Subaru Forester Interior: Everything You Need To Know
Source: Pixabay
We’ve all seen it.
Compact SUVs are marketed as fun family vehicles for braving the wilderness; it’s as if everyone has just discovered the Great Outdoors. Frankly, only a few compact SUVs can deliver that promise - the Subaru Forester is one of them.
The Forester is one of Subaru’s best-selling models, thanks to its enhanced practicality, ruggedness, and standard all-wheel drive. It’s a compact SUV that’s indeed well-suited for outdoor adventures.
However, for today’s post, we won’t talk about the Forester’s outdoor prowess but about its interior instead. For this Subaru Forester interior highlight, we’ll cover the 2022 version. Let’s get to it!
Passenger Room and Cargo Space
First off, let’s begin this 2022 Subaru Forester interior write-up with its ground clearance. The standard Forester features 8.7 inches of ground clearance, but if you opt for the 2022 Forester Wilderness model, the suspension is raised to 9.2 inches of ground clearance. This means better visibility inside the Forester, and your underbelly is less likely to hit a bump in the road and cause damage.
The 2022 Subaru Forester is a 5-seater compact SUV, but it’s narrower than its segment rivals like the Honda CR-V. Fortunately, it does offer generous legroom for both front and rear seats. The front row has 43.3 inches of legroom, and the rear has 39.4 inches of legroom. In comparison, the Honda CR-V has 41.3 inches of front legroom and 40.4 inches of rear legroom.
The front and rear headroom have 41 and 40 inches, respectively, but if you have the optional power panoramic moonroof, you can subtract an inch or two from the headroom.
Moreover, Cargo space is ample, with 28.9 cu-ft of luggage space and a maximum of 74.2 cu-ft of cargo with the 60⁄40-split flat-folding rear seatback configuration.
FEEL SECURE IN THE CAR YOU CHOOSE
You don’t want to buy a car - you want to get the best deal on the car you’re looking for. The CoPilot app will notify you if there’s a similar vehicle in your area at a better price, so you’re always certain you got the best deal available.
Interior Materials and Comfort
Comfort-wise, the Forester’s interior is an excellent place to be in.
While the interior is a frill-free affair, some material choices are on the upscaled side, even on the base trim. Upper trims like the Touring offer caramel leather seats, textured plastic trims, and glossy-black plastic components. The Wilderness version boasts copper-colored double stitching, gunmetal accents, and alloy pedal covers.
Also, the Wilderness model adds functionality by using Startex, a material first used in the Outback Wilderness. The Startex material is more durable, waterproof, and environmentally responsible.
Describing the Forester’s interior, the word ‘Functional’ comes to mind. From the layout to control ergonomics, Subaru did an excellent job crafting a sensible interior for the Forester. The standard 6.5-inch unit is fine, but we highly recommend the 8-inch touchscreen upgrade. All the knobs and buttons are easy to read and operate, which is good if you’re cruising on rough terrain.
The Forester has used far too much black plastic and generic seats in previous iterations. With the 2022 Forester, it’s good to see that Subaru has been stepping its interior game up over the years.
Infotainment and Tech Features
While the base Subaru Forester interior may seem spartan, it’s actually adequately specced. Some notable standard features of the Forester are adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry, single-zone automatic climate control, and a 6-way manually-adjustable driver’s seat.
The standard infotainment unit is the aforementioned 6.5-inch touchscreen display and is paired with a four-speaker sound system. Standard connectivity features include Bluetooth, two USB ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, Magellan navigation, HD radio, and SiriusXM satellite radio.
Choosing the Premium trim will get you keyless entry/ignition, heated seats, illuminated vanity mirrors, and in-car Wi-Fi. The Forester Premium is eligible for available features such as an upgraded driver display, a powered tailgate, and a rear center console that contains additional USB ports.
Going up to the Sport model nets you a two-tone cloth upholstery with orange contrast stitching, Dual-function X-MODE® with Hill Descent Control, and an SI-DRIVE® engine management system. Starting with the Limited and Touring editions, you receive a dual-zone automatic climate control power rear gate and are eligible for extras like a nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio setup and voice-activated navigation.
The newest tech introduced for the 2022 Subaru Forester interior is the ability to control the temperature via gestures.
WHAT TO DO IF A DEALER REFUSES TO CANCEL EXTENDED WARRANTY
Car buying can occasionally be frustrating, especially if you’re purchasing your vehicle through a dealership. We’re here to tell you how to navigate a situation in which a dealer refuses to cancel your extended warranty.
Safety Features
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the 2022 Subaru Forester an “Acceptable” rating along with the Audi Q3, Chevy Trax, Honda CR-V, and many other compact SUVs. This may be attributed to the IIHS’ stricter side crash test. For this reason, we can expect Subaru to make changes to meet the IIHS’ more stringent guidelines better.
Over at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2022 Forester fared better with the highest-possible 5-star overall rating. It earned top scores on almost all of the tests except for rollover assistance, which earned a 4-star rating.
Anyway, the 2022 Forester offers a wide range of safety and driver assistance features. Standard safety features include a rearview camera, seven airbags, and a driver knee bag. All Forest comes standard with the EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology suite that includes features like:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane keep assist and sway warning
- Pre-collision braking
- Pre-collision throttle management
- Advanced adaptive cruise control
THE BEST TWO-SEATER CARS
If you’re in the market for a speedy two-seater, we’ve got you covered. Check out our list of the best two-seater cars on the market today.
Starting with the Sport trim, your Forester will add more safety features such as blind-spot detection with rear traffic cross alert. Meanwhile, the Touring trim adds the DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System and reverse automatic braking.
Overall, the 2022 Forester maintains its top-notch safety rating with a good mix of standard and available driver-assist features.
Subaru Forester Interior: It’s Getting There
At the base trim, the Subaru Forester interior is relatively average. There are many good interior design elements, while some can be downright baffling. As expected, the Forester’s basic interior can’t compare with other upmarket models like Subaru’s own Outback and Legacy. However, the base interior has seen massive improvements over the years.
As you get to the upper trims, you get plenty of nice upgrades from the materials to the tech features. The top Touring trim, with its vast array of premium materials and features, is where we can say that it is most of the way there.
Is The Subaru Forester Worth Buying?
The Subaru Forester is known as America’s darling regarding compact crossovers. With its standard all-wheel drive, go-anywhere attitude, and loaded with driver aids and technology, the Forester is always ready for adventure. While it’s an excellent all-around SUV, is the Forester worth buying based on its interior alone?
One look at the Subaru Forester interior, and you’ll know that it offers more function than style. Unless you go for the higher trims, the Forester’s cabin is far from stylish and luxurious – and that’s more than fine since it’s not really trying to be upscale. The Forester interior offers sensible control layouts and great visibility while driving. The materials are good enough to provide a comfortable riding experience for hours.
The in-car technology is likewise simple and easy to use, but you would probably want to upgrade to the 8-inch touchscreen since the standard 6.5-inch doesn’t offer much screen real estate. Meanwhile, the Forester also has a cargo-friendly interior, undoubtedly a massive boon for the adventuring types.
If you decide on buying the Forester based on the interior, we recommend going one step above the base model for better interior features and options.
Get a Curated List of the Best Used Cars Near You
The CoPilot car shopping app is the easiest way to buy a car. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll search the inventories of every dealership in your area to make you a personalized list of the best car listings in your area.
Only looking for newer models? CoPilot Compare is the search engine for nearly-new cars. Only see cars five years or newer with low mileage — CoPilot Compare is the best way to find off-lease, early trade-in, and CPO cars.
The best part? CoPilot is built using the same technology that dealerships use to buy and sell their inventories, so we have more info on each vehicle than competitors. CoPilot doesn’t work with dealerships, so there are no sponsored posts or other shady practices — just the most info on the best cars. Check out our About Us page to see how CoPilot works.
