2021 Subaru Forester: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

18 builds left the factory as a 2021 Forester, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 9 main configurations sell for $10,999–$31,369 today.

  • 9 main configurations
  • 84,319 vehicles built
  • 1,091 for sale right now
  • $10,999–$31,369 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 · AWD Limited · AWD Sport · AWD Touring · AWD
Typical price today $22,325 $24,487 $23,300 $25,505
For sale right now 251 199 144 140
Vehicles built 20,918 14,102 11,831 11,731
Same on every 2021 Forester
  • Engine 2.5L 4-cyl
  • Power 182 hp
  • Drivetrain All-wheel drive
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
  • Seats 5

What people actually pay

1,735 price observations · updated Aug 30, 2026
Premium · AWD
$22,325
Limited · AWD
$24,487
Sport · AWD
$23,300
Touring · AWD
$25,505
Premium
$22,302
Base
$20,000
$10,669 $16,080 $21,490 $26,901 $32,311
Price trend

Median down $601 over the last 12 months.

2021 Forester price history →
Will it hold value?

A Forester typically keeps about 57% of its price over 5 years — a 5-year-old one runs about $12,994 today.

Forester depreciation by year →
Cost to run

26/33 mpg city/highway. Roughly $1,600/yr on fuel at 15,000 miles.

EPA estimate for the 2021 Forester

Safety, in plain English

NHTSA overall crash rating

★★★★★ 5 / 5

No recalls on file for this model year.

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

What JF2SKAJC-M means

JF2 SKAJC · M
JF2
the World Manufacturer Identifier Subaru registered — assembled in Japan
SKAJC
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
M
in position 10 — model year 2021
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
Real VINs from this run JF2SKAJC 6MH494178 JF2SKAJC 6MH590456 JF2SKAJC 8MH438016
9 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.

2021 Subaru Forester prices →