The Forester is the sweet spot of Subaru's well-crafted image of gentle adventure and practicality. It's a sensible crossover for sensible people that find the Subaru Outback station wagon doesn't quite have the ground clearance they need. And, for the 2020 model year at least, those sensible people will be discovering the Forester base model is an extra $200 over the 2019 model. At $25,505 with destination charges included, that's a decent price for a crossover with an excellent standard all-wheel-drive system. It's not all bad news as Subaru has made some small but important equipment changes to sweeten the pot.

The base model actually clocks in at $24,495, before the destination charges which have risen from $975 to $1,010. Following the base trim, the Sport models also see a $200 price hike and lands at $30,005 including destination. Premium trim gets the biggest price bump at $700 and comes in at a total of $28,405 with the new destination charge added. The Forester Limited and Touring rise by $300 and start at $32,105 and $35,605 after destination respectively.

The good news is that Subaru now bundles the All-Weather Package as standard equipment into the Premium trim, so heated front seats, heated mirrors, and a windshield deicer are now standard for the trim. Sport trim gets some new aesthetic elements and enhanced standard equipment. Across the Forester lineup, Rear Seat Reminder is now standard and Subaru's suite of standard safety tech, EyeSight, gains Lane Centering and Lane Departure Prevention also comes as standard.

The range is still powered by Subaru's 2.5-liter flat-4 engine with 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. The only transmission available to control the all-wheel-drive system is the CVT. The base model does come with solid basics, including Bluetooth capability, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and keyless entry.