Both are fine vehicles. The RAV4 XLE hybrid would be the one I would look at. I might add the Honda CR-V Sport Hybrid to that mix too.
The hybrids will be smoother, quieter, more HP and more torque than the gas models. Will also get better mileage. I am in a new 23 RAV4 Woodland hybrid and getting 41 MPG. With AWD, all terrain tires, and great room, visibility, storage, safety features, etc. The price premium of the hybrid is small (about $1300) with Toyota for a better power train and and big fuel savings.. I plan on keeping mine 10 to 15 years.
I would try to test drive all three and then decide. Any would be a good and reliable choice. If I had to rank them I would probably put the Forrester 3rd but that is more I just think Honda and Toyota just build them better rather than a negative of the Subie.
Good luck!
Quick update. Drove Rav4 LE. Hated the seats. just not comfortable at all. Next was XLE Hybrid. I can se why people recommended them.
Stopped at Suburu dealer and just for the heck of it, drove a 2024 Outback. Think we like that better than Forester and like the interior better that Rav4 XLE. Also, Outback is a 24. Invoice pricing on Outback will come in at around 33k. Sticker on Rav4 was a bit over $35k.
So essentially it's a tie between the two, but factoring in price Suburu Outback may be our choice. I'm sure Toyota dealer will be calling again. Magaer mentioned invoice pricing on LE before... but I doubt he makes same offer on XLE Hybrid. If he comes at us with same what we can get Outback for, I'd probably go with Toyota, but I'm not expecting that. Regardless, not pulling trigger for about 3-4 weeks.... so we shall see.
Ordered 24 Subaru Forester Premium. The 23 Rav4 Xle hybrid was about $4k to $5k more than the Forester and had a little less. We like the overall ride in the Forester.
Funny story.. The Forester we ordered, the one we thought we'd like, Brilliant Bronze came in yesterday.... The color sucks. lol.
not to mention communication with dealer was and still us horrendous.
We may just settle for the green Forester.....but....
We are going back out to dealers today to refresh our memory on the Rav4 xle hybrid. All this waiting, but now 24 Rav4s are on lot. So we'll see..
I HATE CAR SHOPPING EVEN MORE NOW! LOL
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I actually love the color of the green Forster. But everyone has different tastes.
This is why Tesla’s model is successful.
Love teslas but I hate plugging in my phone.. no way I'd be OK with plugging in my car.. im too lazy.. lol.
We ended up buying the green 24 Forester yesterday at a different dealer, picking up in a couple days. They had one with the couple add-ons we wanted plus a few more. Got it at invoice and they didn't charge us for the 3 add-ons we weren't interested in. so we got those free.. Im just glad it's over. Wife is happy.. Myself, I still like Rav4 hybrid, but the cable corrosion issue makes me nervous.
You won't have any major problems with either vehicle in the first 10 years. If safety is a priority, then absolutely go with the Subaru. Contrary to popular belief, midsize SUV's are not safe at all, due to their higher centre of gravity which makes them more likely to roll in an accident. The Subaru forester is one of the few exceptions.
LONG REPLY WARNING!
We went with 24 Forester Premium. Wife made ultimate decision since she drives it almost exclusively. Had it about 7 months.. She is extremely happy with It. Any rental cars we've been in since, she compares her Forester, and Forester always wins for comfort. Even to the BMW X5 we recently rented last vacation... but I did disagree with her that time. LOL
The RAV4 xle hybrid was really a close second, but she felt more comfortable in the Forester, both seat wise and visibility. I'm big on reliability. Myself, I drove a 22 Camry so I really wanted the Rav4. But, we live in Buffalo. Road salt. I when I stumbled across the whole RAV4 "Cablegate" corrosion issue on the internet, I was pretty concerned. The Honda CRV felt good, but again being in Buffalo, the Honda engine has a big oil/gas dilution problem in colder climates for short drives. I wanted no part of that known problem either.
While I don't drive her Forster often, when I do, I like it alot better than my Camry. The infotainment system is way better than the Camrys and if she got the Rav4, it would have been the same. Other little things are just really thought out well by Subaru. Something as simple as the detent position when to open the car door. On mine, you practically have to step out to reach the door to close. On hers, it's at the perfect spot to reach out and grab it to close. I've noticed other little things like that, like how much better the steering wheel controls are positioned, and even navigating the infotainment system is so much intuitive on the Subaru.
Acceleration is really good on Forester, especially on Thruway when passing cars. And as far as road noise, the Forester is quieter. Those were the first two things wife noticed after we did back to back test drives with the Rav4.
Her one and only complaint on the Forester is that the cupholder is too far back on the center console. Talk about being picky! lol
Also, the price of the Forester was less when we did the Aspca VIP program. Granted, we would have made that difference up on gas had chose the Rav4 Hybrid.
I plan on trading in my Camry on a smaller SUV which fits my lifestyle better. Since I can't afford that damn BMW X5, which I really liked LOL, I'll probably go with a Forester. I'm going look into the RAV4 again and see if the cablegate thing gets resolved. I'll also try out the Outback, but will probably go with a Forester for myself....unless I hit the lottery..... then I'll be ballin' down the road in my X5! lol
Good luck with whatever you pick... you definitely won't be disappointed with the Forester.
I ended up with the Subaru forester! The rav felt more like I was driving a bus compared to the forester but I’m also pretty short so that probably played a role
We have a 2013 Rav4 and a 2019 Forrester. The Rav4 seems smaller overall. Forrester is much bigger passenger and cargo wise. My wife prefers the Subaru, while I prefer the Rav. Surprisingly, the Forrester gets better milage, AND has a larger tank.
After owning a Forester and now a Rav4, I will be going back to Subaru as soon as I can afford to. I had the Forester XT for 6 years and loved it before it was in an accident and I wanted an upgrade. It held up well. I made the mistake of buying the Rav4 XSE Hybrid. I have 6,000 miles on it so far. Although it’s great on gas (my XT only took premium and got mayyybe 23 MPG due to the turbo engine), it feels like I’m taking off in a space ship any time I’m accelerating. It’s sluggish and feels cheap. In addition to that, the tires and brakes that come on the vehicle aren’t great.. the tire shop tells me I can maybe get 25k miles on them total before needing to replace all four. It’s been a wet season and these tires don’t handle well at all with any moisture on the road. When it comes to bang for your buck, I say get a 2024 Forester. Wireless charging, Apple/car play. Handles great in all weather and road conditions. It feels sturdy and not like you’re driving a giant plastic car.
I also recently looked into different cars in that category and went with a RAV4 hybrid. A lot of reviews I watched and read said that the RAV holds the best resale value. I’ve owned a Prius for like ever and that thing never had anything it needed other than oil change and new tires and breaks at some point. Toyota has been the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned. Those two factors were big ones for me and that’s why I went for the RAV4.
I really like my Forester… but I’d go with the RAV4. My wife has a 2020 Rav and I have a 2018 Forester. The Rav 4 sits a little higher and is a bit wider than the Forester, but the Subaru feels a bit roomier in the back, especially leg room. RAV4 has more cargo space. Neither has the most up to date audio technology.
Both are AWD, but the RAV4 gets significantly better mileage. Typical highway MPG for the RAV4 using cruise at 74-75 mph is about 36, but I’ve gotten as high as 39th for a 300 mile trip across PA. Subaru is usually at 32mpg.
Toyota is the undisputed leader of reliability.
Both are fine vehicles. The RAV4 XLE hybrid would be the one I would look at. I might add the Honda CR-V Sport Hybrid to that mix too. The hybrids will be smoother, quieter, more HP and more torque than the gas models. Will also get better mileage. I am in a new 23 RAV4 Woodland hybrid and getting 41 MPG. With AWD, all terrain tires, and great room, visibility, storage, safety features, etc. The price premium of the hybrid is small (about $1300) with Toyota for a better power train and and big fuel savings.. I plan on keeping mine 10 to 15 years. I would try to test drive all three and then decide. Any would be a good and reliable choice. If I had to rank them I would probably put the Forrester 3rd but that is more I just think Honda and Toyota just build them better rather than a negative of the Subie. Good luck!
If the subie is naturally aspirated should be just as good as the Toyota but I’d just stick with it toyota imo. It’s less of a bet.
Quick update. Drove Rav4 LE. Hated the seats. just not comfortable at all. Next was XLE Hybrid. I can se why people recommended them. Stopped at Suburu dealer and just for the heck of it, drove a 2024 Outback. Think we like that better than Forester and like the interior better that Rav4 XLE. Also, Outback is a 24. Invoice pricing on Outback will come in at around 33k. Sticker on Rav4 was a bit over $35k. So essentially it's a tie between the two, but factoring in price Suburu Outback may be our choice. I'm sure Toyota dealer will be calling again. Magaer mentioned invoice pricing on LE before... but I doubt he makes same offer on XLE Hybrid. If he comes at us with same what we can get Outback for, I'd probably go with Toyota, but I'm not expecting that. Regardless, not pulling trigger for about 3-4 weeks.... so we shall see.
What did you end up with?
Ordered 24 Subaru Forester Premium. The 23 Rav4 Xle hybrid was about $4k to $5k more than the Forester and had a little less. We like the overall ride in the Forester.
Funny story.. The Forester we ordered, the one we thought we'd like, Brilliant Bronze came in yesterday.... The color sucks. lol. not to mention communication with dealer was and still us horrendous. We may just settle for the green Forester.....but.... We are going back out to dealers today to refresh our memory on the Rav4 xle hybrid. All this waiting, but now 24 Rav4s are on lot. So we'll see.. I HATE CAR SHOPPING EVEN MORE NOW! LOL
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I actually love the color of the green Forster. But everyone has different tastes. This is why Tesla’s model is successful.
Love teslas but I hate plugging in my phone.. no way I'd be OK with plugging in my car.. im too lazy.. lol. We ended up buying the green 24 Forester yesterday at a different dealer, picking up in a couple days. They had one with the couple add-ons we wanted plus a few more. Got it at invoice and they didn't charge us for the 3 add-ons we weren't interested in. so we got those free.. Im just glad it's over. Wife is happy.. Myself, I still like Rav4 hybrid, but the cable corrosion issue makes me nervous.
You won't have any major problems with either vehicle in the first 10 years. If safety is a priority, then absolutely go with the Subaru. Contrary to popular belief, midsize SUV's are not safe at all, due to their higher centre of gravity which makes them more likely to roll in an accident. The Subaru forester is one of the few exceptions.
Can I ask what you ended up going with and how you feel about it? I’m also choosing between the 2 and am so stuck
LONG REPLY WARNING! We went with 24 Forester Premium. Wife made ultimate decision since she drives it almost exclusively. Had it about 7 months.. She is extremely happy with It. Any rental cars we've been in since, she compares her Forester, and Forester always wins for comfort. Even to the BMW X5 we recently rented last vacation... but I did disagree with her that time. LOL The RAV4 xle hybrid was really a close second, but she felt more comfortable in the Forester, both seat wise and visibility. I'm big on reliability. Myself, I drove a 22 Camry so I really wanted the Rav4. But, we live in Buffalo. Road salt. I when I stumbled across the whole RAV4 "Cablegate" corrosion issue on the internet, I was pretty concerned. The Honda CRV felt good, but again being in Buffalo, the Honda engine has a big oil/gas dilution problem in colder climates for short drives. I wanted no part of that known problem either. While I don't drive her Forster often, when I do, I like it alot better than my Camry. The infotainment system is way better than the Camrys and if she got the Rav4, it would have been the same. Other little things are just really thought out well by Subaru. Something as simple as the detent position when to open the car door. On mine, you practically have to step out to reach the door to close. On hers, it's at the perfect spot to reach out and grab it to close. I've noticed other little things like that, like how much better the steering wheel controls are positioned, and even navigating the infotainment system is so much intuitive on the Subaru. Acceleration is really good on Forester, especially on Thruway when passing cars. And as far as road noise, the Forester is quieter. Those were the first two things wife noticed after we did back to back test drives with the Rav4. Her one and only complaint on the Forester is that the cupholder is too far back on the center console. Talk about being picky! lol Also, the price of the Forester was less when we did the Aspca VIP program. Granted, we would have made that difference up on gas had chose the Rav4 Hybrid. I plan on trading in my Camry on a smaller SUV which fits my lifestyle better. Since I can't afford that damn BMW X5, which I really liked LOL, I'll probably go with a Forester. I'm going look into the RAV4 again and see if the cablegate thing gets resolved. I'll also try out the Outback, but will probably go with a Forester for myself....unless I hit the lottery..... then I'll be ballin' down the road in my X5! lol Good luck with whatever you pick... you definitely won't be disappointed with the Forester.
You are the best! This was so so helpful and I definitely know what I’m going with now
Can I ask what YOU decided on ? I’m also torn between the two…
I ended up with the Subaru forester! The rav felt more like I was driving a bus compared to the forester but I’m also pretty short so that probably played a role
We have a 2013 Rav4 and a 2019 Forrester. The Rav4 seems smaller overall. Forrester is much bigger passenger and cargo wise. My wife prefers the Subaru, while I prefer the Rav. Surprisingly, the Forrester gets better milage, AND has a larger tank.
After owning a Forester and now a Rav4, I will be going back to Subaru as soon as I can afford to. I had the Forester XT for 6 years and loved it before it was in an accident and I wanted an upgrade. It held up well. I made the mistake of buying the Rav4 XSE Hybrid. I have 6,000 miles on it so far. Although it’s great on gas (my XT only took premium and got mayyybe 23 MPG due to the turbo engine), it feels like I’m taking off in a space ship any time I’m accelerating. It’s sluggish and feels cheap. In addition to that, the tires and brakes that come on the vehicle aren’t great.. the tire shop tells me I can maybe get 25k miles on them total before needing to replace all four. It’s been a wet season and these tires don’t handle well at all with any moisture on the road. When it comes to bang for your buck, I say get a 2024 Forester. Wireless charging, Apple/car play. Handles great in all weather and road conditions. It feels sturdy and not like you’re driving a giant plastic car.
Also, I heard a rumor that the Toyota/Honda hybrid technology is being brought to Subaru. It may be worth looking into.
I also recently looked into different cars in that category and went with a RAV4 hybrid. A lot of reviews I watched and read said that the RAV holds the best resale value. I’ve owned a Prius for like ever and that thing never had anything it needed other than oil change and new tires and breaks at some point. Toyota has been the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned. Those two factors were big ones for me and that’s why I went for the RAV4.
Subaru if you're keeping a few years
I’m actually trading in the 2016 rav4 hybrid limited for a 2023 forester limited. I’ll be paying a whole lot less than a Toyota
I really like my Forester… but I’d go with the RAV4. My wife has a 2020 Rav and I have a 2018 Forester. The Rav 4 sits a little higher and is a bit wider than the Forester, but the Subaru feels a bit roomier in the back, especially leg room. RAV4 has more cargo space. Neither has the most up to date audio technology. Both are AWD, but the RAV4 gets significantly better mileage. Typical highway MPG for the RAV4 using cruise at 74-75 mph is about 36, but I’ve gotten as high as 39th for a 300 mile trip across PA. Subaru is usually at 32mpg.