2025 Subaru Forester

Amid a sea of compact SUVs, the Subaru Forester has always stood out as ready and able to take the more rugged road. Standard all-wheel drive, ample ground clearance, and a sturdy build will do that for a vehicle. The Forester has no shortage of competitors, with household names like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V among roughly a dozen in this popular class, each with its strengths. But as one of Subaru’s biggest sellers, the Forester continues to attract and keep loyal fans with an impressive set of talents that all add up to a compelling whole.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of compact SUVs, including the Subaru Forester.

The Subaru Forester is all-new for the 2025 model year and enters its sixth generation. It retains its familiar, practical outline while bringing more tech and convenience features, along with enhancements to its already impressive array of safety equipment. Subaru has hinted at a hybrid drivetrain arriving at some point. A new Forester Wilderness is joining the lineup somewhere down the road.

The Subaru Forester is priced similarly to rivals like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Mazda CX-50. The Ford Bronco Sport — a smaller, more specialized compact SUV with decent off-road chops — also begins at a little over $31K.

Before buying a new Forester SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. The Subaru Forester enjoys some of the strongest resale values in its class, topping rivals like the non-hybrid Toyota RAV4, which is in line with the Kia Sportage and is just shy of the Honda CR-V. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

While most rivals offer a choice of powertrains (including turbocharged, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid variants), the Subaru Forester sticks with one — a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine making 180 horsepower. Subaru essentially carried over this unit from the previous generation, although the automaker says it has made it smoother and quieter. It still lingers around the lower rankings as far as output and smoothness are concerned. For example, the base Honda CR-V generates 190 horsepower, while the Toyota RAV4 equivalent has 203 horses in its stable. That said, we’ve found the new Forester acceptably quick for everyday duties. Subaru has tuned it so maximum thrust is accessed at lower revs, making it feel more eager.

The new Forester has a stiffer body, allowing Subaru engineers to refine the suspension tuning. We can tell. It rides smoothly without being too soft. The company has also retuned the standard all-wheel-drive (AWD) system for faster responses, and the steering system has been upgraded to be a little sharper. The most noticeable thing, however, is the much quieter cabin, which needed to happen.

When the rubber meets the rough, we’ve found the Forester can scamper up and down dirt trails easily and not get stuck in the (literal) mud. Its combination of a sophisticated AWD system, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and effective X-Mode off-road software has always impressed us. The Subaru Forester shines brightest in northern parts of the United States, where it is expected to experience severe winters yearly. We’ve rarely felt more confident driving on slick roads than in a Subaru.

Fuel Economy

Premium, the one above the Base trim, is popular among Forester buyers. It achieves 29 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That’s pretty good, considering the Forester has AWD as standard. The top trims, Sport and Touring, manage 28 mpg combined. To compare, a base Toyota RAV4 with AWD gets 30 mpg combined, and a base Honda CR-V with AWD matches the Forester’s 29 mpg combined.

The Forester’s 2-row, 5-seater cabin receives some welcome tech and convenience updates yet continues to prioritize its high utility value. For example, the Forester continues with traditional analog gauges that sandwich a small screen for driver information — no slick dual screens such as those found in the Kia Sportage. Still, the infotainment system is upgraded, with all but the Base model deploying an 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen. The base version uses a dual 7-inch screen arrangement, with the top used for phone and audio functions and the bottom handling climate and vehicle settings — we’re not big fans of that setup. Higher trims enjoy plusher upholstery, and we particularly like the saddle brown perforated leather in Touring versions, whose front seats finally get ventilation in addition to heat.

We like how the dashboard now deploys 3-dimensional textures on some plastics, along with little splashes of color to create a little more interest. The seats have been reshaped with more bolstering and feel comfier than the previous generation, while the cabin has soft touchpoints where we rest our elbows while driving. There’s plenty of rear headroom and adequate rear legroom, with passengers back there able to tuck their toes under the seat in front.

All 2025 Forester variants feature 60/40-split folding rear seats and slightly more cargo space than before. Beyond the rear seats is 29.6 cubic feet, expanding to 74.4 when those seats are folded (for reference, the Honda CR-V’s best numbers are 39.3/76.5). We appreciate the Forester’s low lift-over height as well. This pragmatism extends to the ceiling, whose intentionally dark headliner hides scuffs from loading gear like bikes.

It’s familiar but different. The 2025 Subaru Forester retains a boxy silhouette, but this all-new generation has contemporary tweaks and neat details. The new grille and headlight design are less disjointed and appear more flush, while the more angular wheel housings create a bold stance. We can’t help thinking that Subaru has hired a designer who used to work for Ford. The Forester also keeps its large windows, which have always given this model above-average outward vision. Ground clearance remains the number most Subaru loyalists know by heart: 8.7 inches.

On the side of the rear pillar are the words “Symmetrical AWD” in shiny script on a black background. It’s a neat effect that splits the pillar in half and gives the new Forester a sense of motion, like a strafing line on paper. Around the back, a connected taillight replaces the old boomerang design. The upper-case Forester badge on the tailgate is also new. Nice touch.

Standard all-wheel drive
More competitors are beginning to make AWD standard, but it’s a Subaru hallmark. Its Symmetrical system works exceptionally well.

Heated/ventilated front seats
We’re pleased to see these creature comforts make it into the top Touring trim of the new Forester SUV.

Infotainment system
Except for the Base model, the new Forester has an 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen, displaying sharp graphics and overall user-friendliness.

DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System
Standard in the top Touring trim, this system uses a camera to watch the driver’s face for signs of (you guessed it) distraction, as well as fatigue. It also allows for gesture control to change the temperature.

Powered tailgate
A motion-activated version becomes available in the new Forester SUV — just wave a foot under the rear bumper.

Emergency Stop Assist
A first for a Subaru, this system activates if the driver becomes unresponsive to warnings when adaptive cruise control is engaged. Should this happen, the Forester slowly comes to a stop automatically, activates the hazard lights, and unlocks the doors. Additionally, those with Starlink Connected Services will call emergency services.

The 2025 Subaru Forester employs its familiar 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with horizontally opposed pistons (as opposed to the much more common inline configuration), giving it the “boxer” designation. This sets the engine lower, contributing to that typical Subaru planted feel. The only other major automaker doing this is Porsche, so Subaru is in good company. The Forester’s engine makes 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. That’s on the lower end for base engines in compact SUVs. Like all other Subaru SUVs, the Forester comes standard with AWD and features a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

3-year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Subaru’s new-vehicle warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first, while powertrain coverage is five years or 60,000 miles. Although Hyundai and Kia have much longer terms, these coverages are typical for the class.

Safety

The 2025 Subaru Forester has yet to be crash-tested, but the 2024 Forester garnered Top Safety Pick status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the top 5-Star score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). All models come with Subaru’s impressive EyeSight safety suite with features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and more. It has been enhanced for 2025 to operate faster and smoother and now features Emergency Stop Assist, which activates if the driver becomes unresponsive when using adaptive cruise control.