Owners report 37.7 mpg from a Subaru Forester, about 93% of the official figure. On its NEDC-tested engines that is 91%, better than typical: the median NEDC-tested car in this 8,216-engine dataset returns 82%. The tables below give the figure for every engine and generation we hold. Add your own at the bottom and the averages get better for the next buyer.
37.7mpg
Real-world average, all engines
93%
of the official combined figure
21–56
Range reported by owners (mpg)
417
Owner submissions
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Subaru Forester
2002–2008 · real average 28.8 mpg · owners report 21.0–36.0 mpg · 113 submissions
Engine
Official (NEDC)
Official (WLTP)
Real MPG
% of official
Owners report
2.0
30.4
–
30.0
99%
24.0–36.0
2.5
26.4
–
26.0
99%
21.0–31.3
Subaru Forester
2008–2013 · real average 41.4 mpg · owners report 24.0–55.0 mpg · 134 submissions
Engine
Official (NEDC)
Official (WLTP)
Real MPG
% of official
Owners report
2.0
37.7
–
34.8
92%
28.0–45.5
2.0 Automatic
37.7
–
29.0
77%
24.3–35.0
Subaru Forester
2013–2019 · real average 40.9 mpg · owners report 28.0–56.0 mpg · 157 submissions
Engine
Official (NEDC)
Official (WLTP)
Real MPG
% of official
Owners report
2.0 D Automatic
46.3–49.6
–
43.8
91%
38.0–47.4
2.0D
49.6
–
47.1
95%
37.0–56.0
2.0i
40.9
–
33.3
81%
–
2.0i Lineartronic
33.2–43.5
–
36.1
94%
28.0–43.1
Subaru Forester
2019–2025 · real average 37.5 mpg · owners report 30.0–42.0 mpg · 13 submissions
Engine
Official (NEDC)
Official (WLTP)
Real MPG
% of official
Owners report
2.0i
–
34.7
–
–
–
2.0i Lineartronic
–
34.7
37.3
108%*
35.0–39.0
All figures in miles per gallon (UK). “Owners report” is the spread of individual submissions for that engine. * Measured against the WLTP figure rather than NEDC.
Add your Subaru Forester Real MPG
What does yours actually do? Read it off the trip computer over a full tank or work it out from litres and miles. No postcode, no sign-up. The more people add, the better the averages get, and this page stays free.
Subaru Forester fuel economy questions
What is the real-world MPG of a Subaru Forester?
Owners report an average of 37.7 mpg across all Subaru Forester engines with data, about 93% of the official combined figure. The engine tables on this page give the figure for each engine and generation.
Why is the Subaru Forester real MPG lower than the official figure?
Official figures come from a laboratory test cycle, not the road. Cold starts, short trips, hills, load, tyres and driving style all cost fuel the test does not see. A gap of 10 to 30 per cent is normal; a much bigger gap on one engine usually points at a fault, a heavy right foot, or a diesel that never gets warm.
Where did the Honest John Subaru Forester Real MPG page go?
The site closed in August 2026 and its Real MPG section went with it. This page is where the Subaru Forester figures now live: rebuilt from the archived dataset, with the official figures kept alongside, and reopened for new submissions.
If you used the Honest John Real MPG section before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Subaru Forester figures now live. The owner-reported averages above were rebuilt from the archived dataset (archived page, 2026-08) alongside the official NEDC and WLTP figures and new submissions from CarAdCheck readers, and the section is open so they keep improving. Real-world figures also feed the running-cost estimate in our free advert check.
CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. How we rebuilt Real MPG.