I test drove all three a few weeks ago and I found the outback the best with size and family comfort. I purchased a 25 outback premium, and it fits the bill for my family perfect
Exactly how we do it - Outback for highway and longer trips and Forester for around town. Have 2016 Outback 106k currently using as my work car 500miles per week. Well maintained. Comfortable, reliable and does everything.
I worked at Subaru as a PDI tech for six months and because of my job I got to basically test drive all the different vehicles and that's the reason I fell in love with the outback... I have to admit one of the things that drew me to it was the station wagony look to it, but also I felt it had the best feel in the ride than any of the other models.... probably my least favorite of the Subarus was the ascent.... I didn't like the bulkiness of it, I didn't like the way it rode or handled for that matter, just wasn't one that I would recommend.... the two best in my opinion were the outback, obviously my first choice, followed by the forester, with the Crosstrek very close behind.... I'm not much of a sport car person so the WRX and BRZ didn't really make my list..... for me. The outback was the overall clear winner.... I've had my outback for almost a month now and not surprisingly I have no regrets whatsoever, absolutely love it... takes a little getting used to being a ram owner for the past 13 years, but I have no complaints
Thank you for the work you put into your videos. I will be buying a new vehicle next year, and am very interested in the 2026 Outback, although I hope they don't delay the Wilderness model as they have on the Forrester. Not sure how I will feel about the looks once we see it without the camouflage, but my priorities will be the best balance of 10% off-road capability (including ground clearance and skid plate protection) vs. 90% long highway comfort, towing capacity, safety, and technology. Better MPGs are always nice, but not critical and, although I'd love a hybrid, I think I'll lose too much towing capacity. From what I know right now, only the 2026 Outback and 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport Elite are on the consideration list.
Of course, thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts! I think those two vehicles sound like great potential options and more information should be floating out about them soon!
A couple of my friends have foresters and they love them. Which is more stable on the highway,Outback or rav4? It’s so hard to decide on which car to get. Do you think you will be reviewing Volvos? I drive a friends XC-90 all the time and the only complaint is the ride is a little firm but handles like a dream even at 95mph.
I was actually surprised at how stable the slightly heavier RAV4 felt driving it home the night we got it. It’s hard to say which is more stable because their steering rack sensitivity is quite different. The Toyota is much more numb and less likely to over react with minimal inputs compared to the Subaru, which is good and helps increase the confidence I have in driving that car at 80mph. I’d love to drive some Volvos, my dad use to drive one when I was little. But the nearest dealer is over 100 miles away. So unless I do this full time at some point, or can find a very new used example at another dealer it’s unlikely. 😬 I’ve also only heard good things about the XC-90, but there’s very few in my area. I think it’s the V60 Polestar wagon that I especially would LOVE the chance to drive, it’s like a 450hp wagon. 😍
Check out how well the RAV4 did on the moose test. Just search RAV4 moose test and be entertained. Feel free to view the same test for the Outback and you'll quickly find out which is an appliance and which is a true vehicle.
If forester came with the turbo it would be a winner for me. The 2026 outback in typical Subaru fashion looks disgusting to me right now but I’m sure like every Subaru refresh it will grow on me lol. But to be honest I don’t like the split headlight on the bottom look that is trending for the past decade. More importantly I really hope the screen will be updated with at the very least more ram and cpu power and going horizontal instead of vertical would be a huge improvement imo. And maybe they have been listening to us all and will give us physical climate controls again.
Absolutely! Thanks for sharing all of this. I’m excited to learn the actual facts about the new gen Outback and I’m sure that information will be out soon. That way people have time to make there decisions before it’s to late on what they want to buy new.
How well do you like your new RAV4 in comparison with the Forrester, Crosstrek, and Outback? I bought my wife a 2023 Outback Touring XT and it's a great car. I drive a 2012 Ford Escape that I want to replace soon and am trying to decide what to get, since I already own the Outback. I was thinking about getting the Crosstrek however they are not available with a heated steering wheel in the USA. This seems like a dumb move by Subaru since Subaru's are focused towards cooler climates and winter driving conditions.
I really like the RAV4, I might temporarily regret the decision during the worst moments of winter driving. But the 99% of year round driving when there isn’t deep snow or slippery ice I think it’s going to be really fun. The RAV4 and Forester are the same class of vehicle so it’s nice that we know they can be packed the same, but also now we don’t have a “larger” vehicle for longer trips or unusual items. All 4 of those vehicles in my opinion are fun, but if you have kids or pets you might feel tight in the Crosstrek and then between the RAV4 and Forester I think it just depends on your priorities. Peak safety, AWD, and value is probably the Subaru, but peak reliability, MPG (if hybrid), and slightly better estimated resale would be the Toyota. Basically, you can’t go wrong either way, these are all some of the most well rounded cars you can’t buy! Best of luck and thanks for watching!!
The WRX is a really cool car, especially with the manual. It’s not as smooth and sound deadened as the Legacy XT. But a very fun rally car at a pretty good price, or at least the base and premium trim levels. I have a few reviews of them but the blue 2024 WRX review I did is the most recent and best one. Best of luck!
You’re right it probably would haha, but it was 30 degrees outside and this is just a vlogging YT video update, I wasn’t going to stay out any longer for multiple video takes. You might be surprised at how many people ask about how much we paid for the extended warranty and tint percentages. So I do realize watching it back now that felt like a lot of extra talking and referencing those companies that I’ve been impressed with, but to some people that information is important. And others have commented that due to hearing about the SoA coupon on one of the few videos I’ve mentioned it they called and received it. If this was a full car review video I’d put a bit more effort into it and limit the extra thoughts. But I do appreciate you calling out what you didn’t like and that you expecting a higher quality video!! Thanks for that and for watching!!
I test drove all three a few weeks ago and I found the outback the best with size and family comfort. I purchased a 25 outback premium, and it fits the bill for my family perfect
That’s awesome! The premium trim is a good one. That’s what we went with in our Forester.
Exactly how we do it - Outback for highway and longer trips and Forester for around town. Have 2016 Outback 106k currently using as my work car 500miles per week. Well maintained. Comfortable, reliable and does everything.
Nice!! Thanks for sharing this.
Excellent review. Really enjoying the channel!
Thanks, I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the videos!
I worked at Subaru as a PDI tech for six months and because of my job I got to basically test drive all the different vehicles and that's the reason I fell in love with the outback... I have to admit one of the things that drew me to it was the station wagony look to it, but also I felt it had the best feel in the ride than any of the other models.... probably my least favorite of the Subarus was the ascent.... I didn't like the bulkiness of it, I didn't like the way it rode or handled for that matter, just wasn't one that I would recommend.... the two best in my opinion were the outback, obviously my first choice, followed by the forester, with the Crosstrek very close behind.... I'm not much of a sport car person so the WRX and BRZ didn't really make my list..... for me. The outback was the overall clear winner.... I've had my outback for almost a month now and not surprisingly I have no regrets whatsoever, absolutely love it... takes a little getting used to being a ram owner for the past 13 years, but I have no complaints
Thanks for sharing all of this! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying your Outback!!
@ ... part of the reason I got it was due to your reviews 😊👍🏻
I love my 2019 Forester Limited.
I think the longer wheelbase has more to do with perceived road stability than front and rear overhang.
I went for 2025 outback limited
25 Forester
Thank you for the work you put into your videos. I will be buying a new vehicle next year, and am very interested in the 2026 Outback, although I hope they don't delay the Wilderness model as they have on the Forrester. Not sure how I will feel about the looks once we see it without the camouflage, but my priorities will be the best balance of 10% off-road capability (including ground clearance and skid plate protection) vs. 90% long highway comfort, towing capacity, safety, and technology. Better MPGs are always nice, but not critical and, although I'd love a hybrid, I think I'll lose too much towing capacity. From what I know right now, only the 2026 Outback and 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport Elite are on the consideration list.
Of course, thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts! I think those two vehicles sound like great potential options and more information should be floating out about them soon!
A couple of my friends have foresters and they love them. Which is more stable on the highway,Outback or rav4? It’s so hard to decide on which car to get. Do you think you will be reviewing Volvos? I drive a friends XC-90 all the time and the only complaint is the ride is a little firm but handles like a dream even at 95mph.
I was actually surprised at how stable the slightly heavier RAV4 felt driving it home the night we got it. It’s hard to say which is more stable because their steering rack sensitivity is quite different. The Toyota is much more numb and less likely to over react with minimal inputs compared to the Subaru, which is good and helps increase the confidence I have in driving that car at 80mph.
I’d love to drive some Volvos, my dad use to drive one when I was little. But the nearest dealer is over 100 miles away. So unless I do this full time at some point, or can find a very new used example at another dealer it’s unlikely. 😬 I’ve also only heard good things about the XC-90, but there’s very few in my area. I think it’s the V60 Polestar wagon that I especially would LOVE the chance to drive, it’s like a 450hp wagon. 😍
Check out how well the RAV4 did on the moose test. Just search RAV4 moose test and be entertained. Feel free to view the same test for the Outback and you'll quickly find out which is an appliance and which is a true vehicle.
@@anthonyng3014lol damn the rav does comically bad on that test. I’ve actually never seen an SUV fall on its face that badly on a moose test before.
If forester came with the turbo it would be a winner for me. The 2026 outback in typical Subaru fashion looks disgusting to me right now but I’m sure like every Subaru refresh it will grow on me lol. But to be honest I don’t like the split headlight on the bottom look that is trending for the past decade. More importantly I really hope the screen will be updated with at the very least more ram and cpu power and going horizontal instead of vertical would be a huge improvement imo. And maybe they have been listening to us all and will give us physical climate controls again.
Absolutely! Thanks for sharing all of this. I’m excited to learn the actual facts about the new gen Outback and I’m sure that information will be out soon. That way people have time to make there decisions before it’s to late on what they want to buy new.
How well do you like your new RAV4 in comparison with the Forrester, Crosstrek, and Outback? I bought my wife a 2023 Outback Touring XT and it's a great car. I drive a 2012 Ford Escape that I want to replace soon and am trying to decide what to get, since I already own the Outback. I was thinking about getting the Crosstrek however they are not available with a heated steering wheel in the USA. This seems like a dumb move by Subaru since Subaru's are focused towards cooler climates and winter driving conditions.
I really like the RAV4, I might temporarily regret the decision during the worst moments of winter driving. But the 99% of year round driving when there isn’t deep snow or slippery ice I think it’s going to be really fun. The RAV4 and Forester are the same class of vehicle so it’s nice that we know they can be packed the same, but also now we don’t have a “larger” vehicle for longer trips or unusual items. All 4 of those vehicles in my opinion are fun, but if you have kids or pets you might feel tight in the Crosstrek and then between the RAV4 and Forester I think it just depends on your priorities. Peak safety, AWD, and value is probably the Subaru, but peak reliability, MPG (if hybrid), and slightly better estimated resale would be the Toyota. Basically, you can’t go wrong either way, these are all some of the most well rounded cars you can’t buy! Best of luck and thanks for watching!!
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 Thanks for the insight!
im looking for the new WRX replacing for my F150 .2021-23 WRX any pros and cons thanks
The WRX is a really cool car, especially with the manual. It’s not as smooth and sound deadened as the Legacy XT. But a very fun rally car at a pretty good price, or at least the base and premium trim levels. I have a few reviews of them but the blue 2024 WRX review I did is the most recent and best one. Best of luck!
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 thanks for the info Happy Thanks Giving
Thanks!! Happy Thanksgiving!
"know how the power deliver is" => aka: know it takes 9s to get to 60mph. Wonderful in 2025.
Yeah the 2.5 can take anywhere from 8.5-11s depending on vehicle model and density altitude and the turbo goes 6.3-7.5 usually in my testing.
Annunciation would help you out here bud and don’t take up the first 3 minutes in commercials. 👎🏿
You’re right it probably would haha, but it was 30 degrees outside and this is just a vlogging YT video update, I wasn’t going to stay out any longer for multiple video takes.
You might be surprised at how many people ask about how much we paid for the extended warranty and tint percentages. So I do realize watching it back now that felt like a lot of extra talking and referencing those companies that I’ve been impressed with, but to some people that information is important. And others have commented that due to hearing about the SoA coupon on one of the few videos I’ve mentioned it they called and received it. If this was a full car review video I’d put a bit more effort into it and limit the extra thoughts. But I do appreciate you calling out what you didn’t like and that you expecting a higher quality video!! Thanks for that and for watching!!
Just traded our 24 forester sport for a 24 Wilderness Monday. Wanted the 24 before they went away
Very nice! Enjoy that Wilderness!!