This Popular Subaru Model Is One Of The Best Cars For Retirees

When choosing a car for retirement, you must consider certain important characteristics, such as how easy it is to get in and out of the vehicle, how well you can see out of it, how safe it is to drive, and how much money owning it could cost you. There may be a fair number of used retiree-friendly cars that meet those requirements, but for those open to buying new or used, the Subaru Forester could be the best option for you.

According to reviews on Edmunds, the Forester has wide door openings and reasonably lofty and comfortable seats. As for safety, the 2026 Forester is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+, achieving top scores in several visibility and collision protection tests. At the same time, this all-wheel drive, two-row compact SUV is also affordable upfront, starting at $29,995 before taxes and processing fees. That starting price is noticeably cheaper than those of competitors like the 2026 Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. In short, the Forester has earned its spot as the best Subaru car for retirees, and as one of the best-selling cars in Subaru's lineup.

However, it's not enough for a vehicle to be attainable upfront; retirees, especially those likely pulling money out of retirement accounts or savings, need a vehicle that won't cost them more than necessary down the line. Therefore, insurance, reliability, maintenance, and depreciation are also important costs to consider. Fortunately, the Subaru Forester performs well in all these categories.

On the dependability front, J.D. Power scored the 2026 Forester an 81 out of 100 for quality and reliability, placing it among the stronger compact SUVs in its 2026 rankings. That suggests the likelihood of shelling out for unexpected repairs and maintenance is fairly low. The 2025 Forester is also known to be one of the cheapest new cars to insure, and both older and more recent models also support this reputation: CarEdge estimates Forester drivers spend about $10,220 on insurance over five years — or about $2,000 per year. For retirees who also want the option of selling down the line, CarEdge predicts that the average five-year-old Forester will retain about 64.7% of its original value. In contrast, the average new car retains only 44.7% of its initial price after five years, per Kelley Blue Book. Under CarEdge's standardized national estimates, the Forester costs drivers roughly $2,718 in maintenance and repairs during the first five years of ownership — $1,112 less than the average SUV.

It also comes in a hybrid variant, so retirees who are worried about fuel costs may opt for models such as the Forester Hybrid Premium. Though they can be more expensive — 2026 Forester Hybrids start at $4,735 more than the base model — their 35-mile-per-gallon combined fuel economy is considerably higher than the 29 miles per gallon the conventional model is projected to achieve. The Environmental Protection Agency's FuelEconomy.gov estimates this difference alone could save drivers hundreds of dollars per year on gas, based on July 2026 fuel prices.