Model Year | 2013 | 2011 | |
Model | Subaru Forester | Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 4dr SUV | 4dr Hatch | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 103.0 in | 103.1 in | -0.1 in |
Length | 169.5 in | 173.8 in | -4.3 in |
Width | 70.1 in | 68.5 in | 1.6 in |
Height | 65.9 in | 58.5 in | 7.4 in |
Curb Weight | 3250 lb. | 3075 lb. | 175 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 16.9 gal. | 16.9 gal. | 0 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 41.6 in | 40.3 in | 1.3 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 56.1 in | 54.8 in | 1.3 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 43.1 in | 43.5 in | -0.4 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 40.0 in | 37.6 in | 2.4 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 55.6 in | 53.2 in | 2.4 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 38.0 in | 33.5 in | 4.5 in |
Total Legroom | 81.1 in (over 2 rows) | 77 in (over 2 rows) | 4.1 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 33.5 ft3 | 19.0 ft3 | 14.5 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 68.3 ft3 | 44.4 ft3 | 23.9 ft3 |
2013 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 |
2013 Subaru Forester Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2014 | 4dr SUV 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 CVT AWD |
Huge rear seat for the car's size 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 |
2011 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 CVT AWD |
I've driven between the SF Bay Area and San Diego several times with no comfort issues. As a point of comparison, I am comfortable with long drives in a 2002 Honda Civic and I would like to burn the seats in a 2010 Hyundai Tucson. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
I am 6'4" tall and this is one of the few compact cars I fit into easily with room to spare. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
The rear seats actually have enough space to comfortably fit full size adults or child car seats. The doors open wide making ingress and egress easy. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
Amongst small cars, this had quite comfortable rear seat room, which accommodated our car seat better than our previous Volkswagen Jetta. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Sedan 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
Roomy inside, as well as pretty large greenhouse see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2011 Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2012 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 265hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
Coming from both an MX-5 and Buick Century the cabin of the WRX is very spacious. There is good room for driver and passenger. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch turbocharged 265hp 2.5L H4 5-speed manual AWD |
I drove he car for a better part of 2 hours today. The seats were very comfortable all around in rush hour traffic on city and highway roads. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2012 | 4dr Hatch 148-horsepower 2.0L H4 6-speed shiftable CVT AWD |
Seats only adjust two ways, and manual adjustments at that. They're adequate for short trips but uncomfortable if you have to sit for hours. I wish there was an option for multiple power adjustments with memory. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |
2011 | 4dr Hatch 170-horsepower 2.5L H4 4-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
There is no lumbar support which makes it tough for drives over 2 hours. The seats could be better for its class. I think Subaru remedied this issue in the new body style, however. see full Subaru Impreza / WRX / Outback Sport review |