2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid

The adventurous and reliable Subaru Forester has long been a smart choice among compact SUVs, and the new hybrid version is even smarter. Subaru’s compact SUV has been redesigned for 2025, and the lineup has been expanded to include the first-ever Forester Hybrid. It’s more efficient than the gas-only version, of course, but it’s also just as capable and even a tad more satisfying to drive. Combined with a modest price premium that a typical owner should more than recoup in gas savings, we think the Forester Hybrid is the Forester for most.

The Subaru Forester has been completely redesigned for 2025, and the lineup has been expanded to include the Subaru Forester Hybrid. It’s the first gas-electric version of the automaker’s popular and venerable compact SUV, and it features an impressive new hybrid powertrain.

The Forester Premium tends to be a popular choice, and is easy to recommend for its impressive collection of standard goodies.

The Forester Hybrid is priced about $1,500 higher than its gas-only counterpart when taking everything into account. With EPA estimates suggesting fuel savings of about $300 per year with the hybrid, it looks like it’ll take five years of driving to recoup that $1,500. But here are a few things to keep in mind: 1) You also recover a big chunk of that price premium when you sell or trade the vehicle, so to break even on the upgrade you might need to save only $750 in gas over a full 5-year buy/drive/sell ownership cycle. 2) If gas is expensive where you live, or you drive even more than 15,000 miles per year, your savings will add up more quickly (the reverse is also true). 3) Saving money and consuming less aren’t the only benefits: With the hybrid you’ll enjoy a slightly better driving experience, even.

When comparing prices with other hybrid compact SUVs, keep in mind every Forester Hybrid features all-wheel drive, and the base model is more generously equipped than some others. The Subaru Forester lineup also enjoys some of the strongest resale values in its class. Remember, recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

Before buying a Forester Hybrid, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying.

From a driving perspective, the newest Forester is the most refined and competitive ever. As is so often the case nowadays, the hybrid version is even more enjoyable to drive than the gas-only model, and perhaps even a tick quicker. The Forester Hybrid responds just a bit more quickly and smoothly to throttle inputs, brake feel is good, and it’s exceptionally quiet inside, even more so than the newly hushed non-hybrid Forester. The segment’s tidiest turning circle helps make tight parking lots more easily navigable.

The Forester Hybrid also maintains the same exceptional ground clearance and robust all-wheel-drive system that have long distinguished the Forester as one of the most capable and adventurous compact SUVs. We climbed a steep and rutted dirt hill that left some other compact SUVs fruitlessly spinning their wheels, the latest demonstration that those Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive badges mean something.

2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid MPG

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid is rated to return fuel economy of 35 mpg in combined city and highway driving. That’s better than the gas-only Forester’s 29 mpg, for an EPA-estimated average savings of about $25 per month at the pump. The 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD is a standout at 39 mpg, which works out to a difference of about $12 per month compared to the Forester Hybrid.

A Subaru compact SUV should have an interior that’s roomy, functional, and comfortable. And if it borders on stylish here and there, with some rich designs and materials on offer, all the better. The Forester Hybrid has it all covered.

Highlights include a new digital gauge cluster not yet offered in the non-hybrid Forester, and tall windows that provide excellent outward visibility. Some shoppers will also appreciate that the Forester Hybrid offers a traditional transmission selector as opposed to something of the increasingly common stalk, dial, or button varieties.

The Forester Hybrid gives up a bit of rear headroom and cargo volume compared to the non-hybrid version, but the Forester is among the segment’s roomiest in both regards, so the tradeoff is inconsequential for most. The Forester is also a standout in total legroom, all of which carries over to the hybrid.

If we could change one thing about the Forester, it would be the aging infotainment system. It does the job for the most part, but it’s among our least favorite systems. The interface and responsiveness leave much to be desired.

We like the Forester’s signature upright, boxy design. A handful of unique traits make it interesting, including the horizontal line connecting the rear windows to the liftgate window, with “Symmetrical AWD” spelled across. Many Kelley Blue Book editors are also partial to the available bronze-finish wheels. The only things that give it away as a hybrid are small badges on the front doors and liftgate.

Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
Subaru’s esteemed all-wheel-drive system is more robust than most, and one of the key reasons Subaru’s vehicles are so prevalent in areas of the country that regularly experience challenging weather and road conditions.

8.7 inches of ground clearance
The Forester Hybrid’s standard and extra-strength all-wheel-drive system is complemented by the most ground clearance in the segment (8.7 inches).

Intrepid efficiency
The primary benefits of hybrid ownership are buying and burning less gasoline. Some competitors offer a couple more miles per gallon, but none offer the Forester Hybrid’s reputation for adventure.

Digital instrument cluster
It’s nice to see Subaru inject more tech into its interiors, and the standard 12.3-inch instrument cluster here is a nice addition.

Emergency Stop Assist
Part of the Forester Hybrid’s strong suite of active safety features, this will stop the vehicle, turn on the hazard lights, unlock the doors, and call emergency services if the driver becomes unresponsive to warnings while using adaptive cruise control.

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
This interface is becoming increasingly common on new vehicles, but we still appreciate the feature. If it’s been several years since you purchased or leased a new vehicle, this smartphone connectivity feature will feel like a revelation.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid employs a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine coupled with electric motors and a lithium-ion battery, making a combined 194 horsepower. That’s a bit more than the regular Forester, but also a bit short of its hybrid competitors. As with the standard Forester, this hybrid model uses a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and all-wheel drive.

3-year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Subaru’s new-vehicle warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first, while powertrain coverage is five years or 60,000 miles. These are common coverages among mainstream manufacturers. Batteries for hybrid systems usually have a generous warranty, the details of which we are awaiting from Subaru. However, the federally mandated coverage for these components is for eight years or 100,000 miles, at minimum.

Safety

The 2025 Subaru Forester and Forester Hybrid have yet to be crash-tested, but the 2024 Forester garnered Top Safety Pick status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the 5-Star top score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). All models come with Subaru’s impressive EyeSight safety suite with features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and more. It has been enhanced for 2025 to operate faster and smoother, and now features Emergency Stop Assist, which activates if the driver becomes unresponsive when using adaptive cruise control.