2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid vs. Honda CR-V Hybrid vs. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: Specs Compared

• Subaru announced a hybrid version of the Forester crossover SUV.
• The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Honda CR-V Hybrid are best-selling hybrid crossovers.
• Let's see how the three stack up.

American car buyers want crossovers that offer good fuel economy. As a result, automakers are focusing heavily on electrified crossovers, and some of the best-selling models in the U.S. include the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Now, Subaru has joined the market with the first-ever Forester Hybrid. Let's take a closer look at how it compares to these two industry leaders and whether it’s worth considering as an alternative.

Hybrid crossover MPG compared

Subaru employs the Forester's 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the Hybrid model and pairs it with a 1.1-kWh battery pack, bringing total system output to 194 horsepower. Its hybrid powertrain makes the least amount of power in the group, but this isn't a sports car, so that doesn't matter. What does matter is fuel economy, and the Subaru is down on that, too. The EPA estimates the Forester Hybrid gets 35 mpg combined, up 6 mpg compared to the nonhybrid but a little bit worse than Honda's and Toyota's hybrid crossovers.

You'll get up to 37 mpg combined in the Honda CR-V Hybrid with all-wheel drive, per the EPA's estimates. It uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder (the nonhybrid CR-V uses a turbo 1.5-liter) with two electric motors feeding off a 1.1-kWh battery pack, producing a combined 204 horsepower. As for the Toyota RAV4, it returns up to 39 mpg combined from its 2.5-liter engine, dual electric motors, and 1.6-kWh battery. Its hybrid system provides the most power out of the bunch, with 219 horsepower. Toyota is also one of the few automakers that offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain in its crossover. The RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid is a little pricier than the standard hybrid, but it gets up to 38 mpg and can travel up to 42 miles on electricity alone.

The Subaru's key advantages

All of these hybrid crossovers offer all-wheel drive, whether it's standard or available as an option. Here's where the Forester Hybrid makes up for the lack of mpgs: Subaru uses its Symmetrical AWD system, which is permanently active, continuously sending power to all four wheels. Other all-wheel-drive systems, like Toyota's Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive and Honda's Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control System, are part-time systems, meaning they operate in front-wheel drive most of the time until extra traction is needed. This is one of the ways Subaru has positioned itself well as a rugged adventure brand. Inside, the Subaru Forester gets an 11.6-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's not our favorite system, but Subaru also added a 12.3-inch digital gauge display. Base models come with smaller screens, but in the CR-V, there's an available 9-inch display, and in the RAV4 Hybrid, a 10.5-inch infotainment screen is available on higher trims.

Closely matched on price

The Honda CR-V hybrid starts at $36,045, but to properly compete with the Subaru you're going to need to add the $1,500 all-wheel-drive option. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid costs from $33,295 and throws in all-wheel drive as standard. Subaru hasn't announced how much the Forester Hybrid is going to cost yet (we'll know that closer to the car's on-sale date), but we expect it to land somewhere between the Toyota and the Honda, or right around $35,000 after destination charges.

While we haven't driven the Forester yet, we hope the hybrid is an improvement over the current sluggish powertrains. We won't know for sure until we get behind the wheel, though, so stay tuned.