2025 Honda Pilot vs 2025 Subaru Forester

The 2025 Subaru Forester underwent a noticeable visual transformation, focusing on a more generic yet refined appearance. Standard roof rails and 17-inch alloy wheels were added, enhancing its practicality. The Forester Sport featured bronze accents and 19-inch wheels, while the Touring trim boasted a low-profile roof rack and chrome badging. Inside, the Forester offered a more intentional design with structural dash elements and various upholstery options, including the easy-to-clean StarTex material in the Sport trim.

In contrast, the 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition emphasized a rugged yet suburban-friendly look with black wheels and trim. The interior featured black leather seats with red accents and ambient lighting. Despite its attractive design, the Pilot's cabin appeared dated due to smaller display screens. However, it maintained quality materials and thoughtful design, offering practical storage solutions and comfortable seating across its three rows.

The 2025 Subaru Forester was powered by a 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine, producing 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. It featured a Lineartonic CVT and standard Symmetrical AWD. The Forester's X-Mode system, standard from the Premium trim, enhanced stability on challenging terrain. Fuel economy was rated at 26 mpg city, 33 highway, and 29 combined, with slight variations for Sport and Touring trims.

The 2025 Honda Pilot, equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivered 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It offered multiple driving modes and a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds. The Pilot's AWD system included torque vectoring and hill descent control. However, its fuel economy was less impressive, averaging 20 mpg during testing, below the EPA's 21 mpg combined rating.

The 2025 Subaru Forester introduced a hands-free power liftgate and increased cargo space to 29.6 cubic feet with seats up and 74.4 cubic feet with them down. It offered a roomy second row and various power-adjustable seating options, enhancing comfort and practicality.

The 2025 Honda Pilot excelled in family-friendly design, with three rows of seating and ample storage solutions. The Black Edition featured a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, but the front passenger seat lacked adjustability. The Pilot offered 18.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.5 cubic feet with seats folded.

The 2025 Subaru Forester included an 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, standard on all but the base trim. Higher trims offered navigation, a Harman Kardon sound system, and enhanced Starlink connected services.

The 2025 Honda Pilot featured a 10.2-inch digital gauge panel and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless smartphone integration. However, issues with wireless CarPlay and voice recognition were noted. The Pilot included a 12-speaker Bose audio system and CabinTalk for communication with rear passengers.

The 2025 Subaru Forester offered advanced safety features, including Emergency Stop Assist on the Touring trim. Subaru’s EyeSight suite was standard, with enhancements for better pedestrian and cyclist detection. The 2024 model's high safety ratings suggested strong performance for 2025.

The 2025 Honda Pilot came with Honda Sensing safety features, including adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. However, some systems showed inconsistencies during testing. The Pilot earned top safety ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA.