Here's How Much A 2021 Subaru Forester Has Depreciated In 5 Years

The Subaru Forester, along with its Outback and Crosstrek cousins, is one of the leading lights of Subaru of America's product line. The compact crossover sold more than 150,000 units a year through most of the 2010s and 2020s, and it's not hard to see why. Between its standard all-wheel drive, reasonable off-road prowess, practicality, comfortable ride, and status as one of Subaru's most reliable models, there's quite a lot to like about the Forester.

One reality of owning any car, though, even one as well-liked as the Forester, is depreciation. If you own an older Forester, like a 2021 model, for example, then depreciation might be a big downside, adding to the real cost of ownership. On the other hand, deprecation could be a big plus for those interested in buying a used Forester and saving on the 2026 model's $29,995 (plus $1,450) starting price. But how much has the price of a 2021 Forester dropped, exactly?

According to Edmunds, a 2021 Subaru Forester should have depreciated by around $12,500 or so in the five years it's been on the road. Conversely, Kelley Blue Book's Fair Purchase Price estimate suggests that the SUV has depreciated by anywhere from $7,000 for the base-level Forester, to around $13,750 for the top-tier Touring trim — with an average price drop of $10,000 or so across all five trims. Note that these prices will, of course, differ depending on factors such as location and mileage.

A five-figure drop for the 2021 Forester doesn't seem particularly great, but that's just for one model year. What about the Forester overall? Well, for that, we can turn to two more sources, namely CarEdge and iSeeCars. Both of these resources offer depreciation estimates for the Forester in general, and both show that, while you will definitely lose a chunk of money, the Forester holds its value far better than some of the worst-depreciating cars in 2025.

CarEdge's estimates for a brand-new Forester, driven for 13,500 miles yearly, suggest it will lose around 35% of its value after five years, losing about $13,800 from MSRP. iSeeCars, on the other hand, is a bit more optimistic, with its expected 32.5% drop in value equating to a roughly $9,740 reduction in value. Either way, both believe that you're looking at a resale price of between $20,000 and $25,000 when buying or selling a five-year-old Forester.

While none of this seems all that great, it's worth looking at these numbers in perspective. Having an SUV retain about 60% of its value after five years is pretty decent overall, and it means that Subaru stands as one of the car brands with the best resale value.

To determine how much the Subaru Forester depreciates after five years, we relied on data from reliable sources such as iSeeCars, CarEdge, and Edmunds. These outlets all offer estimates of vehicle depreciation, broken down annually. We also referred to Kelley Blue Book, which has a Fair Purchase Price for most vehicles that averages used prices across the United States, to get an idea of depreciation for the 2021 model year in particular.