2023 Subaru Forester Or 2023 Honda CR-V

[chuckwalla]

Between the Forester (Premium or Sport) and the CR-V (Sport Hybrid 2WD) which would you choose?

Forester: standard AWD (nice to have but not necessary), readily available, $2500-$3000 discount

CR-V: excellent MPG, hard to find, MSRP to $2000 mark up

Not in a hurry to purchase.

[mrmass]

How long do you plan on keeping it. I read the the Subaru might not do so well after 120k

[snackdog]

Why not a RAV4?

[livesoft]

Subaru Forester based on driving a 2021 Forester and owning a 2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid.

[eugenem]

We have a Forester and 2022 (last generation) CR-V Hybrid in the family.

The Forester is in the final year of its generation, whereas the CR-V was redesigned in 2023. Tech and refinement aren't as great in the Subaru, but most of the kinks have been worked out. CR-V will feel more refined and the hybrid drivetrain gets better fuel economy, especially if most of your driving is in the city. Some owners have expressed long term concerns about the CVT transmission in the Subaru.

The Honda has the maintenance minder system, which determines service intervals based on your driving. Many owners (including myself) are seeing the first oil change at around 8,500-9,500 miles. Subaru calls for 7,500 mile service intervals, but recommends 3,750 for severe driving.

AWD is great in the Subaru, but that doesn't seem to be a primary requirement for you.

Our Subaru dealer is phenomenal to work with. We negotiated the entire transaction via e-mail. It was literally sign, hand the check over, and drive (after a thorough walkthrough of the vehicle). Honda dealer was miserable and tried every trick in the book. (The CR-V Hybrid was the fourth Honda we purchased and serviced with this dealer.) If my wife wasn't sold on the CR-V, I would have walked.

I prefer the Subaru overall. It's more utilitarian, has better visibility, and honestly, the sales and service experience is significantly better.

[Watty]

I have a 2021 Forester limited.

Which is best for you is really a personal preference since they are both good choices.

What is the out the door price on each of them? The MSRP is pretty arbitrary.

Be sure to get insurance quotes before you buy since they might vary by more than you might expect. The sport version might cost more to insure mainly because of the demographics of the people who buy sport versions so be sure to also check on that.

One thing I really like about my Forester is that it has the best headlights of any car I have ever had. In addition to them being LED they will also turn a bit to the left or right when you are going around a curve. With all the new high profile advanced safety features the headlights are a very important safety feature which are often overlooked. This can be especially important if you are older and driving at night is more challenging.

The headlights may also vary by the trim level so also watch out for that.

https://www.iihs.org/topics/headlights#overview

In the car safety tests there is a section with the tests of the headlights.

https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/su ... headlights

https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/ho ... headlights


My Forester has blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alerts, and automatic braking if you are about to back into something. I really like those features but at least in 2021 those depended on the trim level and some were optional. Getting those is why I went up to the Limited trim level to get those. I don't know what the current model year has but if you can fit it in your budget getting those features on whichever car you select those would be worthwhile to me.

[upstate90]

I just got a 2023 Forester sport in black. Like it a lot. Came from a 2019 Subaru crosstrek premium and its a huge upgrade. Got a good deal on trade in and new vehicle. Never owned a CR-V so cant compare, my main reason for going subaru is the AWD which I need.

[AerialWombat]

Since you're not in a hurry, I'd keep waiting, to be honest. The car market is changing fairly rapidly month-to-month right now.

I recently made the mistake of purchasing a 2024 Subaru Outback Touring XT. There was nothing terribly wrong with my old car, but it did need about $5k in deferred maintenance performed. So I bought a new car for the first time in my life, because I could and I wanted to. Despite extensive research and multiple test drives, I've come to really not like many things about how the car operates, after a recent long road trip. I should have taken even more time than I did.

Since you have no immediate need, keep waiting for inventory and price stabilization. Keep test driving. Keep waiting until one vehicle is a clear winner in your mind.

[finite_difference]

Neither. I’d get an older RX-350 or wait for an EV.

[mhalley]

I'll be in the market next year and am looking at the ones listed above. You might also look at the Mazda cx-5, it gets good reviews and appears to be readily available.

[bendix]

The new CR-V is insanely popular and the MSRP is fairly high, even before dealer uplifts. So value for money wise I think the Subaru is the better deal. Then again I find Subaru cars all drive like a farm tractor and I would loathe to own one. The CR-V on the other hand has a tiny screen, which makes the interior look cheap somehow, unless you buy the higher trim levels. I am also not sure I want a 1.5l turbo engine with 190 bhp either. Traditionally such setups havent been very durable, even though Honda traditionally built great engines. Actually, come to think of it... I wouldnt buy either of these.

[bendix]

I'll be in the market next year and am looking at the ones listed above. You might also look at the Mazda cx-5, it gets good reviews and appears to be readily available.

Bingo. The "Select" trim is such a good deal, has everything one needs, AWD included and you can buy these under 30k if you´re lucky.

[JebTN]

Test drive each and buy the one that fits you better. Both have a great reputation. A few years ago we went out to but a Subaru but the Honda was more comfortable to our bodies. Friends had the opposite experience.

[GW208]

So I bought a new car for the first time in my life, because I could and I wanted to. Despite extensive research and multiple test drives, I've come to really not like many things about how the car operates, after a recent long road trip. I should have taken even more time than I did.

Can you share some of the things don't like about the car. We might need to get a new car in the not too distant future and this is one of the models we were thinking of.

[LaniK1]

Test drive crv. Didn't like it at aii. Felt cramped. Bought Subaru. The Forester has better visibility. Feels bigger and utilitarian. Unfortunately it drives slow and is a bit noisy

[Colorado14]

We have an older Forester and an older CR-V, so my feedback isn't relevant to the 2023 models. However, I wanted to share that one of us prefers the Subaru (comfortable seats and better visibility) and one of us prefers the Honda (not as comfortable seats and better zoom zoom.) Both have their quirks, both definitely meet our needs and both are very good in the snow. Both get reasonable gas mileage. So it really is a matter of personal preference. Be sure to do extensive test drives.


Good luck!

[jebmke]

Test drive each and buy the one that fits you better. Both have a great reputation. A few years ago we went out to but a Subaru but the Honda was more comfortable to our bodies. Friends had the opposite experience.

Car seats are like shoes. Two perfectly well designed and manufactured shoes can fit entirely differently. Honda seats are not useable for me. I wouldn't last 30 minutes in the passenger side. Like shoes, if you don't try them on, its a crapshoot. I won't test drive a car for less than 45 minutes and at least 30 minutes in the passenger seat with spouse driving.

[HaveaNiceDay]

The Car magazines predict both the Subaru Forester and the Toyota RAV4 will be completely redesigned for the 2025 model coming available about this time (Sept-Oct) next year. The Forester may have an hybrid option also.

Since the Honda CRV was just redesigned this year, if you can wait, maybe the best option is to see how next years Forester and RAV4 refreshes compare to the CRV.

Good luck!

[Oreamnos]

Why not a RAV4?

My take:
Less interior cargo space
Very competitive market (availability; delays in acquiring; dealers wanting over MSRP)
AWD system isn't as good
Toyota interiors are less appealing (compared to Honda, anyway)
Toyota driving dynamics are worse

RAV4s do have positives over the others, but the question was "Why not ...?"

[ncbill]

Why not a RAV4?

My take:
Less interior cargo space
Very competitive market (availability; delays in acquiring; dealers wanting over MSRP)
AWD system isn't as good
Toyota interiors are less appealing (compared to Honda, anyway)
Toyota driving dynamics are worse

RAV4s do have positives over the others, but the question was "Why not ...?"

Well, it's a much simpler approach.

With Toyota their part-time AWD for the RAV4 is just an electric motor for the rear wheels versus a full-time, mechanically-coupled system (driveshaft, rear differential, etc.) for a Subaru.

The Subaru relies on a transmission control solenoid to regulate power distribution which failed on my Subaru.

Subaru only sells the entire solenoid pack for close to $1,000.

I found a 3rd party replacement for just that solenoid but the total cost was still ~$500.

And the exposed center bearing on the driveshaft also failed.

Even using a cheaper, 3rd party replacement driveshaft that cost ~$900 installed at an independent mechanic.

[RationalWalk]

Between the Forester (Premium or Sport) and the CR-V (Sport Hybrid 2WD) which would you choose?

Forester: standard AWD (nice to have but not necessary), readily available, $2500-$3000 discount

CR-V: excellent MPG, hard to find, MSRP to $2000 mark up

Not in a hurry to purchase.

The CRV version you mention is the one to get. One thing I like is that it has 18" wheels instead of larger ones which I think will help the ride a bit. The CRV Hybrid has a quiet and smooth engine and no turbo-lag on takeoff (engine is not a turbo). Ride is smooth and quiet on good pavement but you feel the bumps on rough pavement - maybe no better or worse than others this size.

The cargo floor doesn't fold flat, so that's a bit of nuisance. Also, you can't store anything under the cargo floor to get it out of the way. No spare tire. There's a cavity down there, but it is supposed to remain empty to dissipate battery heat.

Wireless Apple CarPlay works well, so you don't need the Honda NAVI at all. Get in the vehicle and CarPlay comes right up automatically. Wireless phone charger is a dud, so you'll have to find an alternative. With an iPhone you can set up a MagSafe charging pad as an alternative but you have to stick it down so it doesn't come up with the phone. I'd just plug the phone into the USB which is right there but sort of defeats the convenience of wireless CarPlay or Android Auto.

The Honda setup has you running more on the electric motor in town, so that's where you get the best mileage. I understand that the gas engine comes into play on the highway and that mileage isn't as good there but don't know that from experience. There is a bit of wind noise at speed and Consumer Reports says it's due to the roof rails. Not a deal-breaker. CR rates the CRV Hybrid #1 now over the Rav4 and the Subi.

You have to put up with the "spaceship" noise when backing up or forward at low speeds. All new hybrids do it. Friend has the Rav4 hybrid and told me it makes the noise sitting still as well. Don't know if that's the case, but would bug me if it is. I'd check that out and see if you can live with it. After it becomes commonplace, we won't pay any attention to it anymore. But I wish they would make it sound more like an engine.

[557880yvi]

We have 3 Premium Foresters, 2015, 16 & 18. Very happy with all 3. Looked at Honda & Toyota each time. More $ to buy. Service and insure