Posted Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 10:32pm

2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Is a Welcome Upgrade

We’ve bemoaned the refreshed 2025 Subaru Forester for its lack of vitality, but that was before we had a chance to drive something that’s never before existed: the Subaru Forester Hybrid. This changes more than you’d think. Yes, there’s a bump in fuel economy: from 28 mpg combined (with 19-inch wheels) or 29 mpg (with 17- or 18-inchers) for the regular Forester to 35 mpg combined for the hybrid. And for some people that’d be enough.
Subaru’s New Hybrid System
Power still doesn’t crack the 200-hp threshold, but it’s now closer at 194 horsepower. Compare that to the 180-hp effort of the regular Forester, and you’ve got yourself a 14-hp advantage. Okay, golf clap. Still, the way this hybrid compact crossover goes about its business is what makes the difference. It starts with a 2.5-liter boxer engine as in the standard car, but this one is tuned to run the Atkinson cycle. It makes 162 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque, which doesn’t sound that great until you realize that the hybrid system blends in another 118 horsepower and 199 pound-feet from the primary traction motor concealed within the transmission case.

Posted Monday, January 20, 2025 at 9:56pm

2026 Subaru Outback, with Hybrid Power and SUV Looks, Is Worth Waiting For

Long the unapologetic poster child for the station-wagon nation, the Subaru Outback blends in just enough crunchy charm to appeal to buyers who may never fully explore its off-road capabilities but take comfort in knowing they’re there if needed. The forthcoming new 2026 model appears to lean more in the direction of a traditional SUV, at least in terms of exterior design, proportions, and size, however.

Posted Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 9:50pm

With the 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, Subaru Finally Gets It Just Right

There have been hybrid Subaru Crosstrek models before, but they were slightly different. The 2014–16 Crosstrek Hybrid was a relatively unsophisticated 160-hp hybrid that had a single 13-hp electric motor encased in its transmission that only netted a 2-mpg increase. From 2019 to 2023, the Crosstrek Hybrid became a more powerful and legitimate hybrid thanks to dual electric motors and a 5-mpg bonus. Unfortunately, it proved to be an expensive… Read More →

Posted Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 10:19pm

Subaru tops Consumer Reports’ 2025 brand rankings as Detroit 3 struggle on reliability

Subaru for the second time in four years led Consumer Reports’ annual brand report card as domestic automakers struggled in a ranking that measures factors including vehicle performance, safety and reliability. The 2025 report card, issued about two months earlier than usual, is part of an updated data set released by Consumer Reports that packages all of its automotive rankings in one spot. The outlet on Dec. 5 also issued… Read More →

Posted Monday, November 25, 2024 at 9:40pm

How Subaru’s First Factory-Sponsored Team Won The Rebelle Rally

When you think of off-roading, you might picture a Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, or a Ford Bronco. Not a mild-mannered 2014 Subaru Outback, purchased for hauling kids around town and commuting to work. However, that’s exactly what two women in the 2024 Rebelle Rally piloted all the way to the podium for a first-place finish. Not only did driver Carey Lando and navigator Andrea Shaffer win the crossover segment in… Read More →

Posted Friday, April 4, 2025 at 10:39pm

Travis Pastrana Is Back in Rally and He’s Bringing a Car You Could Actually Build

Rally racing has always carried a certain mystique — dirt-spraying drifts, high-revving engines, and fearless drivers threading cars through forests… Read More →

Posted Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 10:32pm

2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid Is a Welcome Upgrade

We’ve bemoaned the refreshed 2025 Subaru Forester for its lack of vitality, but that was before we had a chance… Read More →