2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid First Test: Just What the Dr. (Marten) Ordered

During our First Look at the long-awaited 2025 Subaru ForesterHybrid, we expressed high hopes this would be the one. That the electrified Forester would be the fun-to-drive Forester. Sure, power is only up 14 horses, and total system torque has never been published, but the primary electric motor makes 199 lb-ft, and the engine makes 154, so there’s no way that planetary combiner doesn’t end up whomping the gas model’s 178 lb-ft, right? Then we drove it and noted, “It’s tough to discern whether the Forester Hybrid is any quicker than the gas model.”

Two-Tenths Quicker

Our satellite-based test gear was able to discern a 0.2 second improvement in both 0–60-mph and quarter-mile acceleration times, from 8.8 to 8.6 seconds and from 16.7 to 16.5 seconds—though trap speed fell from 86.3 to 84.8 mph on the Hybrid, which suggests the gasser was closing this minimal gap.

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So acceleration remains glacial, but the glaciation rate improves from Proterozoic era to Pleistocene epoch. Eroding the Hybrid’s power and torque advantages are its 276 extra pounds (giving it 20.1 pounds per hp versus the gas model’s 20.2), as well as a powertrain control strategy that simply doesn’t prioritize jackrabbit driving styles. Sure, there are S and i driving modes, accessed by buttons on the steering wheel. And yes, S sharpens throttle response and calls for more aggressive transmission tuning, but this car never goads its driver to shoot gaps in traffic or opt for a longer, twistier route home.

Such shenanigans waste fuel, and really, isn’t the 17–20 percent reduction in EPA combined fuel consumption the whole reason for spending about 9 percent more to get a Hybrid? Don’t choose it for performance, because that ranks dead last against six AWD compact hybrid competitors we’ve tested. (The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid HTRAC is the hot rod of the pack, hitting 60 mph in 6.9 seconds.)

Braking and handling stats rank the Subaru Forester Hybrid solidly midpack, and the driving experience struck us as remarkably unremarkable. Yes, the WRX’s dual-pinion rack removes the artificial steering feel inherent in the former system’s column-mounted assist motor, but it doesn’t suddenly endow the car with amazing road feel. Mostly, the drive is that of a highly competent, comfortable, innocuous, high-riding crossover. Exactly what buyers expect.

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Back of the Fuel-Economy Pack, Too

Sadly, the competition also bests the Forester on fuel consumption. Hyundai’s mainstream Tucson Hybrid HTRAC just squeaks ahead, earning 35/35/35 mpg to the Forester’s 35/34/35. The class leaders are the Toyota RAV4 (41/38/39) and Ford Escape (42/36/39), both of which employ a similar two-motors-plus-an-engine planetary combiner hybrid architecture. (Subaru has a technology-sharing deal with Toyota, and Ford licensed the Toyota patents to build its own.) Our Toyota and Ford test cars weighed 80 to 120 pounds less. Hypermiling enthusiasts may be able to outrun the EPA by keeping the Forester’s eco coaching gauge needle in the Eco zone.

Better Plan to Go Off-Road (Gently)

Fortifying the Subaru for off-road duty accounts for much of its weight penalty relative to all other competitors, but that’s a great reason to choose the Subaru if you head off pavement at all. This gear helps give the Forester superior ground clearance—8.7 inches, versus 7.1–8.3 for everybody else—along with generous approach, breakover, and departure angles. And of course, symmetrical (mechanical) all-wheel drive with some brake-based torque vectoring should take the Forester farther off the beaten path than the electric rear drive employed by Toyota.

Subaru also offers an app on the infotainment screen that shows pitch, roll, and suspension movement graphics. On our First Drive event, Subaru sent us down some forest roads on which the Forester proved superior to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. But if you plan to do serious bushwhacking, we recommend lashing a spare wheel and tire to the roof, as the hybrid battery fits where the spare used to go.

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Smooth and Quiet on Road

So hushed was this new Subaru Forester, so devoid of the slightly flatulent, air-cooled VW Beetle flat-four cadence we associate with the brand, that we felt compelled to open the hood and verify that the RAV4’s entire engine and transmission hadn’t been swapped in. Nope! While under there, we noticed another feature right on top of the engine: the A/C compressor, mounted at a jaunty angle that could never accommodate an accessory-drive belt. Rather, it’s powered by orange high-voltage cables, allowing for smart, on-demand cooling of the driver, front seat, or entire car, as applicable based on seating sensors. All who rode along felt comfortable in the summer heat.

A Great Subaru

Let’s face it, most folks flocking into the dealer have been waiting for Subaru to offer a Forester Hybrid. They won’t be cross shopping, so they won’t notice the plastics quality, grain, gloss, and gaps in this interior aren’t quite up to the standard of some competitors in the $40K-plus class. They’re going to love the quiet, smooth ride, the comfy seats, and the awesome visibility.

They don’t want to subject their dogs to an unfamiliar new car smell, and most of the accessory doggie seat covers, cargo liners, and other accessories from the old Forester they’re trading in will probably fit this one just fine. It’s exactly what they’re looking for. But it’ll likely remain down in the cozy middle of our Ultimate Car Rankings’ Small Hybrid SUV class.