Had my heart set on a Toyota Highlander Hybrid but they really hard to find so my back up is Subaru.

Any positive or negative comments on the Outback or Forester? Thanks in advance..

my wife has a 2018 Outback and it's a fine car Good gas mileage, seats are comfortable and enough room in the back for roadtrips. Hers is the base model so nothing special but it does great in the snow in Colorado which is all she really needs. One thing I do like about it is it has good ground clearance. Have taken it on some sketchy dirt roads no problem and I can get underneath to do oil changes without jacks.

Just sold the 2011 Outback with over 200k miles. Still a very nice car. Paint looked good, interior was tight/no rattles. The CVT was in need of replacement after 200k. Other than that, it was a very reliable, solid car. My wife loved it.

We have an older Forester (2010 2.5XT) and it has been good to us. They are more expensive to have serviced/repaired than Toyota, Honda, etc. - the boxer engine nestled between the frame/inner fenders makes it hard to do simple things like changing coil packs and spark plugs. And if you get the turbo, that may be an expensive repair down the road (true for any turbo, not just Subie).

Honest question - The Subaru equivalent to a Highlander is the Ascent. Have you looked at those?

Drove an Ascent two years ago while shopping for midsize/third row SUV. Really liked the vehicle but the ride was much rougher than my other choices.

Yes. Thank you for the question. Things changed a little. Decided we didn't really need the third row. And while still open to most anything current thinking is the Outback/Forester will be big enough.

We have an Ascent so if you go with the Outback turbo 2.4, its got plenty of power for a family hauler. Gas mileage sucks though in the city...turbo and CVT are just in a constant state of acceleration it seems. Highway is much better.

No experience with the Outback or Forester, but I like both of them. Once the kids are out of the house one of them may be my downsizing vehicle.

Friends got one brand new suburu. Solid ride.

You might also consider the Mazda CX-50. I am looking for a mountain use crossover 4x4 and began my search with the Outback. The more I read and videos I watched, the CX-50 started to look like the better option for me. Hope to go test drive both in the next few weeks.

We went through 2 outback's and they were great. I didn't care for the infotainment system but otherwise great car.

Future Son in law bought a Forester last summer. He is very tall but has plenty of headroom in the Forester. They live in Golden CO and spend a great deal of time driving in the snow. He has really liked it so far.

Not familiar with Subaru

My current DD is a 2020 Outback, and my wife drives a 2022 Forester. We bought one of my daughters a used 2019 Forester. I plan to hand my Outback down to another of my daughters this Summer (replacing it with a truck). Safe to say we're sold on Subaru.

Outback: I like it a lot. Positives - plenty of power w/turbocharged engine, good fuel economy (>30 mpg on hwy as long as I keep it under 75 mph), best-in-class AWD, great ground clearance (8.7 in), pretty good cargo capacity, lower roofline makes it easier to load objects in rooftop carrier, etc., slick integrated crossbars, comfortable, affordable, copious safety equipment, good reliability. It's just a great all-around car. Negatives - overly sensitive/intervening safety equipment, CVT.

Forester: My wife likes hers. Has many of the same pros and cons. Positive worth mentioning - outstanding visibility. Negative worth mentioning - it has a fair amount of road noise and rides rougher relative to my Outback. I'm hoping that will improve when I replace the OEM tires here soon (they're not great). I understand that Subaru has improved NVH with the 2024 Foresters.

If you want a hybrid, keep waiting for the Toyota. That's a no-brainer.

Even with the changes Suburu has made over the years, they are still a 120K vehicle. That's even more true with the CVT, which I'm not sure will ever be reliable under any design. No one seems to have gotten it right in almost 2 decades of use. If you only keep your vehicles 4-5 years, then the Subes will work, but if you're looking for something long term, I'd pass.

With that said, Suburu has the best AWD system. My buddy just bought an Outback and he's excited about it. I wouldn't buy one, but I'd rather see people go with that over most any domestic, European, or most/all Korean vehicles. Between even worse reliability and higher maintenance costs, the Suburu will be better.

We used to have a 2017 Subaru Outback. That thing was bulletproof.

We have an Outback that still has the 6 cylinder NA engine. Thing is bulletproof.

All the new turbo 4 bangers feel anemic.

Hell nah. Fool me once. Those CVTs and head gaskets. Has that been improved? I wouldnt try to own one long term.

Foresters are good, I have a 2015, and my daughter has a 2014. Be prepared for new control arms at about 80-100k, that's the only annoyance I have with them.