Compare the2025 Subaru ForesterVS 2024 Honda HR-V

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 HR-V doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

The Forester Touring has a standard 360-Degree Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The HR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Forester and the HR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Forester has a standard 620-amp battery. The HR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Honda With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Honda.

Engine

The Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 22 more horsepower (180 vs. 158) and 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (178 vs. 138) than the HR-V’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Subaru Forester is faster than the Honda HR-V:

	Forester	HR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	9.4 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	23 sec	26 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.9 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.6 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87 MPH	85 MPH
Top Speed	127 MPH	115 MPH

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

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better mileage than the HR-V:

			MPG
Forester
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Sport/Touring 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/32 hwy
HR-V
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl.	26 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl.	25 city/30 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Forester’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The HR-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Forester has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the HR-V (16.6 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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 HR-V are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Forester has larger standard tires than the HR-V (225/60R17 vs. 215/60R17). The Forester Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the HR-V (235/50R19 vs. 225/55R18).

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Forester Sport/Touring has standard 19-inch wheels. The HR-V’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Forester Sport handles at .82 G’s, while the HR-V EX-L AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Forester has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the HR-V LX/EX-L (8.7 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Forester’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the HR-V Sport (8.7 vs. 7.3 inches).

Chassis

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 HR-V doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 12.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the HR-V (110.8 vs. 98.7).

The Forester has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom, 6.3 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the HR-V.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring’s rear seats recline. The HR-V’s rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Forester is 2.9 inches lower than the HR-V (15.5” vs. 18.4”). The Forester’s rear step up height is .6 inches lower than the HR-V’s (17.25” vs. 17.9”).

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the HR-V with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 24.4 cubic feet). The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the HR-V with its rear seat folded (74.4 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

The Forester’s cargo area is larger than the HR-V’s in almost every dimension:

	Forester	HR-V
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	36.5”/70.7”	34.8”/68.3”
Max Width	51.2”	55.4”
Min Width	43.3”	39.8”
Height	34.9”	32.1”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Forester Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The HR-V doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Forester’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The HR-V doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Forester has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The HR-V has no towing capacity.

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 HR-V doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the HR-V. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 14% lower rating, Honda is ranked 12th.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Forester Touring, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and climate settings. The HR-V doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Forester Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The HR-V doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Forester’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The HR-V’s power window (except driver window) and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 HR-V 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 HR-V doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The HR-V’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Forester’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The HR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Forester and the HR-V offer available heated front seats. The Forester Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the HR-V.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Forester Touring keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The HR-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Forester Limited/Touring’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The HR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The HR-V doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Forester has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the HR-V EX-L.

Both the Forester and the HR-V offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The HR-V doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Forester (except Base/Premium/Sport)’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The HR-V’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Recommendations

The Subaru Forester outsold the Honda HR-V by 25% during 2023.

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