From an owners stand point, a Subaru is the way to go for a super reliable car, safe, relatively cheap, and of pretty good quality. Repping a 2003 Impreza OBS, I bought the car with intentions of it being my "first winter beater" type car. I never driven a Subaru prior to purchasing my OBS, but on the test drive, I fell in love. The car felt tight to the road, a little zippy, and come on; a 2.5L getting 28 MPG? My wallet is more than happy! I purchased the car for $3900, spent about $200 in random parts, and I have a long list of modifications I want to do to it. Subaru isn't kidding about their slogan: "Love. It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru." I will be purchasing many more of these cars in the future, for these do more than fit my needs and style.

“This is not light off-roading.” As he drives up what is essentially a bumpy dirt road.

I have a 2018 Subaru Forester XT. Bought it 10 months ago and racked on a whopping 28,000 miles. Zero problems with the engine or transmission. Wife loves the CVT because the engine doesn’t rev high like most traditional automatic transmissions in normal drive mode.

What's up with the lack of sound!? Made it almost unwatchable!

I work at a Subaru dealership and drive these every day. They handle like a sports car and they go like one too. I really like these and I might get one when my car is payed off.

Why test drive a car with a CVT and complain about it when it comes in a standard transmission and make it a major point of why you dislike the car. Seems like they are having to make up reasons to not buy a forester

My neighbor purchased a 16 Outback top edition with the PZEV. It's a 2.5L with the CVT. It sits comfy, rides like a Mercedes, and is super quiet. My neighbor loves the 4WD because he went to Niagara Falls and he encountered snow and said he didn't sense any wheelslip. Since my first ride in a Subaru, I actually like it.

We love the engine. Smooth and powerful. We can't wait until if and when they stick in into the next STI. That will be one hell of a ride.

I’ve had the XT now 4 years and 68,000 kilometre later…. Love the CVT, l even tow a 1.6 ton caravan around Australia, off road and never had one mechanical issues. With the right tyres it goes anywhere best all round vehicle l have ever owned. The turbo is in short an awesome motor. I usually upgrade ever 3 yrs or 60k on clock however l have not found a replacement car as good as the 2017/18 XT, l am so disappointed Subaru has not released another turbo version….. CVT gearbox reversed caravan up off road dirt track no problem also in 45 degree heat, up and down steep hills no issue. This this does all very good oh and let me put a myth to bed, it changes faster than my mates manual so CVT l rate.

I think I spent the whole video waiting for the mud pit only to find out you didn't want to get stuck.

Great videos guys! I have a heavily modified Wrangler and I have driven this trail. It's not the toughest in Colorado but I'm so impressed that you have the guts to take a brand new Forester up here. Just bought the Forester for long distance family trips based in part on your great reviews. It has the camping gear storage, rear seat room and fuel economy that my Jeep lacks. For serious offroad I have my Jeep, for a DD and I70 ski trips I love the Subie. Thanks guys!

Roman, thanks for another excellent video! Your multiple reviews of the 2014 Forester's performance under different circumstances paints a really comprehensive picture of this car's capabilities and shortcomings. I appreciate your auto insights and entertaining no-nonsense approach. Keep them coming.

If he took the time to read the owners manual on the car or a quick reference guide for the vehicle. Maybe he would go to the correct menu for the radio. They do this all the time give bad information on vehicles because they don't know what they're doing. So sad

That guy clearly doesn't know anything about subaru's.

Great idea. We would love to do that but we only get the car for a week so we don't have access to it now.

you ever think of redoing this test with Geolandar A/T-S tires?

Great video! You guys just keep getting better! All the Best

Thanks for asking. You are welcome to embed, or post these videos as you like to your web site, facebook and such but you cannot copy or re-upload them.

I am going to watch this later, but thanking you guys in advance for yet another great video!

I always enjoy it when you guys take these SUVs off-road, MOST ESPECIALLY the Subaru vehicles! Keep it up and I hope to see more off-road adventures from your channel.

I've recently purchased a forester 2.5i. I got the manual transmission which does not have X-mode. My question is, is the manual transmission at a disadvantage compared to a CVT with X-mode when it comes to off-road capability ?

Good review! You guys are one of the only reviewers who actually take vehicles off-road in real life. It would be interesting if one day you could set up a comparison on the same vehicle between all seasons and mud or snow tires. I know you did one before with the wrangler and mazda 6 but it would be interesting to see all the variables removed with the same car. Keep up the good work!

you guys should review the subaru forester 2.5i sub-model with a manual transmission to compare full package to basic package

I have one. it replaced my 2011 wrx.. cvt witout the option of a stick shift sucks but nothing else is better within the price range. The interior is an upgrade from what I had and my sound system is too. the sport grille is a must have

I enjoy your reviews and this one is probably the best of all the Jeeps you have done so far. ;)

I have been watching your videos, where exactly is this? I want to try it in my jeep but what is the name of the trail?

ok let say I have manual transmission, the tecnology that CVT has, is not on the manual transm.? is the distributions 50-50%?

He apparently didn't look at the radio very hard because you can type in the station number you want it to go to, also he failed to mention that you can get an optional Harman Kadon speaker system.

I just bought my Subaru couple of weeks ago and I love it

My Mom has a 2015 Forester and there are things I like and things I hate. I hate the acceleration lag (turbo and CVT related), lack of memory seats, odd material choices and the god-awful infotainment system. I'm glad that Subaru is going to use the same system in the Outback and other vehicles. Everything else I really love.

I'd give it a Buy It because who needs fancy pandora or nav systems. Everyone that has a smartphone has that already. This car will stand the test of time and it'll still be going after 100 or even 200 thousand miles.

I don't even have "hill descent control" and I could fly through any of that in my 2015 Forester. Drove it through a 2-ft snow storm in the Sierra last winter and was able to go places Land Rovers weren't going. I actually was stopping and helping people in SUVs that got stuck. If you don't have the right tires on ANY car, it will have trouble.

Huge Car, tons of room for me and my gear.

I know this video is quite old, but if you had proper tires, how far do you think it could have gone?

New fan , nice video

At 3:20 Roman states that " This trail is not Camry worthy" but the Forester seems to be doing quite well at that point..... At 4:00/5:30/6:00 Roman states " This vehicle has standard all season tires" and not mud/snow tires. At 6:30 Roman states "This is a hard core Colorado Trail." At 8:00 Roman states "There is no substitute for having great tires....." At 10:15 Roman states that is about as far as all season tires will take the Subaru without getting stuck. I'm not sure what else anyone could expect from a vehicle with such humble origins.................

Testing any vehicle off road with road tires is flat out stupid. We know what it can do with road tires. Put the proper tires on it and see where you can go. To that effect, I don't care for CVTs either. The fuel efficiency gains seem minimal. The new WRX, which uses the same engine as the Forester XT, gets better mileage out of the manual than the CVT.

This channel is fast becoming my favourite car-based show on youtube. I don't know of any other show that does such a variety of tests on a variety of cars. Off road, 0-60, and you don't just say the same shit over and over like say, Motorweek, or Saabkyle. And.... A NEW VIDEO EVERY DAY! :D

first of all learn how to drive, before you go knocking the best all-wheel drive made. subaru is the best period!

This vid showed me nothing I didn't know about. I can do all this and more in our 11 year old Forester. I was hoping you are going to push this one a bit further and see how far the CVT and the X mode can take it

If the new models last as long as the older ones screw the leasing... I have an '01 with currently 277+K on it....lol Ive taken it on some fun advents but it really depends on what you want to use it for. lol I rip older 4.0 mustangs off the line with the awd and yet I am still getting 27+ miles to the gallon...

Imagine how well this car would do with even a 2" lift and some better off road tires.

Imagine what this little guy could do with a lift kit and all terrain tires

Subarus are one of the best ever cars built

Yup. Only used premium on my Foz though. I love the car and it's performance so far. Subaru has set record sales (in history) this year and there aren't enough Foresters around for them to sell. I think they hit this one out of the park! They certainly did with my XT Touring!

Where in CO is this trail?

My moms friend got a xt forester with the turbo and a manual transmission so maybe they have changed the option since 14

Would you guys be willing to do a serious review of the 2015 Forester in the manual transmission? The cliff hanger course would be a great test for its limits.

Thanks for the reply, any issues with taking some stills and posting pictures? Thanks again -

Absolutely!. Thanks for the quick responses!

Does anyone know which FS road this is?

Thank you guys for what you doing.. I do really like your job a lot. I was wonder, when you will be bringing the new Toyota Rav4 2013 to off road..

Could use better tires for sure. Especially in the mud. That said, Subie handled it just fine. I remember viewing the video when he got stuck in the snow. The car was doing just fine and when it started to pull through, the driver slammed on the brakes and it lost traction and slid down the ditch. Not the cars fault. Also not the right tires.

I thought that you said you liked the engine.. just not the CVT... Great review as always. Love your channel. Thanks

Hey Roman, what is the name of the trail that you take these vehicles up? I may want to take a trip out to Colorado eventually to go on the trail.

Good review. I thought the Forester handled itself admirably considering it didn't have off road tires like the many Jeeps out on the trail. Still not crazy about the overall look of the Foester.... it's pretty plain inside and out.... but the video did show what it's capable of. As for the radio, it looks like it would be pretty easy to replace with any aftermarket double-DiN unit.

Hello. Is this car monocoque or chassis?

FYI Subaru released an update in Oct/Nov '13 for the Nav/Audio system that makes the icons a bit larger and more responsive (continuously pressing XM channel icon will now let you scroll through stations). Still kinda clunky, but improved.

Nathan u guys need to review the Jeep wrangler mw3 call of war 4x4 edition now those jeeps r hot

the radio? You can preset the stations for XM.... but even my old Pioneer AVIC D3 allows me to directly select the station I input in....

why dont you put purpose built offroad tires on it and take it to the top?

Roman Mica masz pochodzenie z Polski ? Lubie wasze filmy i bardzo lubię Subaru, sam mam wersję forester III 2.5 xt.

Do you think the CVT is good for driving slower over rougher terrain than a traditional automatic? It really seems ideal for this sort of thing.

So what's your preference for escape 2.0T limited or this car?

Hey! Can you guys do a proper review on the 4Runner Trail? Thanks! Love the vids, keep it up

Cool shots of jeeps and slow-mo mud puddles, why did I watch this?

Where is this trail at and how do I get to it?

this may sound stupid but was is he referring to when he says cbt? cars bikes and trucks?

I can't stand these guys, but I keep watching their videos. I guess they are doing something right.

For Sure

BTW, you can use the steering wheel controls to change the Nav head's radio/sat/CD modes and to walk up or down the stations. Those really help one work around the klugey touch screen.

How do you think the Limited Edition Forester would've done compared to this one without the extra 60 horsepower missing? Considering it does come with the X-Mode.

The audio keeping going off through your this video. Am really not sure why there is soo much hate for this CVT. IMHO this gearbox is one of the best in this price class. It performs better in the hilly regions than normal 6-8speed automatic. Good job as always TFL. Cheers

Which has a higher ground clearance the forester xt or the Cherokee trailhawk?

I get that the CVT can make you feel a bit disconnected, but it saves gas. However, isn't that why Subaru included both a manual mode and a simulated automatic mode? Did you try them going up? How does that feel compared to the standard mode?

Offroading is where freedom begins.

Subaru seems to have listened to Roman's XM complaints as a new map/navigation upgrade available for Foresters built before Sept '13 fixes the XM scrolling buttons so they actually scroll across stations. New maps, icon tweaks and other goodies also get applied. Nice that Subaru is listening to customers and improving products as they go!

how much beter is it then the 09 forester?

Roman - If the Subie had all-terrain tires, do you think it could've made it to the top?

Good point. What about the Voice commands? I usually just have my presets as you probably would for a station you loved so much. Presets are pretty easy to use. I agree with your overall point though. The head unit could be better. But the sound is awesome!

I loooove Foresters and STI's . I own both 2015's

Still, that's the part we wanted to see!

What's up with the sound cutting out randomly?

i own a 2016 outback , 2.5 the transmission is fine, its only there opion, good power,

Nope that's fine. Please be so kind as to give us credit and/or a link back to TFLcar. Thanks

I want to see a 2018 Crosstrek on this trail I want to see how the car compare with less horse power and and torque.

possibly one of the worst reviews i have seen. Great car, awful host. Quite a shame cuz these cars are really good.

can we have subaru forester 2014 2.0xt touring vs Mitsubishi outlander S-AWC comprison? pretty much same specs but just really want to see the real/actual difference.. thanks for all the reviews, very informative...

Where is this? I live in Colorado and would like to go there!

Nice little wagon for some trailriding. It would of been nice to see you get stuck just to see what the limit of the Forester is, if it was a bit tougher up that trail.

I really hope you could test the cvt... i mean really test it out, abuse it, trash it, and see how much it can take.

What is the difference between XT and normal Forester?

X-Mode can't help that much with the horrible tires Subaru has on the car. No substitute for winter tires. You guys did a great job on the snow video.

Where is this trail? I'm in Denver, I want to try my car up there. Love the reviews!

The CVT isn't near as bad as you play it out to be and there are paddle shifters with simulated, but pretty natural feeling gearing if you really want that kind of feel and control anyway. I have the new XT and mostly just use the paddles for engine braking when going down steeper hills. Dont understand why people are so stuck on manuals, especially when it comes to off-roading type of stuff. The 5spd in my WRX was horribly inneffective trying to start from a stop going up steep icy stuff

lmao my driveway is worse then that trail and both my outbacks run our mudhole road so much better then my 96 jeep cherokee . goina try this summer to film my daily drive through it

i have an 09 xt and we drove the new one a few weeks ago. the stability control system is excellent interior materials have improved significantly but i think fit and finish is better in the 09. The cvt is very good especially in sport sharp with it's simulated 8 speed manumatic. we managed a zero to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds with two large adults in the car and a full tank of fuel. it's much faster from a rolling start than a stand still to prevent cvt slip. lastly the tires are shit!

Honestly I believe TIRES make all the difference. Lets face it, these are non challenging trails in this video, that dont require 4wd, and AWD would suffice just fine. With proper mud tires, the Subie would be fine.

I checked Subaru with their info. You're right. Subaru said that it prefers premium fuel with their turbo engines, but not required.

why are locking differentials better than Subaru's AWD system?