2025 Subaru Forester Review: More Of The Same, But A Little Better

Ah, yes, the Subaru Forester is a car you can still buy in the UK. If you’re reading this from the US, you’re probably wondering why that statement is even being made given how popular they are Stateside but here on our small island, it’s a rogue choice.

Since Subaru stopped selling things with big spoilers and fat exhausts here, it’s fallen out of the mainstream consciousness. For some context, the brand as a whole sold 2419 cars in the UK through 2024 – whereas Britain’s best-selling car, the Ford Puma, racked up 48,340.

Yet, that doesn’t worry Subaru too much. Its small remaining presence in the UK is one fuelled by brand loyalty, by the kind of people who bought a Forester in the ‘90s because they like their dealer, and have only ever had Foresters since.

So we could sit here and spend 800 words comparing the new Subaru Forester with the Mazda CX-5, the Kia Sportage, and maybe more ambitiously the Audi Q3 or Volvo XC60 if we’re going by Subaru UK’s launch presentation. Really though, the biggest competition to the Subaru Forester is the car it’s replacing.

For you see, the main reason anyone will likely consider making the switch to a new Forester is that their old one is in for an annual service. They’ve got the time to take a test drive, so why not? Now that the pension is in, maybe it’s time for a little bit of an upgrade.

That mentality alone justifies this new Forester offering more of an evolutionary step forward than a revolutionary one.

Mechanically, a lot remains the same. It remains on the same platform, albeit with some slight improvements – an increase in spot welds, more structural adhesive, and more rigid suspension mounting points. Subaru tells us all these things contribute to a 10 per cent increase in torsional rigidity, not that buyers will care so much about that as a figure.

It carries over an evolved version of the same 2.0-litre boxer four too. It’s still naturally aspirated, but with ‘24 improvements’. Power is 134bhp, which is actually less than before because of emissions regulations, while torque sits at 134lb ft from the engine and an occasional 14lb ft boost from an electric motor.

That’s still driven to all four wheels through a CVT, and a sheet of paper will tell you that 0-62mph can be cracked in 12.2 seconds. Yes, it does feel that slow – just getting that one out of the way.

Inside, there’s a new 11.6-inch infotainment screen replacing the double-stacked setup from the old car. It’s still a bit rubbish objectively, but subjectively better than the system it replaces – and at least comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard. Fabric seats come as standard, but going for a top-spec Touring makes those leather.

Does all of this together make for a better Subaru Forester? In short, yes.

In long, it’s still not as good a package as a Mazda CX-5 or a Kia Sportage. I think it’s incredibly ambitious of Subaru to consider that anyone looking for an Audi Q3 or Volvo XC60 would even think about one.

The interior is still full of hard-wearing plastics and feels a bit cheap. It’s not as nice to drive as the Mazda, it’s not as stylish as the Kia, and fuel economy is comparatively poor – good luck cracking even 30mpg in the country lane driving most Foresters will experience. Take it on a motorway and it’s pretty unrefined, although you do get the advantage of standard-fit adaptive cruise control.

Yet, Subaru played something of a master stroke with its UK launch, and it’s not something many manufacturers do. They brought the old car.

Driving them back to back, you can tell it’s more of the same, but just a bit better in every way. Compared with the car it replaces, it rides more comfortably, it’s quieter, it handles a little bit nicer.

The interior feels a little bit of a step forward and, weirdly for a new car, it’s easier to see out of. The boot is about as big so the dog will be happy, and still plenty in the rear seats so the grandkids will be, too.

Yes, it’s slow but no slower in reality than the old one. It’s even a little bit more efficient, although that’s not saying much.

Really, for the vast majority of people who are going to consider a new Subaru Forester – the people who currently own an old Subaru Forester – it’s a better car. If all you want is that and a dealer you’ve bought cars from for three decades running, that’s probably enough to consider it.

If you do, you’ll be parting ways with at least £38,995. That is a bit punchy compared with rivals, but worth noting you won’t get a comparable size 4x4 for cheaper – crucial for countryside buyers – and going for the bells-and-whistles version is a reasonable £4000 jump. That’ll get you heated front and rear seats, a sliding sunroof, the leather upholstery we mentioned and an electric tailgate on top of an already generous standard offering.

So yeah, the Subaru Forester is more of the same, but just a bit better. That, frankly, is going to be enough for most.