Honda CR-V vs. Subaru Forester: What’s The Difference?
Subaru by EurovisionNim — CC-BY-SA-4.0
When you’re looking at compact SUVs, Honda and Subaru have some of the best vehicles on the market. The CR-V and Forester are two prime examples of this, both having received excellent safety ratings and customer reviews over the many years they’ve been manufactured.
It can be difficult, though, to pin down exactly what sets them apart if you don’t know what to look for. Luckily, we’ve compiled a handy guide comparing Honda CR-V vs. Subaru Forester, so look no further for all the information you need!
A Brief Overview
You can’t go wrong with either the Honda CR-V or the Subaru Forester if you’re looking for a reliable, tried and true SUV to hit the road with your family in. However, what you prioritize most will be what decides which one you should purchase. The Forester boasts excellent safety ratings and top-quality infotainment features, while the CR-V shines in its performance capabilities, roomy cargo space, and amazing fuel economy.
The differences between these two vehicles aren’t huge in most of these categories, but they can add up. We must say, though, that the Subaru Forester is a few thousand dollars cheaper than the CR-V across the board, so if you’re really on the fence and none of these differences mean that much to you, the Forester could be the way to go.
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Specs
If you’re looking at sheer engine performance, the Honda CR-V beats out the Subaru Forester. Its 1.5 Liter, 190 horsepower engine is a worthy opponent to the Forester’s 2.5 Liter, 182 horsepower engine. Many drivers have stated that the Forester’s engine feels a little weak, and this phenomenon is only magnified when you compare Honda CR-V vs. Subaru Forester.
One of the biggest reasons people love the CR-V so much is that it drives like a dream, with a steady ride that’s easy to handle. The Forester certainly isn’t bad to drive, but it doesn’t live up to that same ride quality either. The steering has been said to feel disconnected at times, and it simply isn’t as enjoyable to cruise around in.
Not only does the CR-V have a stronger engine than the Forester, but it also has more cargo space too. When the seats are down, you can use about 76 cubic feet of room in the CR-V, compared to about 71 cubic feet in the Forester. Though the difference isn’t huge, this might be something worth noting if you plan to maximize usage of your trunk and frequently pack it full.
Safety and Reliability
We’ll start off by saying that both the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester have been hailed as safe and reliable vehicles, both getting solid safety ratings from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. However, safety is usually an incredibly important priority to SUV shoppers, so any difference in this category is worth considering.
With that being said, the Forester reigns supreme in safety and reliability. It garnered a 2021 Top Safety Pick+ accolade from the IIHS, and its headlights earned a Good rating in all trim levels. The Honda CR-V did not win this award, and all of its trims’ headlights got a Marginal rating until you get to the Touring trim level, in which the headlights receive an upgrade. For the purposes of feeling comfortable and safe in your SUV, you should be fine in either vehicle, but the Forester wins the Honda CR-V vs. Subaru Forester competition here.
Gas Mileage
The two compact SUVs have pretty similar fuel economy, but the Honda CR-V just barely wins out. For models that have Front Wheel Drive, you can expect an estimated 28 miles per gallon in the city and 34 miles per gallon on the highway. The All-Wheel Drive models get slightly worse gas mileage, with an estimated 27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 miles per gallon on the highway.
The Subaru Forester’s All Wheel Drive, on the other hand, gets about 26 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway. This is still solid fuel efficiency, but it doesn’t quite match up to the standard set by the Honda CR-V.
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Technology
In the Honda CR-V vs. Subaru Forester comparison, an area that the Forester does win in is the technological features offered. You’ll enjoy a more robust entertainment experience in the Forester with its base model, including a 6.5-inch touchscreen that features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base CR-V only has a 5-inch touchscreen, and neither of those smartphone features are available from the offset.
You can get a larger touchscreen along with that software in the CR-V if you spring for a better trim level, but it never reaches the heights that the Forester’s more advanced trim levels do. On top of being larger and easier to see, it’s been said numerous times that the Subaru Forester’s infotainment system is simply better to use than the Honda CR-V. It’s less buggy and a lot easier to navigate while also responding faster to your touch.
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Price
The Subaru Forester has the Honda CR-V beat on price. All Foresters come with All Wheel Drive, whereas the CR-V has you pay a couple of thousand dollars extra to upgrade to it from Front Wheel Drive. The base Forester trim starts at $25,485 and still leaves you with plenty of features to enjoy. You’ll only want to upgrade the trim if the added features are truly worth it to you.
This is not the case with the CR-V, as it starts at $26,525 and doesn’t come with very good features in its base trim. Furthermore, you’ll be shelling out at least $28,025 if you want All Wheel Drive, making the CR-V a few thousand dollars more expensive than the Forester across the board. This can certainly be worth it if the CR-V’s cargo space and performance are your priorities, but in the Honda CR-V vs. Subaru Forester fight, the Forester wins in this category.
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