I had never driven any other car in all those years, except for a failed attempt to make my husband’s beat up 2009-ish SUV work for me. :eek: And my truck isn’t anywhere near state of the art, which is why I couldn’t resist looking at this article.īut just having windows and locks I can control from buttons by my left hand was a bit astounding to me. The difference made me feel like I was a time traveler. Still working on getting used to all the features.Īs others said, this feels more like a car review than anything else.I went from a very basic 1993 model year econobox (I purchased in 1992) to a used 2015 truck. Feels much nicer than the 2001 Civic I traded in. Almost identical, but no face recognition. I do recommend bumping up to the 8-inch display if you can, as it's a great size for the main screen, but that'll push you up close to the $30,000 level on a Sport trim with option package.
The 2019 Subaru Forester starts at $24,295 plus destination, delivery, and other fees, with each successive trim level adding around $2,000 before the bigger jump to the top-of-the-line Touring model at $34,295. Other manufacturers have been hit-or-miss on this feature, but when done well it's a nice option to have. Wireless charging would be a nice option to have as long as it works well and the price premium isn't too high, so hopefully that's something Subaru will add in the future. I appreciated the abundance of high-powered USB ports in the front and rear, although the phone storage tray up front was rather small for my iPhone XS Max. Layer the convenience of CarPlay on top of that and you've got some great options for entertainment, navigation, and more, all highly customizable. Subaru offers a solid infotainment system of its own, and the Forester really takes it to the next level with the dual-screen setup in the center stack. Some cars make similar adjustments by associating preferences with a specific key fob being used, but Subaru is leveraging its DriverFocus technology to make automatic memory settings even more seamless. They also support cloud apps like Yelp, iHeartRadio, Magellan, TomTom, and more.įacial recognition lets the Forester greet you by name when you enter and remember your preferred settingsĪs a bonus, DriverFocus's facial tracking technology can also recognize you when you get in the car, greeting you by name onscreen and automatically setting your preferred seat and mirror positions and climate control options.
All trims also include support for CarPlay, Android Auto, and app integration with Pandora and Aha.
Subaru's STARLINK Infotainment systems offer all of the functionality you'd expect, starting with AM/FM radio with HD support, SiriusXM, USB and Bluetooth media device support, hands-free phone connectivity, and a CD player. I've had a chance to spend some time with a top-of-the-line 2019 Forester Touring in Horizon Blue Pearl, so read on for details about how all of the technology comes together for iPhone users. The 2019 Forester includes Subaru's STARLINK infotainment system with standard CarPlay support, with lower-level models coming with a 6.5-inch screen while higher-level trims are upgraded to an 8-inch screen.
The redesigned 2019 Subaru Forester is no exception, offering standard all-wheel drive, a roomier cabin, and new DriverFocus technology that uses facial recognition and monitoring to not only save your driver presets but alert you if it detects drowsy or distracted driving. Subaru is experiencing growing popularity in the U.S., developing a strong reputation based on emphasizing safety, all-wheel drive operation, and technology.