2027 Subaru Forester Starts @$30K: No Price Increase

Subaru of America announced this week that the 2027 Forester will start at $29,995 MSRP and the Forester Hybrid at $34,730 MSRP, both identical to the outgoing model year, even as automakers across the industry lean on price increases to offset tariffs, currency swings, and rising material costs. The vehicles begin arriving at retailers nationwide later this fall.

Nearly every trim in the Forester lineup carries over 2026 pricing unchanged, a decision Subaru frames as proof of its commitment to affordable, capable, and safety-oriented vehicles. It is also, perhaps more quietly, a signal that Subaru intends to keep the Forester competitive in a compact SUV segment increasingly crowded with hybrid and electrified rivals.

A Reshuffled Lineup

The 2027 Forester will be offered in four gas-only trims — Base, Premium, Wilderness, and Limited — while the Forester Hybrid expands to five trims: Premium Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Wilderness Hybrid, Limited Hybrid, and Touring Hybrid. Subaru has discontinued the gas-only Sport, Sport Onyx Edition, and Touring trims, effectively nudging buyers who want those styling packages toward the hybrid powertrain instead.

That shift reflects where Subaru sees demand heading. Hybrid technology, once a footnote in the Forester’s story, is now central to how the model differentiates its higher trims, with the automaker betting that shoppers drawn to Sport and Touring-level features are also open to the efficiency gains of electrification.

Wilderness Goes Hybrid

The most notable addition to the 2027 lineup is the Forester Wilderness Hybrid, the first Subaru Wilderness model ever offered with a hybrid powertrain. It pairs Subaru’s next-generation series-parallel hybrid system with 9.3 inches of ground clearance, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, X-MODE Dual-Mode, and Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires. Subaru says the Wilderness Hybrid delivers better fuel economy than its gas-only counterpart without giving up any all-wheel-drive capability, positioning it as the version built for buyers who want to reach the trailhead using less fuel along the way.

Every Forester model, regardless of trim, comes with at least 8.7 inches of ground clearance, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, and Subaru’s EyeSight suite of driver-assist technologies. Most trims include an 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is standard on the Wilderness and all hybrid trims.

What’s Under the Hood

Gas-powered Forester models continue with a 2.5-liter Subaru Boxer engine producing 180 horsepower. Hybrid models use a specially developed Atkinson/Miller-cycle 2.5-liter Boxer engine paired with electric motors and a high-capacity lithium-ion battery, together producing 194 combined horsepower. Every Forester trim, hybrid or not, pairs its powertrain with Subaru’s Lineartronic continuously variable transmission.

Trim by Trim

The base 2027 Forester, at $29,995, includes 17-inch alloy wheels with a machine finish, dual-zone automatic climate control, and raised ladder-type roof rails, along with dual 7.0-inch touchscreens, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio, and dual USB-C ports. Standard EyeSight features include Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering, Lane Departure Prevention, and Pre-Collision Braking.

Moving up to the Forester Premium at $31,995 adds an all-weather package with heated front seats and mirrors, a panoramic moonroof, X-MODE, and a 10-way power driver’s seat, along with an 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless smartphone charging, and MySubaru Connected Services with Wi-Fi hotspot capability. An optional package adds a power rear gate and blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert for $1,200.

The Forester Premium Hybrid, at $34,730, layers on a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, 18-inch dark metallic wheels, a power rear gate, an animal-free leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the X-MODE Dual-Mode system. The Sport Hybrid, at $37,930, distinguishes itself with 19-inch dark metallic wheels, black interior and exterior accents, StarTex upholstery with bronze stitching, a Harman Kardon speaker system, reverse automatic braking, and blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert.

The Forester Limited, starting at $37,595, folds in equipment that was previously optional, including leather-appointed upholstery, 18-inch wheels, an 8-way power passenger seat, rain-sensing wipers, a power rear gate, and a heated steering wheel. Its hybrid counterpart, the Limited Hybrid at $38,995, adds a heated steering wheel wrapped in animal-free StarTex material, StarTex upholstery, the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a Harman Kardon system, and reverse automatic braking.

At the top of the range, the Forester Touring Hybrid, at $41,545, brings 19-inch dark gray wheels, ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, the DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System, a 360-degree surround view monitor, and a Smart Rearview Mirror with HomeLink.

The Forester Wilderness, at $39,495, makes last year’s optional off-road package standard, including a raised suspension for 9.3 inches of ground clearance, 17-inch matte black wheels with all-terrain tires, enhanced underbody protection, a revised final drive ratio, a transmission cooler, a 3,500-pound towing capacity, and a full-size spare. It also gains navigation, the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a power rear gate, StarTex upholstery, a 180-degree front-view camera, and a Harman Kardon system, with a StarTex-wrapped heated steering wheel and heated rear outboard seats new for 2027. The Wilderness Hybrid carries the same off-road hardware and interior appointments starting at $40,495.

Exterior color choices for the 2027 Forester include Autumn Green Metallic, Crystal White Pearl, Crystal Black Silica, Dark Mahogany Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Magnetite Gray Metallic, River Rock Pearl, and Daybreak Blue Pearl, with Geyser Blue reserved for the Wilderness and Wilderness Hybrid. Several trims also offer a two-tone treatment with a Crystal Black Silica roof.

The 2027 Subaru Forester and Forester Hybrid are built in Lafayette, Indiana, and Gunma, Japan.

2027 Subaru Forester Pricing

2027 Subaru Forester Options

Destination and delivery is $1,475 for the Forester, and may vary in Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. D&D is $1,625 for retailers in Alaska.