The Subaru Forester is wonderfully adequate
Welcome to the middle of the road. It might be straining, but it’s holding. Its survival is verified by the existence of the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid, the newest rendition of a vehicle Subaru has sold more than 2.6 million of during its 27-year lifetime.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Subaru
Yet adding something rational like a hybrid driveline to increase fuel economy seems so sensible, you wonder why Subaru hasn’t tried it before. Oh, they’ve tried hybrids, the first being the 2014 Crosstrek, followed by the 2019 Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid. But Subaru has never engineered one for the Forester.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Subaru
The hybrid system merely enhances the Subaru Forester’s utilitarian temperament, rendering it an even more eminently practical automobile. While you can add snazzy wheels or opt for the black-painted roof, they bring little, if anything, to the party. It’s like your elderly parents dressing out of Abercrombie or Forever 21.
The hybrid magic under the hood
Subaru’s new Forester hybrid uses the Atkinson Cycle 2.5-liter flat-four engine. The Atkinson Cycle delays the closure of the intake valve during the compression stroke, reducing the engine’s compression ratio and increasing its expansion ratio for more efficient energy extraction during gasoline combustion. The horizontally-opposed four in the hybrid is good for 162 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque on its own. The first electric motor acts as a traction motor and can output a maximum of 118 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, helping the gas engine propel the vehicle. Another motor acts as a generator from within the transmission case, helping to start the engine, convert excess power into electricity for the battery, and regulate the engine's output and traction motor.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Subaru
Altogether, the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid produces 194 horsepower while returning an EPA-rated 35 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That’s 14 horsepower and 5 mpg more than the standard Forester. Along with it comes extra weight from the hybrid components, weighing in at around 260 pounds more than a conventional Subaru Forester Limited. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and four-wheel drive are standard.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Subaru
Unlike competing hybrids, Subaru’s engine and motor power all four wheels through its center differential. This is different from most competitors, who slap a separate motor in the rear to handle things when the tail comes loose. The difference is a smooth flow of power to all four wheels, which makes it an easy vehicle to drive confidently and play in traffic. That said, the Hybrid’s extra weight negates the extra horsepower, so it’s no faster than its less-powerful, non-hybrid sibling.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Subaru
Hill climbing is another matter. That’s when the CVT betrays its worst tendencies as the engine moans loudly in agony. Another 50 horses would really help here. It’s not quite as bad when asking for more power to pass, but you won’t get the quick, sharp downshift from the CVT that you would from a traditional transmission.
What is it like behind the wheel?
Yet despite being a practical buggy, not a sports sedan, you’ll be surprised at how well it handles twisty roads. It’s better than you might expect, with a 19° angle of approach, 19.3° ramp breakover angle, and a 24.6° departure angle. But really push it hard, and its grocery getter genetics reveal themselves. Of course, few Forester owners will. The ride is fairly firm, but bump absorption is still fairly good. Body lean is evident, but far from excessive. Road noise is also kept at bay, making this a fairly quiet ride.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Subaru
Off-road behavior is surprisingly good, with Subaru’s excellent all-wheel-drive system making the experience a snap. Tackling some washouts, dirt roads, and a few rocky bits of terrain at Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, south of San Francisco, the Forester Hybrid fairly felt adept for what is otherwise a mall-crawling, subdivision stalwart. This vehicle’s 72-inch width makes it easy to navigate narrow trails, and kudos for what may be the industry’s easiest-to-use hill descent control. It comes on just when you need it, and shuts off when you don’t. Now, I didn’t and wouldn’t challenge any Wranglers or Broncos, but it’s more of an off-road athlete than you might expect. Still, a sharper image from the front view camera would have been helpful.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid
Subaru
Despite my playing in the dirt, my test drive returned 32 mpg in combined driving, three mpg below EPA estimates, and very good, overall.
So, in summary...
The 2025 Subaru Forester’s ride is fairly firm, but it absorbs bumps well nonetheless. Body lean is evident, but far from excessive. Road noise is kept to a minimum, providing a fairly quiet ride. Its cabin offers two roomy rows and a cabin height suitable for most people. Thankfully, accessing the seats doesn’t require you to stoop down lower than a slug to access them. Carrying stuff? The cargo hold seems larger than its stated 28 cubic feet.
Inside, the 2025 Subaru Forester comes with an 11.6-inch center-mounted, high-resolution touchscreen that is uniquely vertically oriented and features wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. The software’s on-screen buttons are large, and it’s fairly easy to use, but its design is visually loud and lacks a clear hierarchy to make controls easy to find quickly.
Final thoughts
The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid is the ideal vehicle for those who value its incredible utility, safety, sensibleness, and thriftiness. For these drivers, that means more than 0-60 mph times or cameo appearances in the Fast and Furious. It means that the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid remains what Foresters before it have always been: practical, not puerile. Thank goodness for the middle of the road.
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