2020 Subaru Forester vs Nissan X-TRAIL

What's the difference?

The Subaru Forester Hybrid S is a great family car - even without the hybrid engine, you get a quality vehicle. If you’re looking for something that gives a nod to a hybrid but going electric still scares you, this could be right up your alley. Personally I would like to see more of the electric motor in use but at least Subaru's headed in the right direction. 

It has a good amount of interior space, boot space and the driving acumen we’ve come to expect from Subaru. It has great safety and the technology is good for 2020.

I gave it a family rating of 7.6 out of 10, taking points off because I think you can do more with a hybrid. My children gave it an 8.0. Show them a blue car and they love it. 

The Nissan X-Trail N-Trek costs a grand more than the ST-L it’s based on but you’re getting a premium stereo, larger wheels, floor mats and the weather shields which does provide better value. Don’t expect that to pay off when it comes time to sell again, however, because research shows special editions don’t command any more money than the models they’re based on when sold second hand. You’re best off enjoying the extra value now and the great practicality this family favourite offers.

It’s hard to tell the regular Forester S from the Hybrid S, save for a badge on the back suggesting it's a hybrid.

So, they look as a Forester does... solid. A station wagon with the height of an SUV.

Subaru is one of the only companies to champion this shape and it works well, carving a point of difference in the crowded mid-size SUV market. 

Inside is quite stylish. Being the top-of-the-range model there are leather seats that are also heated and power adjustable. There’s a leather steering wheel that feels lovely under the hands and a sunroof to let light through the car. 

The centre console looks good, but is a little fussy with an overzealous use of buttons and a split screen situation which is confusing at first, but it's  not a deal breaker.

The addition of metal inserts on the foot pedals really lift the whole design of the car. 

The X-Trail lost its boxy looks when this new-generation model arrived in 2014 with its curvy exterior, and even six years on its design has aged well and is still pleasing.

The N-Trek adds accessories such as larger wheels, the bonnet protector and the weather shields but these are the only outward signs that this is a special edition, apart from the N-Trek badge on the tailgate, that is.

While the exterior styling has stood the test of time superbly, the X-Trail’s interior is showing its age with the 7.0-inch touchscreen looking a tad small now and the dash is busy with buttons as opposed to the cleaner designs we’re seeing in newer models.

That said, the fit and finish appears excellent and the standard leather upholstery lifts the quality to a premium feel.

Inside, the N-Trek edition kit includes door sill scuff plates and luxurious-feeling floor mats. 

Those in the Forester's front seats have plenty of leg and headroom; enough for even the taller members of my family. There is no cramped feeling, with enough room between the front seats to rule out the rubbing of  shoulders. 

My two children, aged six and eight, were comfortable in the back seat. They had a good amount of space between them, and you will be able to fit a third child seat back there.

It’s tight but it does fit. I did it with two boosters and a baby capsule. We’d always suggest checking with your seats first as they are all different. 

At 509 litres the boot is a good size for a family of four and I was able to fit the bulky CarsGuide pram in with room around it for school bags or groceries. If you’re beyond pram stage, there's plenty of room for sporting equipment and other big kids stuff. 

If you were to get a group of parents of young children together to build an SUV the X-Trail is probably what they’d come up with. That’s because family practicality seems to have been at the top of the priority list.

There are the rear doors that open tall and wide at almost at 90 degrees, large cupholders in the front and back (four in total), giant door pockets, a theatre-style second row that seats the kids high so they can see out, dark-tinted rear windows so you don’t need a shade cloth, directional air vents in the back, plus a big boot (565L) that has under floor storage and a low load lip.

If you’re tall or large you’ll be happy with the space up front – the seats are wide, while shoulder and elbow room is great. Those in the second row will be pleased with the X-Trail’s roominess, too. I’m 191cm tall and can sit behind my driving position with about 30mm to spare.

The N-Trek is only available with a five-seat configuration. If you’re looking for a third row of seating the ST-L seven-seater X-Trail will do the job nicely.

The Nissan X-Trail N-Trek special edition lists for $38,700, which is a grand more than the mid-spec ST-L grade it’s based on.

What do you get on the N-Trek that you don’t on an ST-L? There’s the larger 19-inch alloys wheels, an eight-speaker Bose stereo, bonnet protector, weather shields for the front and rear side windows, kick plates for the door sills and carpet mats.

That’s on top of all the standard equipment which the ST-L brings such as a 7.0-inch screen with sat nav, digital radio, heated front seats, leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control.

Is it good value? Well the Bose system is good, and the larger wheels look great, but rivals such as the Toyota RAV4 are offering more equipment and newer tech such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for less money.

The RAV4 GXL 4x2 for example is $35,640. Be sure to check out the front-wheel drive versions of the Renault Koleos Zen X-Tronic and Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport, which are also more affordable.

The Forester Hybrid S drives well and it takes out all those things you’ve heard about electric cars and may not be fond of.

For example, it coasts along without your foot having to be on the accelerator, and they’ve added in some noise so pedestrians can hear the car on approach rather than it creeping along silently at low speeds. 

It gets up hills quickly, there’s no issue with power as it has a 2.0-litre petrol engine along with the electric motor which gives instant acceleration, so it doesn't have a lag.

The steering is slightly stiff to turn but you get used to that the more you drive it and by the end of the week it felt normal to me. 

I think the electric motor added agility and made the Forester feel more nimble than usual, so if anything it’s a benefit because of that.

But how and when does the hybrid kick in? The electric motor can work on its own at speeds under 24km/h. It works together with the petrol engine at medium speeds, and then at higher speeds, the petrol engine takes over completely.

Subaru says the electric motor also takes over if you’re coasting along without the accelerator, for example downhill, and the petrol engine will kick in when you hit the accelerator. 

The system is designed to save fuel in urban, high traffic areas. But when you compare the claimed fuel consumption of a regular Subaru Forester (7.4L/100km) to this 'e-Boxer' Hybrid S (6.7L/100km), there isn’t that much difference.

And when you compare it to other hybrid cars like the Toyota RAV4, the fuel saving is minimal. This week, the average fuel consumption I got was 12.3L/100km, but I did do a lot of stop/start driving mainly in the city, so it’s not the best representation of what it can do. 

It’s a fairly standard car to park. Even though the Forester is long I was able to squeeze into a number of tight parking spaces on a few rainy school runs this week where the competition is fierce.

It has a clear reversing camera with a bonus 360-degree view, as well as a front side view on the top split screen. I did find this confusing but I’m sure if I drove the car for a bit longer I’d get used to it. 

The driving experience of the X-Trail N-Trek in a single word is, easy. Easy around carparks with its light steering, easy to see out of with the ride height and big windows with thin pillars, and easy in terms of the placement of controls and configuration of the seating position.

It’s not perfect though. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a driver in the sporty sense, the CVT and lackluster acceleration won’t impress you. And if you’re looking for a super comfortable experience then the jiggly ride on less-than-great roads will leave you a bit disappointed.

The Nissan X-Trail was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2017 and the N-Trek comes with the same standard safety features as the ST-L. There’s AEB, rear cross traffic alert and blind spot warning.

Along with the advanced tech there’s ABS, traction and stability controls and a hill hold function.

You’ll find two ISOFIX mounts across the second row along with three top tether points for child seats.

Under the boot floor is a space saver spare wheel.