2005 Subaru Forester Review
Price Estimate:Â $1,119 - $1,880





+47
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Standard all-wheel drive, two engine choices, availability of upscale features, class-leading crash test scores.
Cons
- Price can be higher than some of the competition, tight on legroom in the backseat.
What’s new
The base engine is enhanced this year with electronic throttle control, and a new four-speed automatic transmission is available. An air filtration system is now standard on all Foresters. Also new this year is the 2.5 XS L.L. Bean Edition, which includes a myriad of interior and exterior trim enhancements, rugged cargo area trim and a self-leveling rear suspension.
Edmunds says
Practical, well built and enjoyable to drive, the Forester offers an excellent balance of upscale features and all-weather drivability.
For sale near Chicago, IL
38 listings
- $7,495fair price$1,498 above market
- 127,154 miles
- No accidents, 2 owners, personal use only
- 4cyl automatic
- Vehicle City Motors (218 mi away)
- AWD/4WD
- Power Driver Seat
- Auto Climate Control
- Rear Bench Seats
- Fold Flat Rear Seats
Close
Located in Flint, MI
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
19 Combined MPG (18 City/22 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JF1SG69655H707544
Stock: 2125
Certified Pre-Owned: No - 153,789 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use only
- 4cyl automatic
- Best Buy Auto Sales (298 mi away)
- AWD/4WD
- Leather Seats
- Sunroof/Moonroof
- Power Driver Seat
- Auto Climate Control
Close
Located in Murphysboro, IL
New front and rear brake pads and rotors New front right caliber New oil and filter
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
22 Combined MPG (20 City/26 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: JF1SG67645H709658
Stock: 709658
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 10-03-2024
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.37 per gallon for regular unleaded in Illinois.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Illinois
$182/mo  for Forester X
Forester X
vs
$171/mo
Avg. Compact Car
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Subaru Forester Reviews
Owner Reviews
5(71%)
4(23%)
3(4%)
2(0%)
1(2%)
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Love this car, but...
4.63 out of 5 starskmcglynn, 11/24/2012
2005 Subaru Forester XS AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
We love our 2005 Forester! It is a ton of fun to drive, and the leatherette interior with heated seats is very good for all of the bad weather we have here in the Pacific Northwest. This is one of the better quality SUVs for the money and the AWD is great!! However I do have one small issue with it. We barely hit 80k miles on our Forester and we already need to get the head gaskets … replaced, which have set us back another $2,000. This has been the only problem with the car and it is running perfectly other than this issue, however we did some research and it is a HUGE problem with Subaru engines throughout the lineup. If you can get over that though, this car is definitely worth the money!!
2005 Subaru Forester
4.75 out of 5 starslucasr, 06/06/2012
2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
I recently purchased a 2005 Forester with 95k miles on it, and will be using it as my college vehicle. It had 2 previous owners and no accidents reported. It appeared to be mechanically sound.
So far, it has been an excellent vehicle. The ride is smooth, and it handles nicely. Some complain about power on these vehicles - I have had no issues with power. I drive plenty both in town and … in the country where I live. It is excellent in both settings. I have no issues with getting up to speed on the freeway.
My gas mileage has been an acceptable 20-22 mpg, and I expect it to be a little better when I take it for my first long trip on the highway.
So far, this vehicle has been a joy to own.
GREAT VEHICLE
5 out of 5 stars4TIRES, 06/03/2005
2005 Subaru Forester X AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
I've had it for 2 months now and did some camping (therefore loaded it a lot) drove in hilly roads and so far, nothing to complain about! Great purchase, great handling, good power/weight ratio. Good feature too, the hill holder that prevent the vehicle from going backward on an inclined road (excellent when you are fully loaded in a very steep road at a traffic light).
Simply The Best Small SUV
4.5 out of 5 starsCC Rider, 08/13/2010
2005 Subaru Forester XT AWD 4dr Wagon w/Premium Package (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 4A)
We've had our Forester XT Turbo for 5 years now and it has over 130,000 miles. It sees hard daily use for both business and personal reasons. In comparing this with other small SUVs which we test drove, like the RAV4, CR-V, Liberty, Highlander and Pilot, there was simply no comparison. It easily out accelerated, braked and handled all the others. The interior has lots of neat little … compartments to store everything from pens, pencils, cups, change, glasses, map books and more. The H4 engine performs very well, but tends to use more oil than most fours we've had. Problems at 100,000K have been a new radiator, cam timing belt and power steering pump. Gas mileage is mediocre at 20.
2005 Forester Highlights
X
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $21,445 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 23 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $182/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 32 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | all wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Forester include:
- Alarm
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
People who viewed this also viewed
4.3 average Rating out of 23 reviews. |
Starting at $29,010 |
4.3 average Rating out of 108 reviews. |
Starting at $30,100 |
3.8 average Rating out of 29 reviews. |
Starting at $30,300 |
Related Used 2005 Subaru Forester info
Vehicle reviews of used models
- Land Rover Range Rover Evoque 2020 Review
- Aston Martin DB11 2020 Review
- Mercedes Benz GLB Class 2020 Review
- Volvo XC60 2020 Review
- Cadillac Escalade Esv 2020 Review
Shop similar models
Shop used vehicles in your area
- Used Subaru Forester 2010
- Used Subaru Forester 2011
- Used Subaru Forester 2012
- Used Subaru Forester 2013
- Used Subaru Forester 2014
- Used Subaru Forester 2015
- Used Subaru Forester 2016
- Used Subaru Forester 2017
- Used Subaru Forester 2018
- Used Subaru Forester 2019
Popular new car reviews and ratings
- BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe 2024
- MINI Cooper 2025
- 2025 Durango
- 2025 Toyota Tacoma
- New Audi Q8
- 2024 CLA
- 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA News
- BMW 8 Series 2025
- 2026 Tesla Model X News
Research other models of Subaru
- Subaru Outback 2025
- New Subaru Forester
- Subaru XV Crosstrek 2024
- Subaru Forester 2025
- New Subaru Ascent
- Subaru Legacy 2025
- New Subaru BRZ
- New Subaru Outback
- 2024 Subaru Impreza
Other models
- Used Suzuki Equator in Hillsboro, OR 2012
- Used Ford Taurus in Surprise, AZ 2019
- Used GMC Sonoma in Sulphur Springs, TX 2004
- Used Audi A7 in Woodland Hills, CA 2025
- Used Infiniti J30 in Buena Park, CA 1997
- New Kia K4 for Sale in Marrero, LA
- New Mercedes-Benz Gla-Class for Sale in Morgan Hill, CA
- Used Toyota Celica in Lancaster, PA 2005
- New Cadillac CT4 for Sale in Nashua, NH
- Used Ford Econoline-Wagon in Cypress, TX 2009