[TTiimm]

The irony of all the "I want a turbo" "why don't they have a turbo?" comments is ... lost.

Subaru DOES have a Turbo - 2 of them actually - in the US market: the Ascent and the Outback XT models.

WRX makes three models with turbo, but it isn't just about the turbo.

I've driven a '21 Outback XT and the owner of the Outback XT has driven my '15 Forester XT (when it had a stock suspension). We both agree that the Outback doesn't handle nearly as nice. I mean, it's a nice car but the longer wheelbase makes it lethargic and unresponsive by comparison.

The Ascent is simply too big. Lots of baggage comes with that including poor mileage, poor handling and so forth.

Meanwhile, the Mazda CX-5 turbo/AWD fills the space that the Forester XT used to fill.

The Forester is just another boring SUV.

 

[danornan]

I really liked my first Subaru, a 2019 Forester and used the cruse control on the highway a lot. I did not like the so called lane control as it bounced the car from white line to white line. For the most part, it was useless. When the 2022 was announced with the new and enhanced lane centering feature, I was curious. I used it and made the decision to trade for it. I have not been disappointed and use it alot. For me it justified the trade. I have not seen anything since to make me want to trade up and the new 2025 is just too simular to my 2022. I will continue to wait or look elsewhere.

 

[Iverson]

Any word yet on the 2025 Forester having heated steering wheel? Just on the Touring trim? And will it be 360º heating, like on the latest Outback?

 

[SubiAficionado]

Meanwhile, the Mazda CX-5 turbo/AWD fills the space that the Forester XT used to fill.

The Forester is just another boring SUV.

Kind of what I meant before in terms of power. Mazda still remembers how to please their enthusiasts.
Not every Subaru owner want to go just grocery getting and long trips. Some of us enjoy autoX, rally and drag racing, things you could do before with the FXT.

 

[Black21Limited]

@Iverson the Touring in the video has the heated steering wheel. Probably only on the higher trims like in the past.

Not sure about 360° heating, but I believe the newest current version is 360°, so it should be.

Seeing the video of it, it doesn't seem as bad.

Some of the features might be nice, but I am not going to trade up for them. What I have is good enough for me. I only buy another car when the one I have is no longer feasible to repair.

The last new car I bought before 2021 was in 1999. So the odds of me buying/trading soon are pretty slim.

 

[QMaze]

Exhaust pipe isn't centered and should have dual exhaust, and they borrowed the grill off a Ford Edge.

 

[toysbyus]

Better than I might have thought BUT the front is so generic looking, especially the area just below the grill.

At least they got rid of the way too busy side body sculpting from the 19-24 Gen. Definitely a cleaner looking SUV BUT the front needed something to make it more identifiable in the sea of competitors.

We'll be looking at the Hybrid to replace our Crosstrek and 2019 Forrie.........don't need 2 cars at our stage of life.

 

[DragonSubie7]

A side by side torque graph would be a better comparison. Possibly the '25 has slightly more torque and will have better low end/midrange power.
A difference of 2 peak hp could be pretty insignificant.

The adage "Torque wins races on Sunday... Horsepower sells cars on Monday" still applies..
Especially to the uninformed..
Of course the torque vs horse comparison evaporates with electrics which Subaru has stated they will be headed that way.. Sometime..

Probably the most significant 2025 Foz change is not yet available, and that will be pricing.
Maybe be just a bit more.

 

[bigbird1]

My only questions about the '25 are:

1) can the auto start/stop be permanently disabled in the screen settings?

2) does the cruise control (both adaptive and manual cruise) not drop a gear and raise engine rpm when engaged?

If the answer is "yes" to both those questions, I could see myself trading for a '25.

If the answer is "no" to one or both questions, then my next vehicle will not be a Subaru.

 

[FozzyX3]

@bigbird1 If the '24 Crosstrek is any guide, the answer to question 1 is most likely no.

They do at least have the AS/S off button on the bottom of The Screen From Hell full time so you don't have to go two menus deep to turn it off. I actually found it easier to remember to turn it off with the button on the screen instead of buried down by my left knee.

 

[zachavm]

Any word yet on the 2025 Forester having heated steering wheel? Just on the Touring trim? And will it be 360º heating, like on the latest Outback?

Yes. It does have a heated steering wheel. The current model has it on the Touring and Limited. No specifications on which features will be on which trims. They only showed the Touring and the Sport. From what I can tell, the sport did not have it. Driving sports video shows an overview of both models and doesn't mention the heated steering wheel until he gets to the touring.

No talk of "360" heating, but I hope so.

 

[JamesBond]

I suspect the new looks and low-profile roof rack rails are to keep fuel economy numbers up for the hybrid with the added weight of a stiffer structure.
Also, the new kick-controlled sensor for the hatch probably won't play well with a trailer hitch. Just a guess.

 

[zachavm]

Kind of what I meant before in terms of power. Mazda still remembers how to please their enthusiasts.
Not every Subaru owner want to go just grocery getting and long trips. Some of us enjoy autoX, rally and drag racing, things you could do before with the FXT.

For Mazda, those are not considered "enthusiasts". They are their target market. Their entire brand is wrapped up around "zoom zoom". Thus, it has nothing to do with them being a small company. That only makes it more difficult to do. Adding more options and customizability adds costs. Multiple engines adds costs. That is why Subaru has gone away from it. They have moved to focusing on different demographics/markets. They are now MUCH more focused on the outdoors/adventure side with their SUVs.

I understand the complaints here, but the performance driving segment is NOT what ANY subaru SUV is marketed toward anymore. You want that, get a Mazda. That is what Mazdas are made for.

 

[JamesBond]

Some of us may like chrome or shiny trim bits... and not just a highly polished metallic black plastic.

I'm still reserving final judgement until I can see it in the flesh (well, the sheet metal) but I'm not a fan (as mentioned in other posts and threads)... It's just getting a bit too generic and losing some Subaru specificness....

One really odd design faux pas is the way that the rear tail lamps do not line up with the other design features of the rear hatch panel....

View attachment 589588

Looks like swapping out trim from a different year that just doesn't fit...

View attachment 589587

They are currently preproduction models. That's why no YouTubers have driven them.

 

[zachavm]

The adage "Torque wins races on Sunday... Horsepower sells cars on Monday" still applies..
Especially to the uninformed..
Of course the torque vs horse comparison evaporates with electrics which Subaru has stated they will be headed that way.. Sometime..

Probably the most significant 2025 Foz change is not yet available, and that will be pricing.
Maybe be just a bit more.

Note the 2024 Crosstrek did not increase price at all. There have been a lot of price increases recently and people's ability to afford vehicles has taken a MAJOR hit (inflation, interest rates, and student loan payments). It honestly wouldn't surprise me if they kept the prices level here too. At a most I expect a small increase.

This will have a LOT of attention on it so it makes sense to increase prices when people are not looking (2024 MY) and not when they are (2025 MY Redesign).

 

[SubiAficionado]

I understand the complaints here, but the performance driving segment is NOT what ANY subaru SUV is marketed toward anymore. You want that, get a Mazda. That is what Mazdas are made for.

Unfortunately..
Nissan and Toyota have plenty performance oriented sport cars too, might have to look there as well.
Subaru had forgotten its rally roots, it’s what propelled the brand to what it is today in the first place.

 

[securityguy]

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2025-subaru-forester-first-look-review/?lid=max3nykv3fsv&eml=organic%3Aeml%3Abrz2&utm_source=braze&utm_medium=emaileditorial

 

[FozzyX3]

Even Mazda is trying to get away from zoom zoom, at least in North America. Yes, things like the Miata and turbo options on their SUVs are still available, but the marketing people are positioning the brand as a budget Lexus.....minus such Lexus features as reliability and rustproofing.

 

[Rand]

The best way to make it a hybrid is to somehow incorporate it into the transmission where the torque converter is.
everything else stays the same except giant power boost/regen from simple all in one solution.

Similar to the how stellantis has it setup with the zf 8 speed..

 

[TTiimm]

Even Mazda is trying to get away from zoom zoom, at least in North America. Yes, things like the Miata and turbo options on their SUVs are still available, but the marketing people are positioning the brand as a budget Lexus.....minus such Lexus features as reliability and rustproofing.

How marketing positions the brand doesn't change the fact that they offer a small SUV with AWD, 256 horsepower, 320 pound-feet torque and 0-60 in 6.6 seconds.

This is almost identical to the last version of the Forester XT which had 250 HP, 258 lb-ft and did 0-60 in 6.7 seconds.

Mazda actually has an exciting, sporty small SUV. Subaru has not had such a vehicle since 2018.