Auto Show Faceoff: How Do the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid and 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid Compare?
With the debut of the new 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show, there’s a new hybrid compact SUV for shoppers to consider. It enters the market against some stiff competition, however, including the Honda CR-V hybrid. We were curious to see how these two fuel-sipping SUVs compare, so we checked out both on the show floor to find the areas where each SUV excels.
Related: More 2025 Chicago Auto Show Coverage
Fuel Efficiency: CR-V Hybrid
The CR-V hybrid is the more efficient of these two hybrid compact SUVs, with up to an EPA-rated 40 mpg combined. That’s for a front-wheel-drive version, however; the AWD variant is rated 37 mpg combined. Both figures are better than the Forester Hybrid’s claimed 35 mpg combined rating (all Forester Hybrids have AWD).
Seating Comfort and Space: Forester Hybrid
Both SUVs can comfortably seat adults in the front and rear seats at the same time, and the CR-V hybrid’s seats are a bit cushier than the Subaru’s. The Forester, however, has the advantage here thanks to its airier cabin, and you feel this in both the first and second rows — the Forester’s low dashboard and large windshield open up the front of the cabin, while the stadium-style feel of the second row is more apparent than it is in the CR-V hybrid. Both SUVs have reclining rear seats, but the CR-V’s reclining backrest tilts further back.
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User Interface: CR-V Hybrid
The difference here really comes down to the number of physical controls on the dashboard and their implementation, with the CR-V hybrid having more of them and in a simpler arrangement. The Forester Hybrid integrates many of its climate controls in its vertical 11.6-inch touchscreen, but the CR-V keeps them separate below the dash-top multimedia screen. The Honda’s climate system also includes large knobs that are easy to use.
Outward Visibility: Forester Hybrid
Outward visibility has long been a strength of Subaru vehicles, and it still is in the Forester Hybrid. The SUV’s large side windows are a bit bigger than those in the CR-V hybrid, and they make it easier to see what’s around you.
Cargo Space: CR-V Hybrid
The CR-V hybrid has around 21 cubic feet of cargo space by Cars.com cargo measurements to the (non-hybrid) Forester’s roughly 16 cubic feet. Both cargo areas are wide and tall, making them well suited for carrying large items, and even though the Forester has less measured space behind its backseat, it does have an advantage when its second row is folded: There’s no ledge in its extended cargo floor like there is when the CR-V hybrid’s backseat is down.
More From Cars.com:
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- 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Up Close: More of a Good Thing
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- What’s New for the 2025 Honda CR-V?
- How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2024 Honda CR-V?
Pricing and On-Sale Date
You can buy a 2025 CR-V hybrid now, and the 2025 Forester Hybrid goes on sale in the spring. Both start around $36,000 (including destination fee), but to get AWD in the Honda, you’re looking at more than $37,000.
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Shop the 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid near you
So, which SUV is right for you? If you care most about good outward visibility and an airy interior, you’d do well to wait for the Forester Hybrid to hit dealerships so you can give it a test drive. If easy-to-use controls and a large cargo area are what you need from your hybrid SUV, the CR-V hybrid is worth a look.
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