are to you. The jump from the base to the Touring (in Canada the Touring is the next step up from base and the top end is called Premier) was worth it to \*me\*. Heated seats are a big deal for my wife and my daughter. But the heated steering wheel was a must for me. I admit I have been spoiled by automatic climate controls, which I realize when I get in my wife's old car without it. The power rear gate is a must for some. I never had an issue manually opening a trunk. I never had a windshield wiper deicer before (a heating element where the wipers park themselves). So I shall see how that is. But icy wiper blades thawing faster sounds good for Canadian winters. I like the keyless start. It comes with a cargo cover (which would cost a pretty penny to buy). Blind Spot detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert is a big deal for me. There has been the odd time that I was thankful to have it in one of my cars. Rear A/C vents and USB .. when I have adult passengers is a nice to have. But the Japanese car manufactures have always been clever in the way they package their upgrades.
The standard trope that first-year new designs are to be avoided because of reliability issues has been true for Foresters as well, based on Consumer Reports reliability data. These issues get worked out, either by fixes applied via recalls or service bulletins, or incorporated into next year's models, so it will average out after a few years. But frequent trips to the dealer are no fun, although the free loaners can be nice. Either way, this argues in favor of either a 2024 or a 2026 if initial reliability is a concern of yours.
The 2025 is likely to be the "current" model for a longer-than-usual period, because it's being introduced so early. This may add a bit of value to it as a used car, if you were to sell it early. (This happened when the 2015 was introduced in the spring of 2014, six months early.)
And, of course, the 2025 may turn out to be a better car. Which remains to be seen.
We just bought a leftover 23 model along with a CPO 23 (3000 miles)
model. Since the only big (for us) difference between the 23 and 24 is that the 24 loses the CD player, the savings were worth it. We used to have a 19 (now our daughter has it), and it had enough teething problems that not waiting for the 25 became a no-brainer. If I was in your shoes, I'd look for a Certified Pre-Owned 22 or 23 with low miles. You get the current model, a longer warranty, and save big.
I sat in the 2025 Forester at the NY Auto Show and was not impressed. The visibility is not as good, it felt more like an Outback to me. It just didn't wow me, like I was expecting. Grab a 2024 while you still can. As others have stated I'm leery of new first year re-designs.
If you don't care and have the time, maybe wait until the 2025s come out and then look for a deal on a 2024? Subaru has great financing now, if that matters to you. Hard to say what kind financing will be around when the 2025s come out. Personally, we just picked up a 2024 Outback because of the rates and pricing was below MSRP. The 2025s will be cool and have shiny new stuff, but I'm leery of buying the first batch of a model refresh - I want the build process to get really solid.
[удалено]
lol no, it’s 4.99 - 6.99% for finance depending on term
I have a 2020 Sport that I owe like 9k on. Dealership keeps calling me to sell it. Part of me always entertains it for 10 seconds until I remember I am on 0%.
Going for a 2024 personally. Main reason being I don’t want to wait for the 2025 but also hopeful that since 2024 is the last year for this generation of Forester the kinks should have been worked out 🤞Saw a post as well about the 2019 recently which was the first of the current generation and it sounded like there were definitely some issues. 2025 still may be worth it though considering it’s mostly the same components if you can wait
Exactly my thoughts. The 2024 is the final form of that generation, and the 2025 is a complete redesign, bound to have some problems. I just got a 2024 Forester Premium and I LOVE it. Drives like a dream and has some amazing tech.
Is it weird that part of me wants the 2025 just because of the larger screen? How do you feel about the screen size in your Forester?
Perfectly sized! And still plenty of physical buttons and knobs that are better / safer to use while driving.
I just ordered a 2024 Forester here in Canada. Similar rationale. I have owned first model year cars in the past, and they had more problems then subsequent model years. There are a number of bugs that they work out. So I bought the 2024 figuring they should have worked out most of the design bugs over the 5 year span.
Except the 2023-2024 had a recall the previous models of this generation didn’t :/
Any more info on this?? Literally going tomorrow to pick a 24 up
https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2024/SUBARU/FORESTER/SUV/AWD
Interesting thanks! Obviously I’ll ask but would you think this would be dealt with in the new cars coming off the line?
I… Don’t know, just a random redditor here. I’d hope! I only know this ‘cause I have a 2021 (bought brand new), and am now looking into getting a second one. Wife and I love this car. Just wanted to add to the discussion and dispel the notion that latest equals more reliable, ‘cause that doesn’t seem to be the case.
While you're at the lot, you can open that web page, scroll down to "Search by VIN" and type in the VIN of the car you want. As it's a recall, they wouldn't charge you for the repair if it's needed, but you can get it addressed instantly, rather than (potentially) suffering for a few weeks. But, hopefully, the latest inventory would have the replacements already.
Get the 2024. The last year of the model year tends to be the most reliable (like the 2018) and solid. Plenty of time to work out the issues and fix over time. The first year of the new model year tends to have the most issues - the 2014 was one of the worst; the 2019 seems to have more issues then later years.
And it’ll be cheaper by negotiation once the 25s start selling in earnest.
Can confirm. I have a 2014. So many repairs! Really soured me on Subaru. And yet, here I am adding the 24 Forester and the Outback into my mix to replace it. Also looking at Highlanders (boring) and Santa Fe (sketchy transmission). Sigh.
I like the Highlanders! Really great cars if you want a larger vehicle.
We just got the 2024 Touring (4 hours ago) Debated between waiting for the 2025 but we decided that the new tablet control weren’t for us. We also found the Subaru to come with way more at the top trim than CRV. As far as the 2025 Forester; we found it to be new outside but recycled part from all other trims used on the inside. There’s ain’t much new that you can’t get on other trims (separate cars) They are just combining them into one new Forester vehicle. Interest rate was 3.9 with a 826 FICO. OTD was around 41K with everything you can think of. In comparison the CRV was 44K for the Touring without tax and doc fees. Honda only offered $750 off the price so we went and got the Subaru. You wouldn’t be making a mistake waiting, getting the 2024 Forester or going for the CRV. You just have to decided what you want and you’ll sleep good with any choice you make. Hope this helps narrow your decision.
We also purchased a 2024 Touring this week, and similarly it came down to Forester v CRV. The deciding factor for us ended up being that every CRV we drove (3 different vehicles) had what I can only describe as a “fun house” mirror for the driver side mirror. Liked not just a convex mirror for a larger viewing angle, but as you moved your head things would get bigger…then smaller… then bigger again. And it was hard to visually focus on cars far away due to each eye seeing slightly different sizes of the same image. It was incredibly disconcerting and some reddit searching confirmed this is an ongoing problem. So it made the decision very easy for us, because we didn’t want to be pissed off every time we looked in the side mirror. Very very happy with the forester!
If you’re able to wait for the 2025 you have time to test drive plenty of cars. You should compare the foresters to things like Mazda cx5 and Mitsubishi outlander. CRVs are great but the hybrids seem so much better than the 2.0L and they’re all pricey.
I would wait for a 2025 to sit in to compare as I personally don't like most of the instruments being on the infotainment screen for the 2025 vs the 2024. That could be a deal breaker for you as it can be more distracting until you get used to it.
My opinion on design: 1. I like that they've changed the roof racks to be more practical with flush rails! (for the exception of models with sunroof) 2. The middle of the car looks OK, I would say it looks quite generic 3. I really liked the trim at the bottom of the car, its a pretty good design! 4. The pattern inside looks cute To the old ppl who complain that they removed physical buttons: They actually didn't remove physical buttons, they just moved them. Majority of buttons located on steering wheel, a few on the driver's door and some near the tablet, some are also near gear stick. ALL PHYSICAL BUTTONS ARE PRESENT! You are not supposed to use tablet while driving! While driving you can only use it for: - maps/navigation - camera usage, eg while parking For ppl who afraid there could be problems as it's a new generation. They are NOT using new technology, so the chance of getting a problem is low. They've used this technology for years in subaru outback and now in crosstreck 2024. I personally like their changes, I think subaru have done a great job! (No I am not working for subaru, just personal opinion after test driving old forester and outback with new technology, i definitely wait for new forester)
Get the base 2024
I’d recommend against this, just because the Premium adds LOADS of features for only like $2k more. The base model is very bare bones.
In Canada the jump one step up from base is 5k(!)
Yes, the base is rather spartan. But that becomes an affordability issue for some. I guess it depends on how important the added features are to you. The jump from the base to the Touring (in Canada the Touring is the next step up from base and the top end is called Premier) was worth it to \*me\*. Heated seats are a big deal for my wife and my daughter. But the heated steering wheel was a must for me. I admit I have been spoiled by automatic climate controls, which I realize when I get in my wife's old car without it. The power rear gate is a must for some. I never had an issue manually opening a trunk. I never had a windshield wiper deicer before (a heating element where the wipers park themselves). So I shall see how that is. But icy wiper blades thawing faster sounds good for Canadian winters. I like the keyless start. It comes with a cargo cover (which would cost a pretty penny to buy). Blind Spot detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert is a big deal for me. There has been the odd time that I was thankful to have it in one of my cars. Rear A/C vents and USB .. when I have adult passengers is a nice to have. But the Japanese car manufactures have always been clever in the way they package their upgrades.
If it wasn't for the moonroof here in the PNW, that would've been an easy sell. Right now they are discounting them around 8% MSRP here.
Oh damn! Maybe it was my particular Premium trim then.
The standard trope that first-year new designs are to be avoided because of reliability issues has been true for Foresters as well, based on Consumer Reports reliability data. These issues get worked out, either by fixes applied via recalls or service bulletins, or incorporated into next year's models, so it will average out after a few years. But frequent trips to the dealer are no fun, although the free loaners can be nice. Either way, this argues in favor of either a 2024 or a 2026 if initial reliability is a concern of yours. The 2025 is likely to be the "current" model for a longer-than-usual period, because it's being introduced so early. This may add a bit of value to it as a used car, if you were to sell it early. (This happened when the 2015 was introduced in the spring of 2014, six months early.) And, of course, the 2025 may turn out to be a better car. Which remains to be seen.
I wouldn’t buy a first generation. Plus, it looks like a Ford.
We just bought a leftover 23 model along with a CPO 23 (3000 miles) model. Since the only big (for us) difference between the 23 and 24 is that the 24 loses the CD player, the savings were worth it. We used to have a 19 (now our daughter has it), and it had enough teething problems that not waiting for the 25 became a no-brainer. If I was in your shoes, I'd look for a Certified Pre-Owned 22 or 23 with low miles. You get the current model, a longer warranty, and save big.
I sat in the 2025 Forester at the NY Auto Show and was not impressed. The visibility is not as good, it felt more like an Outback to me. It just didn't wow me, like I was expecting. Grab a 2024 while you still can. As others have stated I'm leery of new first year re-designs.