Subaru Forester (2014) vs. Honda Civic (2009) Specs

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2014 Subaru Forester and 2009 Honda Civic Specifications

Model Year	2014	2009
Model	Subaru Forester	Honda Civic
Engine	turbocharged 2.0L H4 DOHC-4v 250 hp@5600 258 lb-ft@2000	2.0L I4 DOHC-4v 197 hp@7800 139 lb-ft@6200
Transmission	8-speed shiftable CVT	6-speed manual
Drivetrain	AWD	FWD
Body	4dr SUV	4dr Sedan
			Difference
Wheelbase	103.9 in	106.3 in	-2.4 in
Length	180.9 in	176.7 in	4.2 in
Width	70.7 in	69.0 in	1.7 in
Height	66.4 in	56.5 in	9.9 in
Curb Weight	3624 lb.	2912 lb.	712 lb.
Fuel Capacity	15.9 gal.	13.2 gal.	2.7 gal.
Headroom, Row 1	41.4 in	39.4 in	2 in
Shoulder Room, Row 1	57.0 in	53.7 in	3.3 in
Hip Room, Row 1	0.0 in	51.9 in	-51.9 in
Legroom, Row 1	43.0 in	42.2 in	0.8 in
Headroom, Row 2	39.8 in	37.4 in	2.4 in
Shoulder Room, Row 2	56.5 in	52.4 in	4.1 in
Hip Room, Row 2	0.0 in	51.0 in	-51 in
Legroom, Row 2	38.0 in	34.6 in	3.4 in
Total Legroom	81 in (over 2 rows)	76.8 in (over 2 rows)	4.2 in
Cargo Volume, Minimum	34.4 ft³	12.0 ft³	22.4 ft³
Cargo Volume, Maximum	74.7 ft³	12.0 ft³	62.7 ft³

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TrueDelta Reviews the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2014 Subaru Forester

2014 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Comment
2014	Beyond visibility, people buy crossovers to get more space for people and cargo. As in previous Subaru Foresters, the 2014's ceiling is cathedral-high. I could have worn a top hat inside. If you're very tall, and have been seeking a compact vehicle in which you'll easily fit, you've found one. If, on the other hand, you've been seeking expansive elbow room, the Honda CR-V has more of it. And legroom? A combined (first and second row) figure of 81 inches tops every other compact SUV, including the otherwise segment-leading Honda (79.6 inches) and Toyota RAV-4 (79.8 inches). The Chevrolet Equinox offers another tenth of an inch, but with a 188-inch length (vs. the Forester's 181) and 4,083-pound curb weight (vs. the Forester 2.5i's 3,366) it's not truly compact. Subaru has worked no such miracles with shoulder room. At 56.5 inches, the Forester's is typical of the compact crossover class. Add in a small driveline hump (absent in the Honda) and three adults won't happily share the rear seat for long. But how many car owners put three adult-sized people in the second row for long, anyway? Measurements don't tell the entire story. The Honda's rear seat cushion is too low to the floor to provide adults with thigh support, and its rear seatback can be reclined to only two nearly identical positions. In constrast, the Forester's passengers enjoy a comfortably high rear seat that reclines through a broader range. One negative for rear seat comfort: unlike the Ford Escape (but like nearly all other compact crossovers, including the CR-V), the Forester has no rear air vents. Thanks to the tall, square rear body, cargo space is also the best in the segment, though not by as large a margin as the rear seat. Up front, there are plenty of bins in which to stash your stuff. see full Subaru Forester review

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2014 Subaru Forester

2014 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2015	4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD	I'm 6'3" and often don't fit comfortable in vehicles. I found this had a very nice amount of front seat room. The center console tends to stay out of the way as well, some newer designs have the center stack moving into where my right knee would be. It's a very noticeable improvement over my previous 2009 Escape. I actually found the Forester more comfortable for me than the Outback. I was expecting the opposite. see full Subaru Forester review
2015	4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD	After looking at Explorer's, I was surprised how much more room the Forester had in the back seat. Granted it doesn't have a third row, but if you don't need a 3rd row, the Forester is hard to beat in this segment for rear seat room. We can put a forward facing child seat in the back, move the front seat up a about 2 inches from all the way back and there's still plenty of front passenger room and my 1.5 year old son can't kick the back of the seat. see full Subaru Forester review
2014	4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD	Excellent rear seat comfort and rear seats are 60/ 40 and easy to fold flat. rear seats also have recline function which is nice ... excellent leg room see full Subaru Forester review
2014	4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD	Huge rear seat for the car's size see full Subaru Forester review

What Our Members Are Saying about the Seat Room and Comfort of the 2009 Honda Civic

2009 Honda Civic Seat Room and Comfort: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2008	4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed automatic FWD	unbelievable much room on the rear seats see full Honda Civic review
2008	4dr Sedan 197-horsepower 2.0L I4 6-speed manual FWD	Good lumbar and side support, nicely adjustable seat and wheel. Shifter is very close to the wheel. Fits me like a glove, but my wife does find the seatback slightly tall. see full Honda Civic review

2009 Honda Civic Seat Room and Comfort: Cons
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2009	4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD	Driver seat is uncomfortable. Not upright enough. Not a great seat for correct posture. see full Honda Civic review
2008	4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD	Seats were rock hard(in summer) see full Honda Civic review
2008	4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD	very poor AC performance during hot weather see full Honda Civic review
2008	4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed automatic FWD	not able to fit a rear facing child seat, or very difficult to fit it. we had to even find a small size one. see full Honda Civic review
2008	4dr Sedan 140-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed automatic FWD	It took me a long time to find a comfortable driving position in this car. It may because of the low seat. I was finally (mostly) successful, but it took a long time to find it, and it is very different than my typical driving position. Also, not great on long trips -- the seat is generally supportive, but it starts to break down a few hours in. see full Honda Civic review
2008	4dr Sedan 110-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD	No access from trunk area. Also, very strong chemical smell in vehicle...off gassing from fabrics. The prius did not have near the smell. see full Honda Civic review

See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs

See TrueDelta's information for all Subaru models.