The New 2025 Subaru Forester is the Vehicle Your Dog Has Waited fFor

I'm in the forest, in the new Subaru Forester doing foresty things and I'm going to tell you all about this vehicle but I'm not going to waste your time. One thing, watch these on your TV, they look great. Most automakers envy the loyalty of Subaru owners. It's not just snowbelters now, the brand is gaining sales traction in the smile states. There's a new Forester for 2025 which should get the attention of both the flannel shirt and sundress crowd, plus their dogs. It looks familiar and different at the same time with styling that bridges lifestyles. These days, that's refreshing. With destination and standard symmetrical all-wheel drive, a base Forester starts at around $31,100. I'm driving a top-trim touring model and as tested, it's stickers for $41,400. Now comparably equipped, that's about the same as a Honda CR-V, a little bit less than the Toyota RAV4, a little bit more than the new Chevy Equinox. Though I suppose that all depends on your negotiating skills, huh? Touring is the glamping edition. Moving up from the base to the premium trim adds hill descent control and drive modes, a bigger interface screen, 6 speakers instead of 4, and the ability to see the trees through the Forester, worth the extra $2,200 and in my opinion, the sweet spot. Forester continues to ride on Subaru's global platform. It's been overhauled with extra higher strength steel, triple the structural adhesives, and a new assembly method that builds the whole unibody first, then adds body panels. 10% stiffer than the 2024 model? I'll take that. All Foresters have 8.7 inches of ground clearance and trek with the same 2.5-liter 4-cylinder Boxer engine. I don't really need to explain that this engine is different in that its pistons don't fire vertically, they punch horizontally, but I guess I just did. It makes 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, no matter the trim level. All get the same continuously variable transmission, though starting with the Sport there are simulated shifts here. It's also where X-Mode makes the grade, good for owners that live in snow and mud conditions. SI Drive sharpens up the throttle response and transmission mapping. Like Jeep, Subarus actually get taken off pavement, so let's start on this dirt road in the shadow of Mount Si. Could you take a Camry on this? Yep, but slowly annoying everyone else out here, cameras just don't show how rough this is. Arguably, this is Forester's natural habitat. I know a lot of people in the Pacific Northwest that take these kinds of Forest Service roads to get to the good hiking and mountain biking trails. The new structure feels much more substantial. There's no creaking or rattling, plus there's 8.7 inches of ground clearance. Chances are you aren't going to prang the undercarriage. Now I am assuming that Subaru has a wilderness Forester coming, it just hasn't talked about that yet. I've driven Raptor, Trail Boss, and AT4X on this section at speed. Forester won't like that, but it does have off-road chops. It'll get you to the fun, and more important, back home. Typically, most of these spend most time on pavement. This is not going to win any drag races, but last time I checked, Forester owners don't do that kind of thing. This'll spool up to 60 mph in, you know, 8.5 seconds. Acceleration feels just fine, and it's really nice to have standard all-wheel drive on schmutzy roads like this. This is a moderately quiet car, put your foot hard into it, and you're definitely going to hear the engine. Overall, it feels more solid, more put together, better to tackle road trips in, and you do have to travel to get to most recreation. The suspension is tuned exactly the way it should be, comfortable and compliant. This is not supposed to be a WRX. The Boxer engine lowers the center of gravity, and that helps with handling, but if you toss this hard into a corner, there's going to be some body roll and understeer. But Forester owners expect that. The structure changes should improve crash protection, something that Subaru is known for. All Foresters get the newest generation EyeSight 8 ASTEC that helps to avoid impacts in the first place. Pedestrian and cyclist automatic emergency braking is improved. Higher trims get reverse automatic braking and rear cross traffic alert. If Forester excels at anything, it's visibility. Giant panes of glass make this really easy to see out of. There's also blind spot warning so if you hit anything you're going to have to try. But don't do that. If the driver doesn't respond to warnings while using adaptive cruise control, the new standard emergency stop assist will bring Forester to a halt, turn on the hazard lights, unlock the doors, and call first responders. The dynamic of the continuously variable transmission feels like a Subaru CVT and that is a compliment. It doesn't have much of that rubbery dynamic. It generally feels like a geared gearbox. And you've got the shift paddles so the simulated shifts feel pretty realistic. You know, I don't know how many people actually use shift paddles. Show of hands if you do. You know I can't see you, right? For a Subie with a six-speed manual gearbox, there's always BRZ or WRX. There is a fuel-saving automatic engine stop-start system. It's fine, noticeable on startup. A button on the screen easily turns it off. It resets on startup. The EPA-rated fuel economy average is 28 miles per gallon, which is similar to the gas-only CR-V and RAV4. But those two plus Mazda CX-50, Hyundai Tucson, and Kia Sportage are also available as a hybrid right now. A Forester will be available as a hybrid, but Subaru hasn't said when just yet. I've not seen any other trim levels, but from the looks of the Touring, Subaru has hiked up the ambiance. It's not an air-maze trail boot experience, but interesting patterns, good-looking door cards, plus cut and sewn sections elevate the look. There's a heated wheel and heated leather seats. The driver's gets power and memory, the passenger's is manual. An army of cameras will show hidden boulders or tree stumps ready to scuff the wheels. Whatever your cravings, there's a good amount of storage space for snacks or whatever needs to be stashed away. The cup holders are kind of an awkward reach back. There isn't tons of black shiny plastic, there's some, and it shows wear. All but the base model get this big 11.6-inch display. There are some physical buttons and knobs, but the Starlink touchscreen does the heavy lifting. Crisp, bright, and easy to navigate, the response can be laggy and icons placed down low take eyes off the road. The top-spec Harman Kardon sound system is loud and punchy enough to party at the campsite. The charge pad works well. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are wireless, pretty common now. Remember when Forester was a basic, smallish runabout? Wow, things have changed, especially in this one. I am 5'9", I have loads of headroom. My Levi's inseam is 32 inches. Leg, knee, and footroom for my size 11's are very generous. The cushions are high enough for excellent thigh support, and the door openings are large enough so that people and car seats go in and out without issue. These slots are bigger than usual, and there aren't just pockets on both seatbacks, there are dual pockets on both seatbacks. More than just a nice graphic, this is a footstep for when you're loading things on the roof. I wouldn't expect a separate climate zone in a Forester. Adjustable vents are nice to have, plus heated seats for the outboard positions. Being all-wheel drive, you'd expect there to be a spine running down the middle. This one isn't too big. That helps with footroom. This is as far as the back windows roll down, maybe to keep your dog inside. Personally, I would stop at two passengers here for maximum comfort. Yeah, three average-sized adults will fit for short trips, but they will be a little snug. Overall, this is a nice space. The redesign of the 2025 model is different enough that owners of previous generations don't immediately recognize this as a Forester. There's this element. Along with this one, it suggests the roof comes off. It doesn't. The chrome bar has hit the trail on all trim levels, fender bulges get a deeper cut, and the C-clamp tail lamps have left camp. LED headlamps are standard. The Tourings have active cornering. Other than the WRX venting, it looks, dare I say, conventional. Less souby quirk, more suburbs curb appeal. Forester has arrived. For the first time ever, it has an available kick-to-open tailgate. Available meaning it's not in the base model. Optional on premium and sport, it's standard on limited and I like that the shade doesn't need to be left behind. Underneath, there's a spare tire. Campers and shoppers will like the useful hooks, power port, and lighting. The dark headliner doesn't show dirt and scuff marks. It's not a reach-in, but these keep bumper grime off your khakis. No 40-20-40 split or pass-through, but the floor is nearly flat. This is 74 cubic feet, courtesy of the tall roof. It's no slouch when all the seats are filled, either. Nearly 30 cubes, meaning 9 packs of the 2-ply. Just squeeze in, I'll be buying that last one. Concerned about visibility? Digital rearview mirror to the rescue. Clearly, the 2025 model is targeting a broader market while keeping the Subaru DNA intact. Mission accomplished. Generation 6 is a better Forester. It feels more substantial and upmarket. The interior is definitely nicer and that's what the owner sees the most of. Visibility is unmatched in class. Would I like more power? Yes I would. The screen is a little bit laggy. Plus, the hybrid can't come soon enough, huh? And it's possible the electric motor could provide extra scoots. That's just speculation. For now, the fact is, this new Forester should appeal to a wider spectrum of buyers and their dogs. Both Martin and I noticed that out in the wilderness, it looks good dirty. It tells the neighbors you're doing Forester things. Some automotive channels run credits with dozens of people. My version of credits is this. This is Martin Campbell. We're the entire team. He drives while I shoot running footage and he's got a great Instagram channel with lots and lots of car photos. What is it? So everybody knows. Wait a minute. You don't? What am I doing? No, no, no. Stop. Stop. I'll find it. I'm going to put it. Here's the graphic. You don't know you're channeling? Oh and Subaru added a lot of easter eggs all over. Topographical profiles. I just got the compass at the top left of the screen. And the back doors get paw prints. I missed the telescope. Subaru sponsors an observatory in Hawaii because, well stars. Its logo is the constellation Pleiades. Before I go, there's a lot of chatter that vehicles are just too expensive these days. Thing is, they've always been expensive and they always will be. Cars are the most complex consumer product on the planet. For the best value, my best advice is buy the car you love. Maybe save up a little bit longer so you get the trim level and the equipment that you want without ruining your credit. That's important. By buying the car you love, you'll keep it longer, you'll enjoy it more and you'll maintain it better. That's important. This shirt, I bought this shirt 30 years ago and at the time I thought, wow, it's really expensive. And the guy at the store said, yeah, but the quality is so good you'll probably have it for the rest of your life. Darn if he isn't right, huh? Thanks for watching. Remember to subscribe to the channel, click notifications, follow me on social media, and if you have a question, leave it in the comments. I get the legit ones. That's Driven. I'm Tom Volk.