2025 SUBARU FORESTER HYBRID – INTO THE MILD

2025 SUBARU FORESTER HYBRID

INTO THE MILD

Within the Subaru Forester Hybrid’s 183 inches of overall length there sits a whole lot of goodness. Although its almost two tons of curb weight is substantial, so are the benefits of upright bodywork, standard all-wheel drive, a generous greenhouse and – as of this model year – Forester’s first hybrid powertrain. With that, the Subaru prospect (of which there are thousands) obtains adequate efficiency, adequate performance, exceptional safety and – perhaps most important – more than adequate accommodation. And from behind the wheel, its slightly awkward sheetmetal can’t be seen…except, of course, by others. 

My first intro to Subaru’s Forester as a prospective buyer was in the fall of 2010. I was leaving Suzuki’s HQ in Brea, California, and with that departure I was also leaving the company-provided Suzuki Grand Vitara. While I’m not sure ‘Grand’ was accurate, I certainly thought it was a good Grand Vitara, with credible build quality, a responsive powertrain and real off-road capability, offset – to be sure – with somewhat limited ground clearance. 

We were keeping our second home in Orange County; I had secured a freelance gig with AutoTrader, and the housing market – in late 2010 – absolutely sucked. A vehicle was needed, and Subaru’s Forester was on my short list. A base model was located, Katzkin’s leather interior was added, and I had a set of wheels for errand running in and around Orange County. 

That 2011 remained in the family ‘til recently. We sold it to our son a couple of years later, and he only recently traded it – with 130K miles – within the past year. From my purely subjective viewpoint, that was the last Forester without the fussy design detailing from which the more recent Foresters suffer, including our test 2025 Forester Limited Hybrid. Unlike the Crosstrek Hybrid tested just a couple of weeks ago, the Forester dwarfs its tires, overhangs seem exaggerated, and the sheetmetal’s creases would seem to be where curves should be – and curves are placed where creases might be. It all looks as if designed by committee…with an average age of 14.

Inside the story is both subjectively and objectively better. Despite sitting on a wheelbase identical to the Crosstrek Hybrid, the Forester is almost seven inches longer (hence the more exaggerated overhang), and weights 230 pounds more (3,911 vs. 3,677), coming awfully close to a full two tons.  That, in combination with its box-like form, should reduce performance – and does if you drive with a stopwatch; behind the wheel I didn’t detect a difference. There remains the same CVT-generated buzz as in the Crosstrek Hybrid tested previously, but the Forester gets down the road in a genuinely relaxed fashion, with EPA estimates that are just 1-2 miles south of what the Crosstrek Hybrid delivers. The Forester sits at 35 City/34 Hwy/35 Combined, while the Crosstrek is 36/36/36. Neither, of course, is in the 40+ Club, but then, this is a Subaru.

Behind the wheel or – for that matter – behind the driver, the Forester’s more expansive footprint provides for more room front and rear, and the third rear seat passenger is treated like more than an afterthought. Passenger volume is 97 cubic feet, while cargo volume is 28 cubic feet behind the second row and 69 cubic feet with the second row folded. Obviously, Walmart runs are easy, and Home Depot runs are doable.

The primary reason for buying a hybrid is efficiency, and the Forester Hybrid’s mid-30’s EPA numbers deliver on that promise. But the relaxed manner in which the Forester goes about its business is the day-to-day benefit. Acceleration doesn’t pin you to the back of the seat, but anxiety levels are reduced significantly in all but the most aggressive traffic environments…like Southern California. And with its expansive visibility you can clearly see the tractor-trailer rig about to hit you!

Plan to invest from around $38K (with destination) to the mid-$40s for your Forester Hybrid, depending on trim. Our test vehicle – a Limited – had a well-equipped base of $39,410, adding $395 for its River Rock Pearl paint and $1,420 for destination, totalling $41,225. Once you bump $40K there are a lot of available options, but if buying for a decade of driving you won’t outgrow Subaru’s Forester Hybrid; nor will you wear it out.