Holden Acadia vs Subaru Forester
What's the difference?

Holden Acadia

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2020 price

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Subaru Forester

$43,490 - $55,990

2026 price

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Summary

2020 Holden Acadia

2026 Subaru Forester

By Laura Berry

By Marcus Craft

Safety Rating

Engine Type

V6, 3.6L

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Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

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Fuel Efficiency

8.9L/100km (combined)

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Seating

Likes

Truck-like looks
Advanced safety tech
Good value

Nice interior
Refined on-road
Suitably capable off-road

Dislikes

2000kg braked towing capacity
Engine needs to rev hard to make grunt
Wireless charging not standard on LT

Sluggish acceleration
Needs all-terrain tyres
Intrusive driver alert system

2020 Holden Acadia Summary

If the Acadia had an accent it would be a southern drawl because this big seven-seat SUV is built in Tennessee, USA, and wears a GMC badge when it’s at home.

In Australia of course it wears a Holden one and comes straight from the factory in right-hand drive. So how does it suit Aussie conditions? Does it even know the importance of a sausage on a piece of bread bought outside a hardware store on a Saturday?

All this and more was learnt when the entry grade LT front-wheel drive came to live with my family.

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2026 Subaru Forester Summary

The sixth-generation of Subaru’s Forester has landed and while the new hybrid versions constitute the biggest news of this batch, the petrol-only variants should not be ignored.

The five-seat mid-size SUV has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder 'boxer' engine, Subaru’s well-regarded 'symmetrical all-wheel drive' system and some new changes inside and out.

So, does the top-spec Touring offer the best value-for-money in the petrol Forester line-up?

Read on.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Holden Acadia 2026 Subaru Forester

Verdict

The Holden Acadia is a proper seven-seater SUV in that it will fit adults in the third row without turning your friends into enemies. It’s also practical and well fitted out with storage places and utilities such as USB ports.

I was particularly impressed with the advanced safety equipment on-board even at this entry LT level. Yes, it’s a V6 petrol and it’s not the most fuel-efficient SUV, but our time with it showed that with cylinder deactivation and the stop-start system it might not be as thirsty as you’d think.

Verdict

The MY26 Subaru Forester packs plenty of punch in terms of standard features, a roomy and functional interior and overall driveability. Sure, it’s not the most exciting vehicle to drive on- or off-road but to get stuck on that is to miss the point entirely. This is a decent all-rounder with a solid background and an AWD system that long ago set the gold standard for vehicles of this type.

In a tough mid-size SUV market segment aimed more at those intent on driving through car parks rather than adventuring through national parks, the Forester offers greater versatility than most and should not be ignored.

Holden Acadia vs Subaru Forester What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Holden Acadia vs Subaru Forester
What's the difference?