We spent a week measuring the Forester on a level surface to assess day-to-day accessibility. Using a tape, inclinometer, and a 6/8/10‑ft portable ramp, we focused on door apertures, sill height, seat height, boot lift-over, and the real-world feasibility of loading mobility aids.
Test car: 2024 Subaru Forester Premium (18-inch wheels, standard roof), 2.5L flat-four (182 hp), CVT, AWD, 8.7 inches of ground clearance. Tires set to placard pressures, full tank, no cargo. All measurements taken at 20°C on level concrete with doors at their widest detent. Headline impressions: the Forester’s tall roof and upright packaging make it one of the easier compact SUVs to enter, especially for those with limited hip/knee mobility.
The trade-off is a relatively high cargo floor compared with minivans, which matters for ramps. Door apertures: front door opening measures 32.3 inches wide by 41.2 inches tall; rear door opening is 31.0 by 39.6 inches. Front doors swing to roughly 75°, rears to about 70°, providing generous foot clearance. The lower door edge sits low relative to the seat base, so you don’t need to duck much; head clearance remained ample for a 6'2" tester.
Door checks hold positions well, and the exterior handles require light effort, useful for arthritic hands. Sill and seat heights: step-over (ground to inner sill) is 18.9 inches front and 19.2 inches rear. The sill itself is modest—about 2.7 inches wide—with minimal flare, reducing ankle twist. Front seat cushion top (mid-track, height mid-setting) measures 25.8 inches from the ground; rear cushion top is 26.4 inches.
These chair-like heights suit a sit-and-pivot motion, minimizing the need to drop down (sedan) or climb up (body-on-frame SUV). The flat floor and tall door cut-out further ease lateral transfers. Boot/lift-over: tailgate aperture at the bumper measures 43.5 inches wide at the narrowest point, 30.8 inches tall to the load floor. The cargo floor height (ground to load surface) is 28.1 inches; lift-over lip inside is negligible at 0.6 inches, so items slide straight in.
The bumper top is rounded but not slippery; there’s enough flat area to perch a folded walker before pushing it across the threshold. Ramp compatibility: With a 28.1-inch rise, a 6‑ft ramp yields ~22° (39%)—too steep for a manual wheelchair and marginal for small scooters. An 8‑ft ramp drops to ~16.5% (29%); a 10‑ft ramp to ~13.3° (24%). For unassisted wheelchair loading, that’s still steeper than recommended guidelines.
Workarounds: back up to a 6–8 inch curb to effectively cut the rise, use a powered hoist/hitch lift (verify tongue weight and 150–200 lb rating), or consider a minivan/converted vehicle with a lowered floor for routine ramp use. Bottom line: The Forester excels at personal ingress/egress—wide doors, modest sills, and ideal seat height make daily use easy. If routine ramp loading of a wheelchair or scooter is a priority, the SUV’s cargo floor height is the limiting factor; it’s workable with longer ramps or assistance, but a minivan (or factory/aftermarket conversion) remains the better accessibility choice.
