Finding the right Forester was step one, now it’s time to personalize it and make it work for you. These modifications are ideas every owner should consider when starting the journey with a new Forester. Every change might not make sense for your build, but use this as a guide to start personalizing your Subaru.
Window Tint
Your Forester has factory tinted glass, but it doesn’t cover every window, and what it does cover might not be dark enough for your liking. We recommend evaluating the glass on every car purchase. Typically the front windows of a new car have very little, or no tinting at all.
Subaru (and every other automaker) do this to abide by state laws. The vehicle could be sold in any state, so they adhere to the strictest auto tinting regulations. If you want all windows to match you can have it applied to the front driver and passenger windows only. This should create uniform coverage around the vehicle.
You can also choose to have all the windows tinted to an even darker VLT (visual light transference) level. We use tint with a VLT of 5%, 20%, or 35%. The lower the number, the darker it is. Whichever direction you go make sure you’re aware of the laws in your area.
Leather Seats
Factory leather is only found on the Limited and Touring trims. If you own any of the other models you’re not out of luck. Leather can be added to any Forester for less then you might expect.
Katzkin offers vehicle-specific kits that replace factory cloth with the leather of your choice. You can design it yourself, or choose one of their preset designs. There are even designs that even match the Forester Sport’s orange accents.
No matter what design you choose, these are full seat coverings, not seat covers. They are specifically engineered to completely replace your Forester’s cloth seats. The upholstery is removed from the cloth factory seat and it is replaced with Katzkin leather. Make sure you find a preferred Katzkin installer for a professional installation.
Body Side Molding
Whether you’re looking to overcome your fear of crowded parking lots, or spice up the exterior of your Forester, body side moldings are a great choice. Body side moldings can protect you from shopping carts, door dings, and other scratches. They’ll take the hit instead of your car, and replacing them is far cheaper than fixing your door.
They come is several different styles and are applied with a simple no-drill installation that many owners will be comfortable doing themselves.
Floor Liners
If you’re rolling with carpet mats you’re doing it wrong. Every car should have floor liners. Subaru offers their own (see left) through your dealership but their floor coverage isn’t as robust as the WeatherTech FloorLiner (see right).
Subaru OEM Floor Liner for Forester 
WeatherTech FloorLiner for Forester
We recommend any liner over a generic mat. Liners will keep messes off your floor and make cleaning them up much easier. They help to insure a clean interior when you sell or trade in your Forester in the future.
Receiver Hitch
There’s a reason you bought an Subaru, and it wasn’t to stay home all day. Adding a receiver hitch to your Forester means you can attach a cargo or bike carrier for maximum carrying capacity on your adventures.
Receivers come in 1.25 or 2 inch variants, so make sure you select the size that matches your intended use. The Forester has a towing capacity of 1,500 pounds, so pulling lightweight aluminum boats and some pop-up campers is an option.
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