Compare the2025 Subaru ForesterVS 2025 Honda CR-V

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The CR-V doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard EyeSight, the Subaru Forester is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Honda CR-V, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Forester	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-17 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	-12 MPH	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-33 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	3.2 sec	2.4 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-10 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.6 sec	No Warning

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Subaru Forester achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, outperforming the Honda CR-V which scored only an “Acceptable” in these critical safety features.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Forester. But it costs extra on the CR-V.

The Forester Touring has a standard 360-Degree Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Forester and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Forester is much safer than the CR-V:

	Forester	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	POOR

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Forester is safer than the CR-V:

	Forester	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	103	138
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	.91 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.02 in	1.3 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	892 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	759 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Subaru Forester ((except Wilderness)) achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The CR-V is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Forester has a standard 620-amp battery. The CR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Forester’s reliability 37 points higher than the Honda CR-V and 43 points higher than the Honda CR-V Hybrid.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Honda.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fourth.

Engine

As tested in Consumer Reports the Subaru Forester is faster than the Honda CR-V turbo 4 cyl.:

	Forester	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	16.8 sec	17 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	86 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The CR-V doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better fuel mileage than the CR-V 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder AWD (26 city/33 hwy vs. 26 city/31 hwy).

Both the Forester and the CR-V have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Foresters have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Forester uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CR-V with the 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Forester has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V (16.6 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Forester higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda CR-V (6 to 7). This means the Forester produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CR-V every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Forester’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CR-V are solid, not vented.

The Forester stops shorter than the CR-V:

	Forester	CR-V
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Forester’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V LX’s standard 65 series tires. The Forester Sport/Touring’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Forester Sport handles at .82 G’s, while the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Forester Sport executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the CR-V’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Forester has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CR-V (8.7 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 4.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CR-V (110.8 vs. 106).

The Forester has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the CR-V.

Cargo Capacity

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Forester Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The CR-V doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Forester’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V’s (1500 vs. 1000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Forester uses the Vehicle Dynamics Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The CR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the CR-V. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 15% lower rating, Honda is ranked 7th.

Ergonomics

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Forester has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The CR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Forester to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The CR-V doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The CR-V’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Forester’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The CR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Forester and the CR-V offer available heated front seats. The Forester Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CR-V.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Forester Touring keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CR-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Forester has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the CR-V EX/Sport.

Compared to the Honda CR-V, the Subaru Forester eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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