It won’t turn heads, but for those who value visibility, space and all-wheel drive, the Subaru Forester remains one of the smartest compact SUV choices
Find out what makes the plain-looking 2025 Subaru Forester the top comfort pick in Canada.
Photo by Dale Edward Johnson
The 2025 Subaru Forester isn’t flashy, but its simplicity, comfort and ease of use make it one of the most practical choices in the crowded compact SUV market.
The segment also includes Canada’s perennial best-sellers, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, along with newer entries like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-50 and Ford Bronco Sport.
The Forester was introduced for the 1998 model year. Subaru set a Canadian sales record in 2024 with 68,043 vehicles sold, including 16,367 Foresters. Subaru has built its reputation in Canada on standard all-wheel drive and safety, making the Forester a natural fit for winter conditions.
Subaru says the new Forester is “completely redesigned from the ground up” and features “a muscular exterior design, a more refined passenger cabin, and a quieter and more comfortable ride.”
While the newest Forester is freshly restyled with a more streamlined look, the middle-of-the-road appearance continues; there’s nothing innovative, futuristic, quirky or odd about the way the Forester looks—inside and out.
It gets full marks for its simplicity. All the controls and gauges are logically placed and easy to read. The 11.6-inch centre nav screen is easy to, well, navigate, which cannot be said of all nav screens these days. The Subaru’s nav screen is vertical, unlike most.
And unlike other competitors, the Subaru still has physical buttons. The stereo system has knobs to adjust the volume and tuning so the map remains displayed while you crank up the volume or change the station. The digital climate controls are always displayed at the bottom of the screen, with physical buttons on either side. This is far better than systems where the map disappears whenever you want to adjust climate or seats.
The simplicity is carried over to the trim. The interior comes across as conservative, though the dash features a textured honeycomb-style design and the seats include orange stitching. It’s tasteful, but not bold.
The driving position is excellent. Visibility is strong, thanks to tall side windows and a large rear window. With a 2,670 mm wheelbase and compact overall dimensions—4,655 mm long and 1,730 mm high—the Forester feels spacious inside yet easy to manoeuvre in congested cities.
Earlier this year, Consumer Reports magazine asked owners to rate their satisfaction with seat and cabin comfort. The Subaru Forester was rated the most comfortable compact SUV.
Power continues to come from a 2.5-litre, 180-hp Boxer engine. It’s not fast, but certainly adequate. Natural Resources Canada rates fuel consumption at 9.1 litres per 100 km in the city and 7.2 L/100 km on the highway, competitive with class leaders like the CR-V and RAV4. All-wheel drive is standard.
Prices range from $36,510 for the entry-level Convenience trim to $48,010 for the top-end Premier model. The Premier is also available as a hybrid, which starts at $51,010. My test vehicle came in at $44,955.
Our Verdict
The 2025 Subaru Forester won’t win style contests, but it excels where it matters for Canadian drivers: comfort, visibility, usability and all-weather confidence. Its interior is plain but functional, and while performance is modest, fuel economy and standard all-wheel drive make it practical for everyday use. For buyers who prioritize reliability and comfort over flash, the Forester remains one of the smartest picks in the compact SUV market.
Dale Johnson is an award-winning author, broadcaster and journalist who has worked in TV, radio, print and online. While the manufacturer provided Dale with a vehicle to test drive, the content of this review was not reviewed or accepted by the manufacturer.
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