Subaru Forester vs. Toyota RAV4

The 2025 Subaru Forester is beloved by Subaru fans, especially as it is one of the rare vehicles that continues to win the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick awards year after year. As an all-new model for 2025, the Forester has been upgraded to better take on its competition, namely from Toyota with the RAV4, another popular SUV on the market. The Car Connection recently put the two up against one another to see which SUV is better for buyers.  

Base Price of Both Vehicles 

When it comes to price, the Forester takes a slight edge over the RAV4 for one specific reason: standard Subaru Symmetrical all-wheel drive. The Subaru has a base price of $31,230, while the Toyota RAV4’s base model, when equipped with all-wheel drive (a $1,400 optional extra), comes in at $31,645. While that isn’t a significant price difference, every dollar counts. Subaru believes drivers deserve all-wheel drive not as a gimmick or talking point but as a much-needed safety feature. This should tell you that while other automakers believe in making safe cars, they still like to charge the consumer extra when they can. The edge has to go to the Subaru full stop.  

Engine and Fuel Economy 

The 2025 Forester features a 2.5-liter Subaru BOXER® 4-cylinder that produces 180 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque, which makes the Forester the perfect vehicle for trail driving. The transmission is a Lineartronic® Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that is perfectly suited for the Forester by optimizing fuel economy while also making sure that the Subaru is always at the proper RPM for the moment. Speaking of fuel economy, the EPA estimates that owners will achieve 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.  

What The Car Connection Said About Comfort and Capability 

When talking about ride quality and capability, The Car Connection gave the Forester top marks, saying, “Ride quality is second only to the Forester’s all-around capability. It helps to have the brand’s dual-function off-road mode that combines hill descent control with traction control to allow for more wheel slip when stuck in deep mud or snow, but even without it, the 8.7 inches of ground clearance and full-time AWD system enable easy traversing of access and backcountry roads. The Forester’s capable, adventurous—and calm, which remains its biggest improvement over its predecessors and a real advantage in this niche.” 

The Forester Can Easily Fit Tall People 

When talking about passenger comfort, the Forester took a clear victory over the RAV4 thanks to its more comfortable seats that easily fit five people and all of their luggage, plus extra points for having more headroom and legroom, especially for rear passengers. The Car Connection specifically stated that the RAV4 feels more cramped for those in the back seats and that the Forester can easily fit people who are 6 feet tall without feeling like they have to hunch over or be cramped.  

Safety is Never an After-Thought at Subaru 

The conversation of safety obviously came up, and while both SUVs are safe, the 2025 Subaru Forester is the only one that is a Top Safety Pick+ winner by the IIHS and has been either a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ winner every single year since 2007. The Forester is also rated as a more reliable vehicle overall than the RAV4, with Subaru knocking Toyota off its throne as the most reliable car brand, according to Consumer Reports. 

Standard Subaru Safety Tech 

Part of the reason the Forester is so safe is thanks to the award-winning Subaru EyeSight® advanced driver assistance technology that features Automatic Emergency Braking, Reverse Automatic Braking, and Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Emergency Stop Assist, Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, and more. 

Towing Capacity 

If you ever need to tow, the Forester is your vehicle, as it can tow up to 3,000 lbs when properly equipped. The Toyota RAV4, on the other hand, can only tow up to 1,500 lbs. So, basically, it can tow a small U-Haul trailer for when you move apartments or maybe a jet ski. But the Forester can tow a camper or even a boat.  

Why Choose Twin Falls Subaru  

At Twin Falls Subaru, we are happy to offer our customers hundreds of new and used vehicles. Our fantastic sales team and finance department will work hard to find the best car for your needs. Our dedicated service department will always ensure that your vehicle is taken care of in the best way possible. We look forward to serving you soon.