2025 Subaru Forester Review + Video

Sometimes the best stuff in life isn’t especially exciting, but it just plain works.

Pizza. Peace and quiet. A good nap. None is what most people would call thrilling, but there’s a time and place for each — and on occasion, they just can’t be topped. Well, except the pizza, that is.

Bad jokes aside, it would be fair to describe the 2025 Subaru Forester the same way. With the exception of the adventure-ready Wilderness trim, no one’s going to walk away from a spin in this sport utility with their senses stimulated, brain flooded with endorphins and body soaked in sweat from a riotous good time. Far from a letdown, its altogether ordinary existence makes the Forester a predictable companion in the best ways possible.

Power: 6/10

In fairness, fun-filled SUVs this size aren’t especially common — at least not when it comes to the mainstream market. There are, however, some turbocharged entries the Forester is up against, including the wagon-like Outback in Subaru’s own lineup. By comparison, the lone engine offered here is considerably more humble.

The 2.5L four-cylinder is horizontally opposed — the technical term for an engine that has its pistons configured to move sideways instead of up and down. It’s a unique layout, with only Subaru and Porsche opting to use the so-called boxer design. The one here generates 180 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque, modest numbers by modern standards but not unreasonably so.

Don’t expect frenzied acceleration, with a sensation that’s far more sedated instead. However, in the context of what this is — a right-sized SUV that’s suitable for small families and empty-nesters alike — the Forester does just fine, getting up to highway speed and executing passing manoeuvres with decent pace. Meanwhile, the sport mode that’s selectable via a button on the steering wheel sharpens throttle response just enough when it’s required.

Driving Feel: 7/10

Paired with the engine is a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) that’s better than most, with eight simulated gears giving it the feel of something closer to a conventional automatic. This being a Subaru, all-wheel drive is standard across the Forester lineup; and unlike most systems out there, it’s full-time in nature, meaning torque is constantly sent to all four corners.

There’s a surefootedness that comes with permanent four-wheel traction, particularly in wintertime. Adding to the peace of mind is this Subaru’s mild-mannered persona on the open road, where it isn’t entirely absent of steering feel, leading to an appreciable sense of which direction the wheels are pointed. Body roll is managed well, meanwhile, and the Forester cruises around with good responsiveness for the segment.

Fuel Economy: 7/10

Skipping turbo power pays off at the pumps, where the Forester is rated to burn a combined 8.3 L/100 km — an impressive number considering torque is constantly sent to all four wheels. For the sake of comparison, the gas-powered Toyota RAV4 that uses a slip-and-grip system that decouples the rear wheels unless extra traction is needed goes through about the same amount of fuel, as does the turbocharged Honda CR-V.

It’s worth noting that both of those SUVs, which lead the segment in sales, are available with hybrid power — something this Subaru will have to wait until the fall to get. When the Forester Hybrid arrives, it will join a field that also includes the likes of the Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, and Kia Sportage.

Practicality: 9/10

On paper, the Forester falls short of the competition when it comes to space for stuff, but it isn’t as bad as the numbers might suggest. Officially, there’s 779 L behind the 60/40 split-folding rear seats versus the more than 1,000 L that’s listed for all five of those key rivals. But the cargo area itself is well proportioned, and with the back bench stowed there’s nearly as much space as there is in the RAV4 (1,957 L versus 1,977 L).

That’s a testament to how the interior is laid out, and the Forester’s 1,100 mm (39.4 in) of rear-seat legroom tops the 960 mm (37.8 in) in that Toyota, albeit barely. Better still, the doors front and back are big and open wide for easy access, plus the outer shells extend all the way to bottoms of the rocker panels — handy for keeping pant legs clean, especially during the winter months.

Just inside either rear door is a wide step designed to provide a convenient place to stand when accessing roof-mounted cargo or accessories. (The Forester features standard roof rails, which require accessory crossbars in order to strap anything up top.) Towing capacity is capped at 680 kg (1,500 lb), although the rugged Wilderness trim is rated to pull 1,360 kg (3,000 lb).

Styling: 7/10

The unique-looking Forester Wilderness doesn’t benefit from the redesign that was rolled out across the rest of the lineup. Instead, it carries over the old styling that’s more in keeping with previous iterations of Subaru’s boxiest sport utility. (It gets the new look for the 2026 model year.) This sixth-generation version doesn’t look entirely unrelated to its predecessors, although it could just as easily be wearing a Ford badge. Graciously, the Forester’s sizeable glass all around remains unchanged.

The somewhat stark cabin centres around a vertically oriented touchscreen on the centre stack, with a uniquely textured dash pad and faux wood trim — as well as some subtle accent stitching in the upholstery — the only points of interest inside. (The Sport trim gets a slightly more interesting grey and black interior with copper accents, while the range-topping Premier trim can be punched up a bit with brown leather.)

User-Friendliness: 8/10

The Forester’s big windows provide excellent outward visibility from the driver’s seat — a signature of this Subaru since its inception back in 1997. Climbing inside is easy thanks to the big doors and relatively low sills, while little is left to the imagination when it comes to the controls. Buttons on the steering wheel are plainly labelled, while there’s a mechanical gear selector on the console.

That Subaru has opted for an almost entirely touch-oriented infotainment and climate control experience can at times be frustrating, although volume and tune knobs flank the 11.6-inch screen along with proper buttons for cabin temperature and defrost. The rest of the functions, including fan speed, are adjusted via the display that’s adequately responsive to inputs but isn’t as easy to interact with as conventional controls.

Comfort: 7/10

The Forester’s front seats are fairly comfortable, as is the ride quality. There are no true standouts in the segment as far as on-road compliance, which leaves this one feeling pretty average in a tightly packed competitive set. Likewise, the cabin is mostly devoid of outside interference, although the unique harmonics of the horizontally opposed engine and CVT might take some getting used to for the uninitiated.

Features: 8/10

Subaru’s never quite been on the cutting edge when it comes to creature comforts, although this latest Forester does a better job of keeping up with the competition. For instance, this is the first time in the model’s history that ventilated front seats and surround-view cameras have been offered, all of which are reserved for the top trim. But there’s plenty of good stuff throughout the lineup.

Three-stage heated front seats are standard, while every trim but the cheapest one also gets a heated steering wheel. (The base Forester Convenience also comes with twin seven-inch screens instead of the 11.6-inch unit used in every other version except the Wilderness.) Dual-zone automatic climate control is included across the lineup, too, as are both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that include wireless connectivity with the big infotainment screen.

Elsewhere, there’s standard subscription-based satellite radio, while heated rear seats come in the Limited trim tested here as well as the top Forester Premier. Shortcomings are few and far between, with the lone outlier being the absence of a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.

Safety: 9/10

Subaru’s camera-based EyeSight suite of advanced safety and driver-assist features is standard across the Forester lineup, which covers stuff like forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, as well as automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. There’s also pre- and post-collision braking, and lane departure warning and lane-keeping.

Steering-responsive LED headlights are also standard, and so too is automatic high-beam control. The Convenience trim skips automatic emergency steering, which is included elsewhere, as is low-speed reverse automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. 

Value: 7/10

The 2025 Forester Convenience rings in at $35,790 (including a non-negotiable freight charge of $2,295), putting it well within range of the competition. The Toyota RAV4 LE and Hyundai Tucson Preferred, both of which include all-wheel drive, are priced at $35,485 and $36,699, respectively. Meanwhile, the Ford Escape Active is $34,344 without all-wheel drive and $36,944 with it.

The Kia Sportage LX is the cheapest of the bunch at $32,795, while all-wheel drive bumps it up to $34,795, and the base Honda CR-V starts at $38,475 but needs another $2,800 to get four-wheel traction. All prices quoted are before tax but including their respective freight fees.

The Forester stays competitive across the rest of its six-trim lineup — including the carryover Wilderness — although the price increases considerably, with the Touring checking in at $40,790 before tax. The Sport and Wilderness trims ring in at an identical $43,290, while the Forester Limited is $2,000 more. Finally, the Premier trim tops them all at $47,290 before the government’s share.

The Verdict

Like most of the top entries in its segment, the 2025 Subaru Forester isn’t going to kick up a fuss with its greatness. And that’s at least in part what makes it so great. Sure, it has characteristics that make it unique — the sometimes clattering sound that emanates from the engine bay counting among them — but more importantly, there aren’t any compromises that come with them.

The Forester might not be the first of its kind to come to mind, but there are plenty of good reasons it should be, including how smoothly it fits into everyday life. Taken together with its surefooted full-time all-wheel drive, this Subaru easily counts among the best small SUVs out there.