Subaru Forester Sport, a smart choice for consumers

How can you go wrong? As the competition continues to drive up pricing across their footprint, Subaru continues to maintain pricing normalcy. For Subaru, its Forester Sport might be the most realistic choice for consumers in the market today and for the right price. With an MSRP of under $30K, this fiveseater, hatchback-shaped SUV is ultra roomy, comfortable and has some pep in its step.

In 2021, we still notice the unliked CVT transmission that Subaru has become one with, but for the Forester, we have to give credit. This CVT isn’t that bad, it doesn’t have the traditional whine when pushed to the limits, nor the lag in pep they are accustomed to. In the powertrain outside of the Lineartronic CVT with X-mode, we recognize a 182 horsepower 2.5-liter, naturally aspirated Boxer style, four-cylinder engine. This, in combination with the CVT, is a good match and we really understand now why consumers love Subaru so much as the whine is gone.

Exterior-wise, we notice some awesome features. A slim-line orange color accent shows the sportiness of the hatchback, plus there’s black trim accents on the rear spoiler, roof rails, LED fog lights and folding exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals, all of which are standard. Our Dark Blue Pearl was really nice looking. In fact, it was one of the nicest pearl blues we have witnessed in Grasso’s Garage and with no addition to the price.

On the interior, yes it is basic, but very friendly and roomy. For an additional $1,645 we noticed an upgraded 8-inch infotainment system with Harman/kardon nine-speaker stereo.

This was a really nice upgrade that was worth the additional spend as it was pretty powerful. A Sport cloth interior with orange accents was present as well and similar to the exterior were nice and sustainable for the daily commute or family outings with that extra flair. Siriusxm radio was also standard.

Not only does the Forester Sport shine in the capacity category, but it can tow as well. Towing capacity is 1,500 pounds which might seem low, but perfect for around the house hauling and local dump runs. Warranty on the Subaru Forester Sport was standard with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic, 5 years / 60,000 miles powertrain and 3 years / 36,000 mile 24/7 roadside assistance.

I know that Subaru has a consumer niche and similar to other manufacturers, they really focus on what their end-user wants. But for the Forester Sport, I bet there will be a lot of customers who jump ship and swim on over to Subaru as it is really fun, vibrant and a great bang for the buck. MSRP: $29,395

As tested: $32,090 MPG: 26 city, 33 highway, 29.4 as tested

PHOTO PROVIDED The Subaru Forester Sport is a great way to get around and even use to tow a trailer to the dump. Plus recent upgrades do away with the noisy transmission, allowing for a more enjoyable ride.