Subaru Outback or Forester

[Anonymous]

Which would you choose, Outback or Forester? Want an AWD car, budget is 30k, which means a base Outback or a Forester that has a couple of upgrades- moonroof, heated seats, leather….etc. Outback is roomier and drives nicer, but Forester seems nice too.

[Anonymous]

In that situation we chose the Forester. I like being up high and I love heated seats (and a backup camera but maybe that is standard now). I don't have and Outback but I understand they are a little wider which would definitely be nice. The Forester middle seat is too narrow for almost anyone.

[Anonymous]

I loved the moonroof on our forester

[Anonymous]

We love the forester.

[Anonymous]

Having owned both, we much preferred the Outback.

[Anonymous]

We actually have one of each. They're both good cars, but my heart belongs to the Forester. It's easy to parallel park and the scale is right for me at 5'2". Our Outback sits in the driveway a lot of the time (esp. now due to pandemic and WFH), but it's great for long car rides. We're taking our youngest back to college next week and with a storage pod on top, the Outback will have plenty of room for all her stuff. She and DH can sit up front and I will be comfy in the back seat listening to my podcast.

[Anonymous]

I love my Forester and I have two of them. They just run and run!

[Anonymous]

Is this your only car, your main one, or your backup/solo travel car?

I know a lot of Subaru fans (I'm one), and the divide seems to be between people who need something for errands or commuting alone or with one other person (Forester) and the people who need something for the whole family to travel in (Outback).

[Anonymous]

We have a Forester and love it. It's comfortable for long trips, we have two kids and it fits all our stuff great. The cabin is so roomy and bright. We use the moonroof all the time. It drives great.

I sat in the outback when we were deciding and just didn't like it. Ymmv.

[Anonymous]

We went with the Outback because of trunk space. I think technically they are the same cause the Forester is higher and the Outback is wider/longer but the Outback seemed bigger. Where are you going to park it - if its tight I would go Forester if its a bigger space I would go Outback.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if you have tried shopping at dealers in the last month, but when I went to a dealer last week, I was told that Foresters are not currently being made due to the chip shortage, and only a few Outbacks are coming in each week.

[Anonymous]

The Outback has a lot of "get up and go!". The Forester has less ooomph.

[Anonymous]

You need to test drive both and decide. It's very much a personal decision.

We went with the Outback because the back seat is wider and it more easily accommodates car seats. DW - despite being short - really didn't like driving the Forester.

[Anonymous]

I’ve owned both - first an Outback and now a Forester.

As others have noted, the Outback is longer and wider. Makes for a comfy ride when traveling on longer trips. Plus I found the storage to be more convenient - more room to stack across horizontally versus piling up vertically.

The Forester is great for around town for us. I like the height and larger windows - it makes it feel airy and spacious but the seats are smaller. The rear cargo is also more restrictive- I can still pack a lot but I have to pile up and across which can impact visibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Outback has a lot of "get up and go!". The Forester has less ooomph.

They now have the same engine. Only difference is weight - Outback at 3,637 to 3,937 lbs, Forester at 3,449 to 3,589 lbs

https://www.subaru.com/engineering/design/boxer-options.html

If you want oomph, just upgrade to the 2.4L direct injection turbo charge engine (240 hp). I wish I had got that on our Outback. I don't think the Forester offers the turbocharged option.

Also, don't get the base model Outback or Forester. You get so much for your money if you go up one level to to the Premium trim-line. For example, the base model doesn't include the power moon roof whereas the Premium trim line has it.

Premium options not available on Base model:
-Power moon roof
-XMODE: special traction control button for when you're in situations on low friction surfaces (eg, climbing a steep dirt road, icy road at low speeds, etc)
-Hill descent control: maintains the car at a constant speed when going downhill
-Fog lights
-Folding side mirrors that match your body paint (instead of black plastic mirrors on Base)
-Raised roof rails
-Power adjustable front seats, including drive seat lumbar support (instead manual seats on Base)
-Ability to upgrade to All Weather Package: Windshield wiper de-icer, heated side mirrors, heated seats (not available on Base model)
-Reclining rear seats
-Leather trimmed steeringwheel and shifter
-Keyless Access with Push-Button Start
-Rear seat folddown arm rest/cup holder
-Ability to upgrade to a power lift gate trunk (not available on Base model)
-6 speaker stereo (vs 4 speaker on Base model)
-Ability to add Blind Spot Detection system (not available on Base model)

The Premium package is absolutely worth the money. I strongly suggest you skip the Base model and stretch your budget by $3K to get it. That package will make for a much better driving experience.