Used 2016 Subaru Forester XT Premium for sale 

The Subaru Forester ranges across six trim lines at varying price points. There are two available engine options, the base one is a 2.5-liter Boxer-4 engine outputting 170 hp and 174 lb-ft and a turbocharged 2.0-liter turbo Boxer-4 engine that produces 250 hp and 258 lb-ft. The base-level 2.5i trim starts at $22,395 and comes with a lot of features such as Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, 6-speed manual transmission or optional Lineartronic CVT, 17-inch styled steel wheels, Cloth upholstery, 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, 4-way manually adjustable front-passenger seat, 6.2" Multimedia in-vehicle technology system, and a lot more. 

The 2.5i Premium trims start at $25,295 and add some features including a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, reclining rear seatbacks, and a 7.0" Multimedia Plus in-vehicle technology system. The next trim level is the 2.5i Limited trim which starts at $28,795 and adds some features such as All-Wheel Drive with X-MODE, Hill Descent Control, Fog lights, Leather-trimmed upholstery, and Auto-on/off headlights. Next in line is the 2.5i Touring trim which further adds, HID headlights, Analog gauges with LCD display and electroluminescent lighting, CVT shift lever with leather shift boot, and a 440-watt Harman Kardon 8-speaker audio system but comes with the base engine. The topmost trim is 2.0 XT Touring which costs $33,795 and comes with top-of-the-line features including the turbocharged engine, paddle shifters, and a sport-tuned suspension.

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If you're considering going for the 2016 Subaru Forester, we suggest taking home the 2.0 XT Premium trim. The 2.0 XT Premium, with the 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, engine is the trim to go for as it offers superb power and torque output for the segment, smoking all of its rivals. It also comes with the added functionality of Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with X-MODE and Hill Descent Control. Other features include a sport-tuned suspension, rear spoiler, 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, and sport cloth upholstery. 

The 2016 Subaru Forester comes with two engine options, a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine outputting 170 hp and 174 lb-ft and a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine that produces 250 hp and 258 lb-ft. The engine's power is transferred to all four wheels either through a six-speed manual or a CVT. The manual gearbox is only available in the lower trims. The Subaru Forester goes from 0 to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds and crosses the quarter-mile mark in 16.8 seconds. The base price of the Subaru Forester is $28,795.

In comparison, the Mazda CX-5 is the fastest of the lot, with a 2.5 L Inline 4 under its hood putting out 184 hp and 184 lb-ft pulling the Mazda to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds and crossing the quarter-mile mark in 16 seconds. The Subaru comes in at second place with lower power outputs of 170 hp and 174 lb-ft but taking 8.7 and 16.8 seconds to reach 60mph and cross the quarter-mile which is a fraction of a second faster than the more powerful CR-V. The CR-V is the cheapest option in the competition but it does output more power than the Subaru producing 184 hp and 181 lb-ft. The CR-V takes 8.8 seconds to reach 60mph.

The 2016 Subaru Forester stands as a fairly fuel-efficient SUV.  The Subaru Forester delivers a fuel-efficiency of 24 mpg in the city, 32 on the highway, and 27 mpg of combined fuel economy. The Subaru Forester gets a 15.9-gallon fuel capacity outputting a range of 381 miles in the city, 508 on the highway, and a combined range of 429 miles. The efficiency figures are on par with other performance-oriented vehicles in the segment.

The Forester and the CR-V deliver the combined fuel efficiency of 27 mpg, while the Honda CR-V performs slightly better in the city and the Forester on the highway. The Mazda has the least efficiency figures of 24 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway, and 26 mpg combined. The Subaru has the biggest fuel capacity of 18 gallons followed by the CR-V and Mazda both with 15.3 gallons of fuel capacity. In the same order, the Subaru delivers the best combined range of 429 miles followed by the CR-V and the Mazda providing 413 and 397 miles of range respectively.

The Subaru Forester provides good space and comfort for five passengers. The cabin features a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with power adjustable lumbar support. 4-way manually adjustable front-passenger’s seat, Heated front seats (All-Weather Package), leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter handle, and fabric upholstery for the lower trim levels but it is upgraded to the leather fitment in 2.5i Limited and higher trims.

Other standards and optional features include dual-zone automatic climate control, a 6.2 or 7-inch infotainment screen with navigation functionality, and an 8-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. All in all, the Subaru Forester's cabin feels very comfortable while offering immense practicality. Storage comes in the form of a large glovebox, sizable door bins, and armrest storage. The rear seats can also be folded down to reveal extra cargo space. 

The Subaru Forester is the most spacious option in the front row, followed by the CR-V and the Mazda. When it comes to second-row space, the competition is all on par with each other. When it comes to cargo capacity, the CR-V has the most of 37.2 cu-ft followed by the Mazda with 34.1 and the Subaru with 31.5 cu-ft of cargo area respectively. Some key interior features offered with the 2016 Subaru Forester include:

• 10-way Power Adjustable Driver’s Seat With Power Adjustable Lumbar Support
• 4-way Manually Adjustable Front-passenger’s Seat
• Heated Front Seats 
• Leather-wrapped Steering Wheel
• One-touch Folding Rear Seatbacks
• Leather-trimmed Upholstery

How intuitive is the 2016 Subaru Forester’s infotainment unit?

The 2016 Subaru Forester features a 6.2 -inch infotainment unit as standard in the lower trims and a 7-inch one in the higher trims. It is equipped with Bluetooth, Aux, and USB Connectivity along with the added feature of satellite radio exclusive for the bigger infotainment unit.

As for audio, there is a 4 speaker sound system for the lower-level trims, a 6 speaker unit for the mid-level ones and the top end trims feature an 8 speaker premium audio system from Harman Kardon fitted in the Subaru Forester as standard outputting a maximum of 4400w. The Harman Kardon audio system sounds great as expected. Some key infotainment features offered with the 2016 Subaru Forester include:

• 7-inch infotainment unit
• 8 Speaker Harman Kardon Audio System
• Aux Input
• Satellite Radio
• USB Connectivity
• Bluetooth Connectivity

The Subaru Forester doesn't exactly look like a modern crossover, thanks to slightly outdated styling and a rather primitive design philosophy onboard. Subaru has gone with a function over form approach for the Forester. The front of the Forester features High-intensity discharge (HID) low-beam and multi-reflector halogen high-beam headlights along with fog lights while the rear features a spoiler. The Subaru Forester weighs 3530 lbs which is pretty light for the segment. The Forester is the longest and highest of the bunch.

The 2016 Subaru Forester features just the right amount of chrome all around. This gives the SUV a rather dignified, classy look in terms of ornamentation. Thanks to decent ground clearance and large wheel arches, the Forester attains an aggressive stance. The Forester also features subtle creases and folds all around, which further accentuates the SUV's understated elegance. 

The Mazda weighs 3589 lbs followed by the CR-V that weighs 3552 lbs while the Subaru Forester is the lightest weighing 3391 lbs. The Subaru also has the best ground clearance of 8.7 inches while the Mazda has 8.5 inches of clearance whereas the CR-V has a significantly lower 6.7 inches. Some major exterior features offered with the 2016 Subaru Forester include:

• High-intensity discharge (HID) low-beam and multi-reflector halogen high-beam headlights 
• Fog lights 
• Body-color side mirrors with integrated turn signals 
• Chrome accents on lower door cladding 
• Panoramic moonroof 
• Windshield wiper de-icer and heated side mirrors (All-Weather Package) 
• Raised roof rails: black finish

The new Subaru Forester comes equipped with many standard safety features including, a set of airbags consisting of an advanced frontal airbag system with driver’s and front passenger’s airbags, Seat-mounted front side-impact airbags, Side-curtain airbags protecting the front and rear outboard occupants, and Driver’s side knee airbag. 

Other safety features incorporated in the Forester include Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS) 4-wheel ABS with EBD, Brake Assist Brake Override System. Further on the STARLINK Safety Plus package equipped with all other trims except for the base trim that comes with Automatic Collision Notification, SOS Emergency Assistance, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Maintenance Notifications, Monthly Vehicle Health Report, and Diagnostic Alerts. Some key safety features offered with the 2016 Subaru Forester include:

• Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS) 
• 4-wheel ABS with EBD 
• Brake Assist Brake Override System
• Automatic Collision Notification
• SOS Emergency Assistance
• Enhanced Roadside Assistance
• Maintenance Notifications
• Monthly Vehicle Health Report, and Diagnostic Alerts

The Subaru Forester is a great family crossover with great capabilities and good handling. The base engine even while being a little bit short on power, still managed to keep up very well with the competition and in some cases performed better than them. The optional turbocharged engine is superb and offers phenomenal performance considering the price, There are a host of features provided across various trim lines and the interior is also great. There's little that got us complaining about the 2016 Subaru Forester, such as its slightly dated technology and exterior styling. However, the Forester still stands as an impressive SUV, throwing a tight sucker punch at its competent rivals. We highly recommend considering the 2016 Subaru Forester for your next purchase.