Compare the2025 Subaru ForesterVS 2025 Genesis GV70

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 Genesis GV70 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 GV70 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard EyeSight, the Subaru Forester is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Genesis GV70, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

Both the Forester and the GV70 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, all wheel drive, 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, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Forester is safer than the GV70:

There are almost 3 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Genesis dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Forester’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Genesis vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Genesis is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Genesis With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Genesis.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Genesis vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 12 places higher in reliability than Genesis.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The GV70 doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better mileage than the GV70:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Forester uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GV70 with the 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Forester higher (7 out of 10) than the Genesis GV70 (5). This means the Forester produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GV70 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 GV70 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Forester stops shorter than the GV70:

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the GV70’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Forester has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GV70 (8.7 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 900 pounds less than the Genesis GV70.

The front grille of the Forester uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GV70 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Forester has 7.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the GV70 (110.8 vs. 103.6).

The Forester has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom and 2.2 inches more rear legroom than the GV70.

The front step up height for the Forester is 2 inches lower than the GV70 (15.5” vs. 17.5”). The Forester’s rear step up height is .1 inches lower than the GV70’s (17.25” vs. 17.3”).

The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GV70 with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 28.9 cubic feet). The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GV70 with its rear seat folded (74.4 vs. 56.9 cubic feet).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Forester uses the Vehicle Dynamics Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The GV70 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Genesis. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 65% lower rating, Genesis is ranked 31st.

The Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The GV70 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 GV70 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Genesis GV70 by almost six to one during 2023.