SUVs are taking over the industry. There’s no surprise there. While the trend is getting a bit boring, consumers are not quite ready to give up. Especially when it comes to compact and subcompact crossovers. In fact, compact SUVs are one of the most competitive areas nowadays, and brands are flooding it with new releases for more market share.
Of the available items, the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage offer style and personality, while the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, and Toyota RAV4 evolve—albeit at a slow pace—but offer reliable family transport. The Subaru Forester is also part of the playing eleven, but it never quite stacked up well against its competitors.
Sure it had its strengths, but in a heavily tech and feature-driven segment, the Subaru Forester was bit of an old dog. Come 2022, Subaru gave the Forester a much-needed refresh. Of course, in a hotly contested space, it’s not just about facelifts and ventilated seats. Utility and dependability matter, especially considering most compacts are bought for daily driving and running errands.
What better way to test the new Subaru’s potential than by comparing it against one of the segment benchmarks, the 2022 Toyota RAV4. Although Subaru reckons the 2023 Forester is better than its resident adversary, we like to think otherwise.
2023 Subaru Forester Vs Toyota RAV4: Which One’s Better Looking?
Style is subjective, we agree. But when you have so many options to choose from, why not pick something appealing? Sure, the Subaru Forester is not particularly beautiful, nor is the Toyota RAV4. However, it’s the latter that feels more youthful and, dare we say, premium. The Subaru is, by no means, unattractive. It portrays a fairly rugged and more utilitarian outlook, especially with the 2022 facelift. The RAV4 definitely looks posher than Subaru's latest re-skin of the Forester.
As for utility, there’s not that much between the two. Both sit fairly high off the ground. Speccing the TRD and Wilderness models on both gets you more ground clearance should you find the need for it. Otherwise, you get LED lights front and rear, DRLs, fog lights, power liftgates, sunroofs…etc., depending on the model.
Pick the right trim, and you get a lot of goodies added to the cart. The RAV4 can go up to 19-inches in wheel diameter, while the Subaru makes do with 18s. That may not be a deal breaker, but having the reassurance of AWD on all its trims might make the Subaru a better prospect for some. Although the RAV4 gets AWD, it’s not a standard item.
2023 Subaru Forester Vs Toyota RAV4: What About Interiors?
Both SUVs target the budget demographic, and things inside reflect that motive. At least to a certain extent. The Subaru Forester adds a few touches to the inside to elevate the premiumness. But unfortunately, it’s nowhere near as smart or stylish as something like the Kia Sportage. The same is true for the RAV4.
Some folks find things basic and less shouty, interesting. For them the Toyota’s fairly minimal yet practical interiors make more sense. Touches like the rubber pad over the climate control knobs signify the utilitarian theme behind the RAV4. As for the Forester, the textured plastic trim layered across the cabin portray a sense of quality, while the matte-metallic trims dotted around bring in a bit of contrast.
As for features, Subaru offers a standard 6.5-inch display, but a larger 8.0-inch unit is optional. The three-screen setup continues, with off-road settings on the display mounted above the dash and vehicle data available on the small instrument cluster screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability are both standard. The RAV4, on the other hand, has most of the stuff you need in a basic runabout. 8.0-inch infotainment, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, optional JBL stereo, and wireless charging are all part of the RAV4 experience.
2023 Subaru Forester Vs Toyota RAV4: What About Driving Experience?
The Forester's default and only powertrain option is a 182-horsepower 2.5L flat-four mated to a CVT transmission. As for the RAV4, the base powertrain is a 203-horsepower 2.5L four-cylinder paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models are also available with 219 and 302 horsepower, respectively. Seeing Subaru opted to not offer any form of electric assistance makes the comparison a bit one-sided.
Neither SUV is what you’d call exciting. The RAV4 Prims (PHEV) is perhaps the better option with its 302-horsepower powertrain. However, both SUVs are built with utility in mind. The Forester is capable of towing 1,500 pounds while the RAV4 can tow up to 3,500 if properly equipped. Storage space is aplenty. The base Forester gives you 28.9 cu.ft. of cargo space and 74.2 cu.ft. with the rear seats folded down. The RAV4 offers 37.6 cubic feet behind the rear seat and up to 69.8 cubic feet of max cargo space.
Overall, the 2023 Subaru Forester is a sensible buy in its base configuration. Both SUVs start in the ballpark of $27,000, but you get standard AWD in the Subaru. In every other respect, we’d side with the Toyota RAV4.
Sources: Subaru, Toyota