Honda CR-V Vs Subaru Forester

Napisque on 18/06/2023 - 17:36

Please help me decide in buying a new family SUV. We liked both Forester base model and CR-V black edition. They are about the same price.

Honda offers 7 year warranty, five capped services and 7 year road assistance. Subaru offers 5 years warranty, 1 year road side assistance and bit expensive services than Honda.

We liked the forester’s driving and visibility and the huge windows, but Honda offer is very attractive.

It’s not a daily drive. We drive little in city and mostly in highways in and around Melbourne.

Any thoughts on how to decide between the two would be very helpful.

Automotive Car Honda Subaru SUV

Comments

  • apsilon on 18/06/2023 - 17:52
    +2

    Forester will use more fuel and be better in adverse conditions/off road and likely have better resale value and especially so if Honda does pull out of Aust (they keep saying they're not but their sales have plummeted and continue to fall so you have to wonder).

  • Ghost47 on 18/06/2023 - 18:13
    +2

    💯 WRX Sportswagon.

  • Hardlyworkin on 18/06/2023 - 18:25
    +5

    Warning; the talk of SUVs may be triggering for some readers.

    • Almost Banned on 18/06/2023 - 19:31

      Neither of these cars are exactly big…

  • JIMB0 on 18/06/2023 - 18:29
    +2

    They're both good cars. Get the one you like more.

  • CheapandUsed on 18/06/2023 - 18:33
    +2

    We ended up going the CR-V over the Forester, there wasn't much in it though.

    The lack of bump in the floor of the back row is surprisingly good though, often the shopping ends up there with heaps of space.

    Economy is alright too, we are getting high 8s in city driving and mid 6L/100km once on the highway.

    The infotainment leaves a bit to be desired though, showing it's age but android auto has been flawless for us.
    The climate control is my biggest annoyance, 1 more button and you wouldn't need the touchscreen for any of the settings, but instead you have to press the big 'climate' button to turn on/off the A/C or change the airflow.

  • Catsfan070911 on 18/06/2023 - 19:30
    +2

    We own a 2023 Forester Premium (Not a hell of a lot of difference from base model and zilch in terms of performance). We get 100km per 10.2L. That is with a lot of city driving and stop start stuff. On highway is more like 8.5-9L. Not amazing but not terrible. The comfort, handling and performance is great. Have had multiple passengers comment on the great visibility with the windows. My wife likes the driving position (high, and good visibility over the bonnet). Plenty of boot space and space in general, especially if you make use the roof racks. Ground Clearance highest we found in non 4WD's and has a short wheelbase and good breakover angle (if that means anything to you). We checked out a lot of competitor models, but admittedly never took a look at the Honda CR-V so can't comment on those. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM.

    • brendanm on 18/06/2023 - 20:03
      +5

      That is terrible highway economy.

      • drprox on 19/06/2023 - 21:37

        In this day and age I gotta agree!

      • barge-in hunter on 20/06/2023 - 10:13

        Yeah, that's not great at all - bear in mind though, fuel efficiency has a lot to do with driving style… even on the highway

        Our 2017 Subaru Liberty will easily manage under 7.5L on the hwy when driven carefully - and hits 12-13L with a small camper-trailer (~1200kg) on the back. Models from 2019 ish onwards have a newer direct injection engine, with reportedly better fuel economy again.

  • Protractor on 18/06/2023 - 19:47
    +1

    Subaru for me. They have an impeccable record in this space.Even a shorter warranty would not deter me on this 2 car choice.Nor a bit more fuel. Do some maths on spares prices if you are keeping for long term(no reason not to). Also read some reviews and forums to get a snapshot of general consensus and issues ,faults etc.
    Determine which will have the better wear and tear, and resale.
    Can you get manuals in either choice these days?

  • kevkay on 18/06/2023 - 19:49

    If you want a traditional SUV, then the Honda, or if you want a quirky-ish SUV, Subaru.

  • morse on 18/06/2023 - 20:08
    +1

    Both are good, I have CRV and no issues, my parents had Forrester, also no issues, both good cars , test drive and see what you’re drawn to,

  • plmko on 18/06/2023 - 20:46

    If it's not a daily driver then why choose between two of the most boring cars on the market…..

  • Ozbar Gain on 18/06/2023 - 21:44

    The Honda sells slightly more units per year, has a longer warranty, 7 year roadside, lighter on fuel, and looks more stylish (subjective). In saying that, test drive both (a second time if you must) and make the decision.

    Or if you really can't be arsed see which salesperson budges on the price the most.

    • Hackney on 19/06/2023 - 06:42
      +1

      Honda’s prices are fixed price & are non negotiable.

    • apsilon on 19/06/2023 - 07:50
      +1

      The Honda sells slightly more units per year

      Do you have a link to that info? CRV is their best seller IIRC but Subaru sell almost 3x the vehicles overall and the Forester is their best selling vehicle. Last figures I saw for 2022 had about 2000 more Foresters sold than CRV for the year.

  • Caped Baldy on 18/06/2023 - 21:59
    +1

    I had the XV hybrid. I'd avoid the subaru hybrids for now. It wasn't super efficient and when the electric motor turned on was very inconsistent.

  • Dave1988 on 18/06/2023 - 23:00
    +1

    i was in this dilemma few years back, not had this offer though.
    However, i ended up with Forester, as it has very good visibility, and ground clearance (23 cm vs 19cm in honda), and it is AWD (i assume extra to go for AWD in honda). Ground clearance is great when you are off-road or countryside.
    We found Honda infotainment and other cabin tech was a bit outdated compared to Forester.
    The downsides with the Forester are the fuel economy, the cabin looks less posh than Honda, and a tiny bit smaller boot than CRV.

  • resmansg on 19/06/2023 - 00:07
    +1

    Subaru

  • Hackney on 19/06/2023 - 06:41

    CRV all the way! New model coming very soon, & will be a Hybrid.

    • lgacb08 on 20/06/2023 - 21:39

      Given their attempt of hybrid with the civic 15 years ago Id be very wary of that.

  • singingwolf on 19/06/2023 - 08:00
    +1

    Soobie

  • i2OzBargain on 19/06/2023 - 08:08
    +1

    Have a 2022 Forester Premium and will never look back for all the positives mentioned above.

    I fill up with Costco 98 generally or 711 U95 and am getting 7.6L/100 in good mixed usage. Or so the car tells me.

    Depending on your use case, but if you can stretch to the next model up or the premium you won’t regret it. But I understand that money and these extras are a personal preference.

    Looked at the Honda and RAV4 when shopping. Honda I decided no due to the threat of leaving Aus and my perceived/anecdotal reliability concerns after talking to people who own 2015+ or newer models (I had 1999 and 2008 civics for a while).

  • ForkSnorter on 19/06/2023 - 10:06

    You should try driving them before you decide. I bought a Forester a while back. On the same day I bought it, I test-drove 5 different cars. The Forester was the nicest to drive by a long way. And it's still the nicest I've driven before and since (compared to several Mazdas (3 and 6), Toyotas, and Hondas). Being comfortable (and fun) to drive is important to me because I often do long trips in the country.

  • dtc on 19/06/2023 - 11:09

    Are you looking at something to mostly do a lot of highway driving? Or you just dont drive much but its mostly on the highway? Do you need the SUV shape and/or height (for example, as cliched as it is, the Camry Hybrid is a great highway cruiser and it has plenty of space)

    Saving a bit of money today seems attractive, but having a car that is better to drive, has better visibility (an often overlooked - no pun intended - issue with many cars), is more up to date and more comfortable will benefit you every day and you will be grateful everyday. Warranty is useful but most cars cark it within 12 months or after 10 years; its pretty rare for a car to need a warranty claim in year 6 (not impossible but rare)

    • Napisque on 19/06/2023 - 11:26

      Yes. Wife prefers higher seating position. Camry was my first choice but waiting period is likely in years.

      Yes mosty we want to go on trips with family.

      • dtc on 19/06/2023 - 17:56

        Forester or Outback are both good cars and very comfortable for long trips (esp the Outback in my view). Not super fuel efficient but it wont break the bank and it doesnt seem like you travel far enough for it to really be an issue (on paper there is only a 0.4L / 100km combined cycle difference in favour of the CR-V, so thats about $7 per 1000km. Real world may differ of course).

        The Forester is marginally bigger in the back seat than the CR-V (which narrows a fair bit from the from seat) but the CRV has a slightly bigger boot; basically there isnt really that much difference in size.

        Like many cars today, they are 90% just as competent as each other and when you are comparing two cars virtually the same size, shape, acceleration, both have a spare tyre etc then you are going to just have to make your choice based on the 5% differences that mean something to you personally. Someone else might choose differently and you both will have made the right decision given what works for you.

        You could pick up a 2021 or perhaps 2022 Camry hybrid for that price; sure its second hand but under 50,000km easily.

  • MJR on 19/06/2023 - 11:33
    +1

    I've had a CRV for 19 years. Loved it but I was ready to get something newer. So, I bought an ex demo model HRV and gave the CRV to my son. He learned to drive in it and will keep it while he's on his Ps.

  • abear on 19/06/2023 - 13:20

    Both are well built cars .
    We ended up going with the Forester .Would have went for the Honda if the had kept their bullet proof 2.4 engine.Not sure about the longevity of the 1.5 Turbo motor

  • 2esc on 19/06/2023 - 14:05

    Subaru

  • upsuper on 19/06/2023 - 16:55

    I decided against CR-V because its speedometer shows the speed in digital numbers which I really hate about, because I'm very sensitive to the number change around speed limits, say 59.9km/h and 60.0km/h. I asked the staff and they told me this isn't something that can be changed, so then it's not a car I'll choose.

  • Tnetennba on 20/06/2023 - 00:15

    Forester no question for me.

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