Used 2025 Subaru Forester for Sale near Iowa

Compare 2025 Subaru Forester Trims

The Forester lineup offers a range of trims from budget-friendly options to adventure-ready models, all featuring AWD for enhanced capability.

• Starting at $25,996
• Best MPG/MPGe: 26 city / 33 hwy
• Most Popular: Premium Crossover AWD

Trim Overview

Prices updated weekly from CarGurus listings.

Quick Compare Table

Listing prices sourced from CarGurus — updated weekly. OEM specs from manufacturer data.

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Trim Deep Dives

Crossover AWD — "Who It's For"

The Crossover AWD is the pick for shoppers who want a budget-friendly option without sacrificing essential features.

• Avg. market price: $25,996 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 26 city / 33 hwy
• Inventory: 661 listings
• View Crossover AWD listings

Premium Crossover AWD — "Who It's For"

The Premium Crossover AWD is the pick for shoppers who want a well-equipped vehicle for adventures without going overboard on price.

• Avg. market price: $29,139 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 26 city / 33 hwy
• Inventory: 3,137 listings — widest selection in the lineup
• View Premium Crossover AWD listings

Sport Crossover AWD — "Who It's For"

The Sport Crossover AWD is the pick for shoppers who want a sporty design and features without the highest price tag.

• Avg. market price: $31,769 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 32 hwy
• Inventory: 1,464 listings — widest selection in the lineup
• View Sport Crossover AWD listings

Wilderness Crossover AWD — "Who It's For"

The Wilderness Crossover AWD is the pick for shoppers who want off-road capability and rugged features without compromising comfort.

• Avg. market price: $33,302 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 28 hwy
• Inventory: 1,472 listings — widest selection in the lineup
• View Wilderness Crossover AWD listings

Limited Crossover AWD — "Who It's For"

The Limited Crossover AWD is the pick for shoppers who want luxury features and comfort without stepping up to the top trim.

• Avg. market price: $32,801 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 26 city / 33 hwy
• Inventory: 1,794 listings — widest selection in the lineup
• View Limited Crossover AWD listings

Touring Crossover AWD — "Who It's For"

The Touring Crossover AWD is the pick for shoppers who want the most advanced tech features and luxury without compromise.

• Avg. market price: $34,488 (updated weekly)
• MPG/MPGe: 25 city / 32 hwy
• Inventory: 1,187 listings — widest selection in the lineup
• View Touring Crossover AWD listings

Trim Recommendations

Most Popular — Premium Crossover AWD

With 3,137 active listings, the Premium Crossover AWD is the clear volume leader in the lineup.

Browse Premium Crossover AWD listings

Best Budget Option — Crossover AWD

At $25,996 avg market price — below the lineup median of $32,285 — it's the most accessible entry point.

Browse Crossover AWD listings

Best for Fuel Economy — Crossover AWD

The Crossover AWD offers the best fuel economy in the lineup at 26/33 MPG.

Browse Crossover AWD listings

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from September 17, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.

How much does the 2025 Subaru Forester cost?

Prices have softened 5.35% compared to this time last year, making it a favorable time to shop this model year.

There are 5,732 listings available, which suggests solid inventory for shoppers comparing prices and trims.

Is the 2025 Subaru Forester a good car?

Yes — the 2025 Subaru Forester earns a 4.5/5 user rating and a 7.83/10 expert rating. The standout strength is Safety at 9/10.

The 2025 Forester is aimed at you if you want a practical compact crossover with standard all-wheel drive, a quieter cabin, and updated tech and safety equipment. The expert verdict also points to a better-equipped base model, which helps the vehicle feel more complete right from the start.

The main trade-offs are generic styling and dated infotainment graphics, and it still does not offer hybrid options. Those drawbacks matter most if you want a more expressive design or a more modern-feeling interface.

With 34.6% of listings marked as good or great deals, there’s enough market activity to support comparison shopping.

Is the 2025 Subaru Forester reliable?

Owners rate it 4.5/5, a strong signal of long-term satisfaction.

The 2025 Forester’s appeal is built around a familiar formula: standard all-wheel drive, practical everyday usability, and a focus on confidence in poor weather and on rougher roads. The expert notes also emphasize a quieter cabin for 2025, which can make the vehicle feel more settled and easier to live with over time.

Its 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine and standard CVT are straightforward, and the expert commentary describes the driving experience as smooth and stable rather than demanding. Subaru also adds a wider field of view for its driver-assistance system, which supports the sense that this model year was refined for easier ownership.

If you’re buying used, the biggest long-term risk is mainly about choosing a well-kept example, since the vehicle’s value depends heavily on condition and maintenance history.

What should I look for when buying a used 2025 Subaru Forester?

Accident-free inventory is excellent at 95.7% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.

You should still run a history report and prioritize a pre-purchase inspection, especially if you’re comparing multiple trims or higher-mileage examples. Focus on cabin condition, infotainment usability, and whether the vehicle’s equipment matches the trim you expect.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The base model gets cloth upholstery, 17-inch alloy wheels, standard roof rails, and steering-responsive LED headlights with welcome lighting, while the Sport adds StarTex material and bronze accents. Limited and Touring bring genuine leather seating surfaces, and the Touring adds a low-profile roof rack and chrome badging.
• Powertrain: Every 2025 Forester uses a 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, paired with a CVT and standard AWD. Subaru also says the cabin is quieter for 2025, and the driving experience is described as smooth and stable.
• Safety package: Subaru’s EyeSight suite comes standard, along with a rear seat reminder system, a wider field of view from a third standard camera, and an electric brake booster. Emergency Stop Assist is available only on vehicles equipped with the driver distraction-mitigation system, which essentially limits it to the Touring trim.
• Infotainment: The base trim uses two 7-inch touchscreens with wired smartphone projection and USB-A only. Higher trims get an 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus OTA update capability; Premium and up add dual USB-A and USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad, and Wi-Fi hotspot capability.
• Fuel efficiency: The Forester is rated at 26 mpg city, 33 highway, 29 combined. Sport and Touring trims are slightly lower at 25/32/28.

Which 2025 Subaru Forester trim should I buy?

The 2025 Subaru Forester is offered in 5 trim levels: Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, Touring.

Here's the short version:

• Base: This is the entry point, but it still gives you standard AWD, roof rails, LED headlights, and the core safety suite. It makes sense if you want the lowest-cost way into the Forester and can live with the simpler 7-inch infotainment setup.
• Premium: This is the best-value trim for many shoppers because it adds X-Mode with Hill Descent Control, plus the 11.6-inch infotainment system and wireless smartphone projection. It’s the trim that most clearly improves everyday usability without pushing too far up the price ladder.
• Sport: This trim adds StarTex seating material, bronze exterior accents, and dual-function X-Mode. It suits you if you want a more distinctive look and a bit more capability-focused equipment.
• Limited: This trim brings genuine leather seating surfaces and can be paired with the upgraded Harman Kardon audio system, navigation, and reverse automatic braking. It’s a good fit if you want a more upscale cabin without going all the way to the top trim.
• Touring: This is the most fully equipped version, with navigation, the Harman Kardon sound system, a digital rearview mirror, surround view monitor, reverse automatic braking, and access to Emergency Stop Assist. It’s the right choice if you want the most convenience and safety content.

Touring is also the trim where Emergency Stop Assist is available, since it requires the driver distraction-mitigation system.

Is now a good time to buy a used 2025 Subaru Forester?

This is a moderate, selective buyer’s market, so you have room to compare listings carefully.

• Deal availability: 34.6% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 5,732 listings available.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 5.35% compared with last year.
• Clean inventory: 95.7% of listings are accident-free.

If you find a listing below $31,573, that's toward the low end of the year-round range and worth acting on quickly.

What is the 2025 Subaru Forester's resale value?

The current average of $31,608 sits slightly below last year's $33,393.

That softer pricing trend suggests the market has already adjusted downward, which can help you buy at a more favorable point in the cycle. For a future seller, that means resale value will depend heavily on how well the vehicle holds demand relative to its current pricing.

The Forester’s practical identity, standard AWD, and strong safety focus should help it stay appealing to used buyers who want a dependable compact crossover. If you keep mileage reasonable and maintain the vehicle well, you’re more likely to preserve value than if you let condition slip.

Vehicles with strong owner satisfaction ratings, like this model year's 4.5/5, tend to retain buyer demand, which supports resale value over time.

Is the 2025 Subaru Forester safe?

The 2025 Subaru Forester is too new as of this writing to have been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It earns a 9/10 safety score from our experts.

Subaru’s EyeSight suite comes standard, and for 2025 it gains a wider field of view thanks to a third standard camera that can spot cyclists and pedestrians earlier. A rear seat reminder system is also standard, and Subaru adds an electric brake booster.

Emergency Stop Assist is a notable available feature: if adaptive cruise control is active and the driver becomes unresponsive, the system can try to regain attention, slow the vehicle to a stop, notify emergency services, activate the hazard lights, and unlock the doors. That feature is limited to vehicles equipped with the driver distraction-mitigation system, which essentially means the Touring trim.

Should I buy a 2025 Subaru Forester or consider a different year?

If you're weighing the 2025 against nearby model years, here's how to think about it:

Choose the 2025 if:

• 34.6% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Accident-free inventory is excellent at 95.7% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.
• Price trend: Prices have softened 5.35% compared with last year.
• Owners rate it 4.5/5 — a strong satisfaction signal.
• It brings a better-equipped base model, more advanced tech and safety offerings, and a quieter cabin.

Consider the 2026 if:

• It adds a rugged Wilderness variant with all-terrain tires, extra ground clearance, and more off-road hardware.

The bottom line: If you want the most balanced used-buying opportunity, the 2025 is the better primary target because it combines softer pricing, strong inventory, and meaningful updates. If your priority is rough-road capability above all else, the 2026 Wilderness is the more specialized path, but it serves a different kind of buyer.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from September 15, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.