Top Safety Pick +Top Safety Pick criteria

2015 Subaru Forester

small SUV / 4-door SUV

Award applies only to vehicles with optional front crash prevention

2015 Subaru Forester 4-door SUV
2014 Subaru Forester shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteriaRating
Small overlap front: driver-side
G
Small overlap front: passenger-side
M
Moderate overlap front: original test
G
Side: original test
G
Roof strength
G
Head restraints & seats
G

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteriaRating
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Optional system
Superior

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteriaRating
LATCH ease of use
M

Other available safety features

  • Standard lane departure warning

Key

GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Tested vehicle: 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium 4-door 4wd
Rating applies to 2014-18 models

The Subaru Forester was redesigned for the 2014 model year.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID CEN1303
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 9
Footrest (cm) 10
Left toepan (cm) 6
Brake pedal (cm) 6
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 0
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column 0
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 5
Upper dash (cm) 4
Lower instrument panel (cm) 2

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID CEN1303
Head
HIC-15 127
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) no data
Extension bending moment (Nm) no data
Maximum Nij 0.00
Chest maximum compression (mm) 26
Femur (kN)
Left 1.7
Right 1.2
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 4
Right 1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.35
Right 0.41
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 2.3
Right 2.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 50
Right 47

About the small overlap front test

Small overlap front: passenger-side

Tested vehicle: 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium 4-door 4wd
Rating applies to 2014-18 models

The Subaru Forester was redesigned for the 2014 model year.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
M
Structure and safety cage
P
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
A
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID CN15006
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 29
Footrest (cm) 24
Right toepan (cm) 17
Center toepan (cm) 11
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 4
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm) 15
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 26
Upper dash (cm) 23
Right lower dash (cm) 21

Passenger injury measures

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID CN15006
Head
HIC-15 77
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 17
Maximum Nij 0.22
Chest maximum compression (mm) 25
Femur (kN)
Left 1.7
Right 3.8
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 2
Right 10
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 1
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.56
Right 0.86
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 2.0
Right 1.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 129
Right 73

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID CN15006
Head
HIC-15 44
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.8
Extension bending moment (Nm) 14
Maximum Nij 0.17
Chest maximum compression (mm) 28
Femur (kN)
Left 0.9
Right 0.9
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 3
Right 2
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.34
Right 0.24
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 0.9
Right 1.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 55
Right 35

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Tested vehicle: 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium 4-door 4wd
Rating applies to 2014-18 models

The Subaru Forester was redesigned for the 2014 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Subaru.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Leg/foot, left
G
Leg/foot, right
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteriaMeasurement
Test ID VTF1301
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 1
Left (cm) 2
Center (cm) 3
Right (cm) 4
Brake pedal (cm) 2
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) -2
Right (cm) 0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -3
Rearward (cm) -5
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTF1301
Head
HIC-15 223
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.8
Extension bending moment (Nm) 30
Maximum Nij 0.37
Chest maximum compression (mm) 31
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 1.5
Femur force - right (kN) 1.3
Knee displacement - left (mm) 3
Knee displacement - right (mm) 2
Maximum tibia index - left 0.48
Maximum tibia index - right 0.49
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.4
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.2
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 63
Right 50

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Tested vehicle: 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags
Rating applies to 2014-18 models

The Subaru Forester was redesigned for the 2014 model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Subaru.

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Driver head protection
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Rear passenger head protection
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTS1224
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -14.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTS1224
Head HIC-15 186
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.2
Compression (kN) 0.7
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 39
Lateral force (kN) 1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 37
Average deflection (mm) 30
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 2.97
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.67
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.8
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.1
Combined force (kN) 2.9
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 85
A-P moment (Nm) -31

Passenger injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTS1224
Head HIC-15 75
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.2
Compression (kN) 0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 42
Lateral force (kN) 2.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 31
Average deflection (mm) 22
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.28
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.48
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.4
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.6
Combined force (kN) 1.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.6
L-M moment (Nm) 20
A-P moment (Nm) 75

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Tested vehicle: 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i 4-door 4wd
Rating applies to 2014-18 models

Overall evaluation
G
Curb weight3,352 lbs
Peak force16,585 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio4.95

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power cloth seats

Overall evaluation
G
Dynamic rating
G
Seat/head restraint geometry
G
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Power cloth seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 23
Distance below top of head (mm) -2
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 14.5
Head contact time (ms) 58
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 0
Max neck tension (N) 347

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

  • optional EyeSight

Package name

  • optional EyeSight
Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
Superior
Superior
with optional equipment
Applies to 2014-16 models
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

About the original front crash prevention test

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2015 models

Evaluation criteriaRating
Overall evaluation
M
Vehicle trim2.5i Premium
Seat type cloth

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware. It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

1 2 3
Rating iconRating
GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol
Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol
Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol
Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
No hardware available

Details by seating position

PositionRating
1
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
difficult to maneuver around anchors
2
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
none available
3
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
difficult to maneuver around anchors
Technical measurements for this test

Seat position 21

3

Lower anchor A
Open access rated Yes
Depth Not visible
Force (lbs) 0
Clearance angle (degrees) 48
Lower anchor B
Open access rated Yes
Depth Not visible
Force (lbs) 0
Clearance angle (degrees) 49
Tether anchor
Location Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present Yes
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

Seat position 22

2

Lower anchor A
No lower latch for this seat position
Lower anchor B
No lower latch for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

Seat position 23

1

Lower anchor A
Open access rated Yes
Depth Not visible
Force (lbs) 0
Clearance angle (degrees) 59
Lower anchor B
Open access rated Yes
Depth Not visible
Force (lbs) 0
Clearance angle (degrees) 53
Tether anchor
Location Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present Yes
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation