Subaru Forester Lease Deals
Personal and business lease deals on the Subaru Forester. Compare all three trims, see the rest of the Subaru lease range or browse our current special offers.
Subaru Forester Lease Deals
There is one Forester, mechanically speaking, and three ways to have it. Every UK car is the 2.0 litre e-Boxer petrol electric with permanent all wheel drive, and the three trims differ only in equipment, wheels and weight.
| 2.0i Limited | 2.0i Field | 2.0i Touring | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2.0 e-Boxer petrol electric | The same | The same |
| Power | 100kW, 136PS | 100kW, 136PS | 100kW, 136PS |
| 0-62mph | 12.2 seconds | 12.2 seconds | 12.2 seconds |
| Top speed | 116mph | 116mph | 116mph |
| Economy | 34.9mpg | 34.9mpg | 34.9mpg |
| CO2 | 183 g/km | 183 g/km | 183 g/km |
| Wheels | 18 inch | 18 inch | 19 inch |
| Satellite navigation | Not fitted | Standard | Standard |
So the choice is not about how it drives. It is about whether you need the equipment, and the one line in that table worth pausing on is the last one.
Subaru fits the same big portrait touchscreen to all three trims and then leaves navigation off the entry Limited, so you are running Apple CarPlay or Android Auto off your phone. That works perfectly well until you are somewhere without signal, which on the sort of road a Forester is bought for is not a hypothetical. Field is the first trim with navigation built in.
The Hybrid Is Motor Assist, Not a Full Hybrid
Subaru badges the Forester as a self-charging hybrid. That is a fuel type label rather than a choice of powertrain, and it is worth being clear about what the system actually is, because the phrase means something quite different on a Toyota.
Subaru's own engineering pages describe e-Boxer as Motor Assist, with brief electric running. The motor fills in, smooths the petrol engine and allows a short crawl on battery alone. It is not a power split system that will run the car on electricity for any useful distance.
The gearbox is a chain driven Lineartronic with conventional ratios from 4.066 down to 0.513 and a 3.689 reverse, which is not how a full hybrid's planetary transmission works. It takes 12.2 seconds to reach 62mph. And it emits 183 g/km. A proper full hybrid in a car this size would be quicker than that and a great deal cleaner. Subaru does sell a stronger hybrid system in other markets and it is not offered here.
Subaru publishes no electric motor output, no battery capacity in kWh and no combined system power for the Forester. Its specification table says only that there is a lithium ion traction battery. So if you see a system power figure quoted somewhere, it has not come from Subaru.
Towing and Rough Ground, Which Is Why People Buy These
| Every Forester | |
|---|---|
| Braked towing | 1,870kg |
| Unbraked towing | 750kg |
| Ground clearance | 220mm |
| Symmetrical all wheel drive | Standard. There is no front wheel drive Forester |
| X-Mode with hill descent control | Standard on all three trims, both modes |
| SI-Drive | Standard on all three trims |
This is the part of the car that justifies itself. 1,870kg braked is a serious towing figure for a mid-size SUV, and the important thing is that it is uniform: no trim tows less, and no version is excluded. Neither is the off-road hardware held back for the expensive one. The entry Limited gets the same 220mm of clearance, the same permanent all wheel drive and the same dual mode X-Mode as the Touring.
That is unusual and it is worth saying plainly, because on most SUVs the capability is a trim level up. Here you are paying for leather and navigation, not for traction.
No approach angle, no departure angle, no breakover angle and no wading depth appear anywhere on Subaru's UK site. For a car sold on going off road that is a strange omission, and it means anyone quoting you a wading depth has taken it from somewhere other than Subaru. If you genuinely need to ford water or clear a steep bank, tell us and we will get the figures confirmed rather than guess them.
One precision worth having: Subaru's Symmetrical all wheel drive is standard on everything it sells except the Solterra, which is all wheel drive but not the same system. Do not treat the two as interchangeable.
Space
| Boot, seats up | Boot, seats folded | |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0i Limited | 508 litres | 1,731 litres |
| 2.0i Field | 508 litres | 1,731 litres |
| 2.0i Touring | 508 litres | 1,679 litres |
The only in-range difference is the sunroof, which is a Touring item and costs you 52 litres with the seats folded. Seats up, all three are identical.
What we cannot tell you is what the battery costs, because there is no petrol only Forester in the UK to compare against. Subaru publishes no non-hybrid figure, so any claim about how much space the hybrid system takes would be made up. 508 litres is a competitive figure for the class either way.
Subaru also leaves the seating capacity row in its own dimensions table completely blank on all three trims. It is five seats, which you can work out from the headrest list, but Subaru does not actually print the number.
How Safe Is the Forester?
Five stars, published December 2024, and importantly the rating is current and was measured on this generation of car.
| Score | |
|---|---|
| Adult occupant | 83% |
| Child occupant | 89% |
| Vulnerable road users | 86% |
| Safety assist | 72% |
72% is the weakest of the four and it is the category Subaru markets hardest on, because EyeSight is central to how the brand sells itself. We would rather you heard that from us than found it while checking. The crash protection scores are strong and the vulnerable road user result of 86% is genuinely good. It is the driver assistance systems that Euro NCAP marked down.
The car tested was a 2.0i-L, and the rating covers the hybrid variants across the range. There is an older Forester rating from 2019 which Euro NCAP now shows as expired, so if you see that one quoted it no longer applies. Subaru's own page says only that the Forester achieved the maximum five star score, without giving a date, a test year or which variant was tested, which is why we have.
Warranty and Servicing
| Cover | |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | 3 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first |
| Traction battery | 8 years or 100,000 miles |
| Battery capacity retention | No percentage published |
| Anti-corrosion | 12 years |
| Paintwork | 3 years |
| Recovery and assistance | 3 years, UK and Europe |
Twelve years against body corrosion is a strong commitment and more than most makers offer. The 60,000 mile cap on the vehicle warranty is the one to watch, because on a four year agreement at 20,000 miles a year you will pass it comfortably inside the term.
Subaru publishes no service interval anywhere on its UK site, neither a mileage nor a time, and it offers three years of servicing as a package without stating what that package covers in intervals. It points you at its European owner's manual site for the detail. If servicing cost is part of your decision, ask us and we will get the interval confirmed for the exact car.
Two Things to Check Before You Commit
Subaru flags a factory order restriction and will not say what it covers
Its configurator carries a footnote saying that some versions are special factory order only. There is no marker against any trim or any colour to tell you which, so you cannot work out from Subaru's own page whether the one you want is affected. On a four year agreement that is worth settling before you sign rather than after, so ask us and we will confirm the build position with the funder for the exact specification you have chosen.
Subaru quotes two different prices for the same car on its own two websites
The figure on its main model pages and the figure on its own dealer stock site differ by a few hundred pounds for an identical new car, and Subaru does not explain the gap. We would not describe any price as fixed until an order is placed and accepted, and on this car there is a particular reason to be careful about it.
It is slow and it is thirsty for the money. 12.2 seconds to 62mph, 34.9mpg and 183 g/km from a car at this price is not competitive on paper against a mainstream hybrid SUV. The 183 g/km hurts twice if the car is going on a business, because it puts the benefit in kind high and it carries a heavy first year road tax charge that sits in the on the road price. Rates change each tax year, so ask us to confirm the current position for the exact car and we will get it in writing. What you are buying in exchange is the towing, the ground clearance and the all wheel drive, and if you actually use those, the trade is a reasonable one.
Which Forester
If you want the capability and nothing else
The 2.0i Limited. It tows the same 1,870kg, has the same 220mm of clearance, the same dual mode X-Mode and the same 11.6 inch screen as the most expensive one. You give up satellite navigation, which matters more than it sounds on a car like this, and some comfort equipment.
If you will be away from phone signal
The 2.0i Field, which is the first trim with navigation built in and is pitched at the outdoor end of the range.
If you want the lot
The 2.0i Touring, which adds the sunroof, 19 inch wheels and the comfort equipment. The sunroof costs you 52 litres of boot with the seats folded and about 39kg, neither of which will trouble you unless you were already at the limit.
All three are the same car to drive, which makes this an unusually simple decision. Tell us the mileage and the term and we will price all three across funders so you can see what the equipment actually costs a month rather than on a list.
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Subaru Forester Leasing FAQs
Three trims, and all three are mechanically identical. The 2.0i Limited, the 2.0i Field and the 2.0i Touring all use the same 2.0 litre e-Boxer petrol electric engine with 136PS, all take 12.2 seconds to reach 62mph and all have permanent all wheel drive. What separates them is equipment, wheel size and about 39kg. That makes the decision unusually simple, because you are not choosing a powertrain.
Not in the sense most people mean. Subaru badges it as a self-charging hybrid and its own engineering pages describe the e-Boxer system as Motor Assist, which is what it is: the electric motor fills in for the petrol engine and allows a brief crawl on battery, rather than running the car on electricity for any useful distance. Three published figures bear that out, the conventional chain driven gearbox ratios, the 12.2 second 0-62 time and the 183 g/km. If you are coming from a Toyota full hybrid it is a different thing.
No. There is one powertrain in the UK and it is the e-Boxer petrol electric. Subaru's fuel type badge reads self-charging hybrid and petrol, which looks like a choice between two things and is not. There is no diesel Forester and there has not been one for some time.
Subaru does not say. It publishes no battery capacity in kWh, no electric motor output and no combined system power for the Forester, listing only a lithium ion traction battery in its specification table. So if you see a system power figure quoted for this car, it has come from somewhere other than Subaru and we would not repeat it.
1,870kg braked and 750kg unbraked, and the useful part is that it is the same on all three trims. No version tows less and none is excluded, so you do not have to buy up the range to get the towing. That is a strong figure for a mid-size SUV and it is one of the better reasons to look at a Forester.
It has the hardware, and again it is not reserved for the expensive trims. All three get 220mm of ground clearance, permanent Symmetrical all wheel drive and dual mode X-Mode with hill descent control as standard. Worth knowing that Subaru publishes no approach angle, no departure angle and no wading depth anywhere on its UK site, which is odd for a car sold on this. If you need those numbers, ask us and we will get them confirmed rather than guess.
There is no non-hybrid Forester in the UK, so there is nothing to compare it against and Subaru publishes no figure for one. Any claim about what the battery costs in boot space would be invented. What we can tell you is that all three trims have 508 litres with the seats up, and that folded you get 1,731 litres unless you have the Touring's sunroof, which costs 52 litres.
The Field and the Touring. The entry 2.0i Limited has the same 11.6 inch portrait touchscreen as the other two and no built-in navigation, so you would be running Apple CarPlay or Android Auto from your phone. That is fine until you are somewhere without a signal, which on the sort of road a Forester is bought for is worth thinking about.
Five stars, published in December 2024, and the rating is current and was measured on this generation rather than inherited from an older one. The scores are 83% for adult occupants, 89% for children and 86% for vulnerable road users. The one worth knowing is safety assist at 72%, which is the weakest of the four and is the area Subaru markets hardest on. There is an older 2019 Forester rating that Euro NCAP now shows as expired, so ignore that one if you see it.
Three years or 60,000 miles on the vehicle, whichever comes first, with the traction battery covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. There is also twelve years against body corrosion, which is longer than most makers offer. The 60,000 mile cap is the one to watch on a lease, because four years at 20,000 miles a year takes you past it well inside the term. Subaru publishes no battery capacity retention percentage and no service interval at all.
No, and neither does any Subaru currently on sale here. The grant needs a car with no tailpipe emissions, at least 100 miles of electric range and a list price at or below 37,000 pounds. The Forester produces 183 g/km and has no electric range, so it fails on every test, and no hybrid of any kind can qualify. Even the fully electric Solterra passes the first two tests and then fails on price.
LetsLease is a credit broker rather than the lender. We arrange the agreement and place it with a funder such as Lex Autolease, Novuna, Ayvens or Santander, and that funder owns the vehicle and holds the agreement with you. Because we work across several funders rather than one, we can compare how each prices the same car.