CompetingCars.com
Compared with 2005
What's new for 2006.
Trims
- New: 2.5 X Premium Package, 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition, 2.5 XT Limited
- Dropped: 2.5 XS, 2.5 XS L.L.Bean Edition, 2.5 XT
Powertrain
- New engine: 2.5-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve horizontally opposed 4-cylinder SUBARU BOXER
- New engine: 2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, turbocharged aluminum-alloy 16-valve 4-cylinder horizontally opposed SUBARU BOXER
- Top horsepower up from 210 to 230 hp
Fuel economy
- Best combined MPG down from 23 to 22
Trims
Select a trim to see its specs and equipment.
2006 Subaru Forester
2.5 X
- Horsepower
- 173
- City MPG
- 20
- Highway MPG
- 27
- Engine
- 2.5-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve horizontally opposed 4-cylinder SUBARU BOXER
- Horsepower
- 173 hp
- Torque
- 166 lb-ft
- Drivetrain
- Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual with Hill Holder system
- City / highway MPG
- 20 / 27
- Seating
- 5 seats
- Wheel size
- 16 in
- Ground clearance
- 8.1 in
- Cargo, seats up
- –
- Towing capacity
- –
Standard equipment
- Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
- 4-wheel independent heavy-duty raised suspension
- Air conditioning with air filtration system
- 100-watt 4-speaker audio system with single-disc CD player
- Keyless entry system
- Power windows, door locks and mirrors
- 6-way manually adjustable driver's seat
- 60/40-split flat-folding rear seatback
- Roof rails with crossbars (150 lbs. capacity)
- Dual-stage deployment driver and front-passenger front air bags
- Front seat-mounted head/chest side-impact air bags
2006 Subaru Forester
2.5 X Premium Package
- Horsepower
- 173
- City MPG
- 20
- Highway MPG
- 27
- Engine
- 2.5-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve horizontally opposed 4-cylinder SUBARU BOXER
- Horsepower
- 173 hp
- Torque
- 166 lb-ft
- Drivetrain
- Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual with Hill Holder system
- City / highway MPG
- 20 / 27
- Seating
- 5 seats
- Wheel size
- 16 in
- Ground clearance
- 8.1 in
- Cargo, seats up
- –
- Towing capacity
- –
Adds over 2.5 X
- 16-inch 8-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels
- 4-wheel disc brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
- Viscous-type limited-slip rear differential
- Panoramic power-sliding glass moonroof
- 8-way power adjustable driver's seat
- Dual-stage heated front seats
- Automatic climate control system
- 120-watt 4-speaker audio system with 6-disc in-dash CD changer
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter and parking-brake handle
- Heated side mirrors and windshield wipers de-icer
- Body-color door handles and larger side mirrors with integrated turn signals
2006 Subaru Forester
2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition
- Horsepower
- 173
- City MPG
- 20
- Highway MPG
- 27
- Engine
- 2.5-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve horizontally opposed 4-cylinder SUBARU BOXER
- Horsepower
- 173 hp
- Torque
- 166 lb-ft
- Drivetrain
- Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
- Transmission
- 4-speed adaptive electronic direct-control automatic
- City / highway MPG
- 20 / 27
- Seating
- 5 seats
- Wheel size
- 16 in
- Ground clearance
- 8.1 in
- Cargo, seats up
- –
- Towing capacity
- –
Adds over 2.5 X Premium Package
- Self-leveling rear suspension
- L.L.Bean-embossed leather-trimmed upholstery with perforated Alcantara accents
- Wood and leather-wrapped 3-spoke MOMO brand steering wheel
- Wood and perforated leather-wrapped shifter handle
- Durable hard lining on back of rear seatbacks and cargo-area floor
- Steel Gray or Platinum Silver painted front and rear bumpers and protective side cladding
- Autodimming rearview mirror with compass
2006 Subaru Forester
2.5 XT Limited
- Horsepower
- 230
- City MPG
- 17
- Highway MPG
- 24
- Engine
- 2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, turbocharged aluminum-alloy 16-valve 4-cylinder horizontally opposed SUBARU BOXER
- Horsepower
- 230 hp
- Torque
- 235 lb-ft
- Drivetrain
- Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
- Transmission
- 5-speed manual with Hill Holder system
- City / highway MPG
- 17 / 24
- Seating
- 5 seats
- Wheel size
- 16 in
- Ground clearance
- 7.9 in
- Cargo, seats up
- –
- Towing capacity
- –
Adds over 2.5 X Premium Package
- Functional hood scoop
- 120-watt 7-speaker premium audio system with subwoofer
- Leather-trimmed upholstery
- Sport-design front seats
- Sport-design instrumentation with illuminated red needles on gray faces
- Aluminum front-door sill plates with Forester logos
- Engine immobilizer
- Aluminum-finish raised roof rails
The trims, side by side.
Scroll sideways to see every trim →
"Optional" means the feature needs an upgrade or package.
4 of 4 trims
| Trim | 2.5 X | 2.5 X Premium Package | 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition | 2.5 XT Limited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City / Hwy / Combined (MPG) | 20 / 27 / 22 | 20 / 27 / 22 | 20 / 27 / 22 | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| Horsepower | 173 hp | 173 hp | 173 hp | 230 hp |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats | 5 seats | 5 seats | 5 seats |
| 2.5 X | 2.5 X Premium Package | 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition | 2.5 XT Limited | |
| Drivetrain | Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive | Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive | Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive | Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual with Hill Holder system | 5-speed manual with Hill Holder system | 4-speed adaptive electronic direct-control automatic | 5-speed manual with Hill Holder system |
| Name | 2.5-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve horizontally opposed 4-cylinder SUBARU BOXER | 2.5-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve horizontally opposed 4-cylinder SUBARU BOXER | 2.5-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy 16-valve horizontally opposed 4-cylinder SUBARU BOXER | 2.5-liter DOHC intercooled, turbocharged aluminum-alloy 16-valve 4-cylinder horizontally opposed SUBARU BOXER |
| Type | 4-cylinder horizontally opposed | 4-cylinder horizontally opposed | 4-cylinder horizontally opposed | 4-cylinder horizontally opposed |
| Displacement l | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Aspiration | naturally aspirated | naturally aspirated | naturally aspirated | turbocharged |
| Fuel injection | Sequential multiport fuel injection | Sequential multiport fuel injection | Sequential multiport fuel injection | Sequential multiport fuel injection |
| Horsepower | 173 | 173 | 173 | 230 |
| Horsepower RPM | 6000 | 6000 | 6000 | 5600 |
| Torque lb ft | 166 | 166 | 166 | 235 |
| Torque RPM | 4400 | 4400 | 4400 | 3600 |
| Fuel type | Unleaded gasoline (87 octane) | Unleaded gasoline (87 octane) | Unleaded gasoline (87 octane) | Premium unleaded gasoline (91 octane) recommended |
| 2.5 X | 2.5 X Premium Package | 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition | 2.5 XT Limited | |
| City MPG | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 |
| Highway MPG | 27 | 27 | 27 | 24 |
| Combined MPG | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
| 2.5 X | 2.5 X Premium Package | 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition | 2.5 XT Limited | |
| Length (in) | 176.6 | 176.6 | 176.6 | 176.6 |
| Width (in) | 68.1 | 68.1 | 68.1 | 68.1 |
| Height (in) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Wheelbase (in) | 99.4 | 99.4 | 99.4 | 99.4 |
| Ground clearance (in) | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 7.9 |
| 2.5 X | 2.5 X Premium Package | 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition | 2.5 XT Limited | |
| Wheel size (in) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Wheel material | steel | aluminum-alloy | aluminum-alloy | aluminum-alloy |
| Wheel finish | 5-spoke styled | 8-spoke | 5-split-spoke | Cross-sport 6-spoke |
| 2.5 X | 2.5 X Premium Package | 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition | 2.5 XT Limited | |
| Abs standard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Active head restraints | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Side airbags | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2.5 X | 2.5 X Premium Package | 2.5 X L.L.Bean Edition | 2.5 XT Limited | |
| Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4-wheel independent heavy-duty raised suspension | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Air conditioning with air filtration system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 100-watt 4-speaker audio system with single-disc CD player | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Keyless entry system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power windows, door locks and mirrors | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6-way manually adjustable driver's seat | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 60/40-split flat-folding rear seatback | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Roof rails with crossbars (150 lbs. capacity) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-stage deployment driver and front-passenger front air bags | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front seat-mounted head/chest side-impact air bags | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 16-inch 8-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4-wheel disc brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Viscous-type limited-slip rear differential | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Panoramic power-sliding glass moonroof | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 8-way power adjustable driver's seat | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-stage heated front seats | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic climate control system | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 120-watt 4-speaker audio system with 6-disc in-dash CD changer | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leather-wrapped steering wheel, shifter and parking-brake handle | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heated side mirrors and windshield wipers de-icer | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Body-color door handles and larger side mirrors with integrated turn signals | - | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Self-leveling rear suspension | - | - | Yes | - |
| L.L.Bean-embossed leather-trimmed upholstery with perforated Alcantara accents | - | - | Yes | - |
| Wood and leather-wrapped 3-spoke MOMO brand steering wheel | - | - | Yes | - |
| Wood and perforated leather-wrapped shifter handle | - | - | Yes | - |
| Durable hard lining on back of rear seatbacks and cargo-area floor | - | - | Yes | - |
| Steel Gray or Platinum Silver painted front and rear bumpers and protective side cladding | - | - | Yes | - |
| Autodimming rearview mirror with compass | - | - | Yes | - |
| Functional hood scoop | - | - | - | Yes |
| 120-watt 7-speaker premium audio system with subwoofer | - | - | - | Yes |
| Leather-trimmed upholstery | - | - | - | Yes |
| Sport-design front seats | - | - | - | Yes |
| Sport-design instrumentation with illuminated red needles on gray faces | - | - | - | Yes |
| Aluminum front-door sill plates with Forester logos | - | - | - | Yes |
| Engine immobilizer | - | - | - | Yes |
| Aluminum-finish raised roof rails | - | - | - | Yes |