The Forester barely knows how to lose value. A 2016 2.5i Premium stickered around $25,600 new and today sits in the $11,000–$12,500 range — and the last three years of that curve are nearly flat. Subaru's cold-climate loyalty and the standard AWD keep these in demand on the used market, which is good news and bad: you won't overpay in depreciation, but you also won't find them cheap. At this price you're paying fairly for a capable, practical SUV — which puts all the weight on confirming this specific one is a clean example.
This is the fourth-generation Forester (2014–2018), the generation that moved to the FB25 boxer engine and the Lineartronic CVT across the 2.5i line. It shares its powertrain philosophy with the Outback and Legacy of the same era, and it earned its reputation the honest way: standard all-wheel drive, tall glass, real ground clearance, and a boxy body that swallows more than its footprint suggests. The 2.5i is the naturally aspirated volume model; the 2.0XT was the turbo, and it's a different animal with different (turbo-specific) recalls that don't touch this car.
The 2.5L FB25 makes 170 horsepower and is a genuine improvement over the old EJ-series it replaced — timing-chain driven, and free of the head-gasket reputation that haunted earlier Subarus. Its one well-documented trait is oil consumption: the FB25 in this era can burn oil, and while the worst of it belonged to the 2011–2014 cars, a 2016 can still do it, so you verify rather than assume. The Lineartronic CVT is smooth and efficient and most of them are durable, but it is the single expensive component on the car, so its health is the thing you confirm. Symmetrical AWD is standard and is the reason people buy these. Real-world fuel economy runs in the mid-to-high 20s combined; the 2.5i is rated to tow 1,500 pounds — enough for a small utility trailer, not for hauling.
Two things carry real money, and both are inspectable. The first is oil consumption — if this FB25 is a burner, you're either managing it with regular top-ups or, in a severe case, looking at a ring or short-block job in the $3,000–$4,000 range at an independent shop. Critically for a 2016: this car falls just outside the 2011–2015 oil-consumption class-action settlement, and the related 8-year/100,000-mile warranty extension has now lapsed on time even though the odometer is under 100k — so any remedy today comes out of your pocket, not Subaru's. The second is the CVT: a healthy one will run well past this mileage, but a failed or badly shuddering unit is a $5,000-plus replacement. Neither of these is a certainty on a well-kept example — they are the two questions a good inspection answers before you commit.
The mechanical red flags are the two above — burning oil and an unhappy CVT — and both are things you can detect on the driveway and the test drive. Beyond those, in salt states check the rear coil-spring perches and subframe, as this Subaru generation has a documented rear-spring corrosion concern. And confirm the brake-light-switch recall (WUE-90 / NHTSA 19V-149) is closed against the VIN — a contaminated switch can prevent the car from shifting out of Park, and an owner who skipped a free safety recall tells you how the rest was maintained.
Cold engine first: pull the dipstick before startup, confirm the oil is full and clean, and ask directly how much oil it uses between changes — a straight answer with records is reassuring; a shrug is not. On the drive, the CVT should be seamless — accelerate gently and at a steady cruise and feel for any shudder or RPM flare, then confirm it engages promptly from a stop. Underneath, look at the rear spring perches and subframe for scale, especially on a salt-state car. Cycle the AWD on a slow tight turn to confirm no binding, and check that all warning lights extinguish after warm-up.
At 95,000 miles, budget for the near-term Subaru service items over the next year or two: a CVT fluid service if undocumented (~$250–$400 and worth doing), spark plugs if not done (~$200–$300 on a boxer, since access is more involved), a coolant flush if there's no record (~$120–$150), and brake fluid (~$100). Wheel bearings are a known wear item on this platform — budget $300–$500 per corner if one starts humming. Front struts and bushings are the likely larger suspension item as it approaches 100k. Tires and brakes are the usual wear costs as they come due.
Budget roughly $3,400 over three years, assuming about 12,000 miles a year and a car that passes its two conditions clean at purchase. That covers routine oil services (with an eye on consumption), the CVT fluid service, spark plugs, one brake service, a likely wheel bearing or suspension item, and a set of tires. It excludes fuel and insurance, which are about you and not the car — and it explicitly excludes a CVT replacement or an oil-consumption engine repair, because those are exactly the outcomes the pre-purchase checks exist to rule out before you own the car.
The buyer who wants dependable all-weather capability in a compact, practical package and is willing to spend one inspection making sure this specific example isn't burning oil and has a healthy transmission. Get those two things confirmed and the Forester is one of the most sensible used SUVs on the road — capable, roomy, and cheap to live with.
GOOD CAR — WITH CONDITIONS. This is a good SUV, and the two conditions are the only things standing between you and a solid purchase: confirm the FB25 isn't consuming oil beyond Subaru's threshold, and confirm the CVT shifts smoothly with no shudder — ideally with a documented fluid service in the history. Make both a written condition of the sale. If they come back clean, buy it with confidence. If the oil consumption is real or the transmission shudders, that's not automatically a walk-away — it's a number you negotiate off the asking price using the figures in the cost summary above, or you walk if the seller won't move. What makes this a good car rather than a gamble is that both risks are fully visible before you pay.