2027 Subaru Forester Holds $29,995 Starting Price, Adds Wilderness Hybrid

2027 Subaru Forester
2027 Subaru Forester
  • Subaru holds the 2027 Forester’s starting price at $29,995, the same figure as the outgoing model, and keeps pricing flat on nearly every trim.
  • A new Forester Wilderness Hybrid joins the lineup at $40,495, pairing the brand’s hybrid system with 9.3 inches of ground clearance and all-terrain tires.
  • Every 2027 Forester comes standard with all-wheel drive, EyeSight driver-assist technology, and an 11.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Nine Trims, No Price Increase

Subaru of America has priced the 2027 Forester, and the sticker price hasn’t moved. The compact SUV starts at $29,995 MSRP, matching the outgoing 2026 model, and the brand carried that same freeze across nearly every trim in the range. Buyers cross-shopping the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 get a rare thing in this segment right now: a year with no sticker shock.

The 2027 Forester reaches dealers this fall in four gas trims (Base, Premium, Wilderness, Limited) and five hybrid trims (Premium Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Wilderness Hybrid, Limited Hybrid, Touring Hybrid). Subaru dropped the gas-only Sport, Sport Onyx Edition, and Touring trims for 2027, narrowing the gas range while expanding the hybrid side of the lineup.

What Each Trim Costs

The base Forester at $29,995 comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, dual 7.0-inch infotainment screens, and Subaru’s full EyeSight suite: adaptive cruise with lane centering, lane departure prevention, and pre-collision braking. Step up to the Premium at $31,995 and Subaru adds heated front seats, a panoramic moonroof, and an 11.6-inch touchscreen.

On the hybrid side, the Premium Hybrid starts at $34,730 and adds a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a power rear gate. The Sport Hybrid runs $37,930 with 19-inch wheels and a Harman Kardon stereo. Limited and Limited Hybrid trims land at $37,595 and $38,995, adding leather-appointed seats and a heated steering wheel. The Touring Hybrid tops the range at $41,545 with ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a 360-degree camera system.

A Hybrid Wilderness for the First Time

The Forester Wilderness, at $39,495, keeps last year’s off-road package as standard equipment: 9.3 inches of ground clearance, 17-inch wheels wrapped in Yokohama all-terrain tires, underbody protection, and a 3,500-pound tow rating. New for 2027, it picks up a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats.

The Wilderness Hybrid, priced at $40,495, is the first hybrid Subaru has built on the Wilderness platform. It carries the same 9.3 inches of clearance and all-terrain rubber as the gas Wilderness, but swaps in the hybrid powertrain for better fuel economy without giving up the tow rating or ground clearance. Gas Forester models run a 2.5-liter boxer engine rated at 180 horsepower. The hybrid pairs a 2.5-liter boxer with electric motors and a lithium-ion battery for a combined 194 horsepower, sent through a CVT in every trim.

Where the Forester Lands Against Rivals

Holding a starting price steady for a second straight year puts the Forester ahead of a compact SUV field where most competitors have raised prices. The RAV4 Hybrid starts above $31,000, and the CR-V Hybrid starts near $33,000, both above the equivalent Forester Hybrid trims. Subaru’s standard all-wheel drive on every trim, gas or hybrid, remains a differentiator; Honda and Toyota both charge extra or restrict AWD to specific trims on some hybrid variants.

The 2027 Forester and Forester Hybrid are built in Lafayette, Indiana, and Gunma, Japan, and arrive at US dealers this fall.

Watch the Fine Print on Destination and Options

The MSRP figures above don’t include destination and delivery, which adds $1,475 in most states and $1,625 for Alaska dealers. Paint costs extra on some colors too: River Rock Pearl and Daybreak Blue Pearl run $395 over standard shades, and two-tone roof finishes range from $495 to $890 depending on the combination. Shoppers comparing out-the-door prices between Forester trims should factor those add-ons in before deciding which grade fits their budget.

Automakers have raised prices across much of the 2027 model year as higher input costs and tariffs worked their way into sticker prices industry-wide. Subaru holding the Forester flat for a second consecutive year runs against that pattern, and it gives buyers who have been waiting out price hikes on a compact SUV a reason to stop waiting.

Choosing Between Gas and Hybrid

The gap between a gas Forester and its hybrid equivalent runs close to $3,000 at most trim levels, and the hybrid brings 14 more horsepower along with the fuel savings that come with an electrified powertrain. Buyers cross-shopping the Premium at $31,995 against the Premium Hybrid at $34,730 are really deciding how quickly the hybrid’s better fuel economy pays back that upfront difference, a calculation that depends heavily on annual mileage and how much of that driving happens in stop-and-go traffic versus the highway.

The Wilderness and Wilderness Hybrid pair sit closer together, separated by $1,000, which narrows the decision to how much the driver values the hybrid’s added low-end torque on trails and steep grades against the simplicity of a conventional drivetrain. Either way, ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and the 3,500-pound tow rating carry over unchanged between the two, so off-road capability isn’t part of the trade-off.

Jarrod Partridge

Jarrod Partridge is the founder of Motoring Chronicle and an FIA accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following motorsport and the global automotive industry. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered Formula 1 races and automotive events at venues around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every race report, car review, and industry analysis he writes. His work spans the full breadth of motoring — from the latest EV launches and road car reviews to the cutting edge of motorsport competition.

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