Compare the2022 Honda HR-VVS 2021 Subaru Forester

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the HR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The HR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Forester’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the HR-V and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes and lane departure warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda HR-V is safer than the Subaru Forester:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the HR-V is 1.6% to 3.4% less likely to roll over than the Forester.

There are over 68 percent more Honda dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the HR-V’s warranty.

The engine in the HR-V has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Forester has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

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 HR-V’s reliability 13 points higher than the Forester.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 19th in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 27th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 3 places higher in reliability than Subaru.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda HR-V is faster than the Subaru Forester:

The HR-V stops shorter than the Forester:

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

The HR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Forester Limited pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Honda HR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 550 pounds less than the Subaru Forester.

The HR-V is 11.7 inches shorter than the Forester, making the HR-V easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The HR-V Sport/EX/EX-L uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Forester doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Consumer Reports rated the HR-V’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Forester’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The HR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Forester doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the HR-V is less expensive to operate than the Forester because it costs $282 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the HR-V than the Forester, including $145 less for a water pump, $9 less for a muffler, $18 less for front brake pads, $399 less for fuel injection, $129 less for front struts and $183 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda HR-V will be $996 to $2203 less than for the Subaru Forester.