2016 Subaru Forester MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2016 Subaru Forester is rated 25 to 27 mpg combined across 3 EPA-tested gas versions; the best is the 2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT.

EPA fuel economy

2016 Subaru Forester · 3 EPA-tested versions

Best EPA rating

27MPG combined

24 city 31 highway

$2,400 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score6/10

2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT

Best version costs $500 more in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.32 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 27, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $2,400 to $3,200 a year.

Every 2016 Forester version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT Best EPA listing: Forester AWD	27 mpg	24 / 31	$2,400
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · CVT EPA listing: Forester AWD · Premium fuel	25 mpg	23 / 27	$3,200
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Forester AWD	25 mpg	22 / 28	$2,600

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.32 a gallon for regular gas and $5.32 a gallon for premium gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT	$2,400	$200	$12,000
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · CVT	$3,192	$266	$15,960
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 6-speed manual	$2,592	$216	$12,960

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Subaru Forester MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 27 to 29 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); 29 since 2019. Hybrid: 35 mpg (2025 to 2026).

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2016: gas 27 mpg · hybrid not offered

Show as a table

Subaru Forester best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2016	27	–
2017	28	–
2018	28	–
2019	29	–
2020	29	–
2021	29	–
2022	29	–
2023	29	–
2024	29	–
2025	29	35
2026	29	35

How the 2016 Forester compares

2016 compact SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2016 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota RAV4 Best: hybrid	32 mpg	26 mpg	$2,050
Honda CR-V Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,250
Mazda CX-5 Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,250
Nissan Rogue Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300
Hyundai Tucson Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300
Subaru Outback Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300
Subaru Forester This page Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,400
Chevrolet Equinox Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,500
Ford Escape Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,500
Jeep Compass Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,600
Jeep Cherokee Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,600
Kia Sportage Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Volkswagen Tiguan Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$3,450

2016 Forester recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 414 owner complaints for the 2016 Forester.What they cover, and crash test ratings

Questions

Does the 2016 Subaru Forester need premium gas?

Some versions do. EPA lists the 2.0L turbo 4-cyl on premium, the rest use regular.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.32, midgrade $4.93, premium $5.32, diesel $6.29 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.