2018 Subaru Forester: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

28 builds left the factory as a 2018 Forester, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 11 main configurations sell for $6,999–$25,888 today.

  • 11 main configurations
  • 54,409 vehicles built
  • 1,287 for sale right now
  • $6,999–$25,888 typical price range

Which Forester is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Forester

What actually differs

Premium+ES · AWD Premium+CWP · AWD Base P Touring+ES+Navi(H/K)+AP · AWD
Typical price today $16,994 $15,995 $15,896 $17,998
For sale right now 289 284 177 166
Vehicles built 13,107 12,492 7,845 6,044
Same on every 2018 Forester
  • Engine 2.5L 4-cyl
  • Power 170 hp
  • Drivetrain All-wheel drive
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
  • Seats 5
  • Doors 4-door

What people actually pay

2,044 price observations · updated Aug 30, 2026
Premium+ES · AWD
$16,994
Premium+CWP · AWD
$15,995
Base P
$15,896
Touring+ES+Navi(H/K)+AP · AWD JF2SJAWC-J
$17,998
Limited · AWD
$17,348
Touring+ES+Navi(H/K)+AP · AWD JF2SJGWC-J
$19,249
$6,789 $11,758 $16,727 $21,696 $26,665
Price trend

Median up $2,862 over the last 12 months.

2018 Forester price history →
Will it hold value?

A Forester typically keeps about 50% of its price over 5 years — a 5-year-old one runs about $8,492 today.

Forester depreciation by year →
Cost to run

26/32 mpg city/highway. Roughly $1,660/yr on fuel at 15,000 miles.

EPA estimate for the 2018 Forester

Safety, in plain English

NHTSA overall crash rating

★★★★★ 5 / 5

3 recalls on file for this model year — check any specific VIN before you buy.

Driver assistance — varies by configuration
  • ✓ Warns you before a crash (optional)
  • ✓ Brakes for you in an emergency (optional)
  • ✓ Watches your blind spot (optional)
  • ✓ Warns when you drift from your lane (optional)
  • ✓ Steers you back into the lane (optional)
  • ✓ Keeps distance on the highway (optional)
Decoded from NHTSA build records.

What JF2SJAEC-J means

JF2 SJAEC · J
JF2
the World Manufacturer Identifier Subaru registered — assembled in Japan
SJAEC
together encode the Forester line — Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), 2.5L 4cyl, All-wheel drive — as Subaru filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
J
in position 10 — model year 2018
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
Real VINs from this run JF2SJAEC 1JH521120 JF2SJAEC XJH440438 JF2SJAEC 7JH605426
17 rare configurations — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Forester?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.

2018 Subaru Forester prices →