The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Is At Home Among the Trees—and Muddy Hills and Rutted Roads

Just to be clear, the Subaru Forester had a major redesign in 2024. So, the hybrid model is mostly identical to that model. The major differences are that the hybrid has had some improvements to its seating, it’s got a reworked all-wheel drive system, and it has a new digital driver information system. But the big news, of course, is the hybrid drive system.

The hybrid powertrain improves fuel economy over the gas-powered Forester. The gas-powered version gets an EPA-estimated 26 miles per gallon in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and 29 mpg combined.

The Forester Hybrid will get an estimated 35 miles per gallon in the city, 34 mpg on the highway, and 35 mpg combined. It’s important to note that the Forester Hybrid also has a large gas tank for its size, 16.6 gallons.

The Subaru Forester Hybrid combines a gas-powered engine and regenerative battery power to create about 581 miles on a tank of gas. Not only does it achieve great mileage for a compact all-wheel drive SUV, but it’s also one of the best ranges in its class.

I could really appreciate the impact of small details with the Forester Hybrid. The honeycomb hexagonal shapes repeated in the interior and the exterior of the car, bronze accents of the Sport trim (all other trims are accented with silver), and contrast colors on the seating material all add up to make this little SUV feel thoughtfully designed.

I even loved that Subaru heard what its animal-loving fans keep howling at them for, and produced an animal-free interior on the Sport, Limited, and Premium trims. The most thoughtful detail of all is all the standard features the Forester Hybrid gives you for $34,995.

There are four available Forester Hybrid trims, too. The Hybrid Premium starts at $34,995, the Sport Hybrid starts at $37,995, the Limited Hybrid starts at $39,410, and the Touring Hybrid starts at $41,695. 

Foresters have never had a reputation for being fast, unless you bought the XT (R.I.P.). However, another benefit of the hybrid drivetrain is a boost in power. Subaru puts that power to work at higher speeds.

That means the lean, green, eco-machine is going to accelerate better than its gas-powered counterpart when merging onto the highway and at highway passing speeds. Subaru told us the acceleration has been improved by 10%-15%.

It indeed performed well in those endeavors, and I noticed it also was a bit peppier from a stop, too. So, aside from the vast improvement in mileage, the little SUV is a tad mightier, too.

What’s important to note is that the Forester Hybrid isn’t kidding around when it comes to utility. They had to make sure that the hybrid, without a doubt, was as capable in off-pavement conditions as the gas-powered Forester.

As a result, the hybrid drivetrain also adds a bit of torque at lower speeds, so when you’re off-roading, the Forester gets excellent power and grip when trying to negotiate steep dirt roads, ruts, mud, ice, and snow. Engage the X-Mode system to get the most out of the Forester in these conditions.

We took the Forester Hybrid up some serious hills that had mud, dirt, and ruts. We even compared it to some other SUVs in its class, and the Forester Hybrid climbed the steep, slick trail with ease.

The Forester’s all-wheel drive system did not disappoint, and I was reminded that its 8.7 inches of ground clearance was plenty for most scenarios. When the ruts got too deep, the Forester nimbly handled the ridges between them like a little mountain goat.

It was really fun, and I can’t overstate the challenging terrain. Downhill is sometimes even trickier than going uphill, and I did find the hill descent control was a little tricky for me to manage. I’m sure this would improve with use and learning to adjust it on the fly, but I did find myself fighting with it at times.

The Forester Hybrid comes with paddle shifters, which are great not only for making you feel like you have some engagement with the Forester Hybrid, but they also serve to maximize the engine braking and battery regeneration. Instead of using the brake pedal, downshift to slow the Forester down and also charge the battery at the same time. 

Years ago, Subaru had a Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid, and one of the main complaints about it was that the cargo space load floor was so high. That’s because Subaru put the batteries in the cargo area.

Now, the Forester Hybrid’s load floor is the same height as its gas-powered counterpart. How did they do it? They took out the spare tire and put the batteries in that space. Don’t worry, there is a tire repair kit in the event of a flat.

This also manifests in little vents on the sides of the rear seats. They don’t interfere with the seating at all, but those vents provide air circulation to the battery compartment to keep it cool.

The Forester Hybrid comes with paddle shifters, which are great not only for making you feel like you have some engagement with the Forester Hybrid, but they also serve to maximize the engine braking and battery regeneration.

Instead of using the brake pedal, downshift to slow the Forester down and also charge the battery at the same time. 

The Forester Hybrid has Subaru’s EyeSight system. It incorporates adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and pre-collision braking to monitor the road and apply corrective action in the event it detects a collision about to happen.

The Eye Sight system on the hybrid also includes automatic emergency steering. These systems work together to mitigate the damage incurred by a collision or avoid one altogether. The Forester Hybrid also has blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert standard.

To date, Subaru’s EyeSight tri-camera system is the only safety suite that detects pedestrians at night, no matter what they’re wearing.

The Forester hybrid has two rows and can carry five people. There is good headroom and leg room in all seats, even the rear seats, thanks to the squared roof line. There are five latch connectors and three top tether anchors.

The cargo space has 27.5 cubic feet of space when the rear seats are up and 69.1 cubic feet of space when they’re folded. The Forester Hybrid comes with a power liftgate and a foot-activated motion sensor below the rear bumper as a standard feature!

If you run out of room for your gear on the inside, the Forester Hybrid has a stationary rooftop capacity of 700 pounds. That means you can put a tent on the roof and sleep up there.

The cargo capacity of the roof when the Forester Hybrid is in motion is 176 pounds. So, you can put a rooftop carrier up there, you can put a tent up there. You can put racks on there and ski or paddleboard, or kayak up there. 

I loved that the Forester Hybrid has the same body style as the regular Forester, because it lets in a lot of light. The windows are tall and allow a beautiful view out. Additionally, the Forester Hybrid comes standard with a power panoramic moonroof.

The seats are comfortable and nicely cushioned, and I noticed this because I was in the SUV all day long. If you spend some time in your car working or waiting for your children to finish whatever activity they’re in, the Forester Hybrid can help make the most of that time.

There is a WiFi hotspot in the Forester, and it also has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The screens are ample, with an all-new 12.3-inch driver information display and an 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen for all your multimedia needs.

This setup looks really updated and sharp. In addition, you can slide whatever app you have operating in Apple CarPlay over to the driver information display. That’s really cool. The Forester Hybrid also has a wireless charger, USB-A and USB-C charge ports in the front and rear as standard features.

Subaru’s capable SUV is a compelling hybrid. It’s even got the seal of approval from the IIHS, earning a Top Safety Pick designation. Consumer Reports designates it a Top Pick as well.

While the Forester Hybrid doesn’t exactly speak for the trees, it certainly has given nature lovers, animal lovers, and good mileage lovers a great SUV option to consider.

Its improved technology, bolstered power and capability, and lovely interior make it a strong contender on your SUV shopping list—especially when it hits your local dealer in just a few months.