2025 Forester Changes The Drive Author’s Mind

At the outset, The Drive editor Kyle Hyatt’s initial reservations about Subaru are evident. He points out the lack of interior design, sound deadening, and a past mechanical issue. However, his perspective takes a turn with the 2025 Forester, as detailed in this post by Ewing Subaru of Plano. 

Unchanged Engine, Extensively Changed Chassis

He starts with the drivetrain, which he still does not find exciting but adds: “It’s the kind of drivetrain that I’d want in a Forester: a torquey, uncomplicated mill just humming away under the hood, taking me where I need to go relatively efficiently.” He adds that he appreciates that the engine feels unstressed as it goes about its business. 

The author cites changes to the chassis as making a big difference. Subaru has described the 2025 Forester structure as being three times more rigid than the past model, which allows the suspension to control body movement strictly rather than sharing the duty with chassis flex: “Next, the suspension tuning is now excellent. The Forester still rides plenty soft, making it ideal for commuting and families living in areas with poor pavement. Dampers do a fantastic job of smoothing out imperfections without resorting to all kinds of electronic trickery.” The Forester’s use of the steering rack from the WRX is praised as giving the driver just enough weight to feel in control. As expected, the Forester’s increase in sound deadening was appreciated by this author, who states that the whole car has a much more solid feeling than in the past.

Cabin Sophistication

Of course, the Forester’s big interior design change was welcome. The author was driving a Touring model with almost everything you can get in a Forester. There were plenty of upgraded materials all around, as well as the Harman-Kardon audio system, which passed muster. The large 11.6-inch screen, of course, is present on all but the Base model, and while the author pined for physical climate controls, he appreciated their being anchored on the bottom of the screen where they can always be found. Overall, he found the interior to match the quality of the best-selling rivals, the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V. The 6’4” tester found the Forester roomy enough and the cargo room more than adequate. 

A History of Safety

The 2025 Forester has not been tested by either NHTSA or IIHS. Still, the author finds Forester’s long history as an IIHS Top Safety Pick reassuring and came close to impact testing the model himself when, on an unpaved road, he found himself in a 3-foot ditch hidden by snow. The author and front passenger were fine, and the car itself was largely unscathed: “…it gives me some insight into why people seem to repeat-buy Subarus in general and the Forester in particular”.

The author concludes that the Forester delivers on the “safety, ruggedness, and purposeful styling” you expect from a Subaru while feeling like a more solid car that makes it easily competitive with the segment’s best-sellers. ”If you need a crossover that will laugh at inclement weather but doesn’t feel like a massive tank driving around on narrow streets or trails, then the new Forester is a no-brainer.”

If that describes you and the 2025 Forester sounds just right, we have 54 2025 Foresters in the Ewing Subaru of Plano inventory for you to check out (at the time of this writing). Visit Ewing Subaru of Plano and see all that is new with the 2025 Forester.