Subaru Forester’s Cheap Cost of Ownership Dominates Compact SUVs
The Subaru Forester is more than just a versatile, outdoorsy crossover. It also has one of the cheapest cost-of-ownership ratings of any compact SUV. According to one source, the Subaru Forester will likely be the most affordable model in the segment to own over five years.
What’s the 5-year cost of ownership for a 2023 Subaru Forester?
The Subaru Forester is rated to cost about $3,635 to own over the first five years.
Kelley Blue Book recently released its top cost of ownership vehicles by body style and segment. The publication compiled data from maintenance, fuel consumption, depreciation, and more to project the likely cost of ownership for dozens of models. The 2023 Forester came out on top of the compact SUV segment.
Here are the winning 2023 SUVs for the cheapest cost of ownership:
- Subcompact SUV: Hyundai Venue
- Compact SUV: Subaru Forester
- Two-Row Midsize SUV: Subaru Outback
- 3-Row Midsize SUV: Subaru Ascent
- Full-Size SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe
- Off-Road SUV: Ford Bronco
- Subcompact Luxury SUV: Lexus UX
- Compact Luxury SUV: Lexus NX
- Two-Row Midsize Luxury SUV: Lexus RX
- Three-Row Midsize Luxury SUV: Acura MDX
- Full-Size Luxury SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLS
What makes the Subaru Forester a good compact SUV?
Along with its affordable cost of ownership, the Subaru Forester offers benefits like versatile capability and robust safety.
The Forester benefits from Subaru’s unique Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. This full-time all-wheel drive setup effectively delivers power to the wheels with the best traction to help pull you out of snow or keep you stable through a corner.
It also offers a comprehensive group of safety technologies:
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Lane Keep Assist
- Pre-Collision Braking
- Pre-Collision Throttle Management
- DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation
- Blind Spot Detection
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Etc…
Is the Subaru Forester a good value?
The Subaru Forester starts at $26,495 – that’s a pretty great value when you count up all of the standard features in the compact SUV. Plus, it’s rated as the best compact crossover of 2023 for its five-year cost of ownership.
What does cost of ownership mean?
Cost of ownership refers to all the built-in costs associated with a vehicle. These can vary from maintenance and repairs to fuel costs, insurance, and depreciation.
All these factors can make a vehicle much more expensive to own than its price implies. For example, a given SUV might have a low MSRP. But if it’s pretty unreliable, its true cost of ownership may make it more expensive over time than a different model with a higher MSRP.
It’s always important to consider the cost of ownership before pulling the trigger on a vehicle purchase. It can make a big difference in the satisfaction of one’s experience.
