Subaru Forester - If People Knew This, We'd All Have One.

The Subaru Forester might be niche, but niche is also exclusive, like a special club. In this review, Howard Ritchie takes the 2026 Subaru Forester on and off road to find out whether this quietly capable SUV is actually one of the smartest value cars on sale today, that nobody in the UK has heard of. In a market obsessed with giant screens, toys, tech, horsepower figures and increasingly massive prices, Subaru still feels like it’s doing things its own way: simpler, more honest, more rugged, and more focused on long-term usefulness. This is not a fast-fashion, race-to-the-bottom SUV. The Forester still feels engineered for real life; long journeys, bad weather, rough roads, families, dogs, camping trips, muddy car parks, mountain roads and people who actually use their cars outside of Instagram. In this 2026 Subaru Forester review, Howard looks at whether cars like this quietly expose something about the modern car industry… and whether we may actually be overpaying for SUVs. ( well, of course we are ). From Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system, boxer engine and EyeSight safety technology, to real-world driving comfort, practicality, road noise, reliability, running costs and ownership experience, the Forester remains one of the most fairly priced and homely SUVs on sale. The new Subaru Forester also raises some interesting questions: Do we really need massive power in SUVs? Have modern cars become too complicated? Is comfort and dependability more important than badge business? Have we been paying too much? Is Subaru building some of the most sensible cars left? The 2026 Forester competes with cars like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi Q3, BMW X3, Mercedes GLC, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan X-Trail and Volvo XC60 - so its a fun space... yet it still manages to feel different from almost all of them. Howard also looks at: Subaru Forester hybrid system Subaru boxer engine Subaru EyeSight driver assistance Subaru Forester off-road capability Subaru Forester interior quality Subaru Forester comfort and seats Subaru Forester practicality and boot space Subaru Forester MPG and fuel economy Subaru Forester insurance and servicing costs Subaru Forester reliability Subaru Forester road noise Subaru Forester ownership experience Subaru Forester UK review Subaru Forester 2026 driving review Subaru Forester AWD system Subaru Forester long term ownership The Forester has never really been about showing off. It’s about capability, safety, visibility, practicality and making life easier. And perhaps that is exactly why so many owners keep them for such a long time. The real question may be whether you would actually sell your old Forester for this one, because while Subaru has improved a lot, they may also have removed one or two of the quirky features long-time owners secretly loved. Either way, the 2026 Subaru Forester remains one of the most honest SUVs in the world. #Subaru #SubaruForester #Forester #SubaruForester2026 #SUVReview #CarReview #CarsUncovered #AWD #SubaruAWD #HybridSUV #FamilySUV #OffRoad #SubaruUK #Automotive #HowardRitchie #SUV #Crossover #BoxerEngine #SubaruLife #CarReviews Links: YouTube partnerships / automotive promotion - [email protected] Casting - [email protected]