2018 Subaru Forester MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2018 Subaru Forester is rated 24 to 28 mpg combined across 3 EPA-tested gas versions; the best is the 2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT.

EPA fuel economy

2018 Subaru Forester · 3 EPA-tested versions

Best EPA rating

28MPG combined

26 city 32 highway

$2,300 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score6/10

2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · CVT

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 $2,300 to $3,200 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2017.

Every 2018 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	28 mpg	26 / 32	$2,300
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	24 mpg	22 / 28	$2,700

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	$2,314	$193	$11,571
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · CVT	$3,192	$266	$15,960
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 6-speed manual	$2,700	$225	$13,500

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

2018: gas 28 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 2018 Forester compares

2018 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.

2018 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Nissan Rogue Best: hybrid	34 mpg	29 mpg	$1,900
Toyota RAV4 Best: hybrid	32 mpg	26 mpg	$2,050
Chevrolet Equinox Best: diesel	32 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300
Honda CR-V Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,150
Mazda CX-5 Best: diesel	29 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300
Subaru Outback Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300
Subaru Forester This page Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,300
Hyundai Tucson Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,400
Ford Escape Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,500
Kia Sportage Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,500
Jeep Compass Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,500
Jeep Cherokee Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,600
Volkswagen Tiguan Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,700

2018 Forester recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 495 owner complaints for the 2018 Forester.What they cover, and crash test ratings

Questions

Does the 2018 Subaru Forester need premium gas?

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

How does the 2018 Forester's MPG compare with the 2017?

For 2018, the best gas version is rated 28 mpg, the same as the year before.

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.