Subaru Forester - Review, Specs, Pricing, Features, Videos and More

It’s time for a rematch.

A few years ago, we brought together just about every one of the most popular compact(ish) crossovers for  one mega comparison. There, the fresher  Nissan  Rogue captured third place, while  Subaru’s aging  Forester still earned a respectable mid-pack finish.

Here at the onset of 2025, the Forester is new once more—and for a change, actually looks like it—while Nissan just refreshed the Rogue last year. As two of the worthy alternatives to the best-sellers of the segment, both Mike Schlee and I needed to find out which one is now the best.

Read the full comparison here.

“Well, it kinda drives like a  Subaru Forester!” chuckles our passenger as we bounce down a dirt road somewhere in rural Montana. On the surface, this sounds a lot like a dismissal of all the work Subaru did updating its popular SUV. A few hours before, we all sat through the same presentation showing the scores of items Subaru touched and refined for its newest SUV. It’s quieter, looks different, and for the first time, will have a hybrid powertrain (coming soon). In reality, it’s the best thing that anyone could’ve hoped for. Why reinvent the wheel? For 2025, Subaru didn’t and it pays dividends.

For starters, the looks are new, and a drastic departure from the much, much boxier and more angular 2024 Forester (more on this below). All trims now feature roof rails, so ubiquitous is the use of roof racks by Subaru customers. Base models also receive new adaptive LED lights and the latest in Subaru Eyesight driver assist which includes better object recognition, in addition to the usual run of driver aids like lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control. This is the only trim to use a pair of 7-inch screens. The rest get the 11.6-inch tablet-style screen found in everything from the Crosstrek to the WRX. A litany of other standard features are now thrown in lower in the trim architecture, making the 2025 model a better value.

Read the full review here.

Subaru has just taken the wraps off the 2026 Forester Wilderness. Built on the new Forester platform that debut last year, this is the first second-generation Wilderness model in the brand’s lineup. Although there’s no radical departure from Subaru’s  Wildernessification, there are some new pieces here and there.

The 2026 Wilderness features LED hexagonal fog lights, underbody protection, various anodized copper-finish exterior accents, front and rear bumper tow hook covers, and of course copious Wilderness badging.

Read the full article here.

As promised last year, Subaru has just introduced the  2025 Forester Hybrid, or the 2025 Subaru Forester e-BOXER Hybrid for Canadian consumers. As one of the last SUVs in its segment to garner a hybrid option, the new gas-electric Forester helps position Subaru’s high-selling utility box against fierce competition.

The hybrid system in the Forester will be quite similar to the one announced in the  2026 Crosstrek Hybrid a few weeks ago. It’s an all-new system that Subaru is calling the Next Gen Series-Parallel e-BOXER Hybrid. Like other versions of the Forester, the hybrid uses a 2.5-litre flat-four-cylinder engine. Unlike the gas only models, this is a newly developed Atkinson engine that has the transaxle paired with an electric motor generator and electric traction motor. A lot of the electric hybrid bits and pieces are sourced from Toyota, but the rest of the mechanics, such as engine, transmission, and drivetrain, are all Subaru products.

Read the full article here.

Subaru has launched a new sub-brand of vehicles called Wilderness. This designation is reserved for more off-road capable members of the brand’s vehicle portfolio. First there was the Outback Wilderness, followed by the Forester Wilderness, and most recently, a third member joined the family, the Crosstrek Wilderness.

With a trio of capable, yet different options, we wondered what is the best Subaru Wilderness option? The answer differs depending on priorities, so to help, we have laid out the similarities and differences between Subaru’s off-road ready family in five key areas.

Read the full article here.

When a television series grips the world’s attention as it explodes in popularity; there’s bound to be spin-offs.

The same is true in the automotive world. Segments that are red hot inevitably lead to smaller, niche sub-segments. Case in point – compact SUVs. Having become the defacto choice for family vehicles, manufacturers are clamouring to get more and more of the segment’s prosperous pie.

One strategy is to build speciality compact SUVs, like the two we’re featuring here. Designed to be more capable off-road focused models, both the 2023 Mazda CX-50 Meridian and 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness aren’t afraid to get a bit dirty. This is good news as our test day features anything but pleasant driving conditions.

Click Here to Read the Review

Welcome to the single most important comparison we will have all year. The AutoGuide 2022 Best Small SUV Comparison sponsored by NRS Brakes.

The average family car these days isn’t even a car at all anymore. Compact SUVs are the sweet spot these days, selling thousands of examples every single day in Canada and the United States. So we’ve assembled 11 of them, from all corners of the market, to figure out which one is best. Yes, eleven. Go big or go home, they say. It’s time for AutoGuide 2022 Best Small SUV Comparison.

This group covers all the big hitters, including the segment-leading Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Mazda sent us two SUVs, in the shapes of the subtly different CX-5 and CX-50. More rugged options like the Ford Bronco Sport and Jeep Compass are here, too. Amongst the pack are of course a few hybrids as well. If you’re shopping this part of the market, at least a few of these SUVs will be on your short list.

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Over its last few new model cycles, Subaru hasn’t exactly been extravagant with its styling changes.

With that in mind, it’s not a surprise the 2022 update to the Forester, a refresh instead of an all-new generation, has styling changes you’ll be hard-pressed to notice unless you’re a Subaru superfan or have the two parked side-by-side. Under the skin, though, are some important changes, along with Subaru adding its off-road Wilderness trim to the lineup.

For the 2022 Forester, Subaru is launching the latest version of its EyeSight active safety system. New cameras offer a front-end view nearly twice as wide as before, making it better able to detect pedestrians and cyclists as well as anything else on the road. Adaptive cruise, standard across the line, has what the automaker describes as “more natural control” that did feel smoother on the road. It’s also better able to recognize and respond to vehicles cutting you off, and while they all continue to beep at you incessantly, Subaru’s other assists like lane centering and lane departure warnings all feel much more natural.

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