2025 Subaru Forester | Talking Cars with Consumer Reports #453

The redesigned 2025 Subaru Forester continues decades of Forester fan favorites, including its functionality, excellent visibility, roomy cabin, and standard all-wheel drive. Here, we highlight the updates to the sixth-generation Forester, including its refreshed styling, refined ride, and cabin experience. We also answer audience questions about the affect of gas-saving start/stop systems in vehicles and if a used Ford F-150 Lightning is a practical choice for an EV.

SHOW NOTES
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00:00 - Introduction
00:15 - Overview: 2025 Subaru Forester
02:05 - Forester’s Popularity
04:35 - The Conservative Redesign
06:30 - Controls
09:27 - Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
10:40 - Subaru EyeSight System
12:27 - Driving the Forester
16:26 - Driver Monitoring System
17:29 - Would we buy the Forester
20:49 - Question #1: Do the Stop/Start systems have any negative impact on the vehicle’s engine?
25:58 - Question #2: Is a used Ford F-150 Lightning a practical choice for an EV?

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First Drive: 2025 Subaru Forester Ratchets Up the Refinement

2025 Subaru Forester

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[brooklynbummer]

On my second Subaru Foresters and my experience has been good. Nothing spectacular but always dependable, great vision and ride.

[Jim-gwub]

The only beauty is the AWD systems. This is all that matters to me - safety in really bad weather. Living right next to Lake Superior I see soooo many Subarus. Why? People buy cool Hondas, etc. and eventually replace them with the Subaru that gets you and your kids from point A to B to A again in a snow storm.

[quixomega]

My father has a 2016 Forester he bought new, it hasn't needed anything but regular maintenance and is still running well and looks good.

[abigbrownbear]

2018 Forester here, 114K miles, working great, stick to the scheduled maintenance. No issues w/ CVT

[HOON]

The hybrid version can't come soon enough.

[davehill]

We recently purchased a 2025 Forester Limited - our 5th Forester since the 2010 model year - and it is leaps & bounds better than the 2021 we traded. In 15 years, other than oil changes, they have been in the shop ONCE for service. The Forester simply delivers every single day.

[guidovanderheyden]

I always turn stop/start and face recognition off.

[JamesRussoMillas]

I think the car looks fine, glad you can still see well out of it, and nothing about the way it drives is bad. But I'm let down by the fact that it has no new tech over what we saw on the 2020 Outback/Legacy. Same glare ridden slow touch screen, same eye sight that's not as up to snuff on lane keeping anymore. Subaru sells a lot of cars now, they should have the money to improve their newer models over time.

[M.R.]

2010 Forester Touring with 5 Speed manual shift here. THE most Reliable car we have ever owned, and we have had quite a few (American, European and other Japanese). If maintained well, there is no dying with this car, it simply refuses. Never had any mechanical problems, what goes is the normal wear and tear stuff, does not leak oil, does not burn oil and it remains our family's car for long trips. We are about to go out and buy a 2024 Toyota 4Runner, which we believe is the last of simple, reliable cars like our 2010 Forester that reliably last for decades. Lastly, It is truly a shame that Subaru no longer offers the Forester and CrossTrek in a 5 Speed or 6 speed manual.

[hereigoagain]

Good for Subaru for small improvements and not wrecking it. Love our 2016 Forester. Eyesight and visibility sold my wife. Still runs great. Glad to hear that the CVT is improved.

[Xpvideolover]

Agree with Jon Lincov on missing hybrid option. However, when you are talk hybrid you need to give Rav4 a serious thought. But, it cost above 40K. Also Subaru dealerships are more sober than Toyota dealerships.

[michaeldurrett]

2016 Outback 165k. I have changed the cvt and differentials at 100k and have had no problems. Fluid looked good coming out. The lifetime fluid is a lie for the US market. Same car in Japan and Euro markets says to change them 100k or sooner if you tow.

[ruthwalker]

I had an older Outback and I’d be interested in a comparison between Forester and Outback for 2025. I never found it loud on the road. Very smooth ride IMO.

[Tonga]

Steering !! Dual pinion steering rack is a fabulous improvement, on center feel on the Interstate make it comfortable to control, love it !! The new Crosstrek also has it, both new models are great !!

[ronr]

I have a brand new 2024 Subaru Forester touring model here in Canada and I'm enjoying it greatly. People who are stuck on a Turbo engine are not really thinking the reality that is needed to push this car down the road. I have done testing on mine and it works great with out the turbo. If you are travelling around 50 miles per hr and punch the accelerator pedal you will be travelling at approx 160km hr(100 miles/hr ) in about 1 mile down the road has been my experience. Going up a steep river valley hill travelling around 30miles/hr and punch the gas pedal you will be travelling about 70 miles/hr in about 1/4 of mile has been my experience. A turbo would be good for off roading or pulling a small tent trailer or something similar I would think for more horse power. I had a 2008 Honda Pilot 3.5 litre engine and it pulled my tent trailer up hills with no problem and forester drives similar but has less horse power for pulling are my thoughts. Just getting around town or going to work the Forester is more than adequate IMO. The Subaru Outback has a 2.4 litre engine with the Turbo engine if a person just has to have it for pulling.

[mattdecker]

As someone who owns a 2020 Forester and 26 cars in total during my life, Subaru is an interesting choice. Expect your Forester to need more maintenance and be in for repairs more often than a Rav4. Baby it and cherish it and you'll have a good shot at making it to 200K. The Rav, on the other hand, can be used and abused but will almost always attain 200K with ease. Choose the Subie if you live in snow and ice, the full-time 4-wheel drive is this car's shining star.

[AB-jktw]

Let’s hope that the hybrid offers more power - the current 2.5 is noisy and underpowered when the car is carrying people / cargo especially at higher elevations.

[RareGenXer]

I love that it still has a "big bore" naturally aspirated H4. A relatively simple, low maintenance, reliable and novel engine perfectly suited to its industry unique full-time symmetrical AWD.

[TrojanRabbit]

I like that Subaru makes incremental improvements. They don’t try to reinvent the wheel. That way they keep the good and you can trust reliability.
I got my wife a 24 model and although I dislike SUV’s I enjoy her Forester. It’s easy to enter/exit and easy & smooth to drive. It feels like I imagined a luxury drive would be. When I get to old to work a clutch or can’t get out of my BRZ I’ll get a Crosstrek or Forester. Also had my 1st positive experience at a dealership. No hassle/ pressure to buy. Sold at MSRP even when most were doing insane mark ups. Reliable, capable and affordable can’t lose choosing

[timandsuea.]

The exterior of the new Forester reminds me of the 2006 Forester. My wife and I test drove a 2020 Forester touring back in 2021 and loved the way it drove and we loved the upscale interior. The new Forester seems to be lacking the upscale feel with the top trim of the new generation, the center console seems very sterile now that they have everything in the touchscreen it's just a shift lever sitting there. It looks bland. I wish everything else with the HVAC and heated seats was a cluster of tactile buttons and not touch capacitive. I do appreciate the fact that they kept the instrument cluster analog, I absolutely hate how every other car maker feels the need for the cookie cutter 30 inch horizontal display like Kia, Hyundai, Cadillac and Mercedes, it's a car, not a space ship. It seems like so many manufacturers are trying to be like everyone else. What about eye strain from those digital screens taking up the entire dash? What happens if the whole screen goes down and you lose your speedometer, heated seats and your HVAC controls. I think car makers need to quit trying to wow buyers with gimmicky features and stick to the analog speedometer and tach with a digital readout in the center, an actual shift lever instead of a dial or the electronic shifter disguised as a column shifter of old and put less piano black in the center console. I do like the Forester for it's practicality with everything else and I look forward to the hybrid next year.