Toyota RAV4 vs. Subaru Forester Compared

If you’re thinking about buying a new compact SUV, chances are that the 2025 RAV4 and 2025 Forester are both near the top of your list. They’re two of the most popular vehicles in their segment, and they both offer renowned reliability, economy, and performance.

So, what do you do? Flip a coin about it?

You could do that. Or, you could read our quick guide to their pros and cons to see which one suits shoppers near Goleta, CA best.

RAV4 vs. Forester Fuel Economy

Toyota’s been providing some of the best gas mileage for decades thanks to their innovative powertrains that include both gas and hybrid models. For the 2025 model year, Subaru also jumped on the bandwagon and added a hybrid Forester to their lineup.

Here’s how they stack up:

• The RAV4 Hybrid gets the best mileage overall, with 41 MPG city and 38 MPG highway
• The Forester Hybrid comes in second with 35 MPG city and 34 MPG highway
• The RAV4 is in third place with 27 MPG city and 35 MPG highway
• The Forester comes in last place with 26 MPG city and 33 MPG highway

RAV4 vs. Forester Off-Road

There are a lot of RAV4 and Forester owners out there who love to explore the great outdoors, and both are solidly capable of some light to moderate off-roading. They both also have their own respective trims that are geared for more capability, the RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition and Forester Wilderness.

Check out some of their key specs below:

RAV4 vs. Forester Size

The RAV4 is a bit more compact, making it slightly more maneuverable. The Forester’s extra length gives it a little more leg room and max cargo volume, but the RAV4 has more space behind the rear seats, making it quite versatile for family road trips.

RAV4 vs. Forester Tech

Both SUVs benefit from recent tech upgrades that make them very well-equipped to handle media, navigation, and more. The Forester has a slightly larger available center touch screen display in its upper-level trims, but the RAV4 boasts more standard features, including some like Qi wireless charging that aren’t available in the Forester.

The RAV4 also comes with capabilities for the full range of Toyota Connected Services, including Drive Connect, Safety Connect, Service Connect, and Remote Connect.

RAV4 vs. Forester Safety

The 2025 RAV4 comes with Toyota Safety Sense™ 2.5, as well as other features including:

• Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
• Pre-Collision System w/Pedestrian Detection
• Lane Departure Alert w/Steering Assist
• Lane Tracing Assist
• Automatic High Beams
• Road Sign Assist
• Backup camera with dynamic gridlines
• Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (Available)
• Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking (Available)

The 2025 Forester comes with EyeSight®, along with a few other options:

• Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering
• Pre-Collision Braking
• Lane Departure and Sway Warning
• Lane Keep Assist
• Automatic Emergency Steering
• High Beam Assist
• Rear-Vision Camera
• Blind-Spot Detection (Available)
• Lane Change Assist (Available)
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (Available)
• Reverse Automatic Braking (Available)

Both also have excellent track records for crash testing scores, so it’s safe to say that these are two of the safest SUVs on the road. We’ll call this one a draw.

RAV4 vs. Forester Reliability

Both Toyota and Subaru have built a massive following on their reputation for making the most dependable SUVs and cars. Both brands generally rank high in industry studies, but how do the RAV4 and Forester rank specifically?

It’s hard to judge a new vehicle’s reliability because, well, they’re new. However, the experts at J.D. Power publish their Vehicle Dependability Study every year, and for 2025, they found that Toyota ranked well above average and 4th out of all the brands surveyed. They also gave a model-level award to the RAV4 for its outstanding quality.

Unfortunately, Subaru didn’t do quite as well. They ranked 16th overall.

RAV4 vs. Forester Price

2025 Toyota RAV4 MSRP:

• LE: $29,250
• XLE: $30,760
• Hybrid LE: $32,300
• XLE Premium: $33,650
• Hybrid XLE: $33,810
• Hybrid SE: $34,995
• Hybrid Woodland Edition: $35,520
• Hybrid XLE Premium: $36,700
• Limited: $37,555
• Hybrid XSE: $37,960
• Hybrid Limited: $40,605

2025 Subaru Forester MSRP:

• Base: $29,995
• Premium: $32,310
• Sport: $34,810
• Premium Hybrid: $34,995
• Wilderness: $34,995
• Limited: $36,410
• Sport Hybrid: $37,995
• Limited Hybrid: $39,410
• Touring: $40,295
• Touring Hybrid: $41,695

The RAV4 has 11 available trims and the Forester has 10, and they have nearly identical price points from the top to bottom of the lineup. So, the question becomes, which one is the best SUV for the money?

The Forester offers a bit more interior space and some impressive off-road features, including its standard AWD. However, the RAV4 is as capable in almost every way, offers far better fuel economy, has more standard tech features, and touts a better track record for reliability, which makes it the knockout choice for shoppers in Southern California.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the RAV4 or Forester Get Better Gas Mileage?

Both the RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid get better fuel economy than the Forester and Forester Hybrid. The RAV4 Hybrid is capable of 41 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway.

Does the RAV4 Have a CVT?

The RAV4 Hybrid comes with an Electronically Controlled Variable Transmission, or ECVT. The gas-powered RAV4 has an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Is There a RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid?

Yes, the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid, which used to be called the RAV4 Prime, was renamed and updated for the 2025 model year. It starts at $44,265 and can drive up to 42 miles on all-electric power.

Shop for the Toyota RAV4 for Sale Near Lompoc, CA

Toyota of Santa Barbara has an excellent inventory of RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid models for sale, and our low APR financing and Toyota lease deals ensure that you can get one for the most affordable monthly payment in town.

Ready to start shopping? Contact us online any time or call us at 805-335-8752.