Purchasing a new or used vehicle can be a daunting task when there are so many options to choose from. A great amount of research is required to ensure that you make the correct choice for your budget and vehicle needs. The Subaru Forester provides a significant bang for your buck when looking to save on your vehicle’s budget. The Forester comes with great resale value and a smaller insurance payment than most.

Where the Subaru Forester ranks in insurance rates

According to NerdWallet, the Subaru Forester ranks as one of the cheapest vehicles to insure. Among the 10 least expensive cars to insure in 2020, the Forester appears at an impressive fourth out of the top 25 selling vehicles in the United States.

When considering insurance rates, many prospective buyers assume that cheaper vehicles come with cheaper insurance rates. This is not always true. In fact, the 2020 Forester has an MSRP of $24,495 with an average annual insurance premium of $1,465, This comes to be about 5.98% of MSRP. Compare this to the cheaper Nissan Sentra, at $19,090 MSRP with an average annual premium of $1,781, we see a significantly higher 7.39% of MSRP.

As an SUV, the Forester is among the cheaper vehicles of its class regarding insurance. Sports cars, luxury vehicles, and electric vehicles typically come with a higher rate of insurance.

The sibling to the Forester, the Subaru Outback, also shows up on the list of cheapest vehicles to insure at number one.

The feature-packed Subaru Forester

Another factor a customer must consider when buying a vehicle is its features. Every driver has different needs, and some features may be more useful than others.

The 2021 Forester comes with many safety features, such as DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation which helps reduce distracted driving. It’s perfect for inexperienced and experienced drivers alike. All-Around Awareness provides blind-spot detection, a rear-vision camera, and reverse automatic braking.

In addition to the number of safety features, the Forester comes with the robust STARLINK Entertainment system, which offers passengers several entertainment options to keep busy during a long road trip.

Beyond technology, the Subaru Forester has a spacious, high-quality interior with plenty of room for storage.

Trims and pricing

The 2021 Subaru Forester comes in five trims: Standard, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Touring. The wide range of options allows for a significant range of pricing. At the Standard level, MSRP comes in at just $24,795 compared to the $34,895 of the Touring model, Subaru shows.

The Standard model offers many of the previously mentioned features like the STARLINK technology but is missing some other extra features.

 Moving up a tier to the $27,795 Premium model, you will find 10-way power driver’s seating, a sliding panoramic moonroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, and heated front seats, among other things. This model also comes with X-MODE, which optimizes all-wheel drive and provides maximum traction on slippery surfaces.

The Sport model at $29,395 introduces Dual-Function X-MODE which brings settings for snow, dirt, and mud. Unique orange accents are found with this model, including orange stitching in the upholstery.

The Limited model comes in at $31,395 MSRP, including all of the Premium model features but adds leather-trimmed upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a power rear gate.

The high-end Touring model adds the DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System, a satin chrome finish to the exterior mirrors, an exclusive brown leather-trimmed upholstery, and more robust power seating.

Though there is a sizeable range in pricing and features in the Forester line, you are likely to be paying less in insurance than many other drivers, no matter which option you choose to go with.