Model Year | 2013 | 2012 | |
Model | Subaru Forester | Toyota RAV4 | |
Engine | turbocharged 2.5L H4 DOHC-4v 224 hp@5600 226 lb-ft@3600 |
3.5L V6 DOHC-4v 269 hp@6200 246 lb-ft@4700 |
|
Transmission | 4-speed shiftable automatic | 5-speed automatic | |
Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | |
Body | 4dr SUV | 4dr SUV | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 2,616 mm | 2,659 mm | 0 mm |
Length | 4,305 mm | 4,600 mm | 0 mm |
Width | 1,781 mm | 1,816 mm | 0 mm |
Height | 1,674 mm | 1,684 mm | 0 mm |
Curb Weight | 1,560 kg | 1,669 kg | 0 kg |
Fuel Capacity | 64 L | 60 L | 4 L |
Headroom, Row 1 | 1,057 mm | 1,036 mm | 0 mm |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 1,425 mm | 1,450 mm | 0 mm |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 0 mm | 1,367 mm | -1 mm |
Legroom, Row 1 | 1,095 mm | 1,062 mm | 0 mm |
Headroom, Row 2 | 1,016 mm | 1,008 mm | 0 mm |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 1,412 mm | 1,405 mm | 0 mm |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 0 mm | 1,331 mm | -1 mm |
Legroom, Row 2 | 965 mm | 973 mm | -8 mm |
Headroom, Row 3 | 0 mm | 945 mm | -945 mm |
Shoulder Room, Row 3 | 0 mm | 1,336 mm | -1 mm |
Hip Room, Row 3 | 0 mm | 1,100 mm | -1 mm |
Legroom, Row 3 | 0 mm | 762 mm | -762 mm |
Total Legroom | 2,060 mm (over 2 rows) | 2,797 mm (over 3 rows) | 0 mm |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 949 L | 348 L | 601 L |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 33.5 | 1,053 L | 32.5 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 1,934 L | 2,067 L | -1 L |
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 |
2012 Toyota RAV4 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2013 | The first two generations of the Toyota RAVs were much smaller than contemporaneous Honda CR-Vs. More than perhaps any other difference this one probably explains Toyota's lack of segment leadership. The third-generation RAV4, introduced for the 2006 model year, was much larger, and finally about the same size as the Honda. The new RAV4's body is an inch lower, but also a few inches longer. Compared to the CR-V, it's 1.6 inches longer, an inch wider, and 0.7 inches taller. This translates to a slightly roomier interior, and probably the roomiest in the segment unless one includes the boundary-defying Santa Fe Sport, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain. Sitting behind my 5-9 self, I have nearly five inches of knee room in the Honda. Quite good, but I have seven inches in the new RAV4. Beyond sheer space, the RAV4's rear seat cushion is a comfortable height off the floor, and its rear seat back reclines over a relatively wide range. The Honda's rear seat back can be set in only two different positions that aren't far apart. Add a third passenger, though, and the rear seat no longer seems so roomy. My three kids aren't large, but they complained about the amount of room. The reason isn't hard to find: for some reason the new RAV4 only offers 48.8 inches of rear hip room. This is much better than the 43.3 inches in the 2012, but still well short of the 53.3 inches in the CR-V. So, while the RAV4 has the edge in knee room, the Honda easily wins a hip room comparison. see full Toyota RAV4 review |
2012 Toyota RAV4 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2013 | 4dr SUV 176-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
The drivers seat has a really long travel - I normally have the seat far back (5'11" with long legs) but I probably had 6 inches of travel further back I could have gone. The seat isn't overadjustable and not too hard to get into a comfortable position. The fake leather is a reasonable facsimile and has heated seats - would have to see how it does in the direct sun. see full Toyota RAV4 review |
2013 | 4dr SUV 176-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
Rear seat room is pretty impressive and seating position is nice. Adjustable rake of the rear seat is a nice touch. Appears to have 3 car seat anchors. The rear seat appears to be the same size as, or maybe even larger than the original Highlander / RX300. see full Toyota RAV4 review |
2012 Toyota RAV4 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2012 | 4dr SUV 179-horsepower 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic FWD |
I'm about 6'3" and 220lbs so I get cramped on long trips. see full Toyota RAV4 review |
2012 | 4dr SUV 179-horsepower 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic FWD |
I'm about 6'3" and 220lbs so I get cramped on long trips. see full Toyota RAV4 review |
2011 | 4dr SUV 179-horsepower 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic AWD |
back seat is hard, not much leg room see full Toyota RAV4 review |