The Subaru Forester and Outback are compact SUVs with similar interior features, but there are some notable differences. Both have spacious interiors with comfortable seating for five passengers, but the Forester has a slightly larger cargo area with a maximum capacity of 76.1 cubic feet, while the Outback offers up to 75.7 cubic feet. The biggest differences between the two vehicles are their shapes, sizes, and classifications.
The Forester is a compact crossover with up to 72.2 inches of width and up to 183.3 inches of length. Both vehicles have similar interior space, with the Forester offering 111.9 cubic feet of passenger volume and the Outback offering 109 cubic feet. The Forester has slightly more cargo space, with 31.1 cubic feet. The Outback shares much of its interior with the Legacy, and both have comfortable accommodations and quality materials.
The basic design of the Outback’s interior is recognizably Subaru, with the same button-festooned steering wheel and a similar dashboard design. The Forester’s base model provides 111.6 cubic feet of interior room and 107.6 cubic feet in most other trims. The Outback has 109 cubes of passenger space and 107.5 cubes if the moonroof is activated.
Both models are popular SUVs among Australian buyers, but when should you choose one over the other? The Forester offers slightly more interior space with up to 110.8 cubic feet of passenger room and up to 74.4 cubic feet of cargo room with the standard 60/40-split flat-folding rear seatbacks folded down. However, when it comes to cargo and passenger volume, you can’t choose solely based on numbers. The Outback is quieter and more luxurious with better leg room and seating position for taller people.
📹 BEST SUBARU SUV?? — 2024 Subaru Outback vs. Subaru Forester: Comparison
2023 Subaru Forester Touring! These two siblings are remarkably similar yet different in a lot of ways. They both have the same …
Does Forester or Outback have more room?
The 2021 Subaru Outback and 2024 Subaru Forester are mid-size SUVs with different cargo volume options. The Outback offers 75. 7 cubic feet of cargo volume, while the Forester has 76. 1 cubic feet. The Grand Subaru team in Bensenville, IL, has a detailed comparison of the two vehicles, highlighting their rugged sophistication, impressive performance, and intuitive tech. To find the best fit, explore the inventory and schedule a test drive. Contact the team for more information or schedule a test drive.
What is the main difference between a Subaru Forester and an Outback?
Both the Forester and Outback have the same base engine and fuel economy, with the Outback offering an optional turbocharged engine. The Outback has a longer wheelbase and features two front airbags, two torso airbags, and two curtain airbags. The Outback uses two cushion airbags for the driver and front passenger to prevent “submarining”, while the Forester uses a knee airbag for the driver.
Which has a smoother ride, Outback or Forester?
The Outback, a compact SUV, offers smoother driving over rough roads and trails compared to the Forester due to its longer wheelbase, lower height, and substantial weight. The MSRP does not include destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Prices, specifications, options, features, and models are subject to change without notice. The EPA-estimated fuel economy is EPA-estimated MPG equivalent on a full battery charge.
From September 30, 2024, the manufacturer offers 2. 9 APR financing for 72 months on the 2025 Outback, with no down payment required. Monthly payment is $15. 15 per $1, 000 financed. Offer may vary by location and cannot be combined with other offers. Financing is for well-qualified applicants only and is subject to credit approval, vehicle insurance approval, and vehicle availability. Vehicle availability may vary.
Does Subaru Forester have leather interior?
The 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness is a rugged SUV with standard equipment such as leather seats, cooled front seats with heating capabilities, and heated rear windows. The Limited trim adds leather seats, a steering wheel, dual USB ports, voice-activated climate control, and 18″ polished aluminum-alloy wheels. The Touring trim offers a hands-free climate control system with a gloss black panel on both sides of pillar supports, allowing ten adjustments for an ideal setting. The Limited trim also includes dual USB ports for daily charging and voice-activated climate control. The Touring trim also features 18″ polished aluminum-alloy wheels.
Do Subaru Outbacks have leather interior?
Subaru offers four types of upholstery on Outback models, including leather on the Limited XT and a finer grade Touring XT made from Nappa leather, a softer and more durable hide sourced from a complex tanning process.
What is a common problem with a Subaru Outback?
The most common issues reported by owners of Subaru Outback vehicles include deficiencies in the windshields, inadequate cooling systems, failure of the oxygen sensors, excessive oil consumption due to leaks, and malfunctions in the airbags.
What is the interior space of a Subaru Outback?
The 2024 Subaru Outback interior is designed for long-distance comfort and advanced convenience, with seating for five. The base model offers 109 cubic feet of passenger volume, with the option to increase to 107. 5 cubic feet with the added moonroof. The front-row seats provide 40. 1 inches of headroom, 42. 8 inches of legroom, and 58. 1 inches of shoulder room, while the rear seats have 39. 1 inches, 39. 5 inches, and 57. 4 inches for headroom, legroom, and shoulder room, respectively.
The standard cargo volume is 32. 6 cubic feet, which increases to 75. 6 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down. The Subaru Outback trunk is spacious and rugged across the nine available trims, providing ample space under the liftgate and throughout the cabin.
Why do outbacks cost more than Forester?
The Outback and Forester are SUVs with different features and safety ratings. The Outback is slightly more expensive and offers more luxury features, such as a larger optional 11. 6-inch touchscreen and ventilated front seats. Both models have leather-trimmed upholstery, with the Outback offering supple Nappa leather. Both models perform well in crash tests and have strong safety technologies, with the Outback being one of the safest on the market.
It has a 2024 Top Safety Pick from IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA. The Outback and Forester come standard with Subaru’s EyeSight collection of driver assist features, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beams, and lane keep assist. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are optional on the Outback Premium and Onyx Edition and above. The 2024 Forester has a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA and an IIHS 2023 Top Safety Pick award.
Which Subaru has the most interior space?
The 2023 Subaru Ascent is the largest SUV on the market, offering three rows of seating for up to eight passengers and a maximum cargo capacity of 75. The vehicle offers a cargo space of approximately 6 cubic feet. Other SUVs in the Subaru range include the Outback, Forester, Solterra EV, and Crosstrek.
Are outbacks more reliable than foresters?
The 2023 Subaru Forester and Outback are both highly rated vehicles, with the Forester receiving five out of 10 evaluations. It offers lower prices, higher reliability ratings, and a higher-quality interior. It also has better fuel economy and handles with more engaging steering. The Outback, on the other hand, offers more comfortable seating, ventilated front seats, additional cargo space, and a quicker turbocharged engine. Both models offer identical safety features, but the Outback scores higher in crash tests.
Which is quieter, Forester or Outback?
The Subaru Forester and Outback both have well-finished interiors with top-quality materials, but the Forester is praised for its better isolation from road noise at highway speeds. The standard infotainment system includes a 6. 5-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, satellite radio, a four-speaker stereo, Bluetooth, and two USB ports. Upgrades offer an 8-inch screen, navigation, and six- or nine-speaker stereo. Higher trims add proximity keyless entry, push-button start, a six-speaker stereo, Wi-Fi hot spot, a panoramic moonroof, and dual-zone automatic climate control.
📹 2023 Subaru Outback vs 2023 Subaru Forester | What Are The Differences?
What is the difference between the 2023 Subaru Outback and Subaru Forester? Compare size, tech, price, and much more. You’ll …
My wife has 2022 Forester and I have a 2023 Outback both Limited. I really enjoy my Outback but truth is hers is more fun to drive. I like sitting higher and with the massive glass ceiling the car feels much more open. Also if we’re taking two other adults we’ll take the Forester for its more open feel and generous rear passenger room however in the winter the Outback has heated rear seats.
I like the feel of the roomier head space and better visibility in my Forester. Also, I prefer the control panel, especially the temperature control buttons. I’m sure I would love the outback if I had one, but I really love my Forester Sport. Hubby was surprised how well the 4 Cylinder did on the mountain driving on a trip this month! We were not sure- living in Texas, we don’t see many of those!
Just picked up a used ‘21 Subaru Outback about 3 weeks ago. Never owned a Subaru before but I was impressed right from the first test drive. I really like that it fits my bike right inside with seats folded down, built in roof racks for my kayak, roomy back seat leg room and just overall comfortable quiet ride. Getting in and out of it is the perfect height too. My only complaint so far is that it is a little gutless on the hills but I’m not in a hurry to get anywhere as I’m semi retired. Also the dealership sold me the car and I found out on YouTube about the infotainment update for the screen so I had to book it in for an hour appointment for the update. Well worth it as it gave me some better features. Looking forward to many years though and some sweet road trips with my Subaru! ❤
I honestly like both of these!! Both of my parents have Subarus. My Mom has a 2017 Forester Touring, and my Dad has a 2018 Crosstrek Limited. I’m currently 19 years old, and if I’m looking for my first car, it would be the Outback Wilderness with a turbo. I really do like the Forester, although I really like the previous gen Forester more especially the older ones cuz it had a turbo, and a manual transmission, and they looked a bit better in my opinion. I have no idea why they took the turbo out of the Forester for the 2019 model, and I think it’s a really odd decision for Subaru to do that because everyone else is putting turbos in almost all of their vehicles nowadays. Love yr vids btw!!
Outback 4, Forester 2, basically a tie. 🙂 Shocked that the Forester was quieter! I have the Outback and do feel that the wind noise is more than I expected. I don’t anticipate ever using the roof rails, and have considered having them replaced with a lower profile option from another market, perhaps… Really wanted to like the Forester with it’s bigger sunroof and taller profile for ease of entry… But the Outback felt more comfy to me, and ultimately won for me. But they are very similar in many ways, can’t really go wrong with either. Good job, Subaru! Nice comparison, gentlemen!
We purchased the 22 outback touring…..huge mistake with the infotainment…push any icon and wait a few days for it to respond…..absolutely terrible. The other thing I wish I would have checked out before the purchase (though it was wife’s car) is the rearview mirror being so low for this 6’3″ guy…..huge blind spot looking to my right. Just a fair warning to you tall guys.
I have a 2015 Forester that is in good shape. These cars hold together. Aside from A/C problems (in both 2015 Foresters!) cars have been very reliable. One aspect not considered here: to get into an Outback you have to bow your head; in my Forester, I just keep upright and get right in, Much easier. Good review
For me, the “Forester” is somewhat “better looking” yet, the “Outback” is somewhat better: choice of engines that have been standard for several years; more cargo room in the “Outback”; bigger gas tank in the ” Outback “; acoustics in the “Outback ” better due to the higher trim laminated front windows and with the 2.4 turbo…a little quiter as well as great power. Leg length in the “Forester” a bit better, true, by an inch over “Outback’s”, almost. So there’s my view and so…”Outback” wins here.
I used to have both at the same time, different trims though. In general, it’s not fair to compare different trims, unless you want to compare the same prices. Outback is a wagon, has smoother drive and looks more premium rather than practical compare to Forester. There are 2 major issues with Outback which bother me. 1. Visibility is a joke compare to Forester. I felt uncomfortable and unsafe driving Outback after Forester. 2. Cover of forward wheel in driver seat area. I could not spread my left leg wide enough. That was extremely annoying. However, some people may not care about this.
My 2020 Outback is amazing in many ways. Keeps me from looking for something better (as I have a habit of not keeping a car too long). Though, there is still room for improvement even with what they have done for 2024. First off, the seats in my XT Touring are not comfortable. Seatback, yes, Seatbottom, no. And this is nothing new. My 2015 was not that comfortable (road trips) and nor was the 2009 Outback we returned to Carmax after less than a week. While can dream of seats as wonderful as the 2007 Volvo v70-R, I would be satisfied if they at least matched our 2018 GTI SE in comfort. The slowness of the center display still annoys at every start. System should boot when the car is unlocked so it is ready. Lastly, I really want to return of a Panoramic Roof in the Outback. If they can do it on the Ascent…they can do it on the Outback.
I hate that the Forester lacks analog fuel and temperature gauges like the Outback. We loved the ‘23 Forester Wilderness we rented in New England this past winter except for its handling on sharp curves. We didn’t need to ever go off road or the extra cargo capacity so we got the ‘24 Impreza RS with the similar drivetrain instead. Its solid af chassis, comfortable, roomy interior, safety and tech along with its great handling is perfect for us.
My wife’s OB is Cinnamon Brown, which is too dark and shows every speck of dirt. My Forester Touring is Bronze with Saddle Brown interior. My wife’s Outback has Ivory interior. Though I like her OB, I absolutely LOVE my Forester. My Forester is the first vehicle that I’ve personally owned that I don’t have to fold down my rear seats when I need to use my wheelchair. This is Huge for me. The dual Xmode is awesome during our 5-7 feet of snow we get every winter.
I have an Outback currently, but I am leaning more to the Forester for the roof rack. The Outback roof rack is a disaster in my opinion. I am invested in the Thule roof rack system and while I can get it to work, the more conventional boring roof rack on a Forester is just more useful. I think that you missed this point in your review.
Leather seats are not good it looks nice,but don get me wrong the reason i am saying this is because i had a four runner and has Leather seats in the winter the seats are freezing cold i. Summer are really really hot that you might burn your legs, that’s why i do not buy a car with Leather seat hear my advise you won’t be sorry .
The Outback with the 2.5 is very “rough” sounding with acceleration, surprising amount of engine noise enters the cabin. And the 2.5 seems a bit undersized for the vehicle. Cruising its fine but especially with adaptive cruise in moderate traffic the engine noise becomes apparent with speed changes. The Wilderness solves this if you can afford it. I imagine the Forester would be similar but I have not driven it.
Si esos precios estuvieran en Europa se vendería muchos más Subaru. Pero en Europa cuestan 10.000 € más y entonces compiten en precio en su sector, con los Mercedes, Audi y BMW. Pero definitivamente yo ya he tenido 2 Subaru Outback y personalmente son mucho más fiables fiables que Mercedes, Audi y BMW.
A few things. I drove these back-to-back, and also hopped into an XT. I’m currently driving a ’14 Forester XT, which I have owned since new. If I recall, the ONLY Forester with the forward camera is the Wilderness. I think all of the upper trim levels of the Outback get that. That said, the resolution is nothing to brag about. When you were monkeying with the front seats, you didn’t mention, but you SHOWED the front of the lower cushion on the Outback sliding out (you did it manually) to make the cushion longer. Not that it felt short in the Forester (like it sort of did in the Mazda products), but nice to have. On performance, the Outback felt a little softer sprung, whereas the Forester felt a bit more nimble. (Maybe it just feels more darty because you are sitting up higher, but it is lighter and has a shorter wheelbase too.) Some folks might like sitting a bit higher, as it helps a bit with oncoming headlight glare. The Outback is carrying a few hundred pounds more than the Forester, and I felt that it strained more to climb a slightly inclined on-ramp as I was closing in on freeway speeds. (I’d say the Forester was “adequate but not great”, and the Outback was “lacking”.) Did some looking in Consumer Reports, and it seems that the headlights in the Outback were rated lower for straight ahead performance vs the Forester. (I notice that they are more “squished down”, so not identical to Forester). Driving the Outback XT was not as nifty as I expected it to be. While it picks up a bit of HP and torque vs my Forester XT, it is carrying a good 400 lbs more.
I considered both, think I’d hate driving the bigger OB. But it drives like a much smaller car, and it impressed me. I use all of storage, cargo are, roof rack, etc and adding a hitch for bikes. It drives fantastic and gives back seat passengers lots of room. Comfy, comfy, comfy love it and it will be my next car as well. Just waiting to see what the 2025 model will bring. It’s due for a redesign. Not a fan of the 2025 Forrester look.
We own a 2017 OB Touring 4cyl, the only complaint I could make is that it should have better sound insulation. There just seems to be substantial road noise at highway speeds. I am also not an enthusiast for the all controlling touch screen. Too much time with eyes off the road while making what should be simple adjustments. I like the real buttons and dials on the Forester.
I had a subaru in 1979 and you could not kill the car. Then a 2012 outback and 2018 forester. I like smoothness of cvt but if they break look at. I read that when they go out it is at 80000 miles. The cost to replace 8500 dollars. There is a reason that vw who is the largest company in the world in gross sales will not put them in there cars. Nissan has had tons of failures with the cvt. I understand the love of subarus, I still love them But would not buy one without warranty covering the cvt. If you have one out of warranty dont keep in past 80000 miles and do the services on the trainy.
My Forester is more nimble in traffic over my wife’s Outback. I like how the seats are higher in my Forester. It makes it easier to get into and out of than our OB. Both of our Subie’s get the same 25-26mpg on the freeway and 24-25 combined. I suppose when Subaru said that the Outback and Forester would get 32-33mpg, they were at sea level with a Strong tailwind, going downhill at 35mph. I bought my Forester to get better fuel mileage than my 11 Toyota RAV 4WD Limited with the 269hp 3.5 V6 and a 5spd geared automatic transmission. It got 27mpg, whereas the best mpg I’ve ever gotten from my Forester is 26. Had I have known that Subaru was lying, I would have kept my Toyota.
I’m driving a 2022 Outback Premium. I’ve looked at Outback’s literally for years now. I’ve never bought one because the closest Subaru dealer was at least an hour away and I didn’t want to drive that far to buy a car. Subaru finally opened a new dealership about half that far away and so I was much more inclined to go check them out. I also looked at the Forrester during this time and one thing that helped is, some good friends of mine bought a new Forrester in 2021 so I got the opportunity to test drive that car on a couple of occasions. As you pointed out, the two are so evenly matched that it can be hard to make a decision but the one thing that put the Outback over the top for me was the rear cargo room. Yes, in terms of volume, they are “very” close, but with the rear seats folded down, the Outback has a longer and wider load floor. That makes it much more useful to me when loading things up. The Forrester’s advantage comes if you might need to haul around taller items because it does have more space from floor to ceiling but that’s not generally an issue for me. My Outback will be two years old in December and just rounded 35k miles and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.
well done, as usual. I have a 2020 Outback (non-turbo) and always felt the power was adequate. I had heard the Forester was “slower”, but finding that hard to wrap my head around since the engines are the same… and, I think the Forester is lighter. Was hoping to hear what you had to say about that… if I was listening correctly to your review, there really is no difference in get-up-and-go. The other thing I found when choosing the Outback over the Forester…was the lack of thigh support (I’m 6″1″) in the Forester. The Outback without the seat extender seems to have just a bit more. Again, well done, gentlemen.
Subaru is a decent car. Not sure why they can’t figure out their cheap head gaskets that burn oil from the day you drive it new off the lot. The older ones used to be reliable, now they are pretty trash l, longevity wise. Also such garbage that the base model crosstrek has the same infotainment screen as the top trim forester. You’d think they’d do something different. Everything feels plastic and cheap. Drove manual subaru for 9 years. Drove a 23 crosstrek for 2 weeks was not impressed.
I would like to have the option of dials and pushbuttons instead of a flat screen for AC/heat/air flow, wipers and all the other things that you could easily set or change without looking at a screen. It’s much safer then, especially if you do not have a copilot to make the changes while you are driving.
Wow.. I am taller (about 6’4″).. I did some research and the Subaru Forester caught my eye. The Forester is more boxy and taller – both good things – since I sit up higher in the cabin. The BIG PROBLEM is that Subaru is putting way too much stuff (cameras, lane keeping assist, etc) at the top middle part of the wind shield. This unfortunately interferes my own outward view. I need the top area of the windshield so I can see out for safe driving – and for just general driving enjoyment when I look out. I have good eyes, and I trust my own eyes more than the built in cameras and other built in safety features. This unfortunately causes a center top windshield blind spot – which is terrible for safe driving,.. Just wondering, can those cameras and other things at the top middle of the windshield be removed?
I have a Forester which I love because of the wider cargo area. I carry a walker a wheelchair and when on vacation a least four suitcases. I can carry the walker and wheelchair in the back, easily. I would only hope that someone considers wide cargo areas for EVs. Plus, I love the higher head space on the Forester. And the lower Forester price does help me.
The Outback, being lower, makes it slightly easier to load boats on the roof. On the other hand, real roof racks are easier to install on the Forester rails. The built in load bars on the Outback are inadequate for serious boaters’ needs. In the end, the better view of the road from the Forester plus use an outrigger extension on a Thule load bar makes the Forester a better choice for me. The Forester does fine when off road, in mud, etc. Wish they had mentioned how the Outback compares. The Wilderness editions seem like a real plus. A big drawback of my 2016 Forester is inability to read the speedometer when wearing sunglasses and passing in and out of sun/shade. Sadly, my Forester has started burning oil with barely over 110,000 miles on it.
I just got the 24 Outback limited with the added package. First thing I noticed was I can not turn off the radio, but it goes to USB, phone/audible app and then automatically back on. I wish they would do a software update to be able to turn off the radio without a playing when I turn my car off on when I want it quite. Only way to turn it off will black out the screen completely and when touching the screen to use navigation or something, the radio plays automatically. Also, left my phone in car then came back and Android Auto button grayed out and didn’t work until I turned car off again, took my phone with me into a store and came back then it worked again, thought I needed a repair already for a while; must of been a computer glitch. I really like the car otherwise so far. I thought the Crosstrek was too small for me and I like it better than Forester’s.