Should You Buy a SUBARU FORESTER? (Test Drive & Review 2014 2.0D)
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- čas přidán 3. 01. 2022
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Today, I'm in this 2014 Subaru Forester. Let's see what it's like...
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This is why i started and why i keep watching your videos. You can go from a Bentley Continental GT to a Subaru Forester, and keep it as interesting as ever. Reviewing affordable cars that the general public will buy and use is, in my opinion, a more difficult content challenge than just sitting in a luxury sports car which 70% of the people cant afford, and raving about its speed and how good it is. Thank you for all the wonderful and "boring" content!
Thank you! It’s what interest me the most too
Agreed!
I have a 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5S ... very luxurious ... very reliable ... mainly use it for city driving but once a year we head down the snowfields - the first year I took it down we pulled up in front of the lodge and there was a two foot high pile of snowplow snow across the driveway - the drive was icy , steep and a narrow to a small sloping car park filled with snow, icy patches and expensive cars. I got the wife and son out of the car girded my loins for a slipping and sliding insurance nightmare ... pushed the X-Mode button and drove in , over the snow wall , up the icy driveway and around a steep turn to our parking spot with ... zero drama ... in fact it was boring. Right behind us was a pal in a 2wd with chains on ... she had a VERY exciting time getting it up the driveway without hitting anything expensive. They are great cars - one thing you kind of missed in your review was that there is a full sized spare (with mag wheels) under the boot floor rather than one of those limp home shockers! Keep up the good work - love the vids
All the rich farmers around me drive Range Rovers, all the really rich ones either drive battered Subarus or Volvos.
lol
It’s true. I know one wealthy person and they drive a 08 shogun. It’s done 250k and still runs like a dream. It’s saved him thousands not changing
Hi I have being running a Subaru Forester for 5 years it’s being a good work horse for my job serviced every 10k very happy
With the state of the UK roads I'd daily one of these all day long... so under rated
Finally somebody who gets the point of a Forester. I have a 2010 one & yes I am a farmers boy. It is battered & bruised but never lets me down. It will stay with me until it falls apart. Great review.
I like that you consistently referred to the Forester as a 4X4 and didn’t slavishly call it an SUV.
I knew a GP who would only buy a Forester as she said it’s supremely reliable and had confidence she could get to see her patients even in heavy snow. Can’t get a better endorsement than that! It’s a lifesaver!
Yea true, GPs know a lot about car mechanics.
I own a 2016 Subaru Forester 2.0d
I bought it 18 months ago and have put over 50,000 miles on the clock. I have the diesel auto, which is fantastic. I regularly get SIXTY mpg in it, and in all of those miles it has only needed its glow plugs replacing. Nothing, but nothing else has gone wrong. On top of that I use it to holiday in the Highlands of Scotland in December and it handles everything thrown at it. Utterly practical, totally reliable, boringly fantastic, and I won't be selling it any time soon. Watch a few reviews against way more expensive opposition and the Subaru usually wipes the floor with them.
Really ? 60 mpg ? That is 4 l/100km ? With automatic gear box ?
I am currently looking into 2016 Forester D , the dealer says one get 6.3l/100km that is ..37 mpg . Am I missing something?
Head gaskets will blow after 100,000 mi. Foresters are extremely popular where I live in Northern California. If you want to be a millionaire, work on Subarus exclusively.
I'm not sure that's 2 much of a problem here in the UK ....!
I enjoy all your comments about the different cars you buy/sell. You are so real and no bull.
Suburu, the marque you will rarely if ever see on the back of a breakdown truck, which says it all really!
Another quality review as always. Your content is simply brilliant down to earth very humorous and none of the show off stuff with cars we can't afford! Keep keeping it real ✊
Brilliant review Matt, as ever … had an accident in my parents Forrester a few years ago in France. I stopped at a pedestrian crossing, the Renault Megane behind me didn’t. The Megane was a right-off, our Forrester barely had a mark on it. A legendary car!
Very accurate review Matt, in addition to the Discovery, I have a similar 2013 CVT 2.0 petrol that the wife uses on the school run and the farm! We are very happy with it.
That was great. 👌 Cheers. I'd probably still not buy one ultimately but can now see they have more appeal than I gave them credit for. 👍
Fantastically accurate and fair review to the forester! I was hoping that someday someone would draw the conclusion as to the internal load area being bigger in an estate (hence my wife having an outback) but the forester is a truly fantastic car. Again well done on a very fair review to a genuinely good Subaru!
Pride myself in knowing pretty much every car on the road (make and model). Never knew these existed. Brilliant.
Have a 2017 XT, one of the best cars (of many) I’ve owned, awesome on Cross Climate tyres and I suspect way more reliable than any of the trendy motors JLR currently produce…
great review as always - and agree these are under the radar competent bits of kit... you buy with your head and it somehow wins a bit of your heart very time you drive it... i had one a while back and it really did tick a lot of boxes and never upset anyone
I bought my first Forester, used, in 2004 and kept it for 8 years and my next For 5 years. I loved them so much. I am ready for another but unsure of what is available EV wise. I may go for one of the last XT’s. Great review, thank you!
Brilliant review mate. I own a 2010 Subaru Forester and it’s been the best thing I’ve invested in so far. These cars are long lasting, they’re built to withstand anything and I love that you can have driving modes to make it go faster, for turbo powered engines only. So far it’s a car I would recommend to most folks who are looking for a proper functioning suv.
Really helpful review. Thanks. We bought a 2013 Forester 3 years ago and it's not given us any problems at all. Our local Subaru dealer in Ashburton , Devon has the best customer service I've ever experienced. Nothing is too much trouble. Would I buy one again? Yes I would. Thanks again.
Another informative, amusing and useful video. Thank you Matt. Excellent job once again.
Had two of these both XTs and both grey 66 and 68 plates. Awesome off road and the XT is proper quick. Didn't have an issue with the CVT which has fake steps programmed into it. Good and fair review👍
Always loved them. Never owned one but a mechanic I once worked with told me how good they were. Don't see many of them but that may well be because, as like you said, they tend to just blend in. This video has only seved to reinforce my belief of what a great car they are. 👍
Of all the car youtubers I watch you're the one I'd most like to have a drink with. Thanks as always fro the entertainment.
Haha thanks!
Good review as usual. The angle of that headrest set my OCD on fire!!!!!!
Your channel is basically the new version of thumbing through autotrader magazine for me. Love it👍🏻
Haha thanks!
"It is the motoring equivalent of corduroy" - succinct similes everyone can relate to, love them.
Definitely keep doing reviews of these normal, affordable, everyday cars.
Thanks!
Great video as always! I had a 2010 Outback with the same engine and presumably the same gearbox and AWD system.... Was a fantastic car, really sturdy and felt like a tank. It was great driving into the works car park and having the only one. Parking next to six E Classes, Eight A4s, Five 5 series and a sea of Insignias. It was fantastic in the snow, so good!!! It fit my dog in comfortably, but not my mates GSD, it was a small boot considering the size of the car, but big enough for me. Heated leather seats, very comfortable. When I bought it I thought it would be the car to see me for the rest of my life.... I was 30! I must have bought a duff one, as the reliability was kind of poor, and getting parts wasn't easy. Even going direct to Subaru I was told "£1300 for a propshaft ..... but could be months before we can supply it!" That was the final straw for me. Got short of it, and has kind of put me off the cars to be honest. I wanted the car to be good, I dumped lots of money into it, praying that it would stop draining me every other month. My mechanic ever told me to get rid of it, as he hated working on it.... But I did enjoy it though.
Great as always, and thanks for converting the consumption to litres/kilometres. Cheers from Italy!
Great review Matt. Love the “designed for real life” element and I suspect that is what encourages long term owner loyalty. It’s a bit like my G-Shock watch, there it just works and there simply isn’t a good enough reason to get rid of it, although it will never win high fashion awards. Thanks for keeping it real 👍💯
You win the prize as the funniest car reviewer, thanks for the laughs. I've owned two petrol turbo Foresters and loved them for all the reasons you explained so eloquently. The petrol versions I had were both thirsty
Thanks for watching!
I hated the CVT 's as well but my 2018 Subaru Outback has a CVT with 7 pre-programmed steps. It drives like a conventional automatic gearbox , instead of the endless revving of the old CVT it now shifts by steps and I actually like it. Hope you will be testdriving a newer Forester or Outback in the near future. Thanks Matt, rgds from the Netherlands
I love my diesel 2016 Forester, keep em well serviced and Maintained and it’ll look after you. Best car I’ve ever had.
Bought back pleasant memories of owning older Subaru Outback . There are plenty of good Subaru specialist out there.
Had the previous model Forrester with boxer diesel. I do love Subaru’s they are dependable work horses as you say (having been brought up on a farm). But there was a fair amount of body roll on the previous model
Replaced my wife's 2004 K-series freelander with a 2010 C-Crosser, so fat so good. Not many left hand drive subarus in France....lucky I found a right hand drive Citroën because 3 times cheaper than the local models. Keep up the good reviews.
Always really enjoy your videos, informative, interesting and friendly, thanks. Also, I live in the same neck of the woods, so I recognise many of the sights and sounds. Keep ‘em coming!
We have one of these as the company car for my winter gig in the alps, works a treat when the snow comes. As you say dull as dishwater but proper perfect winter work car. Also some lovely sunset shots
Great choice for that kind of work. Cheers
Matt, brilliant review again, your timing on the : rain hitting the front window .... drowning out the noise of the engine, had me laugh so loud the wife asked what laughing at from the other room!!
😂☔️
See those Japanese switches? They'll still work in 15 years ..
See those prestige German switches? They won't.
For those disinterested in social status this is a great car for those of us that live in the peaks!
Although many jokes I can't get, most likely because I'm abroad, your way of presenting is SO COOL 😜. I have so much fun watching your videos 🤣
Great review which does the Forester justice Matt! I've got the Forester XT of this shape with the CVT ; it's a brilliant all-rounder and I love the total lack of showiness as you say. We have a farm (not a working farm) in Macc Forest and when our 2 ATVs weren't available for a few weeks I used the Subaru and it was superb off road (as expected) and handled the horrible load lugging jobs really well. The CVT gives good fuel economy if you keep the revs low. It's a fast car (for what it is) when the turbo spools up.
Great work on the channel. You, Harry's Garage and It's Joel are nailing it!
Having owned two Imprezas that never had a single fault between them and didn’t let me down………..ever, I’m a massive Subaru fan. That boxer engine and all-wheel drive system is brilliant in my opinion. The sun visors in the Forester do look as if they need eye holes in them though! 🤣
Some lovely shots of the English country side in the midwinter sun. I cant help thinking of Emerdale when I watch. Great review as always.
Thanks!
Another great review, this channel is good source of information for me at the moment as I'm in the market for a new car.
Over the last 20 or so years, my wife and I have had 6 Subaru's, current ones are a 2016 Outback and my drive is a 2015 Forester the same model as Matt tested. The last 3 (2012 &2015 Outbacks) and my current Forester have all had the CVT gearbox with absolutely no issues and we have certainly put a few kilometres on the clock. Being in Australia, we have done a number of long trips and find the seats very comfortable and the ride smooth, regardless of the road conditions.
When it comes time to replace the old cars, will be giving Subaru first consideration.
Great review Matt ...... as honest as the car. Cheers from South Oz
What would you recommend of the two? Pros and cons. 3 young kids, occasional towing. Narrow country roads.
@@jonathanoconnell2507 Greetings from South Oz
With 3 youngsters I'd probably lean towards the Outback. Marginally more spacious in the back seat and a bit more storage space. Both have all wheel drive and the clearance is the same for both. Both have the same towing capacity and could handle either a camper trailer or a lightweight van with no issues. I regularly tow a loaded 7 foot by 4 foot caged trailer with Forester quite adequately and although the Outback doesn't have a towbar, I'm certain it would also tow without problems.
Steering is excellent and good vision from behind the wheel so I can't see anything problems with country roads. By the way, I live in a semi rural locality and some of the roads driven on quite regularly are not overly wide but not as narrow as the country roads you see in England.
In summing up, both very reliable and as you will be travelling with youngsters, I'd lean to the Outback. Good luck and hope this helps.
Cheers 🍻
Absolutely brilliant matt..you certainly are entertaining & more to the point you do great car reviews..keep em coming
Thanks!
Great review. I’m no Petrolhead but love your reviews on cars that paupers like me would consider.
This is not a BORING car! LOL. it is a very competent, practical and reliable car, anyone that doesn't want those qualities in something they are spending tens of thousands on is off their rocker.
Who honestly says " Oh that Alfa,: rubbish build quality, rusts like mad, totally unreliable, bad ergonomics and costs a fortune to keep on the road- I must have one of those- my dream car". Deserves all they get.... Great video, lots more "real cars" please, they are what keeps the working man on the road and it is good to see them evaluated, and in this case, praised.
"Anonymity is underrated" - couldn't agree more. Great review, thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Hello! I bought one in 2012! An older model version, my wife said it looked like a hearse! Anyhow, it was reliable, comfortable and the heated seats were a bonus. Within two months it needed rear hubs, then the water pump went, and the clutch started slipping! However, the ABS saved my wife and daughter from crashing into other vehicles on a very wintery M62 whilst I was working in Saudi! She cannot praise it highly enough! The big glass sunroof encouraged us to go star gazing in winter, whilst being able to keep warm and the engine note was interesting! It was a great workhorse, but I did not like the frame less windows. My daughter used to pull herself into and out of the car using the glass!!! It did succumb to a lot of rust (we lived on the coast) in Southport and the exhaust just would not stay on it's location rubbers! I think I bought a dog to be honest, but it served us well and my wife and daughter are still here! I agree with everything on this video, look after it and it will look after you!
Ahhhh, the better looking version of the Fugly!
Subaru’s are popular with their owners for a good reason; they are very good to drive and utterly reliable. I had a Spec.B Legacy estate for a while and they are an absolute hoot to drive.
Parts can be expensive though.
Another good review Matt and right on the money - the later diesel doesn’t even snap its crank anymore…
I’ve owned a few Subaru”s they are addictive + hold the perfectly good review
I think every car on here I have genuinely thought about buying, either as a family wagon or something more for me.
Considering an F10 bmw 5 series, but probably a 530d for the added fun. Wife wants a Crv but a forester or CX5 may do instead.
Totally the best Car review website on CZcams.
Real cars for real people.
Thank You!
Back to sanity thanks. I am currently looking at rear wheel drive Huracan and VW Karmann Ghias. 😳 My crime car is probably a silver Astra. Anonymity is the new celebrity. High Peak is at the cutting edge of the culture yet again.
I had considered one of these a couple of years back. It’s true that Subaru are a true 4 wheel drive company & therefore their vehicles are definitely more competent than most of the competition. I’m surprised you didn’t mention the engine failures with the diesel though. Those are well documented & definitely put me off 😬
Brilliant review of this Scoobie!
Love foresters and if I ever required an offroader it would be top of the list. Actually, love all Subaru's. Have a 23 year old STi RA that I have owned for nearly 20 years, that has 130,000 miles on it, and has never given me any trouble. The boxer engines are great and a doddle to work on, just needs (fairly) regular oil changes and proper warm ups and cool downs and it will go on forever.
I watched this one pretty intently Matt and don’t recall you reporting on the cup holder situation, I am literally on the edge of my seat waiting to find out! 👍
Cup holders are fine....they line vertically. I prefer the Outback cupholders as they are horizontal, so gives a little more room. But I find the seats fine and the back seats are best in class in headroom and legroom.
As a paid on call firefighter I missed my old Subaru because living in the state of Maine in the US, we get pummeled with snow and having to respond in all weather conditions I missed my Subaru AWD, going to be buying one of these in automatic I'm just super happy to be back in a Subaru
Yes I agree the Subaru Forester is a very good car
Matt have you got one for sale.
I will buy it off you I know it will be a good car all your cars are good .
You are a honest car dealer unlike slit of others I could mention
Thanks Matt brilliant video as usual
Kevin
Good review , Altought I don't have a subaru forester, you have actually described my Isuzu D max , almost the same in most ways , altought the isuzu is a blueish grayish silverish colour..
Hi Matt, a tad little late to the party !!!!!!! but please as always !!!!!! loving every second as per normal👍👍
Matt .Good honest video as always , only one cup holder you must be devastated ?
One point on all your reviews it would be interesting to know what insurance group they fall into .
😂😂😂 absolutely brilliant....what car were you in? I can't remember 😂😂😂 spot on video mate 👍 I just bought one yesterday and I'm loving it 😀😀😀
Great video again! Mk4 Forester was actually my second choice when I traded my car in May 2021. But the engines I wanted (either diesel or turbocharged petrol) were still out of my price range and the last one, naturally aspirating petrol unit felt really stressed at motorway speeds. Plus the car I actually ended up with, a T31 Nissan X-Trail, HAS acres of boot space. ;-) It's kind of funny how everyone around the internet tells you these Subarus are great bang for buck, but in my country even used Subarus are still insanely expensive. One thing's for sure, though: when the time comes to replace my T31 in couple of years, I'm going to miss the utilitarian nature of it. SUVs are getting far too posh for actual utility use, I'd really hate to toss a dirty MTB inside brand new Mk5 Forester...
Nice Scooby Matt....
Seriously, great review, thank you.
had the 2nd generation forester, best and most reliable vehicle that i ever owned, the only thing i 100% to remember about them is get a local mechanic who knows how to work on subarus, because a lot of them don,t and are either stumped or dont have the special tools needed or both thats what i found, anyway keep up these great reviews matt, best on u tube.
Thanks for watching
Have had 7 Subarus in 15 years time, they all are real workhoses and fun to use, just wach the oil levels on old ones with high milage and dont go more than 10K on oil changes and Subie will take you to Antartica with ease. This car brand is realy underestimaited, I found it to be a real Samurai on werry bad roads.🎉
As always a great video. If I cannot get an L332 I might consider one of these. Cheers Matt!
Yup, I would have one, when I get too old to get under the Disco 2. And, of course extra carpets would go in . . . just to keep the original ones clean, you understand . . . !
Great video.
Remember these back in the 90s on off-road and greenlanes.
The same 4 wheel drive system as the Impreza ( Scuby -😂). They could go anywhere while transporting loads of s#1t!
Not a bad motor. Just a middle of the road steady Joe. Sometimes, that's all you need. 👍
Yep, back in the day it was a toss up between this and the Freelander 2, chose the green badge and didn't regret it.
Had a 2014 forester and had massive problems with the DPF filter, brilliant car overall but was in the garage with the DPF filter 3 times in the first year, sold her a few months after.
Excellent video thanks so much! Keep them coming please. I read apparently Subaru's Boxed Diesel engine is a disaster.
2007-2014 X-Trail 2.0 Diesel, 170bhp with all the toys. Best tow car I ever owned, Inc Navara's etc.
mate, you are hilarious! a great ambassador of British humor for foreign nationals interested in British culture.
Thanks!
Had two of these 1997 petrol turbo with a performance exhaust, it was a blast, people who liked cars would come over and ask what it was and what engine was in it. Lots of boy racers where left wondering wtf that was, as I snored past them. The second one was very nice, non turbo, reliable, but not nearly as much fun. I sometimes wish I still had the’97 one, it was an import that had started out as a twin turbo, but had a uk Impreza turbo engine when I bought it, 23 mpg no matter how you drove it.
I’m in my middle seventies now, and drive a petrol 2016 Vitara 1.6 with all the bells and whistles, great car, goes anywhere with diff lock, and averages 53mpg. Someone on this site who likes Freelanders, and I’ve had one of those too, will be interested to know the Suzuki has two cup holders and a bigger boot than the the Freelander 2!.
I loved my forester (2014) up until the front diff blew. £7k part, replaced under warranty. Good vid 👍🏼
The Ronseal reference was really on the mark.
First time I've heard that ..............today.
Happy New Year Matt,
Great review as always, so true people who have these Foresters stick by them for years.
The styling as you said is totally invisible 🤣
Had a 80s Subaru GLF 1800 ,
Loved it, shame in rusted in 2 years !
Seems to have sorted that now. Subaru do have a cult following.
Been waiting for this one! An XT review would be good also.
Would like to see you review a Skoda Karoq or Kodiaq, Matt, if the chance comes up, would like to get your views on. Love your videos. Long time fan.
Love your reviews honest and practical
Excellent review! I had a 2007 Forester Sports Turbo 5spd here in America and it was a brilliant car that I regret selling!
I’ve still got my 2007 XT. Great car.
Subaru’s are super popular in Australia. I’m not sure why but they are known for being super reliable, super safe (there a safety focused company like Volvo) and the Forester and outback are great family cars. We have owned 2 second gen facelift forester with the standard 2.5 and 5speed manual and we love them we literally bought the exact same car after the other one was totaled. We are now ordering a 2023 forester which wasn’t originally our first (it was the new Sportage) choice but it was the best to drive in the segment.
good enjoyable subaru forester review,this suv its a very underated family workhorse.
Matt !
Firstly Happy New year 🎈🎊
Absolutely cracking review
Brilliantly put together, I’m sure eventually you will get noticed by a a motoring tv channel
Keep it up
Robbie from Hudderfield
An absolutely brilliant review, thank you
jasmine green matt i used to sell them brand new one couple ordered one with beige leather took 6 month wait from factory !! total spot on review great forgetable car .
Love the videos, best car reviewer on the internet. Please do outback next!
Great video! I'm delighted that I found your channel. I really enjoy the review done while driving with the help of the additional cutscenes. Would a Freelander 2 be significantly more capable in off-road conditions compared to this Forester?
The colour is known as "old" its found in certain stores near the non stain beige. Having said that i remember subaru,s being sold in farm machinery dealers, the pickups were unbeatable of road for what they were and alot cheaper than a landy or Toyota
Great video. I love my 2017 diesel Forester with over 105,000 miles. This is a great video and says everything about my car. Sadly the 2017 was the last of this great model that is really worth shouting about... quietly! I'll update at 200,000 miles. 😁 Interestingly I got a call from a diesel claims company and he was gutted to find out it was a Subaru. No falsification of the rules here. Not like some other European manufacturers. 🤫
Superb review. Straight and to the point. In some ways this car is a modernised version of the T30 Nissan Xtrail. I looked at Subaru six years ago when I was needed a practical 4x4 that was still car-like to drive but could get up muddy tracks and paddocks but at the time the boxer diesel Forrester and Legacy diesels were either out of my budget or the models I could afford were petrol - which on a 76 mile round trip to work would have been painful. Totally agree this Forrester looks utterly anonymous but who cares when it does the job. My Xtrail is similar. Doesn't turn heads but it's an automotive equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife for its practicality.
Very interested to hear that you've never had to refund a Freelander. I like these too but was put off by reputation - which is probably unfounded.
Owned a 2 litre petrol automatic 3rd generation for years. Great car. Only downside they are thirsty
Hi Matt Happy New Year.. could you share some information about the skoda superb estate and the Mercedes R type .