'Embarrassing results for new Forester Hybrid (video)! [Stay on topic pleaaasssee]
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tony coz
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Some time ago I watched the same tests with older generations of test vehicles. Subaru did well. I think there were more tests in the older video, some involving mud and water, and while they may not have been 100% the same tests, they were very similar. For example, instead of rollers embedded in a road, maybe portable roller jigs located on pavement.
I feel those guys have been less and less respectable over the years, but well, it is another test.
Silly for you only. Driving over curbs is a regular necessity for many people, whether a moving van, work truck, or personal vehicle. I did it weekly with my 2018 (granted, that was an XT, maybe that's why it worked). I never had any problems getting over the curb. From the description of one person who said they had the problem, I kept asking them questions, like whether they were getting wheelspin or something, which could have caused cutting of engine power. Never really got answers.
Here's a previous test from the same team: SUV off-road test: Top 12 medium SUVs compared, with video
They don't do the same tests (different course), but all cars are tested head-to-head so it seems legit to me. In the previous test the 2022 Forester ICE was the clear winner.
My guess is the Forester Hybrid engineering team was rushed to get the car out the door with maximum mileage and range being the priority, sacrificing AWD performance tuning. They will probably fix it next year either with software or hardware updates.
They don't do the same tests (different course), but all cars are tested head-to-head so it seems legit to me. In the previous test the 2022 Forester ICE was the clear winner.
My guess is the Forester Hybrid engineering team was rushed to get the car out the door with maximum mileage and range being the priority, sacrificing AWD performance tuning. They will probably fix it next year either with software or hardware updates.
Question is and they didn't answer that at all, does the normal ICE only Forester have the same issues as the hybrid. Almost certain that it does not, and it's still on top above the others as it's been there for years. The expectation that hybrid is more expensive and then it must be better at everything is wrong, IMO. Hybrid is there to save fuel, it is also zippier in the city, see other tests, very nice to drive, quiet.
That is probably how I would settle for now... ICE Forester for mostly bush driving + a bit of a city, Hybrid Forester for mostly city + a bit of bush.
That is probably how I would settle for now... ICE Forester for mostly bush driving + a bit of a city, Hybrid Forester for mostly city + a bit of bush.
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I believe it's more of a software issue that can be tweaked and not a mechanical issue. A lot of the non-Subaru hybrids like Rav4 that TFL tested did remarkedly better than the ice versions offroad. The torque and power ratings are better in the hybrids.
@Lunaster Welcome to the forum!
Could you please update your Public Profile; vehicle details at least; thanks. For detail instructions pls refer: https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/your-forum-public-profile-how-to-fill-this-out.824165/
Could you please update your Public Profile; vehicle details at least; thanks. For detail instructions pls refer: https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/your-forum-public-profile-how-to-fill-this-out.824165/
Just a list of summary results, but the Forester Hybrid didn't stack up well in weight per horses, or fuel economy compared with the competition of other makes AWD crossovers according to MotorDonkey.. They think the hybrid features fell short.
Admittedly, their bias is on the need for a speedy ride.
Admittedly, their bias is on the need for a speedy ride.
This is so ridiculous. 95% of Forester owners will never do anything remotely akin to this, but everyone seems to believe it's an essential capability. There are plenty of videos on youtube showing the Forester Hybrid climbing hills as challenging as this. I don't buy it. I have a Touring Hybrid and, although it's not perfect - nothing is, I think it's a great overall package that suits my needs to the letter. It will sell like hotcakes if buyers are honest about what they actually need and can resist youtube group think.
It is essential that the vehicle have these capabilities, because the customers are buying the vehicle to get these capabilities. If these capabilities were not essential and the vehicles were going to be pavement princesses, they may as well buy a CR-V. Why does anyone buy a Subaru? For things that Subaru vehicles can do, that others can't. I've had my share of vehicles that get stuck in the snow or whatever, having to push vehicles and rock them back and forth. Now that I've been driving Subarus, I just drive right past all the stranded cars. (I don't have a hybrid though.)
@Botnik,
Good points. What is weird though is that it should obviously do this easily. I’ve been thinking about this one a lot. Maybe traction control is off, or disabled, or just not working.
Good points. What is weird though is that it should obviously do this easily. I’ve been thinking about this one a lot. Maybe traction control is off, or disabled, or just not working.
I have a different POV.
Not every auto buyer purchases a vehicle for the same reason. It may be different in the area where you reside, but where I live in SC, I’d wager that less than 5% of Hybrid Foresters will experience anything more substantial in their vehicle than driving on an unpaved road.
Lots of Corvette buyers never track their car, or drive them anywhere near their performance capabilities. They buy them to look “cool”.
What I do agree on, however, is that a vehicle should perform as advertised, whether or not every purchaser intends to use those features.
That's true. If you buy a piece of conduit advertised as 10' long and when you get it it's 8' long, that is not cool and affects your company's reputation. Those people who don't take their Corvettes near their performance capabilities are fine, as long as the vehicles are capable of what they're advertised as being capable of. The hybrid is a Forester, which is supposed to be capable of light offroading. If it can't do more than a street-only car, then it shouldn't even be a Forester. It could be marketed along with the AWD minivans, for example.
I've seen a fulltime 4wd 4runner w/ low range & aggressive larger than stock tires sunk to the rails, w/ all 4 wheels locked & spinning, on a beach ride. it's not what you have, it's what you do with it. driver experience & technique are important factors to offroad success. videos like this are almost nonsense
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I would wait for real time results...my 2016 ICE Forester was ready for expensive repairs due to the winter road conditions around here, and have had to replace bearings in at least 2 ball joints due to frequent driving on washboard gravel roads, told to expect replacement of corroded hydraulic brake lines and the well known oil seal issues with that year's ICE. Final straw was failure of the horn, which I often honk rounding steep blind curves on my mountain road. We have snow, sand and salt on roads that may have been designed by the bobsled track designers for the nearby Olympic Bobsled runs. We have snow, sand and salt on the secondary roads November/December through May. I traded it in for a 2025 Hybrid version and mostly love it so far. I have owned both a 2005 Prius (purchased in 2004) and a 2016 Forester. I live in the mountains of upstate NY, and the hybrid battery fully charges before I'm halfway into town. The paddle shifters/downshift mechanism hass been far more effective than the 2016's downshift on the downhills, and the hybrid ICE often cuts out on the numerous downhill sections. I am getting up to 10 MPG more mileage per gallon than in the ICE model due to the terrain. I'm also getting 33-44 MPG on the highway, again depending on terrain and direction on the roads, and 30-33 MPG in my hilly mountain community (I garage it roughly 1,500' above town, so everytime I drive into town the hybrid battery is charging and the ICE is turning off or charging the hybrid battery). I have driven in muddy conditions without a problem. The hybrid version tracks/handles much better due to better weight distribution with the hybrid battery over the rear wheels. I am looking forward to semi-solid state/solid state batteries that will prove more practical in the colder north country, but this seems to be a more than satisfactory bridge vehicle, between the ICE model and not-ready-for-prime-time E.V.s. As for the electronics some mention, they are typical Subaru, but more modern, up-to-date features are welcome. I'm not sure why the emphasis on this almost-virtual test.
I can only speak for myself, but the failure of the vehicle to perform as expected was the reason why.
The roller pad scenario is an objective test of the AWD capabilities of a car, and the hybrid's inability to traverse it was disappointing.
It may well be that particular vehicle being used had problems, because it failed what should have been an easy test for any Subaru.
Without knowing how the vehicle settings were set or used/mis-used and numerous other factors, I do not take this article seriously. It seemed a little short on details. I would rather hear about real world experience. Based on the 1,500 miles I have driven in the hybrid version, I expect it to behave like my 2016 ICE version, but with better fuel economy, lower emissions and better traction in the rear due to the weight of the hybrid battery. I use the X-Mode regularly, and it is actually more capable than the one in my 2016 ICE version, if a little flaky in engaging when I pull into my driveway (with a steep downhill).
@wildplaces
X-Mode is about enhanced low speed control.
Any AWD Subaru should be able to traverse a roller pad regardless of the mode set.
Subarus have been passing that test for decades without any mode settings.
The test vehicle could not.
You are entitled to your opinion, but only a vehicle defect or design flaw would explain the test result.
X-Mode is about enhanced low speed control.
Any AWD Subaru should be able to traverse a roller pad regardless of the mode set.
Subarus have been passing that test for decades without any mode settings.
The test vehicle could not.
You are entitled to your opinion, but only a vehicle defect or design flaw would explain the test result.
@Botnik
100% Agreed. My first Subaru was a 2017 Crosstrek and I was astounded how well it drove in snowy and icy weather. I don't get a lot of that where I live like other parts of the country do, but I do get some every year and have had a 4X4 in the driveway for many, many years.
That Crosstrek put them all to shame except for ground clearance. But as long as it had clearance it was totally dominant and completely sold me on Subaru's AWD system. Any lack of capability there is a step backwards. Sure, it may excel in some other area(s), but that's not why I buy Subaru. Other brands can provide whatever that area is just as well.
I buy Subaru for:
1) The AWD
and
2) They are a better value for the money spent. My sister's AWD CRV is more expensive and less capable. It is a nice car though.
what year? I like the most recent body shape. looks less like a bean than the early models
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