The XT is so much more fun to drive. It’s the better vehicle imo.

 

^ Agree!

 

Issues on the 18 include fragile windshields and potential problems with door seams/paint under window seals/trim...which can lead to premature rust in those areas.

Other than that, they are solid and fun to drive. Get some paddle shifter extenders and you’re set.

 

2018 XT owner here. I agree about the windshield. After a rock cracked mine, I had Safelite replace it with non OEM. Rocks have hit the replacement that I think would have ended an OEM windshield.

 

Do you want more power? Do you want beef-er suspension, beef-er CVT?
Do you want to give up 5 mpg less for that?

If you agree with those questions then yes, get the XT.
My '14 XT is running like a champ with over 80k on the clock. So... don't be afraid of the turbo. Unless you start modding or doing silly things to it.

 

I got a 2018 FXT and absolutely love it!

 

The new model is going to be better at just about everything except power.

 

So, not really better then.

The XT does require super unleaded, so there is an additional cost for the better performance.

The FA20DIT doesn't require super, but it is recommended. The ECU will pull enough timing to run on regular or plus without damaging the motor. But there is a noticeable (to me, anyway) power loss when running on regular. (Bought mine used at a non-Subaru dealer and they filled the tank with regular. Thanks guys!)

 

MPG isn't a huge deal because my old minivan has horrible gas mileage. I was just worried about Turbo issues. My husbands old BMW 335i had horribly expensive turbo issues and I don't want to go thru that again.

Is there a huge difference between the 2017 and 2018 X?

I do like the idea of a new car though and don't want to go as expensive as the 2020 x.

 

Is there a huge difference between the 2017 and 2018 XT?

There are no major differences, HP/TQ all the same as well as all major components like CVT and differentials.

I believe with the 2017 & 2018 you do get Active Torque Vectoring which was not available on 2016 and earlier XTs

 

The XT does require super unleaded, so there is an additional cost for the better performance.

Is a new Outback XT within your budget? I had a 2008 Outback XT and then a 2018 Forester XT and I decided I prefer the Outback form factor: somewhat longer wheelbase, lower body height, etc.

 

personally, i will not buy a non-turbo Subaru. currently own the FXT and i really enjoy it. i have driven a few NA foresters, crosstreks, legacys, etc. and in my opinion they are absolute dogs and don't have enough power to get out of their own way. so any tech or safety features on the newer model don't outweigh the turbo - again, just my $0.02

 

I have a NA 2016 Forester. Whem my friends drive it, they all co.ment on how much power it has. Compared to their 4 cyl sedans, suv's. I come from a hot rodding background. When I want power, I want power, 400 hp, 3.45 gears.
The rest of the time I like 87 octane and 29/35 mpg.

 

I have an '18 XT Touring and love it. But there are pro's and cons vs the 2020.

The XT doesn't have Apple Car play and also Premium Unleaded is the recommended gas which sucks. You can put regular but it's not recommended.

The new SK model on the Subaru Global Platform is absolutely better in every way compared to the SJ model (2014-2018) with the exception of the lack of a Turbo Model and the stupid auto/stop/start feature.

If extra power is what you want/need, then the XT is the better choice, but if not, the 2019+ models are better in almost every way (stiffer chassis, quieter cabin, remote start via starlink app, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, etc.).

It just depends on what you are looking for, but the XT is def the more fun model to drive.

 

Over a new Forester, definitely worth it.

 

@Blitz1030
Drive them both and see what you like better.
If you are used to a minivan, beware that putting your foot into a turbo may mean you get to have more conversations with friendly uniformed folks with ticket books.
You might also want to check the insurance cost difference, as some companies charge more for what is considered a "performance oriented" vehicle.
The '18 will have less of an available warranty, or you will just inherit the power train warranty if it isn't a CPO car.
If it were me, I wouldn't own a newer Subaru without a warranty, as there are just too many expensive things that can go wrong.
My 2 cents.

 

'17 and '18 are the same. All good comments above. If you don't want a "fun" ride than you don't "need" the turbo. I put in + gas. I can't see any difference..I would get the '18 XT over the '17 any day of the week. But the '20 New (if you don't need the fun) is the way to go.

 

As DragonSubie7 said, drive them both. I recently had the same dilemma and did exactly that. When I test drove an 2018 XT the power was great, but I was flooring it the entire test drive. I just knew that it would get me into trouble. I then drove a 2020 and the chassis improvements trumped the Turbo for me pretty easily.

 

Test drive them both. Neither will come close to the RA though.

If you're coming from a minivan, depending on where you are in the world, have you considered a Subaru Exiga Turbo ?

 

As to the Exiga comment - it appears our poster MAY be in the US - the Exiga is not offered here.

To our original post -

Do you want a car nobody has driven before and that you have full factory warranties on? Or do you want somebody else's old car that MAY have problems and will not have the full factory warranty.

Is the XT more fun? Sure if you base fun on having extra HP and torque, at the expense of MPG. Will it give you more smiles? Maybe if you judge your smiles on that extra power.

But do you want better safety features? Do you want Apple Carplay or Android Auto? Do you want a larger rear gate opening and some better interior spaces? Then go with the 2020.

Some will say that the SK Forester CVT is not as good as the SJ Forester CVT and that's garbage. The newer CVT is better - but not really by much. There have been changes to the programming of the CVT over the years - some of the changes are liked, some are not.

Depending on the trim level of the XT (Premium or Touring?) you may have more equipment on the older XT (Touring had leather and other different equipment from the Premium XT.

Is some ways it's like comparing an apple pie fresh from the oven and a dutch crumb apple pie that's a week old. Does the dutch crumb have more stuff? Yep - but it's older. The fresh apple pie is FRESH.

Drive them both. Get the full history of the XT (not just some worthless carfax report). Find out what has and has not been done (recalles, maintenance, repairs) and then compare that the the brand new 2020 with very few miles and a full warranty covering everything for the first 3 years.

 

@FozzieBalou
If you want to use food as a comparison, the new Forester Non turbo is like a calorie free, dairy free, vegan gluten free apple pie. It tries to be exciting, while pleasing all the nanny state rubbish with it's intrusive safety features, fancy headunit, when really you fancy the warm chocolate fudge cake with ice cream on the side, something exciting that puts a smile on your face. Yes you'll pay more in calories/higher octane fuel, but it's oh so worth it for the turbo, all the while containing dairy, meat products etc, but still abides by food safety, so wont throw you off the road at the sign of the first curve. You buy a vehicle to drive, not turn into your front living room (Audiophiles exempt, but they'd likely hate the factory sound system anyway)

The recipe for the chocolate fudge cake isn't new, but it still works all these years on. Will the gluten free, dairy free, calorie free, vegan apple pie recipe still impress in years to come?

The Exiga comment came as I wan't aware the RA was released (albeit it in small numbers) in the US as it is typically sold in markets that put the steering wheel on the right side and so figured the OP may not be in the US (Or has super powers to import vehicles into the US before they become 25 years old)

 

TMX - while you make a valid point of the turbo being the full fat, full dairy, full everything model, that doesn't account for people who have issues with lactose or gluten or other ingredients that having small amounts of can lead to disastrous complications. Same with a turbo.

Again, I'm not saying the turbo isn't powerful and doesn't have a fun factor. But for many people, it's a non-necessity. The N/A Forester has more than enough power to get out of it's own way, keep up with traffic, pass on 2 lane highways or merge onto expressways and freeways without issue. I know mine does and the only "under hood" mod I've done is a swap to a K&N filter so I don't have to spend 15 bucks every year for a new air filter.

The added costs associated with the turbo just were not worth it for me (neither was the charcoal interior). So I'll keep my veggie based (non-dairy) butter in my apple pie topped with dairy free ice cream because it's better for my health (and my wallet by keeping me out of the hospital). So far, my 2014 Forester 2.5 NA has given me 7+ years of enjoyment and happy miles and will continue to do so for years to come, just like that apple pie.

 

I'm amused by these threads. They happen on a regular basis.

Summary, there are basically two camps:

OMGTURBO
and
Turbo=meh

Same can be said of every other key feature. Neither camp is wrong. Just proves that different things matter to different people. Choose what's important to you and live your best life.

 

my 17 compared to the new foz is way better, for me...

if I was buying a Subaru now, my choices would go used FXT, new outback xt, new forester (no turbo option)

id bet that you love Subarus because of driving experiences like that of the sti... well the 18 fxt is built on the same chassis. I got real lightweight wheels, wider tires, the sti rear sway bar on mine and I honestly think it drives as well as a wrx, that is to say it drives more like a sport sedan then a midsize crossover... if you really wanted a sti wagon... many of the sti parts are a direct fit to the forester... like the entire brake and suspension packages... most of the exhaust system, lots of chassis parts, even some interior bits (mostly just the steering wheel)

The short story is that the new forester is not built on a legendary sport sedan chassis and turbos are always better (just ask the 80s).

aslo what @sneefy said...

 

the new forester is not built on a legendary sport sedan chassis...

Well, to be fair, neither is any flavor of WRX. All generations of WRX have been nothing more than tarted-up econoboxes.

Don't get me wrong, they are well-tarted, but that's all they are.

 

I get a big ol smile on my face everytime that turbo spools and especially everytime I see the look on the face of person in the rear view trying to figure out how they just got dusted off the line, or quickly passed by said econobox!

 

Of course. Not discounting the fun that speed provides. My turbo Miata was a heck of a lot more fun than my n/a Miata.

 

I had similar questiosn, and in the end decided on a 2020 Forester Limited. The BIG deciding factor for me was the lane centering in the eyesight system. Earlier models had lane keep assist in the eyesight suite, but in 2020 they added lane centering.. so with your hand only lightly rested on the steering wheel, the adaptive cruise control + eyesight will actually keep the car in the center of the lane and guide it around highway curves. Without lane centering and only lane keep assist, it will just pingpong the car back and forth against the lane lines. Lane centering is a cruicial feature of the system that makes it a heck of a lot more compelling.

 

I've had my '17 FXT EyeSight for 55,000 miles now, and I'm still put off by the lane assist. It feels like a loss of traction, as if it's a bit icy, somehow.

 

Hi. I also had a BMW 335i xdrive. Loved it but went back to Subaru as a more useful and less expensive solution. Both I and my son have non-XT Foresters and are more than satisfied. You've got a "hot" Subaru and you're replacing a minivan. Do you need anything more than a really solid non-XT performer?

 

Love the XT. I can smoke any semi or slow cruiser within a short passing lane or over a mountain pass. Upgrade the exhaust if you want to hear it roar a bit. The Forester is practically silent.