Was getting ready to buy a 2014 Forester, and then saw in the brochure that they've reduced the towing capacity from the 2013 and earlier 2,400 lbs to only 1,500 lbs.  There isn't anything worth towing that's less than 1,500 lbs.  This applies to both the 2.5 and the 2.0 turbo (with the latter's reputedly heavier duty transmission).

I wrote to Subaru and they replied that there's no optional towing package (e.g., heavier duty cooling for the engine or transmission) that would raise that limit.

The 2014 Forester, now useless.

Comments?

Edited April 11, 201312 yr by Ken C

The CVT seems to be much less capable of taking abuse aka putting a whole lot of power to the ground. But my outlook on technology is that in order to change gears, you gotta upshift which will naturally drop RPMs a bit. Once CVT technology gets moving along, it should outperform its traditional automatic counterpart in every way. Patience young padawan.

It isnt all that, it is also that there is now a towing standard that the mfgs have started to use. Before there was no real standard.

 

The cvt is a steel belt, and it can slipped if over taxed. 

 

Towing standard

http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/0912_sae_tow_ratings_finally_pass_sniff_test/viewall.html

 

Granted it is starting with trucks, but others are starting to put thier raitings back in reality for this standard.