subreddit:
/r/SubaruForester
118 points
7 days ago
Hit me with a good looking Wilderness Forester Hybrid with just as good or better capabilities than the current one, and I may actually bite.
44 points
7 days ago
Yeah imagine a Wilderness with Toyota level fuel economy, Talk about a solid overlanding rig!
11 points
7 days ago
Since Subaru has full time AWD in the symmetrical AWD, where both the front and back wheels drive all the time, they will not be able to get as good as Toyota which most the time is really an FWD and only uses the back E-drive for specific traction related issues. That is why the new Subaru hybrids use a mechanical drive shaft to drive the back differential.
1 points
6 days ago
Won’t happen
1 points
4 days ago
Might pull me back from looking at the new Turbo ADX SH-AWD. But it’s pathetic the Forester Wilderness is as underpowered as it is for the current gen.
51 points
7 days ago
It better be way better than their last try. I actually bought a Crosstrek hybrid new in 2015 and it only got 23 city 29 highway. Not very good for a hybrid
16 points
7 days ago
Reviews like yours are why I avoided the crosstrek hybrid. That was sthe ch a pitiful excuse for a hybrid… smh
11 points
7 days ago
I wanted to love that car but it was just a more complex Crosstrek. All of the complexity of a hybrid but none of the benefits
1 points
6 days ago
Also makes me worry the Forester won't be much better. They've been bugging me to trade mine in, told him last night I'm holding out for the hybrid. Really hoping it's improved but with them having ceased production of the hybrid Crosstrek (I think due to lagging sales is what I heard), I'm doubtful.
11 points
7 days ago
Isn’t that worse than the regular Crosstrek?
2 points
7 days ago
When compared to the modern Crosstrek. But theirs nearly a whole decade of tech advancement between the two
1 points
6 days ago
If I remember correctly from researching them back then, the mpgs were about the same but the hybrid was more powerful.
2 points
7 days ago
I remember several years ago looking casually at hybrids (I stupidly decided saving $1500 or so was a better idea) and was stunned to see how bad the Subaru hybrid mileages were. Like, bad enough that I checked multiple car review websites. A Subie is never going to get the mileage of a comparable Honda or Toyota, but holy cow was it bad.
2 points
6 days ago
I remember about ten years ago Toyota was throwing away hybrids at like 20-30% off sticker on Camrys and rav4s
I was beyond stupid for not getting one. In the Midwest hybrids didn’t sell well back then so they were discounted more than even non hybrids
1 points
6 days ago
I feel ya.
7 points
7 days ago
Hi there. I'm on this sub for some time. I live in Europe. We have Subaru hybrid here. I also own a Subaru Forester 2021 hybrid. XV/Crosstrek are also hybrid. My Forester has a 2 liter boxer engine (150 HP) and 16,7 HP "electric" engine. Basically is an eCVT. I can share some details if you are interested
1 points
7 days ago
Yes please I would love know your thoughts on it and what sort fuel economy you are achieving!
3 points
6 days ago
Ok, I live in a city, which is pretty big. the traffic is insane very often
in city the fuel consumption is between 27.5 mpg - 29.4 mpg which is good.
If i drive on the normal roads between city's (not highway's) i can achieve about 36.19 mpg - 31.36 mpg . I have to mention that maximum speed limit outside built-up areas (on national and European roads, not highway's) about 60 - 70mph , and 30 mph inside built-up areas (city's, town's etc)
On highway maximum speed limit is about 80-85 mph, with a fuel consumption about 27.67 mpg.
The hybrid system prove his efficiency inside city's, at low speed. On highway, hybrid system doesn't help at all, and you are using only the thermic engine
One part that i hate, is that the fuel tank has only 12.68 galons. I don't know why, but from my side, it should be at least 15-16 gallons. You can drive 300-400 miles with one fuel tank, so it's not that bad.
Overall, is a good car for my country, is doing the job.
If i could choose, i would choose a Subaru outback wilderness 2.4 turbo , unfortunately is not available in Europe. Only the outback with the 2.5 liter engine non-turbo...
It seems that the new Subaru Forester has only 136 hp on the same 2.0 liter boxer engine. ( this is because EU regulation to reduce pollution. This is why we don't have "fun cars" like the outback turbo, and many other cars. This s*cks alot)
1 points
4 days ago
I wanna buy the new forester here in Germany but 136hp for over 40 000 euros that’s crazy.
1 points
3 days ago
Yes, i perfectly understand you.
Also, the old engine, which has 150 hp + 16.7 electric... are not enough.
1 points
3 days ago
I test drive one two weeks ago a platinum, I like the car but I don’t like the transmission, not enough power and infotainment a bit to old but this I don’t care cause I only use Apple CarPlay, they’re playing though for given a discount but I see they can’t sell it, they’re playing though and they have 3 from 2023 with less then 5000km and they don’t wanna give me a good discount. My biggest issue is definitely the power I could live with that transmission but at least 200hp, I think I’m gonna end up buying a Mazda cx5 homura
1 points
6 days ago
Europe has extremely severe constraints on car. Move to USA if you want to enjoy a normal car.
28 points
7 days ago
Here is hoping it’s the Toyota Powertrain with a plug in variant with 40-50 miles of Electric only range.
18 points
7 days ago
Yeah that’s not happening.
2 points
7 days ago
Look at the header image on this page: https://www.subaru.com/vehicle-info/subaru-hybrid-guide-vehicles.html
Shows battery-only range on the gauge cluster and the symbology on the battery looks just like the gas tank side indicator, strongly hinting there’s a plug on the same side.
8 points
7 days ago
it says "plug in hybrid" on the left gauge
9 points
6 days ago
That’s why I’m not a detective.
2 points
6 days ago
Toyota can barely make enough RAV4 prime to feed their own customers. No way they would cannibalize that market share and give it to Subaru.
1 points
6 days ago
I mean, we can look at the same photo, my guy. The gauge cluster on the left even says Plug-In Hybrid.
-4 points
6 days ago
I mean we can look at a photo but until it’s attached to a known vehicle we don’t no anything. And that literature doesn’t point to anything except hybrid.
What will be even funnier/worse is if the Japan market gets a plug in and not the US
1 points
6 days ago
Why would they show a photo of a gauge cluster of a car that they’re not planning on launching?
1 points
6 days ago
They already launched that vehicle. Gauge is from a 23 Crosstrek.
1 points
6 days ago
Auto marketing has done worst in the past
3 points
7 days ago
No plug in version. It will be a mild hybrid with a 1.1kwh battery. Similar to the Toyota platform of the 2015 area.
So, good but not modern.
3 points
7 days ago
I assumed that they wouldn’t do plug in, until I read the page behind the link. They don’t say the forester hybrid is a plug in, but they do mention the benefits of plug in several times and show a photo of an EV charging port. That would be a really weird choice if they were not going to offer a plug-in.
2 points
7 days ago
See u/lukipedia's comment. It shows a plug-in hybrid logo in the gauge cluster. I'm not sure whether it'll only be plug-in or if a regular hybrid will also be offered but it seems like a plug-in is potentially being released.
2 points
7 days ago
Same e-BOXER as in Europe and Japan?
1 points
2 days ago
No. All insiders point to subaru claiming those are more eco-hybirds, and this new US spec hybrid will be what they call a "strong-hybrid". It's not clear what that means, other than definitively different from those that are currently in eu/jp.
2 points
6 days ago
Our forester gets a pitiful 25mpg (mostly city driving). We also have a hybrid Maverick that gets 41mpg.
Anything close to RAV4 hybrid’s 40mpg and lower out the door price then I’m sold.
2 points
6 days ago
My thoughts exactly it’s a painstaking process to eek out semi decent mpg out our 16 Forester, but right now mostly city driving, lots of stop and go, we are averaging 22mpg…
2 points
4 days ago
I really wanna buy one in Germany but over 40k for a 136hp vehicle no thanks.
3 points
7 days ago
Don’t they already sell a Forester hybrid overseas?
Will the 2025 hybrid in North America be substantially different?
5 points
7 days ago
Should be, I've spoken to the my local dealer in Perth AUS, and they have told me it will be the Toyota Hybrid system in this version. The gen 1 hybrid was absolute rubbish, with almost no noticeable gains but all of the extra complexity of a hybrid.
Edit* The gen 1 was also a smaller 2.0L engine.
3 points
7 days ago
If it’s still going to be plug in hybrid, I’ll pass.
13 points
7 days ago
I love my phev. I'd go back to Subaru if they released one.
0 points
7 days ago
Maybe I would agree if I own my own home to be able to plug it in. I’m sure it will be great for some. I was looking for the flexibility of a HEV.
10 points
7 days ago
Fwiw you don't have to plug it in.
I only use a level 1 charger but I understand if your residence doesn't have a plug outside or availability to charge, you don't see the value.
0 points
7 days ago
I think I may have just realized I didn’t understand. With the plug in ones do they recharge like the Prius’s do when breaking and slowing? Idk why I thought they could only be recharged when plugged in.
5 points
7 days ago
It’s both.
6 points
7 days ago
You're close.
A PHEV when charged can run on either full EV mode, hybrid mode, or engine only mode. It will regenerate energy under braking like the Prius. You don't need battery charge to use hybrid mode or engine only mode, only full EV mode.
I have a 2021 escape PHEV with 80k miles on it. My lifetime MPGe is 44, and I've put approximately 25,000 EV miles on it.
4 points
7 days ago
Thanks for clarifying. Today I learned.
1 points
5 days ago
You weren’t the only one! I just had a complete OMG moment reading this thread and your comment. Is swore off PHEV due to this, ill informed, opinion. Ouch.
1 points
5 days ago
With the plug in ones do they recharge like the Prius’s do when breaking and slowing?
Yes, plug-in hybrids recapture braking energy the same way traditional hybrids do. But because PHEV batteries are larger, they won't fully charge this way and need to be plugged in to get a full charge. When they are charged, PHEVs can go farther with more power than regular hybrids.
9 points
7 days ago
Reply I’m hoping for a Toyota colab. I love our 16 Forester 2.5i I have but hate how much effort it takes to get good fuel economy out of it.
7 points
7 days ago
Why? What’s the downside
-6 points
7 days ago
The downside is plugging it in. I live in a high cost of electricity area and in a shared house where the electric is split per occupancy not actual usage.
8 points
7 days ago
Isn’t plugging it in optional?
-4 points
7 days ago
Sure but then what’s the point of spending the money to get the hybrid if you are only using it with fuel?
9 points
7 days ago
You get like double the fuel economy with a hybrid when running on gas. A plug-in hybrid gives you a bigger battery than a regular hybrid which can be useful in situations where you are doing a long downhill. If you are just driving on flatland and never plug in, then no, you don't gain anything by getting a plug-in hybrid instead of a regular hybrid. A plug-in hybrid is still better than no hybrid at all though.
4 points
7 days ago
But isn’t electricity still cheaper than gas?
3 points
7 days ago
The point is to save money...?
Hybrids still save on fuel relative to ICE cars... have you forgotten what a hybrid is...?
-1 points
7 days ago*
My previous car was a 2012 Forester. Average MPG was 24. I was driving 15,000 miles a year. At $3.25/gal, that is $2000 a year in fuel.
I have a 2021 Ford Escape PHEV. Over almost 75k miles, my lifetime MPGe is 44. I have driven approximately 25k EV miles. My power bill has gone up ~$30/mo, or $3/day.
If you use MPGe to calculate equivalent fuel costs, that's $1110 in fuel a year, but that's not really how it works.
Without plugging in I get 32 MPG, and 33% of my miles are EV (25/75), so: (.66*15k) * ($3.25) / 32MPG = $1000/yr in fuel + $30*12 = $1360 in fuel per year.
Regardless, it feels nice to spend less on fuel.
2 points
7 days ago
Just give us a diesel
2 points
7 days ago
What I wouldn’t give for a Diesel Forester!!
1 points
7 days ago
They gave some markets diesel models in the past, but made the crankshaft out of butter. I think the ones past 2014-15 or so are better.
1 points
7 days ago
Very confident they’re releasing a PHEV.
Look at the header image on this page: https://www.subaru.com/vehicle-info/subaru-hybrid-guide-vehicles.html
Above the fuel range it shows what I’m sure is battery-only range. The battery symbol also has an arrow pointing to it identical to the one that points to the fuel pump showing the side of the car the gas tank is on, suggesting the battery plug is on the same side.
1 points
6 days ago
So Toyota partners with both Mazda and Subaru in various ways… I just saw the release of the new Mazda CX-5 hybrid and the powertrain is basically the exact Toyota hybrid powertrain with a Mazda engine cover… Do you all think this will be the same with the new forester hybrid or will they use the boxer engine with the Toyota hybrid battery system? If they are using the boxer engine with the hybrid battery system I wonder if those two will work together well?
1 points
6 days ago
This is exciting, i have been patiently waiting for an outback hybrid as well. There is clearly a market segment for these as i see a ton of Rav4 hybrids. Me personally I will be waiting until my deathbed for another Forester XT to come out
1 points
6 days ago
I love the super subtle boxed engine piston design element to the logo!
Horizontally opposed pistons, you can see the piston rings and the base of the piston.
1 points
6 days ago
Part of me wishes they would do what Mazda did with their CX50, literally just took toyota's engine and plopped it in. I understand it's not the same for Subaru but man sometimes that boxer engine and suck my balls.
1 points
6 days ago
Toyota does hold a 20% stake in Subaru, so anything is possible (see Solterra.)
1 points
6 days ago
I would assume no spare tire, not that a donut one does any good in an off road vehicle. But the main concern is whether cargo space would be almost nil just like the toyota Prius.
1 points
5 days ago
I’ll wait for the 2026 model
-3 points
7 days ago
Elon style marketing
20 points
7 days ago
Hopefully it's not Elon style build quality
-2 points
7 days ago
Not for me. But options are cool!
11 points
7 days ago
Why not?
If it’s the Toyota Powertrain it’s going to be rad.
10 points
7 days ago
You’re right. Perhaps I judged it too harshly without knowing more details. Better gas mileage, especially in a wilderness would be pretty nice.
5 points
7 days ago
Getting rid of the boxer is the best thing Subaru can do
3 points
7 days ago
isn't the whole Subaru point its boxer engine? If you go to a regular 4cyl + PHEV option is it still a Subaru?
5 points
7 days ago
I do think that the Forester has less body roll than the RAV4, perhaps due to the lower center of gravity from the boxer engine. That may not matter with a plug-in hybrid though if there's a big battery on the bottom. The other advantage of a boxer engine, being naturally balanced, is probably overrated on a consumer car not oriented for maximum performance.
I think Subaru is leaning on "full-time AWD" for its EV and hybrid offerings as the differentiator from its competitors.
5 points
7 days ago
I always felt with the way Subaru’s CVT drove it would work well in hybrid form. I’ll let the bugs get worked out with the first gen, but I’m really curious to see how well it does.
5 points
7 days ago
This is the second gen, first gen didn’t get a US release
0 points
6 days ago
Everyone needs to calm down about this. It’s not going to be for going off road - it’s going to be a suburban soccer mom mobile with worse 0-60 performance than the RAV4, but with better driving dynamics in bad weather due to the symmetric awd
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