Compare the2025 Subaru ForesterVS 2024 Chevrolet Blazer

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Blazer doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Blazer doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Forester (except Base/Premium) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Blazer doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Forester. But it costs extra on the Blazer.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Blazer doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Forester Touring’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Blazer doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Forester and the Blazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Forester’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Blazer’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 14 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Blazer doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better mileage than the Blazer:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Forester uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Blazer with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Forester has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Blazer. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Forester higher (7 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Blazer (6 to 7). This means the Forester produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Blazer every 15,000 miles.

The Forester has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Blazer doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Forester’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Blazer are solid, not vented.

The Forester’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Blazer’s standard 65 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Blazer’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Forester has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Blazer LT (8.7 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Forester’s minimum ground clearance is 1.1 inches higher than on the Blazer RS/Premier (8.7 vs. 7.6 inches).

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 650 pounds less than the Chevrolet Blazer.

The Forester is 8.5 inches shorter than the Blazer, making the Forester easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Forester has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Blazer (110.8 vs. 107.8).

The Forester has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 2.3 inches more front legroom and 1 inch more rear headroom than the Blazer.

The front step up height for the Forester is 2.9 inches lower than the Blazer (15.5” vs. 18.4”). The Forester’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the Blazer’s (17.25” vs. 19”).

The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Blazer with its rear seat folded (74.4 vs. 64.2 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.9 inches, while the Blazer’s liftover is 30.3 inches.

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Blazer. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 14th.

The Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Blazer’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Forester has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Blazer doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Forester to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Blazer doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Chevrolet Blazer by over two to one during 2023.