2009 Subaru Forester Safety Review [ 2008 , 2007 ]

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Safety - What the Auto Press Says

The Forester offers plenty of standard safety equipment, including new curtain side-impact air bags.

• "One particular feature that impressed us -- or at least would have impressed us if the weather had turned foul -- was the rear wiper. Subaru has engineered it to switch from intermittent speed to full speed when the Forester shifts into reverse. And that's handy if you're backing down a muddy driveway in a Nor'easter." -- Popular Mechanics
• "Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, with side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags for both rows. The curtain airbags have tip sensors to deploy during a rollover. Active head restraints, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, traction control and an electronic stability system are also standard." -- Cars.com
• "Visibility is one of the key features of the new car. Class competitors are hampered by thick c-pillars and small and obscured rear-views. To bring the point home, Subaru brought along a CRV and a RAV4 for comparison. The view out of the Forester is panoramic for and aft making for easier parking and lane changes and better all-around spatial awareness." -- Driving Sports
• "Safety has always been a strong point of the Forester, and this concern is reflected in the new Forester's adoption of curtain side-impact airbags with a rollover sensor, brake assist, stability control, and of course an indicator for 'road surface freezing' as part of the outside temperature display." - Edmunds