Subaru Forester Long-Term Interior Driveway Test
Our long-term 2019 Subaru Forester Touring’s interior is one area we wanted to really hone in on over a number of months with it. Though Subaru’s interior functionality and space have long been key reasons people choose the brand, interior design and quality have been reasons they’ve looked elsewhere. A compromise needed to be made.
Subaru is trying to lift itself out of this rut with the higher trims of its latest models. The upmarket interiors of the Outback and Legacy are swathed in decent-feeling leather (or leather-substitute), contrast stitching, attractive trim and piano black accents. However, Subaru’s best seller, the Forester, is a mixed bag of new, premium Subaru and old, sensible-shoes Subaru.
The Touring model we’ve lived with over the past year is one of the best examples of this most-of-the-way-there design. Its two-tone style with medium brown leather, white stitching and black contrasting elsewhere is decidedly upmarket.