2025 Subaru Forester Touring vs. 2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited vs. 2025 Mazda CX-50 Turbo: Battle for some of the many, many small SUV choices.

This week: Subaru Forester

Price: $41,390 as tested. No options on the test vehicle.

Conventional wisdom: Car and driver likes the “practical interior, plush ride, numerous standard driver aids” but not the “noisy flat-four engine, bland handling, could use a little more power.”

Presentation of the marketer: “Love begins with trust.”

Reality: It’s still a pleasant companion, but one that doesn’t rock your world. I guess it’s something like love.

What’s new: The small SUV is a very popular category, far surpassing the sedan and station wagon with its ride height, comfort and price.

The Subaru version gets a facelift inside and out for 2025. The company touts revised symmetrical all-wheel drive with quicker response and its better crash rate in the recent IIHS test.

Competition: Dodge Hornet, Honda CR-VHyundai Tucson, Kia SportageMazda CX-50, Toyota RAV4just to name a few.

Up to speed: The Forester tested wasn’t a hot rod, but it held its own on highways and in passing.

The 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine brings 180 horsepower to the race. It reaches 60 mph in 8.3 seconds, according to Car and Driver.

I would definitely love to try the hybrid version, but it’s not on the menu until 2026 it seems.

Sneaky: The continuously variable transmission works well, without much engine whine or golf-cart feel, and it doesn’t seem to interfere with acceleration. There is an 8-speed shift mode, but I generally find it a bit vague and not worth the effort.

On the road: The Forester retains the direct handling of previous incarnations, responding to steering inputs like a soldier at the ready. There’s not much fun to be had, but that’s okay. It’s a typical Subaru theme, and it’s a welcome feeling.

Highway driving is pleasant, although it can be a little stiff on road joints.

The large midsize SUV is nice to maneuver through narrow driveways, swinging from point to point with ease and saving a lot of turns.

Driver’s seat: The Forester offers a welcoming interior for front passengers. The seats are comfortable and spacious and are fairly upright; The windshield stays much closer to vertical than most vehicles, as in previous versions of the SUV, giving it a more traditional feel.

The dashboard hasn’t changed much, with dials for the speedometer and tachometer, along with the usual information in between in Subaru spaceship font. It’s easy to scroll and find what you want to know.

Friends and stuff: Rear passengers have a pleasant experience, reports Sturgis Kid 4.0. And he would know, because it’s a five-hour drive on I-95. The wings are a bit unusual, more around the shoulders than the hips, but he didn’t feel the need to adjust much. The seat also reclines, a bonus.

Legroom and headroom are adequate, although footroom under the seat is minimal because the front seats are so low.

Cargo space is 29.6 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 74.4 cubic feet with the seat folded.

Towing capacity is 1,500 pounds.

Play some songs: Subaru’s large 11.5-inch infotainment screen remains the focal point of the dashboard. It’s really clear and the home menu icons are large and easy to use. (Note that the Touring is premium; some lesser Foresters have small screens.)

I successfully connected my iPhone via StarLink the first time, and had an easier time connecting each subsequent time; I have had connection issues in previous Subarus. But after the first ride, I could never see the map screen on my phone again. Boring.

The sound from the 11-speaker Harman Kardon system is very good, about an A-.

Keep warm and cool: The small HVAC portion of the display screen operated the air source and fan speed, as well as the seat heating and ventilation. It might be a bit of an attention stealer, but it’s also not that difficult to adjust to.

The buttons on either side adjust the temperature, which is a help.

Fuel economy: The Forester was averaging a disappointing 22 mpg until we took it on the trip to Washington; then it was increased to the more rewarding 26.

Where it is built: Gunma, Japan

How it is built: Consumer Reports gives the 2025 Forester a predicted reliability of 5 out of 5.

But I’ve received numerous reports of expensive repairs needed at Subarus in general over the past few months. Consumer Reports’ own data shows that the Forester’s reliability improved in 2022, after a few intervening years since 2019. Before that, the vehicle was consistently rated 2 out of 5. Let’s hope they’re right.

Next week: Hyundai Tucson Limited 2025