Bought our 2019 Forester Premium from new. 80,000 miles later, there have been zero problems. We test drove all the competitors, but we kept coming back to the Forester. It's not perfect, but it is hands down the best all-rounder compact SUV, period. Having said that, either one of these would be an excellent choice.
I drove a Forester Limited and RAV4 XLE today. While I don't disagree that the Toyota feels a little "newer" I just didn't like it as much as the Subaru. The interior fit and finish on the Toyota just felt a little cheaper overall to me even though the electronics are maybe a bit newer and more refined in the way they work. I've owned Toyotas for 15 years now and have been happy with them but I think I prefer the Subaru because its a little rough around the edges if that makes any sense....
For the first time, I’d say the Forester. Given the market and mark ups, it’s just not a good value to spend upwards of 35k for an appliance SUV that still rattles. Buy the Forester premium trim and call it a day people.
I did just that! I couldn’t stomach the mark ups on the RAV4 and Toyota unable to even tell me how long it would take to get a vehicle after paying $1000 down to order one! Disappointing because the RAV4 is gorgeous. I’m loving my new forester touring that I got for under MSRP and I drove it home same day after falling in love with it at the dealership.
@@PaulaNowling Yep! I was a faithful Toyota owner for over 30 years, but all the L.A. Toyota dealership salespeople we contacted last year were jerks, ripping people off for $5k up to $10k over MSRP for "dealer mark-ups." Being tempted to go back to Subaru after owning a base Hatchback almost 40 years ago (it was a champ!), I did just that. I found a Subaru dealer who advertised that they don't tag on dealer mark-ups and I bought a '22 Forester Premium and couldn't be happier. Paula, awesome that you got below MSRP! 👍 I found Cliff's comment interesting about the play in the Forester's steering. I've found it to be pretty tight and in fact another RU-vid reviewer even described it as "sports car like." Go figure... 🙂 Also, Cliff, I'd bet that Toyota doesn't equip the RAV4 with a more power engine because that would likely bring down its MPG and make it less competitive with the Forester and other comparable compact SUVs.
I have been in Crosstreks for a while now and I fully agree when it comes to the visibility. Subaru SUV's have fantastic visibility! I currently have the 2023 Crosstrek PHEV and absolutely love it! The Subaru SUV line do have an older interior design, but I love this. I really do not like digging through infotainment screens to find every single simple control. The Subarus still have knobs and true buttons for most actions and I can just adjust them without looking. And the 8.7" ground clearance is awesome when driving offroad with the Crosstreks.
"The interior feels old... Like something from 2004" Have you ever driven something from 2004 bud? Or even something from 10 years ago? Do you not remember how terrible they were?
I owned a Forester in 2004, no comparison; personally I don’t like the add on tablet look many manufacturers use, integrated is more pleasing to the eye.
@@stuartferguson7947 I would say easier to operate and safer! Wen you reach for a volume knob or a tacticle button you don't need to look at it to use it, on a tuch screen you have to.
My wife and I spent the last two weeks searching for a replacement for our aging 2013 Explorer, which has been very good to us. We no longer require the third row, as our kids are grown. We drove several makes of SUVs and have settled on the Forester Wilderness. Only an inch shorter than our Explorer, but the visibility, wow! I had to laugh when you said it is like being in a greenhouse; we agree, especially with the moonroof. Edit: we did test drive the RAV4 Xseries and thought we had a winner til we drove the Forester. On an interior styling note, all the dashboards from the other models looked like they had iPads glued to them and stuck up higher than the dash, yuck. We think Subaru integrated the screens well, even if the resolution is not the best of the bunch. Great review!
I have the same feeling you do after driving both. Either would have served my needs but the Forester is so easy to see out of. just like my 1985 Chevrolet Caprice and 1981 Pontiac Bonnevilles where the side windows are tall and easy to see out of. The Forester interior has more "personality" if you can call it that than the Rav 4 does. Though the Forester I'm hoping to get and that I drove was a Sport model.
On our Rav we had to put studded snow tires on every winter for enough traction in our very mountainous area. Our Outback and Forester did great with just the factory tires. We now have Michelin Cross Climate tires on both of our Subie’s. They’re not a great tire for serious off roads but are great on highway, surface and back roads all day long.
I looked at the Rav before buying my Forester. The fit and finish on the Rav was subpar. I was Not impressed with the Rav at all. I had a 11 Rav 4WD Limited and it was superior over the new Rav in every category. The Forester is superior over my 11 Rav. Ultimately I’m extremely satisfied with my Forester and will buy another one when my current Forester wears out. It’s also quite a bit cheaper to insure a Forester and in 25, the redesigned Forester will have the Rav’s hybrid system.
you are 100% correct. I have a 2020 Subaru forester and I love it. I do worry sometimes that something is going to go wrong with it one day...but I agree, next gen Forester will have an improved eboxer hybrid engine. It will be bloody expensive but it will be amazing.
@@lucyberger7625 I’m hoping the prices wont go up too much. My Touring is now $39K for all of the accessories that I put on mine last year when I bought mine.
With the market as it is now I wouldnt be surprized. In Australia, my 2020 iS top of the range forester is going for $36990. Brand new top of the range is $52k... but still less than the inflated prices of the RAV 4 @@Doc1855
I like your Review. Two pieces of information to add for the forester. There is a S# button on the steering which changes the Tune on the Forester and basically instead of operating on the low RPMS (under 2k). it gets the forester into this rally high RPM level of 4k and higher and its awesome. makes the car scream in any situation and very useful on highways. That being said. I will disagree with you on high way driving the Wilderness. She is pretty good and has enough for me to pass trucks and cars. her comfy speed is between 65 to 75 which on normal drive gets you exactly under 2000rpm. but if you do the S#, that will put the forester in 4k RPM and above and it'll pass any body with everything it got.
Both are great options, but very different vehicles. It really depends what you want/like. We just got a Forester Wilderness, and were considering a Corolla Cross (possibly hybrid). I have a Venza already (basically an upmarket RAV4 Hybrid) and my wife wanted something a little different. The Forester just felt so unique and different to drive. While somewhat basic and perhaps a little dated in terms of infotainment, it's easy to use and still has plenty of knobs and dials (the newer units seem to be going to the large touch screens). As others have said, it's not perfect, but it seems to do a lot of things very well, so it's an easy vehicle to live with as a daily driver. My wife also really liked the "rugged" look of it. She kind of liked some trucks and Jeeps, but they are quite expensive and realistically, we'll never go off road anyway, so getting something that looks different and rugged while still having a bit more capability than most regular vehicles without breaking the bank is a bonus. It's also much better on gas than the Kia Sorento Turbo it replaced. An added bonus is no stupid games or extra markups from the dealer and they had the car on the lot available right away (almost unheard of nowadays).
What do you think about subaru forester cvt will it last?? vs rav4 automatic transmission I like both designs just a bit skeptical on the cvt and its longevity.
@@Mpireformeto As long as the CVTs work well, I don't get the hate on them. My Venza has an eCVT and it is excellent. It's more reliable than any other transmission, since it's just a set of planetary gears. No valve body, no clutch plates, no torque converter and all the other complex parts that go in other transmissions. While the Subaru doesn't use a planetary gear set, it does use a chain (not a belt) design in there. They seem to be relatively trouble free as well. Like anything, follow regular maintenance and you'll likely have minimal issues. I find most people seem to have problems when they mod, abuse or poorly maintain their vehicles (assuming it's not due to bad designs or low quality components, which doesn't seem to be the case with the Subaru CVT). The Subaru CVT is also an in-house made unit so that may be why it seems to be fairly reliable (more control over design and construction).
I had a 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited reserved but it took forever. I cancelled my reservation and would have still been waiting. I went with the 2023 Forester Wilderness and I was pleasantly surprised just how much I love the vehicle. Less modern technology than the Toyota but more rugged and durable in rough terrain, like Midwest winter roads. The AWD and safety features are top notch. You honestly can't go wrong with Toyota or Subaru. Very reliable vehicles.
Yeah, I've seen other comparisons that give the road manners advantage to the Forester, and that it is even smoother and quieter off-road, too! Watch this comparison between the Forester Wilderness and the RAV4 TRD: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KbZpzJtNAZU.html
While each vehicle may have strong and weak points, there are three that I'd point out in a Forester 1) great visibility from the interior, 2) extra comfortable suspension as it's a car thought for light offroad as well, and 3) the awd system (available from the base trim as well). These three features make the Forester different and valuable.
I drove both and loved both. There is no wrong choice and regrets you will love both cars. Forester is more spacious and capable off road. Rav 4 Adventure if hybrid mode is far far more fuel efficient. Rav 4 in sports mode on sealed dry road blows Forester out of water but in wet/snow or snake trail Forster shines with their AWD symmetrical system. In short entirely up to where you live.
Great job on that! My wife and I are searching for her next car. Inventory is a problem. Both of those are on our list. The Hyundai Tucson has a big lead. We will see.
I bought a 24' Forester premium and the acceleration and handling was significantly better than any Rav4 I drove. Which is saying something because the Forester is not a fast car... But mine does what it needs to do without being quick. It is louder at highway speeds because of the large amounts of glass. From my experience, that is the only thing that it actually loses out on. As far as interior, I enjoy having buttons and hate all the touch screen.
Man, someone saying a Toyota looks modern in comparison, really saying something lol. Nonetheless, these are both awesome cars. These are the final two choices that I'm debating between...
We’ve had two RAV4s and this time we went with Forester (Touring). I don’t understand why reviewers don’t use the S-Mode when complaining about the power. The S-Mode makes quite a difference in the mid-range when merging or overtaking. Reviewers could also give a bit more coverage to the Forester’s safety features. There are way more than I was aware of until after I bought it-pre-collision breaking, pre-collision steering avoidance, a rear cross-traffic system, and so on. That’s just a sampling. I’m beginning to see why some owners become Scoobie cultists.😄
I test drove both and I bought a Forester Wilderness. I have no complaints in S+ drive mode it has decent acceleration and handles well. I like the interior better as well. On the Rav I did prefer how the hybrid drove over the straight gas though but I felt the price was too high on a compact SUV. I think the Wilderness is a better value and also keeps its resale value like the Rav.
Forester 0-60 is faster than the RAV4 and better mid range acceleration contrary to what this guy says. Weird what he says about the steering and handling as well -- in truth Forester performance in corners is much better, not that anyone buying these cars care about that.
Right? All other reviews I’ve watched has said the opposite.. I’m confused. I’m leaning to the Forster because the Rav 4 looks so tin like and cheap interior no it is cramped.
@@LULC0759 Neither are race cars but both are really good vehicles. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Comes down to which of the two you would rather drive.
I drove an older Forester model from east till west coast and back. Even a tiny bit of off-road. I was pleasently surprised by its driving comfort and safety systems. At heavy rain showers it scared a bit, beacuse it says, I can't see do it your self. Cruise and auto breaking turns off, appearently due what I heared in this vid due only camera and not radar. But that car did the job without any issues. For me definate an A-ranked SUV to travel safe with and with a very good milage.
I LOVE my 2024 Wilderness Forester. I disagree about the interior and think it’s attractive. Everyone who’s gotten in the vehicle comments how nice it looks. I love the camera on the front. I could go on and on about what I love about this vehicle. The acceleration isn’t there, but I’m had no problem passing when needed. I’m not out there trying to race and beat people off the line, so it’s not been an issue.
RAV4 is not an off-road vehicle. The undercarriage is identical to the Camry. Get a 4Runner if you want to off-road. Forrester is a bit better but it's for driving in New Hampshire, let's be honest
why you didn't try a drag race having both, then we can see how they match, the forester has shorter gearing, making it faster than the regular forester and also less fuel efficient!
in europe it's simple the rav4 (hybrid all we can buy) is a city-road suv that isn't horribly bad in terrain while the forester is used almost exclusively by farmers, foresters, hunters people living in the mountains you see them everywhere when you leave cities and the looks and styling is very seconday because they will be used in dirt forests with branches scratching the sides which would be a bit sad on a rav4, this is the reason why 2025 foresters gets a restyling but I'm not sure it'll work (I'm looking at both because in truth I don't need crazy offroad just something that is high enough for a dirt road once a week)
The problem I found on test drives of both , was with the seats of the Wilderness. Made out of a wonderful synthetic material Subaru calls StarTex ; in the Wilderness , Subaru has cut a design into the seat material . The design reminds me of little hex nuts. In other models where the StarTex is smooth , the pants and shorts I wear slide easily along the StarTex when repositioning on the drivers seat . But the design cut into the StarTex in the Wilderness , grips my pants or shorts as I sit down or attempt to slide across or reposition myself on the drivers seat , and makes those actions uncomfortable to perform.
Forester has fallen to it's lowest sales in Australia with the competition hotting up and the Subaru starting to show it's age. It's a shame because it has so much going for it. I hope the Subaru designers get the external look right for the new model due for 2025.
Based off of recently driving a 2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness and seeing the interior of the new generation of the WRX as well as seeing videos of the new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek I'd say look at those and that will give you a small sneak peak of what to expect in the 2025 Foresters.
For those who have owned both…how do the A/C systems compare? I take the dog everywhere with me in the summer and my 2015 Crosstrek struggles to keep up on 90degree and humid days (compressor replaced and recharged) My wife’s RAV4 a/c works way better. Does Subaru just have inferior a/c?
Seems like Subaru never fixed that problem. I have a 2008 Impreza and the AC has to stay on all the time or else it'll be instantly hot within 1 sec of shutting it off. Yeah it struggles
I have the adventure 2021 and I put AT’s on living in Northern Cali where it’s extremely rural, and has some real terrain, unlike little dirt road you shown. It’s all about the driver. I trust Toyota wayyy more over Subaru. Going to the ski park or driving in Snow in general. Subaru owners have too much confidence and end up putting it in the ditch constantly. I drive around them a lot up here in Tahoe. I love my adventure
The only difference is within you. Basically because you can drive the wilderness harder on bumps because it has a bash plate at the bottom.. also you have the added security of a full spare tire in the back.
I have just bought a 4th Generation Toyota Sienna but us disappointed with its modern interior that is too crowded and to busy with useless information readouts. I still have the 2nd Generation Toyota Sienna, a 2005 model that is still running great at 325K miles without major repairs. I wish Toyota had kept the 2005 interior especially the 2005 seats which are better designed, built and quality. However, The new Sienna Hybrid has much better MPG
I always bought new pickups since my first new one in 1986.Just downsized to a 2023 Subaru Forester which for me who doesn't drive on highways much i found the Subaru very pepi at the 35-40mph range but compared to beefier truck bodies the foresters body feels like a beer can and the boxer engine is unique but interesting to learn about.The ONLY real reason i bought one was the price some 10 grand cheaper then Toyota and Honda's i planned to get originally. If you don't plan on keeping your vehicle to the wheels fall off then i would say lease a Toyota or Honda. 30 plus years ago Subaru's were crap. After years of issues i feel they got most of the bugs out since for the most part Subaru's have not changed much in years except for cosmetics.
Try to watch moose test on RAV4 hybrid it does not have a good results . the dynemic behavior is bad,very bad. Forester wilderness is far better off road car then most of suv ,it showes the back also to outback with turbo engine ,,(see sarah n tune test pn the hill climb)Turbo is not garanty for vood off road... i think RAV4 TRD is luck of groung clearens and with not great engels in front and back, really i can not see soneone that wants the wildeness consider to buy RAV 4 TRD.
Subaru, hands down. No ifs, ands or buts. Toyota hasn't built a decent vehicle since the '90s. And the RAV4 has oil consumption issues, as well as a super cheap, Walmart grade interior.
All car companies should give buyers the option to choose the transmission they want. Most would not choose the CVT yet it is forced upon us by the climate czars just like everything else is these days!! We the customers no longer have a say in anything!
