Hybrid Reviews

My time with the Forester Hybrid AWD Touring has come to an end, and I have some thoughts for you on what is Subaru’s most important model, should you be considering putting one on your driveway.And I do mean important. Subaru sold a total 39,005 vehicles in Australia last year and a whopping 15,179 of those were the Forester. Only the Crosstrek (10,842 sales) got close, with none of the brand's other models cracking the 10K barrier.Important that this model stays popular, then. To try to ensure it, Subaru has finally taken aim at the Toyota RAV4, introducing a proper hybrid system (it calls it a 'strong hybrid', by the way) so it can go head-to-head with the country's best-selling SUV.The system pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine that produces 121kW and 212Nm all on its own with an electric motor that kicks in another 90kW and 276Nm. Total system power is 145kW, and the brand reckons you’ll sip 6.2L/100km on the combined cycle, and get around 1000km from every 63-litre tank of fuel.Intrestingly, Toyota owns around 20 per cent of Subaru, and the two companies have collaborated on models like the 86/BRZ and bZ4X/Solterra, but there's no crossover between the RAV4 and the Forester. This one is all Subaru.There are two cheaper hybrid models sitting below my flagship model — the Hybrid Sport and the Forester Hybrid — but my Touring is the most expensive, listing at just under $56K, before on road costs. That’s quite the investment. Mind you, the RAV4 Hybrid tops out above $58K, so it’s all relative, right?Having now spent a little over three months behind the wheel – tackling everything from freeway jaunts to city running, and ferrying my 13-month-old boy and the Ikea's worth of stuff he needs every time we leave the house – I found some things I really liked, and some things I really didn't.Let's start with the good stuff, shall we?It’s boringI know, I know, that doesn’t sound like a compliment. But in this case it really is. I drive a lot of cars, newcomer and legacy brands alike, and the thing I have appreciated most about the Forester is that is has offered up zero surprises.It drives nicely, if a bit firmly in places, it steers well, its safety systems don’t appear tuned to drive people insane, the tech is pretty flawless and it has done exactly what we’ve asked of it with very little fuss. And in the world of new cars, sometimes no surprises is the best surprise of all.The ride can feel a bit harsh at times (weirdly it's more noticeable from the passenger seat) and the driver monitor is easily fooled by sunglasses, but both are liveable quirks.You don’t want for much in terms of equipmentThe Touring tops the Forester tree, and while it’s not cheap, you also don’t want for much. Our car rides on silver 19-inch alloys, gets standard roof rails and there are leather and suede seats that are heated and cooled up front. Elsewhere, there’s a 10-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, a sunroof, an 11.6-inch central touchscreen (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) and a 12.3-inch digital dash. There’s also on-board navigation, though most will surely be running Google or Apple Maps instead.It can fit a family (or my family, at least)Not all mid-size SUVs are built equally, especially when it comes to fitting child seats in the back. In some, the seats take up so much room that the front passenger finds themselves sitting too far forward. That’s not the case here. Plus the privacy glass, easy-access ISOFIX anchors and the fact the rear doors open super wide make family life easy. Even the boot, which swallows 484L with the rear seats upright, was big enough for all the gear we had to carry, including prams and the like.But every silver lining has a cloud. And with that, it's onto the negatives.The priceI know we said there are more expensive Toyotas. But in a world where you can drive away in a mid-size plug-in hybrid SUV for less than $40K, putting this on the road for around $60K is a bit of an ask, right? I dedicated the last long-term dispatch to trying to figure out what price tag you can apply to legacy. But I guess the ongoing success of models like this and the RAV4 goes some way to answering that question.The fuel useSubaru reckons you should see about 6.2L per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, but I have covered A LOT of kilometres, and done a lot of long-distance freeway driving, and I can’t get the number to drop below 7.0 litres. Toyota claims an impressive 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres for its AWD hybrid, and real-world testing suggests a number with a five in front of it is pretty achievable.Some hybrid sacrificesIt’s not all good news on the Hybrid front. You pay more for the car, obviously, but you also get a heavier vehicle with marginally less boot space, and while petrol-powered cars get a full-size spare, hybrid owners will be left fiddling with those horrible repair kits should they ever get a flat tyre.Acquired: September 2025Distance travelled this month: 1184kmOdometer: 4460kmAverage fuel consumption this month: 6.9L/100km

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The GWM Tank 500 Ultra Hi4-T Plug-in Hybrid is big news for Australia: this is a body-on-ladder-frame chassis large 4WD with five seats, high- and low-range gearing, and a front, centre and rear diff lock. It has combined power and torque outputs of 300kW/750Nm, offers about 120km electric-only driving range, and it can be used as a 6.0kW mobile power station (V2L) - all for under $80 grand. 

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The past three months have turned my car world upside down. I lived with the Toyota Camry SL during that time, and now new and revolutionary thoughts are popping into my head.Have we all been hoodwinked by SUVs? Could a sedan be a truly great family car? Is the Toyota Camry no longer boring? And is it now, dare I say, a fun and comfortable car? Life changing queries, I know.The reality is after three months it's hard to find any meaningful flaws with the car, as much as I tried.The SL is the top of the range so it doesn’t want for much.You can expect desirable items such as synthetic leather-wrapped seats that are heated, ventilated and power adjustable in the front row. The driver’s seat also has a memory function to remember your ideal seating position. A heated and power adjustable steering wheel is standard. Lots of screens, smartphone mirroring and wireless phone charging.A monster panoramic sunroof lets the light pour in. Great in winter, not in summer, but Toyota has fitted a proper cover to completely block out the sun.That brings me to another point — the air con.Having suffered through lots of summers in an innumerable amount of cars that can’t get something as simple as air conditioning right — the Camry is a breath of fresh, and frigid, air.Every Camry comes with one year free access to Toyota’s connected servicing, which allows you to control a number of features via an app. You can turn the car and air con on before you plan to leave, which means you can cool the car down after it's been sitting in the sun. Take it from me, this is a game-changer with little kids, especially when heading back from the beach or park with the car parked in the sun for hours.You can also lock the car remotely and keep tabs on its vitals, as well as get access to a range of perks such as cheaper petrol.The Camry is also far roomier than any mid-size SUV. The back seat has acres of space. Anyone that’s been in the back seat of a ride share can probably relate. I regularly fitted two child seats, one forward-facing and one rear-facing. Both fit in with plenty of room to spare. The top tether anchor point is a bit of a pain to put in, but I was putting the seats in and out every other day, which is not a concern for most people.On the flip side it is almost five metres long, which is bigger than a comparable SUV. The Camry is also a fun car to drive. Shocking, I know.At its heart is Toyota’s hybrid set-up.Its 2.5-litre petrol engine is paired with an electric motor and a small battery. This combines to make 170kW, which is not far off a Volkswagen Golf GTI. Toyota doesn’t quote combined torque figures, but there is plenty.It makes light work of accelerating up steep hills and there is always plenty left in reserve when needing to overtake at speed.On the motorway the Camry is a quiet, comfortable and refined cruiser. The suspension does a quality job of soaking up bumps and lumps of all sizes, but it can get a little skittish over consistent small bumps.The steering is well weighted and direct, which delivers confidence on all types of roads.On a twisting country road is where the Camry sets itself apart from the SUV set. It’s lower ride height makes it intrinsically better to drive through the corners than its high-riding rivals.Shorts springs and tight body means it holds its weight through the bends better with no lean and it handles sudden change of direction far better, too.Another highlight is the safety tech. It actually works, which for anyone who has tested the new breed of cars arriving on our shores is a godsend.The auto emergency braking, lane keep assist and all the other safety acronyms work as they should. The car isn't beeping and bonging at you for every little thing. The tech is there and will only activate when it is needed. How refreshing to be treated as an adult.The few low lights I could find were mostly trivial.I don't like digital rear view mirrors. I never get the same depth of vision as from a mirror, but I will concede they provide better night and wet weather vision. Still a no from me, though.The long bonnet car can scrape on steep driveways or over speed bumps with large corrugations. So you'll need to be careful.A temporary spare tyre is par for the course these days, but still a poor result for owners as I found out when I got a puncture. Instead of switching out the spare and off I went, I had to put on the space saver and head to the nearest tyre store to get the puncture wheel repaired. A few hours I won’t get back.I also wasn’t able to get close to the official 4.0 litres per 100km claimed fuel use figure. I managed 5.1L/100km over my time. The fact it needs premium unleaded petrol is a bummer, too.I didn’t get to spend as much time behind the wheel the last month as planned due to time spent overseas and interstate, but it was unlikely I’d dip below the 5.0L/100km mark judging by the first 1000km.Toyota Camry SLAcquired: August, 2025Distance travelled this month: 195kmOdometer: 2849kmAverage fuel consumption this month: 5.1L/100km

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