2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid consumer reviews

I have had this car for 3 weeks and love it. The interior is so comfortable and the car is very quiet on road noise.

I just bought my 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Limited about three weeks ago and it is my 6th Subaru purchase since 1998. I hope that speaks volumes in one sentence.There was nothing wrong with my 5th Subaru, a 2018 Crosstrek Premium, so, I gave it to my husband who had been driving a 2009 Honda Accord. When he made the suggestion that he was ready to let go of his Honda and move into the world of cars with technology, he felt my Crosstrek would be a good bridge, plus he knew the prior owner and how well she took care of the car. :-) So, what is wonderful about the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid is my transition to the upgraded technology - it has been seamless as far as learning the new features on the digital pad with an almost 12 inch screen! The interior is larger with excellent visibility and the expanded cargo space for my travelling needs. Learning about Hybrid technology and the eco-friendly use of the electric battery and and gas engine has been a very positive with a comfortable learning curve. Just starting the car is a humming experience. The Limited trim features of the Forester Hybrid includes an elevated standard with all leather interior, heated seats in front, personal AC/heating controls for each seating area in front and back. The eyesight technology has improved in the 8 years I have been driving my 2018 Crosstrek ;and I still enjoy all the lights that indicate my lateral blind spots, the larger screen to see my rear view camera when backing up, keyless entry and ignition (push button starter) all easy to use and manage. Finally, what helped me the most in making my decision to purchase besides giving my Crosstrek in excellent condition to my husband, was a change in dealerships by moving to one much closer to our home. My sales consultant was outstanding in his knowledge in sharing the various Forester models as well as his manner of conveying his expertise in a very friendly and joyful manner. In this case the reliability of the Subaru brand and the human factor highlighting all its best qualities led me to a wonderful purchasing experience on Nov. 25, 2025..

I really want to like this car and I like just about everything with it; however, the infotainment system is cripplingly non-functional. It's like they got the first iPads ever made to be used for this. I don't understand how these were signed off on. Maybe it wouldn't be as big of a deal if EVERYTHING wasn't controlled through the stupid things. Want to change the air-con settings, let's force you to take your eyes off the road for 30s. I'd be better off texting while driving than trying to change radio station. Everything about this car has been great except the stupid lcd screen. If you change any default settings you have to wait until it cycles through a pop-up for every changed setting which takes an excruciatingly long time to get through on this unbelievably slow touch screen. Every time I take this car, it takes minutes from when I start the engine to when I can actually leave because of how slow this thing is. I'm going to see about returning the car so I can go with a car that has a functional touch screen.

I purchased a new 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Touring trim, and so far - with one minor annoyance - I love this car. The ride is very composed, much quieter than previous Foresters, and the top trim has all the bells and whistles. The smooth adaptive cruise control, coupled with automatic lane centering, makes for an exceptionally stress free driving experience. The switch between hybrid (EV) mode and the gas engine is seamless and imperceptible. I know that some have criticized the Forester for being “underpowered”, but the extra horsepower provided by the hybrid system, and the tweaks Subaru made to the low end torque provides all the power you need for everyday driving. The interior is super roomy, the seats are comfortable with lots of adjustments, and the facial recognition feature on the Touring trim - which recognizes saved drivers - magically adjusts the mirrors and the seat to preset positions for each saved driver. The only annoyance is that on the top Touring trim you get a smart rear view mirror which allows you to switch from the conventional mirror to the camera view. This comes super in handy when you have the car packed to the brim and you can’t see out using the conventional mirror. However, this super duper camera rear view mirror doesn’t have the garage door opener buttons. The fact that the top line Forester lacks such a basic amenity as programmable garage door buttons is baffling. Now, I fully recognize this is most definitely a “first world problem” and I can certainly live with my garage door remote clipped to the sun visor, but this seems to be a glaring oversight for a top end trim. That said, I would absolutely buy this car and this trim again. Highly recommended!

I have only owned this car about a month now, but I really like driving it and I am very glad I bought it. I just wish it had an option to place a spare tire somewhere, but other than that, which is important, I do like it and recommend it to others. I hope the tradeoff of supposedly getting more mileage is worth not having a spare tire.

The only unknown is how many MPG I will get, over time. Not you typical Hybrid. It appears to be tuned especially for the Forester.

Very quiet engine Comfortable interior Some redundancies in the settings and computer features Good handling in different weather conditions Wish it came with a spare tire (or at least the option to have one placed) Exterior could be a little more modern/updated Otherwise great car