Starts at $29,995
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What's New for 2025?
Redesigned inside and out, the 2025 Forester hews closely to this popular model's traditional formula. Very closely. Acceleration remains underwhelming with the barely changed 2.5-liter flat-four engine, while the new Forester's dimensions are nearly identical to those of its predecessor. Perhaps the most notable upgrade is the 11.6-inch infotainment interface, which easily eclipses last year's 8.0-inch top offering while adding wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Overall, this looks to be one of the least impactful redesigns in recent memory, meaning you're giving up hardly anything by looking at lightly used older Foresters. In fact, last year's Wilderness trim continues to be sold brand-new along its next-generation brethren for 2025, carrying a slightly higher base price of $34,995, and its superior towing capacity and quicker acceleration make a good case for giving the newer Forester a miss.
2025 Forester Selector
2025 Subaru Forester
FAST FACTS
"The Forester continues to deliver the comfortable ride, spacious interior and real off-road capabilities that it's renowned for, but its redesign for 2025 seems strangely uninspired. Hardly anything has changed aside from the introduction of a larger touchscreen infotainment system. We like the new styling — the previous design was an acquired taste — but we wish Subaru had done more to set the new Forester apart. Nonetheless, if you like the idea of traditional Forester virtues in a handsome new wrapper, this Subaru's for you."—Ranked #7 out of 15 Compact SUVs
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Subaru Forester that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
The 2025 Forester shares its wheelbase with the outgoing 2024 model, and although its engine is technically not quite the same, it's a distinction without a difference. Acceleration — our primary complaint about the previous Forester — has not improved, although road noise while cruising is noticeably less intrusive. For all this, Subaru has boosted the Forester's base price by nearly $3k. Note that the Sport and Touring trims, which are the two with upsized 19-inch wheels, are deemed slightly less fuel-efficient by the EPA at 28 mpg combined (25 city/32 highway).
What do you need to know about the Forester Hybrid? It's about 350 pounds heavier than the regular Forester, for one thing, and it has marginally less headroom and cargo capacity. It's also nearly $7k more to start. So what's the good news? Well, the standard Forester was already quite fuel-efficient for an all-wheel-drive SUV, but the Forester Hybrid ups the ante with its 35-mpg EPA combined rating, putting it 6 mpg clear of the regular version's best number. It also makes slightly more power and presumptively more torque (Subaru doesn't provide a combined gas-electric torque figure), but with all that extra weight, don't expect a miracle on the acceleration front.
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008, personally driving most new cars on the market every year since. He also served as the project manager for Edmunds' expert vehicle rankings from their inception in 2018, building the product out from the back end to the front end. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has tested, compared and critiqued a ridiculous number of cars in his career.
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