Consumer Reports recommends many great cars to buyers. However, the most important factor for many drivers is cost. There are plenty of great small SUVs on the market right now for under $30,000. They will provide owners with a good balance of features. Here’s a look at the 2023 Subaru Forester, the best small SUV under $30,000.
Here’s why the 2023 Subaru Forester is the best new small SUV
I like it Consumer Reports wrote, the new Forester is the best small SUV because it’s affordable and offers a great mix of features drivers are looking for. The interior is spacious. The engine gets excellent fuel economy and offers a comfortable ride with ample room in the front and rear seats. This helps consolidate it as a good option for families.
Like many other Subaru’s, the Forester also comes with four-wheel drive as standard, and this helps it perform well in winter and off-road. Subaru also gave the Forester many standard features, including smart safety features like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. Subaru currently prices the Forester at around $26,500, and the top trim can fetch upwards of $36,500.
An Overview of the 2023 Subaru Forester
The Forester is pretty similar to other Subarus in terms of what’s under the hood. It has a 2.5-liter flat-four engine with CVT. It makes 182 hp and 176 pound-feet of torque. It is currently the only engine option in the Forester. It has pros and cons in that it doesn’t make the Forester fun to drive, but it is very fuel efficient.
All-wheel drive cars tend to have worse fuel economy than front-wheel drive, but the Forester’s fuel economy is still excellent overall. It gets 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, for 30 mpg combined. The standard Forester can tow up to 1,500 pounds, but if drivers upgrade to the Wilderness version, then the Subaru SUV can tow up to 3,000 pounds.
Subaru gave the Forester a 6.5-inch touchscreen as standard, and drivers can upgrade to an 8-inch touchscreen. It also has some standard convenience features, including compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This Subaru also has plenty of cargo capacity for the segment. There is 28.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats up and it tops out at 74.2 cubic feet when the seats are folded down.
There are also some other great little SUVs on the market.
While the Forester may be the best small SUV option under $30,000, there are plenty of other great options in the segment that buyers may want to compare the Forester against. The Toyota RAV4, for example, is a very popular option with a good balance of features and specifications. The RAV4 is also under $30,000, starting at around $27,500.
Toyota also recently launched a new small SUV, and it’s called the Corolla Cross. It’s technically a subcompact SUV, which helps make it much cheaper than compact SUVs like the Forester. The Corolla Cross currently starts at $22,500. Some other top models that buyers may want to consider include the Nissan Rogue, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, and Hyundai Tucson.
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