Our Rides: An SUV of Our Own

Subaru is one of our favorite brands. This is true. The Forester is our favorite SUV. This is also true.

The reasons are plenty. The company’s American arm loves us, and we love them back. The SUV provided many memories of us for being practical and just right for our lifestyle.

For 2025, the love affair with our community continues with a new Forester.

You can say that this Forester has caught up with the times, while still delivering everything we ask for from previous iterations of this popular model. Visually, it has a new personality. However, it continues to be powered by the same driveline as always.

Let us break all of this down for you.

The body is new. You can see it within the details — a new grille texture, headlamps, side glass profile, the rear pillar badge, the liftgate, and taillights. It just looks like a new Forester visually.

What you do not see — rather, not notice — is that the Forester retains the same body dimensions as the last-generation model. Just an inch or two difference in some places, but the wheelbase remains the same.

You will notice that the Forester is stronger than before. Subaru added 10% more torsional rigidity throughout the body and structure through better welding at key points. This is something you will feel when you take your Forester onto the dirt or gravel road.

There are five trim levels available on the 2025 Forester. We sampled the Sport model, which featured some bronze-finished elements inside and out, including the 19-inch aluminum wheels.

Subaru also tweaked the interior while mixing familiar and new elements never-before-seen on a Forester. The main dials of the instrument cluster are analog, while the center screen is digital. There’s plenty of information to scroll through, which is also available on the top part of the big 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen. You will also find the switches and controls are the same as on most Subarus.

About that big touchscreen — it is the newest element in the 2025 Forester. This is the same Starlink touchscreen you will find the latest Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy. Not sure why it took so long for it to get into the Forester, but it is here and works very well.

Our Forester Sport wears a soft StarTex leather-like upholstery in black along with dark bronze stitching and trim. The front seats are softer and more comfortable than before with plenty of support. The rear seat room is very good for most bodies. Four to five people could sit comfortably inside across two rows of seats.

Behind the rear seats is 27.5 cubic feet of cargo space that is easy to get to and load up. Fold down the rear seats, and it will expand to 69.1 cubic feet.

A 180-horsepower 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine powers the 2025 Forester. The “Boxer” engine also puts down 178 pound-feet of torque. This is connected to a continuously variable transmission with eight shift points that can be accessible through the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Symmetrical all-wheel drive continues to be standard, along with an X-Mode system with three traction profiles to choose from.

By the way, we should mention that we averaged 27.4 MPG. Not bad in terms of fuel economy, although Subaru and the Environmental Protection Agency state that it could get up to 32 MPG on the highway.

The driving experience the Forester delivers is exactly what we expect from a Subaru. We expect a smooth ride, competent handling, solid steering, and brakes. If you have driven an older Forester, you are in for a treat. You will notice the improvements over the years and appreciate how much Subaru has evolved in keeping the driving experience to the complete satisfaction of its loyal owners.

Another commitment Subaru has made to its customers is to keep them safe. The company’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology has been further enhanced for 2025. The newest addition to this suite of driver assistance technology is Automatic Emergency Steering, which helps to avoid a collision by having the Forester turn away from it.

For 2025, you have five Forester models to choose from, with pricing starting from $29,695. Our Forester Sport tester came with a sticker price of $37,590.

The newest version of one of our favorite vehicles turns out to be quite the value. For a new vehicle, getting one that is well-equipped for under $38,000 is rare these days, especially an SUV with all-wheel drive standard.

The 2025 Subaru Forester continues to give us what we want. We want our vehicles to be practical while giving us the ability to drive through any conditions. If you love your current Forester — or, maybe you’re thinking of swapping out of your Outback or upgrading from your Crosstrek — you are going to love this new one.