Comparison : Subaru Forester v BMW X1 | CarAdvice Drive 

I own an XT, the visibility is the BEST. Huge glass area up front, low side window, and large quarter glass on c-pillar is really good. 15.000 km ongoing and not a single problem on my car. Turbocharged Boxer, AWD, perfect SUV :)

Forrester is the one for me! Anyone who has ever owned a subaru will not drive anything which is not AWD! I love my Subary Liberty....

Let's see, Subaru is cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain and repairs, awd for better grip, it has great ratings in the IIHS crash test, it's roomier, has a smoother ride and Subaru has the best resale of any car manufacturer. Unless you want to impress people and throw money away, Subaru is the right choice. I love my 09 Forester!

In New Jersey we recently bought a new '16 XT Touring for $35k. The best car purchase we've made as a family. The X1 is $45 in our neck of the woods and after visiting a few BMW dealerships we vowed not to return - experience wasn't very pleasant.

Recently I did purchase my 2nd Subaru Forester XT. I exchanged my 2013 & 150M km for 2017 & 44M km mileage model. Having driven so many different models of cars, I find Subaru Forester XT to be real gem of a car. Having watched the movie I was sure of the outcome. Subaru rules..

Subaru is a bigger car so of course it weighs more. and if the BMW had AWD it wouldn't struggle with torque steer so much, and you'd be surprised where you can go with a Subaru, the only thing you need is a good quality sump guard and a good set of all terrains.

That all wheel drive saved my life a few weeks ago. I nodded out while driving on a back road from Las Vegas and two wheel went off the road. I would have rolled the car if it had not been all wheel drive.

You guys really did a very good job (for me) in doing a brief but very informative review on different cars. 👍👍

71k miles on my '14 Forester XT...zero regrets...enjoyed every mile and looking forward to much more!

definitely the subaru is the mature choice. it is also more reliable according to statistics.

i love the awd from subaru. and its very useful to me everyday. I travel from different islands and when getting on to the ferry, usually theres and inclined ramp. most fwd or rwd cars skid from the steel ramp. my forester just climbs like its nothing

I love that you actually committed to a choice in the end!! Bravo, so many reviews end up sitting on the fence.

That all wheel drive saved my life a few weeks ago. I nodded out while driving on a back road from Las Vegas and two wheel went off the road. I would have rolled the car if it had not been all wheel drive. Also in the USA the BMW is almost 10K more than the XT.

A really nice review, guys! Thank you!

Anyone who buys an SUV that isn't AWD or 4x4 shouldn't buy an SUV. They should buy a hatchback or wagon. The entire point of SUV's is the ability to take snow and dirt better than their car counterparts.

Subarus are the best!

Great video. Very fun to watch and informative. Thanks!

Love my 2013 (2014 spec) XT . Best all round vehicle and it tows pretty well too. Very nice get up and go especially if you floor it or engage Sport or Sport Sharp modes!

japan is waaaay ahead, bmw make good sport cars, but japanese built legacy cars, cars that are meant to last bazillions of kilometers without failures

You guys make much better videos than your subscriber count would suggest. Keep up the great work.

lol, the most interesting part of this for me was later in the review when they started talking about the road test. The Subie is quieter, rides more nicely, and is MORE refined than the BMW? What a damning assessment for a car which its badge would have you believe is something like the standard of the world.

Great comparison. I just want to ask whats the deal with the X1s exhaust system? I've driven behind a number of them and noticed that the right tail pipe looks like its blocked off and only the left one is open. Is this a fake exhaust or does it open automatically? Thanks!

Excellent review. Knocks my bmw out of my head. And probably saved me lots of maintenance headache.

Just ask any BMW owner what those letters mean: "Break-My-Wallet" when it comes to maintenance costs (over 5 years). Yes, if you only flip your car every 3 to 4 years then go for a BMW, but have you ever noticed that there are no 'OLD' BMW cars on the roads? That's because after year 5 a huge repair can easily cost well over $10,000 and after year 5 'huge repairs' become fairly common. Meanwhile with Japanese vehicles 'huge repairs' don't happen until around year 12. I'm driving a 2006 Toyota with 330,000 miles on it, and so far the only thing I've had to get replaced on it (other than fluids, tires, wipers, and brake pads/rotors) is the front stabilizer links for $500 (they started to 'clunk') and the battery (twice) $100 each time. That's it, everything else is all-original from the factory. You just cannot do that in a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes, Guaranteed ! My neighbor has 2 Audi's, and one needs a new water pump, and that is gong to cost him $4,200 just for the water pump replacement procedure. In addition to that it needs another $3,000 worth of work done also, so over $7,000 of work every 3 or 4 years of Audi ownership. In the years he's own the Audi he will have sunk $11,000 into it in repairs, while I've sunk less than $1,000 into my Toyota. That is the difference in ownership costs you will experience between buying the BMW and the SUBARU. I'm not saying that an Audi or BMW or Mercedes is a bad vehicle, its just that getting one is going to quickly turn into a MONEY PIT for you so you better have a lot of money, a big income from your career, because you are going to need it. Don't just take my word for it, watch these two videos and learn from the experts why ALL German luxury brands are expensive to own if you keep your cars for the long term: ( Why Mercedes Are Money Pit Machines ) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZPJ64sTa7KI.html ( Why Not To Buy A Mercedes ) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XV9rJwEOCus.html

Glad to see the review doesn't bias on brand name. I'm sure that if you include reliability + resale value, there won't be competition between the two.

"Lugging around an AWD system that you don't need day to day." Overly subjective and wrong. The symmetrical AWD System [according to the owners I know - including myself] provides a value on a day by day/drive by drive basis.

I swear I’m the only one who actually likes the new look of the forester

Your review nailed the differences between the two cars (I tried the BMW X1 with AWD and found its dynamics inferior to the Forester, despite costing nearly $10K more.). FYI the Forester trim you tested is similar to the USA's "XT Limited" (top of the line Forester).

Second gen (2.5XT or 2.5STI) still the best ever performing Forester. Lightest & most powerful plus manual gearbox.

great comparison guys thank you! A little side by side acceleration or mini drag race would have made this a fantastic comparison!

good job guys - enjoyed the short! All good talking points.

personally when I see an x1 on the road all is see is someone buying a bmw for the badge its quite sad really.

Is there no All-wheel-drive X1 in the US available? And you cannot get the bigger screen an seatheating? strange....

I'm so glad I just watched this video. That was my dilemma last year when I decided to save some money and go with the Subaru Forester XT. After couple of months I started thinking if I did the right choice and I think I also started a little bit to regret that I did not go with a little bit more luxurious BMW... But after watching this video I am absolutely happy with my choice so THANK YOU CarAdvice for making me feel better. I love my car even more now :D

i like the subby moar

I cache another word for no resale value? If you are in it to get the most vehicle and least anything else its impossible to top the Forester. Check back in ten years. It will be on the road.

Did you look under the seats for the air vents? I've got the air vents at the back in 1997 model.....

Great video!! Here in Italy I see one petrol BMW on 100 BMW. The X1 has only one petrol choice: 1.5 turbocharged 85 kw 3 cylinder sDrive. Instead there are more than 10 choices of diesel engines (power/transmission/gearbox), so nobody takes a petrol X1 and in general a BMW (for ex. 3 series petrol isn't available with 4 cyl., only with 3 cyl. or 6 cyl. !!! instead you can take 316d/318d/320d eff. dyn./320d/325d/330d/335d !!!) Thanks

Need for AWD is 100% subjective and based on where you live. I live in Wisconsin and my first 3 vehicles were FWD. first time I drove and AWD Subaru I was blown away at how much grip and confidence it gave me. Just bought a ‘17 Forester xt premium and I rly enjoy it. My version of star link is kinda junk if you want to use maps and some of the fancier apps, but connects to Bluetooth easily. Safety, reliability, resale value, “offroad” capability, and visibility are what I look for, not bells and whistles

I have owned 2018 Subaru Forester 2.5 touring, I love it

There's a video on this site that shows Foresters keeping up with and in some cases out performing full bore Land Rovers off road and in deep mud. Subaru is my choice every day.

AWD is good in bad heavy wet roads. Reg gas/petrol vs premium fuel... You can also tune the Xt...

dear sir, what kind of Gasoline for Subaru Forester XT (octane 93 or 95)? Thanks .

PS - Heated seats are mandatory in snow country. My wife has a lot to say about that!

So, more money for a lesser vehicle. BMW never seizes to disappoint.

Just bought a 08 Forester added to my fleet n man this thing move first Subaru I ever owned but I actually like it more than my other 🚘

From S Africa, I recently traded X3 and X5 (wife and I )for latest Forrester and Outback, saved a ton of money(equivalent to another outback) feature for feature ...works 100% for our situation and I expect a longer life than the BMW's

Great review guys

I like this guys and their reviews 👍

I got heated seats in my Forester as well along with a six speed manual transmission for 26k.

Great review

I enjoyed this video, however I feel that a BMW X1 is closer to a Subaru Crosstrek, and a BMW X3 would be similar to a Subaru Forester. I am in the USA so I am not sure if the Crosstrek is available where you are.

You said there is no air vents for the back seats. what is that at 4:57? I see air vents.

Bad comparisson... The Subaru is an AWD and the version of the BMW is the Sdrive, front wheel drive... They had to compare the Forester with the X1 Xdrive, AWD technology of BMW.

The BM is just extremely silky and sexy exterior. THAT is all that matters in this particular class. BMW for me, thanks.

One thing i absolutely love is driving behind a Subaru Forester with a COEXIST bumper sticker and a "i love my Korgi" bumper sticker going 10mph under the speed limit. LOVE!

Awesome comparison

no CAR can beat the subaru b9 tribeca with that 6 cylinders on the motor and that 300 HP and flat engine

At 4:57, discussing lack of seat vents in the Subaru and noting the seat bench style, then splicing in X1 video footage which actually depicts vents making it seem like they're still in the Subaru. That was a little trippy. Nice comparison though!

I'll take the Subaru Forester XT any day.

Let's not forget the x1 is a mini platform it the mini countryman as is the x2 and the 2 series. Have you noticed the smaller seats from the mini.

Wish one it's better in snow , forester or x3 ?

Very honest and good review. Forester does indeed badly need rear vents, considering its heating system is at best deficient. One thing you missed is the front seats of the Forester; they are too short and on long travels (2h+) your legs do get soar quickly.

Where was this filmed, Tassie?

why'd you pick the forester to go against the X1 wagon? why not the outback wagon?

Mid 40's now , decision making has changed over time. After my research the smart buy was the Subaru Outback for me. I did have other options, but there are 2 types of BMW owner that I know personally. One who complains how much he is at the dealer getting robbed and the other that hates his BMW once a month. With my subaru I hope to do neither. Only time will tell.

Forester.. if you drive subaru once... you will not swap this car for anything else. Proud owner of 2003 XT 2.0 petrol subaru supercharged. Such an excellent car!

Not a fair comparison. Base sdrive vs fully loaded XT pfft. Anyways the XT is a great vehicle, the X1 is as well. Ended up getting the X1...couldn't get over the very dated exterior and sub par dash of the XT and the CVT is a kill joy. BTW the Xdrive accelerates better than the sdrive..forester numbers. Both can last if maintained...but if aren't..the x1 will be the first to complain. Fair trade off.

subaru highly recomended overall is excellent

I have a 2016 Forester XT and it is a pretty serious off-roader. It can do a lot in the stock configuration, much more than I imagine the BMW will.

Great review!

The 2017 Subaru xt exploads on the highway I love it, as a Canadian I also take great pride in the fact that the steering wheel is heated and the passengers in the rear are comforted by heated seats as well. The Forster has really evolved over the years and it's truly wonderful. Sorry BMW ❤️

this is weird in usa the bmw is 11,000 dollars more to start with

How is a front wheel 2wd considered an SUV??

The X1 is much more akin to the older gen Forester of the 2003-2008 era. This is when both vehicles looked and felt about identical in size and even cabin layout. When the X1 first arrived, I owned this generation Forester and the BMW almost felt like a knock off copy. The size was very similar, the proportions, dimensions, when you opened the door and got in, the door area, door sill, and seat placement and height all felt very similar. Driving position felt very similar as did position of controls like steering wheel and shifter. They were just too eerily similar to be a coincidence. It felt like they used the Forester as the base concept. In a lot of ways, the X1 appeared to be fancy looking Forester. Now future generation Foresters deviated moderately and look and feel quite different. For one, the Forester got a lot bigger externally but oddly not a lot bigger internally, at least not close to what the external growth would lead you to believe. There really isn't much more people or cargo room at all, and what you can shove in a new gen Forester will also fit into an old gen Forester of much smaller external proportions. Realistically, the Crosstrek is the modern version of the first two generations of Forester which were at the time based on the Impreza chassis. The Forester was a glorified Impreza wagon...effectively...with a more squared off body and longer struts. It was essentially 90% Impreza with nearly everything directly swappable inside and out. The Crosstrek is the modern equivalent whereas the Forester transitioned now to more of a glorified Outback wagon...effectively... with more squared off body and longer struts. It's not quite this as they're actually more unique designs than similar for the modern vehicles. The short of all of this is new Forester isn't like the old Forester, and the X1 is much more like the old Forester. well at least the first gen X1. 2016 is the new generation X1 and has changed but positively hasn't grown greatly in proportions like the Forester.

What a great review! Love the look of Forester compared to BMW.

I know it's rather late, but what a nice review boys...there are just too many people buying the badge and only realising later that it's actually practicality they need and not flashiness.

You should compare x3 awd vs forester . Wonder who will win ?

The x1 has heated seats, parking assist(self parking) and other features too but you have to pay extra. seems like they have the barest base model.

It's weird, seeing as I'm from US, to hear power outputs in kW and n•m (newton-meter is correct torque unit but US generally uses the ft-lb/lb-ft).

My 2015 is a tank . Awesome in Canadian winters . No problem with snow & lousy winter conditions . WAY superior to any other SUV I have owned . Took it to Newfoundland last summer & went a few places we probably shouldn't have ..... it did not miss a beat or even breath hard !! A great car ...maybe not the prettiest but very impressive . The car is two years old & still has not a rattle ... Some of my past cars rattles right off the lot .... garbage.

Japan all the way. Dependability dependability dependability.

subaru has a much higher resale value, for now. who knows what will happen 4-5 years from now. whatever the buyer chooses they should be happy with it. i own a '15 xt.... 28.5k was an acceptable price on maui.

Test them both on snow! I use my care more than 2 or 3 days a year under not so perfect conditions. more like 100 days!Can't beat the Subi AWD

The Forester Touring has heated front and rear seats as well as a heated steering wheel.

Me parece que soy el único en abla español o latino, yo tengo un forester XT Y NO LO CAMBIO POR NINGUNO. El BMW me parece muy elegante como coche europeo pero poco eficaz a la hora de meterlo por terreno accidentado

This is a good review from a price perspective, but given that the XT Premium is the highest spec model, and the X1 sDrive 20i is the base petrol, this isn't the most accurate comparison in terms of the same grade of car. Whilst the xDrive 25i is around $12,000 more, it would have been the more suitable car for grade by grade comparison, given its 170kW engine, and all-wheel drive, very similar to the XT (as well as more standard features, incl, heated seats). This price premium is nearly understandable in comparison, given that there haven't been any major recalls for BMW recently (see the recent recall of Impreza, XV and Forester for steering failure), as well as that element of german engineering/quality involved (see difference in score on the JD power dependability). Although that price premium would still incorporate that brand prestige and heritage that the BMW has over the forester.

Too bad they didn't talk about angles of accent and descent, the Subaru would show just how much more off road worthy it is over the BMW. Also, more ground clearance and a much better drive system for mud, snow, gravel, sand and trails.

the bmw comes with awd also xdrive. you should compare awd to awd . to be fair

Subarus are more like an appliance. Also the screen washes out in bright light.

why not compare the AWD Subaru with a (AWD) BMW the xdrive and not the (2WD) sdrive???

They said most people don't use the 4wd except offroad 1 or 2 days a year. Well, I have a steep driveway and I have a subaru. My neighbor has a steep driveway and a front wheel drive car. When it snows I can get in my driveway, but my neighbor can't get in his driveway. Oh by the way I still get 33mpg.

All the people who disliked are bmw x1 owners.

Test drove both bought the X1. Subaru unfortunately was tested last and no comparison could be made, the BMW is in a different class of refinement.The approach angle is better on Subaru so if your doing more off road then maybe would be a choice.

It's so strange to see Aussie's wearing winter coats and hats while it's sweltering heat here in New England, USA. Obviously it's winter in the southern hemisphere, but it's messing with my head. When I think of Australia I think of warmth year round, regardless of season. I've always wanted to live in New Zealand or Australia in December, January, February and March. I hate winter.

don't you have winter in Australia? 4x4 in Europe equals safety like 3-5 month/year.

Wait it gets cold in Australia? TIL

You guys pasted my house at 9:13 😂. I didnt know your headquarters were in canberra

Heated seats "for days like today". Come on! I barely even use my Subie's heated seats when it's -30 degrees Celsius here in Canada!

In a recent compact SUV pedestrian detection test BMW x1 failed miserably. It was the only car that didn't slow down at all. Rav4 and Forester stopped completely in the same test.