burlapp car

2025 Subaru Forester

By  •  Published:  •  Last updated:

I know Subaru has plenty of fans these days, but I still think the Subaru Forester is one of the ugliest vehicles you can buy today. And it’s been for a while.

It is getting, thank God, an all-new design for the 2025 model year, and the blurry photos above show a much-improved look. This isn’t really saying much, but still, this already seems to be a bit more decent and modern. Although the front overhang seems huge now. Which contributes to a new even weirder profile. There are still plenty of plastic crap everywhere, and many odd lines and shapes all over the place. And yet, it does seem better than the outgoing design. But as I said, the bar was pretty low.

The interior looks like every other current Subaru model. It would be really hard to tell which Subaru model you’re driving if you didn’t take a look outside.

It seems that Subaru designers have been either asleep or on a long, long strike for a while now. I wonder how long these things will keep being popular. The current generation sold 114,000 units last year. Down from around 155,000 in 2021 and 177,000 in 2020. I guess it was time for something new.

Current buyers who haven’t had problems with their CVT transmission (A friend of mine got a $8000 bill right after the 5-year warranty) will probably go back to their dealer and get the new one.

The new Forester will be at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week and I will make sure to take a look and report.

Conversation 14 comments

  5. I dont know what Subaru thinks its doing with their designs. Not my cup of tea. They make decent, if mainstream concepts… then, manufacture monsters.

  6. I humbly disagree with your assessment of the new design. It seems to have thrown out the vestiges of taste of the previous generation’s design. You hope Subaru design has reached its nadir with each subsequent marquee offering before it sinks further into the abyss instead. This abomination calls into question who, between its design team and legion of loyalists, really has the harder time allowing a more decent design to sink in. Hint hint–they wouldn’t be able to keep their lineup on the lot with a family look of general appeal.

  7. I don’t believe this is the real 2025 Forester, it doesn’t even look like a Subaru. They always carry a similar style/design from previous versions not changing to much. Don’t be fooled. If this is the real then Subaru is doomed.

  8. I feel the exact opposite. The current Forester is actually somewhat attractive. This, is downright ugly. Especially that side profile. It’s quite the downgrade.

  9. The writer obviously doesn’t like Subaru They have a cult following that seems to get bigger every year People don’t buy Subaru’s to impress their neighbors definitely a better looking Forestor

  11. I thought it was a Honda with the thick upper bar on the grill. And Ford Edge on the taillights. Funny reading others comments on what they see. It definitely suffers from a brand identity crisis. It’s going the way of the Pontiac Aztek, hideous.

  12. At only14,000 miles: my then new, 2020 Subaru Transmission totally failed and had to be totally replaced.

  13. The author thinks this 2025 monstrosity is an improvement? He’s the only one who has that opinion among the reviews I’ve seen so far. We own two Subarus, but lately they are losing the plot. I think this is the ugliest Subaru since the 2006 B9 Tribeca styling disaster.

  14. Subaru needs to do what Hyundai and Kia did: Hire a guy from Europe for design the exterior and interior of their cars.
    As stated, they are good quality and reliable cars but man, they look just as grocery haulers. Not fun to drive( except the WRX STI which is a monster machine).

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *