Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen T-Cross

What's the difference?

To many people, this review won’t matter. There’s a large part of Subaru’s customer base that come back knowing they’ll get a practical, capable car regardless of refinement - something the brand’s rivals can’t quite match.

But even those people will be pleased to find the new Forester is a huge step-up over the last one in many areas. Sure, it’s a little late for Subaru to be joining the hybrid game in 2025, but it’s not the only brand from Japan that’s been slow on that front, and the brand’s philosophy hasn’t always been focused on efficiency anyway.

In a vacuum, the new Forester is a great adventure companion, but anyone considering a mid-size family SUV and not requiring the AWD and clearance the Forester has on offer could do better elsewhere.

For anyone else, there’s still only one option that really ticks all the boxes - and now it’s much better than before.

Just get the petrol if you’re going anywhere that could damage a tyre.

There are so many new little SUVs out there and it might be easy to think they’re all the same - a tiny cheap SUV is just a tiny cheap SUV. But I’m convinced the Volkswagen T-Cross isn’t like the others.

Yes, it’s tiny and relatively cheap, but it can do more than most of the others from the storage and space it offers to the value-for-money and its level of refinement. Then there’s the way it drives - which can’t in my books be matched by any of its rivals.  

The sweet spot in the range is the entry grade Life. At $35K drive-away the value is best and with no difference in engines between the grades there are no huge reasons to step up higher in the range unless you have the money.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The new Forester is a slight departure from the characterful previous generation, and to this writer’s eye that’s to its detriment. It’s not unpleasant to look at, but it doesn’t look so much like a Forester anymore.

I wouldn’t be the first to say it looks like it had at least one pass through the North American Ford design centre, but even putting that aside, the rounded front is a less interesting design treatment than we’re used to seeing from Subaru.

Its side profile shows off its boxy, practical nature, however, and from the rear it looks much more Subaru-like than from the front.

In Sport guise, particularly, the Forester’s bronze trim and wheels are a decent give-away that the brand was going for a more premium look.

Inside, the Forester doesn’t look enormously different from the last generation, especially when it comes to buttons, shifters, and the big vertical 11.6-inch touchscreen, the latter right out of other Subaru models that have been around a while.

But perhaps that was deliberate, because some of the new Forester’s best features are those that follow the notion of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.

The T-Cross is Volkswagen’s smallest SUV at 4.1m long and even though it’s closely related to the little Polo hatchback it looks more like a mini version of the Tiguan.  

It might be tiny and relatively affordable but it has Volkswagen’s premium looks and sharp styling, with creases in the panels so crisp it looks like somebody just ironed it.

This update has brought new front and rear bumper designs, and new styling to the LED running lights and tail-lights. That’s typically how car companies do exterior design updates, inside the styling changes are pretty minimal, too.

There’s new dashboard design and new media screen, but again the design and quality feels refined and high quality, which I can't say goes for a lot of this car's rivals.

The entry-grade Life misses out on the cross design tail-lights of the Style and R-Line, and gets hubcaps rather than alloy wheels like the other two grades.

Perhaps the best selling point for the new Forester is that it hasn’t changed a whole lot inside. It’s spacious for its class and has physical buttons for a lot of things, while making sure the key controls like climate are always accessible on the touchscreen without needing to navigate through menus.

The steering wheel and gearshift look familiar and the general layout of the Forester seems to follow the brand’s established pattern of convenience over anything that could be annoying or complicated.

The software on the big screen is the same as any recent Subaru SUV with big buttons and a simple menu structure that means you rarely get lost. It’s not cutting-edge, but it works, much like a lot of the elements of this car.

The seats are comfortable and the seating position and steering wheel adjustment work well regardless of grade.

One element of the interior that works particularly well is visibility. Subaru made the headrest a little narrower to assist with shoulder checks and make looking over to the back seat easier. The result is a clear view, not only of the interior but also through those annoying side angles your wing mirrors might miss.

The back seat is also plenty spacious, with ample knee, foot and hip room in the second row’s outboard seats. Head and shoulder space is also fab. There’s little risk of feeling cramped in the back, even for a proper adult, especially if there’s a sunroof for that extra light.

Behind the second row, there’s 496 litres of boot space in non-hybrids, and 484L in hybrid variants, plus a switch in the boot to drop the second row from the tailgate.

That allows for 1174L and 1162L in petrol and hybrid models, respectively, though a big downside for the hybrid models is the lack of spare wheel, just a repair kit.

No spare tyre in a car you expect to be able to take off-road isn’t good enough, and it’s the key reason the Forester doesn’t score a full 10 for interior practicality. A shame, because the rest of the cabin is built for ease.

You really should take a look at my video to get an idea of how good space and storage is in the T-Cross. I’m tall at 189cm but I can drive with plenty of elbow room and legroom. The front seats also have really long bases which offer great under-thigh support, too.

Legroom in the back is great for the class and I can sit behind my driving position without my knees touching the seatback, while headroom is excellent, too. The second row also slides on rails to increase the boot side which is enormous for the class at 455L.

The second row doors also have large apertures making entry and exit easier.

Cabin storage is great with giant door pockets in the front and back, a wireless phone charger with four USB-C ports (two in the front and two in the second row).

There are three grades in the T-Cross line up, the entry level Life which lists for $33,990, the Style for $37,490 and at the top of the range is the R-Line for $40,990.

At the time of the launch of this updated T-Cross, Volkswagen was doing drive-away pricing of $34,990 for the Life, $39,990 for the Style and $43,990 for the R-Line.

Compared to rivals like the Mazda CX-3 and Toyota Yaris Cross, a drive-away price of $35K for the Life is excellent and $40K for the Style is also a good deal, especially when you look at the healthy standard features list.  

Coming standard on the Life are LED headlights, black roof rails and power folding mirrors, there’s a leather steering wheel, a digital driver display (which is new, too), there’s an 8.0-inch media screen, wireless phone charging, air con, digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Stepping up into the Style grade adds 17-inch alloys wheels, matrix LED headlights - those are new - chrome-look roof rails, an LED grille strip, proximity unlocking, dual-zone climate control, sat nav, and a new, larger digital driver display. The Style also gets the fancy 'cross' LED tail-lights like the R-Line grade above it.

The R-line is a new model sitting at the top of the line-up and it comes with sporty R-Line exterior styling plus 18-inch alloy wheels and dark tinted rear windows. Inside there’s R-line interior styling, 'Drive Modes' and a Beats sound system.

Both Forester drivetrains use the brand’s existing all-wheel drive tech and a continuously-variable transmission, but the hybrid does something Subaru is keen to point out its rivals’ don’t.

The petrol version is powered by a (136kW/247Nm) 2.5-litre naturally aspirated flat-four ‘boxer’ engine that's largely unchanged.

The hybrid consists of the same type of engine with different valve controls and lower outputs of 121kW/212Nm. 

The key part is it’s assisted by a 90kW electric motor that, rather than being mounted to the rear axle and engaging when traction is needed, is placed before the transmission and sends electric power to all four wheels. Total outputs for the Hybrid variants are 145kW and 276Nm.

The T-Cross has a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine which sounds tiny and it is, but it's turbo-charged and the 85kW/200Nm it produces is plenty of grunt to move this little SUV which at just under 1.3 tonnes is relatively light. 

All grades in the T-Cross line-up have this same engine and there’s no high-performance variant, although the R-Line has selectable drive modes. Every T-Cross is front-wheel drive with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission. 

This three-cylinder is a mighty little beastie with a growly tone to it. There is some turbo lag during stop-start city driving, but it’s so eager to play that if it was a dog it’d be a Jack Russell with every intention to chase anything it sees but no idea how small it is.

Subaru claims the Forester drinks 7.9L of petrol (minimum 91 RON) per 100km or 6.2L/100km in hybrid guise.

The latter's a bit of a let-down given Toyota’s RAV4 hybrid in AWD guise comes with a 4.8L/100km claim and that system's been around for ages.

Both Foresters have a 63-litre fuel tank, so could theoretically travel a maximum 797km (petrol) or 1016km (hybrid). 

Don’t expect to manage that in real-world driving, though. The trip computer reading for the last car I drove on test (a hybrid) was 7.8L/100km after a mix of highway and off-road running.

Smaller engines use less fuel than larger ones and the 1.0-litre three-cylinder in the T-Cross is little and Volkswagen says over a combination of open and urban roads it uses 5.6L/100km.

That’s fuel efficient but these days larger SUVs with hybrid systems are achieving the same low consumption. Toyota’s Yaris Cross is available with a hybrid system and will use about 3.8L/100km.

Volkswagen doesn’t have a hybrid version of the T-Cross, but it should, especially given these little cars will spend more time in urban environments where fuel consumption will generally be higher.

That said, most tiny SUVs don’t have hybrid systems so that makes the Yaris Cross exceptional while the T-Cross is about average.

On paper, the new Forester hasn’t changed to a great degree. With that engine and the late-ish introduction of a proper hybrid system, you might expect the Forester to be undercooked. 

Sure, Subaru is playing catch-up and it would be a fair to say adding a hybrid grade to its mid-size SUV in 2025 puts it behind the curve, but Subaru is leaning into its niche.

Subaru’s very happy about being able to claim the Forester is the only hybrid mid-size SUV on sale where the one hybrid motor drives all four wheels mechanically thanks to its 'symmetrical' all-wheel drive system. Then there’s the "class-leading" 220mm of ground clearance.

But as well as being capable off the road, the Forester needs to be a decent day-to-day companion. Fortunately, it’s both.

The new Forester’s road manners are a surprising step-up over the previous generation’s, which felt soft and agricultural at times.

Subaru touted the new car's incremental improvements, but behind the wheel it feels like they add up to a far superior experience. The Forester is still a little noisy - mainly wind and road noise - but many of the elements that were once a let-down are much more refined.

The CVT doesn't complain so much when called upon to pick up the pace, and the steering feels much sharper. The former could be down to a huge increase in sound-shielding, the latter likely due to Subaru’s use of the dual-pinion steering system borrowed from the WRX.

Subaru says it “reduces mechanical resistance and eliminates unwanted feedback from the motor”. It seems to have done exactly that.

Perhaps most noticeable is the suspension, which feels more tied-down and stable than before, without sharpening up too much and becoming uncomfortable. Subaru says revised spring rates, better under-body aero and a more rigid chassis all contribute.

The hybrid and petrol have different suspension set-ups, the latter feeling softer in terms of damper response but still far more confidence-inspiring than the previous-gen Forester.

It all comes together to create a driving experience that’s easy and comfortable at traffic speeds and fun and engaging at high speeds on, for example, the smooth winding back-roads of New Zealand’s South Island.

The problem for Subaru is that despite having introduced a new hybrid system, the petrol-only Forester is just as good from behind the wheel. The advantages the hybrid brings in terms of efficiency will be a draw for some, but in terms of driving dynamics the extra power and torque on offer is probably not worth the extra outlay.

Then there’s the lack of a spare wheel… which should be a requirement when you’re off sealed roads. The gravel and mud of the Canterbury region didn’t faze the Forester, though, and we put the mid-size SUV through its paces harder than most owners realistically would.

Deep mud ruts, creek crossings and jagged rocky trails were all traversed easily and comfortably, especially considering the standard road tyres fitted. 

None of the test cars were stuck due to either negligent road testers or lack of mechanical ability on the Subaru’s part, though two cars on test did succumb to an excess of water in the engine bay and went into a safety shut-down mode once we arrived back at the end of the off-road trail.

We asked Subaru for an explanation and we were told it’s a feature that saves components like the cooling fan from water damage.

“Two vehicles experienced this due to the nose being submerged from entering the water crossing at the incorrect speed and/or entry line… if water enters the engine bay at a sufficient level, a protective fuse is designed to engage to safeguard the radiator fan motor.

“This system functioned exactly as designed. Despite this, the vehicle continued to perform as intended, enabling the driver to complete the off-road course and return safely to the Homestead. 

“After cycling the ignition, a warning light alerted the driver, and the engine shut down automatically to prevent any potential damage. This sequence is outlined in the Owner’s Manual. This is a built-in protection protocol and not a fault.”

A replacement fuse meant one of the vehicles “resumed full operation,” a Subaru spokesperson added.

Quite possibly the best little SUV to drive for this price and size, the only drawback is that there’s a touch of lag in the time it takes the power to arrive at low speeds in stop-start traffic, but that can be remedied by putting the transmission in 'Sport' mode.

The steering is light and accurate, the visibility is excellent thanks to the big windows and raised ride height, the pedal feel under your feet is great and the brakes are responsive.

The car feels stable, planted and secure whether it's on a motorway, or a winding country road, while the little 1.0-litre engine is a champion that keeps punching with a throaty growl that matches its enthusiasm.

The seven-speed transmission is superb and changes gears fast, while the paddle shifter lets you take control to keep the revs high.

These little SUVs aren't sports cars but some are so underwhelming to drive it feels like performance was never thought about while developing the vehicle.

But the T-Cross made me grin until my face hurt on the steep winding hairpin filled roads we tested it on at its launch. 

The T-Cross was given the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2019. What is truly great is that on every grade you’ve got AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, manoeuvre braking, plus front and rear and parking sensors. 

For child seats there are three top tether anchor points and two ISOFIX points in the second row.

A space saver spare wheel can be found under the boot floor.

Subaru‘s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty is behind the curve for mainstream brands with many offering between seven and 10 years, but its eight-year/160,000 kilometre hybrid high-voltage battery warranty is par for the course.

Servicing intervals are every 15,000km or 12 months, with servicing pricing locked in for the first 75,000km or 60 months of ownership. Total cost over this time is $2299 for either drivetrain, with the cheapest service being $347.95 and the most expensive $679.30 (at 60,000km or 48 months).

Subaru also offers 12-months complimentary roadside assistance.

The T-Cross is covered by Volkswagen’s five-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or yearly and while there’s no capped price servicing you can buy a five-year plan for $2800, which equates to $560 per workshop visit.