We have tested a couple of Forester models here on the channel, but both have been the Wilderness trim and both have been off-road. It was nice to be handed the keys to this 2023 Touring trim which is the top trim in the Forester lineup and is the most luxurious version you can buy.
Starting with the green paint on this model. Can we just take a moment to appreciate that green is making a comeback in the pallets of car designers? The official name for this hue is “Cascade Green Silica” and it is the color of all the marketing images of this trim on the Subaru website. Pair this beautiful green paint with all the chrome and brushed metallic accents around the exterior, and you have a very handsome small crossover.
Move inside and the Touring model greets you with leather seats and a welcoming cabin. The overall design of the Forester has a large greenhouse of windows which makes the visibility out of the Forester a selling point. The amount of glass also helps alleviate the feeling of being in a dark cave which can be common in modern vehicles, especially ones that have all-black leather interiors like this one.
While this Touring trim does come with Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive, it is decidedly less off-road focused than those two Wilderness versions we have previously driven. That is not to say that this is not a capable vehicle in its own right, thanks to its 8.7 inches of ground clearance and the aforementioned AWD. Yes, we would be quite happy to have this one in our garage.
2023 Subaru Forester Touring Specs:
2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER 4-cylinder
182 Horsepower
176 lb.-ft. of Torque
Lineartronic® CVT (Continually Variable Transmission) with Adaptive Control and 7-speed manual mode
Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE®)
X-MODE®
Hill Descent Control
Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC)
Active Torque Vectoring
Leather-trimmed Seats
10-way Power Driver's Seat and 8-way Power Front Passenger Seat
SUBARU STARLINK® Multimedia Navigation
DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System
Dual-Zone Climate Control
Large Power Moonroof
Blind-Spot Detection and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
8.7 Inches of Ground Clearance
69.1 Cubic Feet of Maximum Storage Space
EPA Fuel Economy 26/33/29 (city/hwy/cmb)
Starting Price: $26,395 (base trim)
Price as-tested: $38,424
If you are in the East Texas area and in the market for a new or pre-owned Subaru, check out our friends at Peltier Subaru:
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