Subaru Forester
Ranked 7 of 7 compact SUVs by recommenders
Roomy, practical compact SUV that owners recommend for hauling and towing. Critics cite oil leaks, upkeep costs, and a touchscreen-heavy console with frustrating software.
Roomy, practical compact SUV that owners recommend for hauling and towing. Critics cite oil leaks, upkeep costs, and a touchscreen-heavy console with frustrating software.
13 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 8
- approval share
- 38%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 0.6 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Practical for hauling and towing
“it holds a surprising amount of furniture or 8' lumber. My only regret is that it won't fit 4x8 sheet materials well”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “Ford F-150 Lightning outsold the Cybertruck and was then canceled for poor sales” “a far superior solution, especially for interstate driving where the trailer is less of an annoyance”
Comment from 19 Jul 2026 in “REO Trucks I4 4WD Pickup Truck Starts at $21,500” Controls and features work well
“I can do everything in memorable ways using the knobs and buttons.”
Comment from 3 May 2026 in “Mercedes-Benz commits to bringing back physical buttons” “it was far, far nicer and works amazingly”
Comment from 23 Jan 2026 in “Tesla kills Autopilot, locks lane-keeping behind $99/month fee”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Frustrating touchscreen and software
“I hated the fact that the entire console is now one giant touchscreen”
Comment from 6 Sep 2026 in “The car industry A/B tested selling a car with and without CarPlay” “but actual driver ID is just terrible.”
Comment from 6 Sep 2026 in “The car industry A/B tested selling a car with and without CarPlay” “the underlying software is disastrous”
Comment from 6 Sep 2026 in “The car industry A/B tested selling a car with and without CarPlay” Oil leaks and high upkeep costs
“tired of oil leaks and counting the days before a head gasket lets go”
Comment from 21 Oct 2026 in “Subaru is killing off gas cars and will only sell EVs in Europe” “I spent about $800 in total per year on to keep it alive”
Comment from 12 Sep 2026 in “How to buy a good car for $1000”
Other compact SUVs people recommend
The four most recommended other compact SUVs, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 | 19 | 16 | 54% | 9 | 5 yrs3 owners | — |
| Honda CR-V | 11 | 2 | 85% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Kia Niro | 11 | 3 | 79% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Toyota RAV4 Prime | 9 | 4 | 69% | 4 | — | — |
| Subaru ForesterThis page | 5 | 8 | 38% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
14 of the 16 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“tired of oil leaks and counting the days before a head gasket lets go”
“I spent about $800 in total per year on to keep it alive”
“but actual driver ID is just terrible.”
“the underlying software is disastrous”
“I hated the fact that the entire console is now one giant touchscreen”
“trying to push us into the path of a very large truck”
“have the same problem as the Forester”
“which was cramped but doable”
“a far superior solution, especially for interstate driving where the trailer is less of an annoyance”
“It felt much safer, didn't beep at me”
“I can do everything in memorable ways using the knobs and buttons.”
“don't have spare tires because the battery was slapped into the existing vehicle platform as an afterthought”
“it was far, far nicer and works amazingly”
“it holds a surprising amount of furniture or 8' lumber. My only regret is that it won't fit 4x8 sheet materials well”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.