Forester’s practical excellence and a recent facelift mean Subaru’s 25 year-old nameplate is still in demand, though you won’t be waiting as long as a RAV4 buyer
Buying a new car right now is going to require some patience with chip shortages and supply-chain issues resulting in low dealer stock.
According to Subaru Australia, the average wait time for an MY22 Forester with either a petrol or hybrid powertrain is around four to five months, which is markedly better than the 12 months Toyota is quoting for RAV4s.
The Forester’s relative accessibility isn’t due to lack of demand, however. In January this year, Subaru’s midsize SUV increased its segment share to 12 percent (with 1480 sales) – nearly double the 7.8 percent slice it achieved across 2021.
The Subaru Forester is in-demand, but the wait time is only four-five months
The Forester starts from $35,990 (before on-road costs) in 2.5i guise and runs up to the range-topping Hybrid S which costs $47,190 before on-road costs.
A Subaru Australia spokesperson told Chasing Cars “wait times for customer orders can vary for a variety of reasons (including colour and variant preferences), however currently some Forester customers may experience a delivery delay of up to four-five months”.
Buyers are also encouraged to get in touch with their local dealer as, according to Subaru, there is some Forester floor stock in Australia.
What equipment does the Forester have?
The base Forester 2.5i is fitted with a 136kW/239Nm 2.5-litre petrol flat-four, CVT automatic transmission and symmetrical all-wheel-drive.
Subaru Forester 2.5i-S 2022-3
Inside, the upholstery is cloth and there’s an 8.0-inch touchscreen that runs wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a leather-appointed steering wheel with paddle shifters.
Moving up to the $38,390 2.5i-L adds seat heating for the front passengers and safety features such as auto high-beam for the headlights, a driver-monitoring system and rear AEB.
This level of equipment is mirrored by the Forester Hybrid L, though with a 110kW/196Nm self-charging hybrid powertrain based around a 2.0-litre petrol flat-four.
The 2.5i Premium gets standard satellite navigation, 18-inch alloy wheels, a power tailgate and premium cloth upholstery for $41,140 before on-road costs.
The Forester is also available with a hybrid powertrain in Australia
Subaru added the orange-highlighted Sport trim ($42,690) to the Forester range in 2020 and it features black 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, and water-repellent upholstery.
Finally, the range-topping 2.5i-S grade gets an eight-speaker Harman-Kardon stereo, leather upholstery, dual-mode ‘X-Mode’ AWD and polished 18-inch alloy wheels.
Subaru Forester 2022: prices in Australia
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
- 2.5i: $35,990
- 2.5i-L: $38,390
- 2.5i Premium: $41,140
- Hybrid L: $41,390
- 2.5i Sport: $42,690
- 2.5i-S: $44,190
- Hybrid S: $47,190
Keyword: Subaru Forester 2022: four month wait across the range for for Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander rival