Subaru Forester 2nd Gen

The second-generation Subaru Forester (SG) ran from 2003 to 2008, refining the quirky wagon-like crossover formula of its predecessor. The most significant development arrived in 2004 with the Forester 2.5 XT, which featured a detuned version of the 2.5L turbocharged engine from the Impreza WRX STi. This turned the practical Forester into a true sleeper, offering surprising performance in an unassuming package. A 2006 facelift updated the styling and brought slight power increases, making these later models particularly desirable.

Collector interest is focused almost entirely on the turbocharged XT variant, especially examples equipped with the 5-speed manual transmission. Its combination of practicality and tunable, WRX-derived power has created a strong enthusiast following. These cars offer a unique blend of all-weather capability and performance that's hard to find elsewhere. Unmodified, low-mileage, and well-documented XTs are becoming increasingly scarce and sought-after.

The market reflects this split personality. While base, naturally aspirated models are treated as simple used cars, values for top-tier 2.5 XTs have risen significantly. Pristine, manual-transmission examples from the facelifted 2006-2008 years command the highest prices, often exceeding $20,000. The average sale price of around $13,000 is pulled up by these enthusiast models, while plenty of daily-driver examples can still be found for under $10,000.

Based on recent sales, prices range from $3,200 for project cars to over $29,000 for pristine, low-mileage 2.5 XT models.