2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Review: Simple, Sensible, and So Subaru

• The 2025 Forester e-Boxer hybrid adds efficiency without complicating Subaru’s winning formula.

• Spacious, capable, and effortlessly comfortable, it delivers classic Subaru usability with an electrified twist.

• Available only in the top Premier trim, it’s not cheap but it’s one of the easiest SUVs to live with.

If there’s one thing Subaru does better than most, it’s keeping things simple. I’ve always admired that about the brand. Sure, they’ve occasionally gone a little off script. Remember the XT, the SVX, or the GL turbo? Great cars, just not what made Subaru, well, Subaru. Their success has always come from building straightforward, honest vehicles that simply do the job.

The same goes for past Subies like the Brat and Baja, which, despite limited commercial success, were designed and built for a purpose.

The Forester has embodied that philosophy for nearly three decades. It’s never tried to be flashy or pretend to be something it’s not. Sure, there was an XT turbocharged version and in some lucky markets, an STI, but from the very first one to this new version, the Forester has been about purpose. And this time, Subaru’s added a bit of electricity to that purpose.

The Most “Subaru” Hybrid Yet

This is the Forester e-Boxer hybrid, the first of its kind for the brand in North America. Subaru’s been playing in the hybrid space elsewhere for a while, but this is the model that finally brings it home. The approach is pure Subaru: take what they already know—Symmetrical AWD, boxer engines, simple engineering —and graft on proven hybrid tech to make the experience more efficient, not more complicated.

The result is a Forester that drives just like a Forester, only better on fuel. The setup is straightforward: a 2.5-litre flat-four working with an electric motor sandwiched between it and the CVT. The combined output is 194 horsepower, a small bump from the regular version; however, drivers will not notice a difference. What you do perceive is the smoother initial takeoff thanks to that little electric assist. It’s subtle, but it’s there.

Subaru quotes an average of 6.7 L/100 km, and I saw about 7.5 in mixed driving which, considering my right foot’s enthusiasm, isn’t bad at all. That’s roughly a 40% improvement over the standard engine. The math says you’ll eventually make back that $3,000 premium for the hybrid powertrain.

A Cabin That Prioritizes Real Life

Inside, the Forester continues its mission to keep life uncomplicated. It’s not an interior that screams luxury, but everything you need is exactly where it should be. The seats are comfortable, covered in a mix of leather and suede in this top Premier trim. Rear space is generous, and the trunk, at 838 litres, remains one of the most usable in the class. The load height is just right, the opening wide, and the floor flat. You can tell it was designed by people who actually use their cars.

Now, not everything is perfect. The 11.6-inch touchscreen still frustrates me. Subaru’s been using it for years, and while the graphics are generally sharp, the HVAC controls buried at the bottom make it clumsy to adjust on the go. Wireless Apple CarPlay is nice, but the lack of a wired option is a head-scratcher, especially for those of us who keep a charging cable handy out of paranoia about overheating phones and dropped signals.

On the Road: Comfort in Motion

Once you’re moving, all of that melts away because the Forester drives like a dream in the most Subaru way possible. The ride quality is superb. It’s soft enough to soak up rough roads, but never sloppy. That’s thanks to the suspension’s long travel and the double-wishbone rear setup, which gives the Forester an uncanny ability to glide over bumps that would rattle most compact SUVs.

Then there’s the 8.7 inches of ground clearance, or more than most owners will ever need, though quintessentially Subaru. It’s what lets this SUV handle snowbanks, gravel roads, and cottage trails with equal ease. Paired with X-Mode, you could probably get yourself into trouble just to prove how capable it is, and still get out again.

Steering? It’s… Subaru. Slightly awkward and full of character. The brakes, on the other hand, are perfectly predictable. Altogether, it’s just such an easy SUV to live with, delivering loads of confidence as it’s steady, unfussy, and ready for anything.

Price and Position

The Forester lineup starts at under $36,400 with fees for the base Convenience and climbs to $47,90 for the Premier. The hybrid? That’s where the e-Boxer lives, at least for now. At $53,900, it’s only available in that top trim, which makes it pricier than some competitors’ base hybrids. In the U.S., you can get it in multiple trims, and I hope Subaru Canada follows suit soon. Pricing for the 2026 e-Boxer had not yet been announced at the time of writing these lines. All other 2026 Forester trims are roughly $500 more.

That said, you do get everything: heated and ventilated seats, the suede-trimmed interior, the big screens, the full EyeSight safety suite, and the same rugged practicality that’s made the Forester a Canadian favourite.

Purpose, Plain and Simple

The Forester hybrid isn’t going to wow anyone with power or pizzazz. It’s not the sportiest, the flashiest, or even the cheapest. But it’s the kind of SUV you buy once and then stop thinking about cars entirely for all the right reasons. It just works.

Because in a world where everything’s getting more complicated, the 2025 Subaru Forester hybrid stands out by keeping things brilliantly simple. And that, really, is what Subaru has always been about.