Subaru Forester Wins SUV Of The Year Award - What It Means For New Car Shoppers

What do car awards tell consumers? The newly-redesigned Subaru Forester picked up another global award for SUV of the Year in the popular Mid-Size Crossover category in Russia but should you pay attention? The cars are judged by professional automotive journalists who drive dozens of new models every year and know mid-size SUVs well. It helps SUV buyers because journalists evaluate vehicles on performance capabilities and features after real-world testing.

It's not the first time Subaru Forester gets the award. The SUV also took home the honor in 2016 for the previous generation model. The automotive journalists chose newly-redesigned SUVs from three categories; full-size, mid-size, and compact SUVs. The Forester competed against all mainstream and luxury brands.

The remodeled Forester scored well because of its interior comfort, driving dynamics, fuel mileage, safety technology, and cargo space. Forester rides on the new Subaru Global Platform, which helped increase interior space and comfort. It also improved the driving characteristics compared with the outgoing model.

Because of its features and qualities, Forester is Subaru's number-one-selling car worldwide and in North America. In the U.S., Forester is Subaru of America's (SOA) top-selling all-wheel-drive vehicle in the stable. Through eight months of 2020, the newly-redesigned Forester is SOA's only vehicle with an increase in sales (+0.4 percent) compared with last year.

Among all compact SUVs, the Forester is also the only small SUV sold in the U.S. market that gained in sales compared to 2019. The Forester is still hot while all others have cooled off because of the pandemic. The Forester is up 2.7 percent in the first two quarters of 2020, while all other compact SUVs have declined.

The Forester is a model you should put on your shopping list. Should you test drive a 2020 model or wait for the 2021 model year change? Subaru still has 2020 models left in inventory before the 2021 models arrive next month.

The 2021 Subaru Forester adds standard features like LED Steering Responsive Headlights and High Beam Assist on all trim levels. What isn't new is that all Forester trims come standard with all-wheel-drive, all-weather performance, and EyeSight driver helps technology.

The 2020 Forester picks up a global award for SUV of the Year, but the 2021 Subaru Forester gets upgrades consumers should see. Check out what current Forester owners say about the SUV in our report below.

You Might Also Like: Does The Newly-Redesigned Subaru Forester Meet Owners' Expectations?

Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru