2021 Subaru Forester vs 2020 Toyota Highlander

The 2020 Toyota Highlander presented a design that was both familiar and subtly refined. Its exterior featured a trapezoidal theme that was evident in various elements such as the tailgate, headlights, and grille. The vehicle's body panels had more pronounced creases, giving it a slightly more dynamic appearance compared to its predecessor. The Highlander offered LED headlights and fog lights on all trims except the base L, with the Limited and Platinum trims boasting additional LED running lamps and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Highlander impressed with its quality fit and finish, highlighted by silver-painted accents and a multi-layered dash. The interior color schemes were well thought out, with the Limited trim offering a three-tone palette that added a touch of luxury. The cabin's padded surfaces and rich textures were a standout feature, rivaling even the Kia Telluride in terms of interior quality.

In contrast, the 2021 Subaru Forester maintained a more traditional SUV look with its boxy, upright shape, which appealed to many SUV shoppers. Despite being redesigned in 2019, its styling felt older due to its resemblance to previous models. The Forester's standout exterior feature was its distinctive cross-shaped taillights. The Sport trim added some flair with orange striping and black alloy wheels, which complemented the Dark Blue Pearl paint of the test car. The Forester's interior was practical, with a no-nonsense mix of materials designed to withstand wear and tear. The Sport trim added orange accents to the interior, while higher trims offered leather upholstery. The Forester's cabin was spacious, with ample headroom and legroom, and it provided excellent outward visibility thanks to its tall roofline.

The 2020 Toyota Highlander was equipped with a robust 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. This engine, shared with the Lexus RX, provided smooth and quiet performance, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. While the Highlander offered brisk acceleration, its steering and suspension left room for improvement. The steering required frequent adjustments at highway speeds, and the soft suspension resulted in a floaty ride. However, the Highlander excelled in providing a comfortable and isolating driving experience, especially on long road trips. Fuel economy was commendable for its size, with the FWD model achieving 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway, while the AWD version offered slightly lower figures. The Highlander also featured torque vectoring on AWD models and selectable driving modes for different terrains.

The 2021 Subaru Forester, on the other hand, came with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a CVT, offering a manual mode and paddle shifters on certain trims. While the Forester's power was adequate for most situations, it lacked the punch needed for confident highway merging and overtaking. The Forester's suspension was tuned for comfort, resulting in a soft ride that absorbed bumps well but led to significant body roll in corners. Subaru's standard AWD system, along with X-Mode, provided enhanced traction on various surfaces. The Forester's ground clearance of 8.7 inches and hill-descent control on higher trims made it more capable off-road than many competitors.

The 2020 Toyota Highlander offered versatile seating configurations, accommodating up to eight passengers or seven with second-row captain's chairs. The second-row seats were highly adjustable, providing generous legroom and easy access to the third row. The Highlander's ergonomics were well-suited for passengers of all ages, with wide-opening rear doors and comfortable seat heights. Cargo space was ample, with 16 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 84 cubic feet with all seats folded. The Highlander also featured practical storage solutions, including multiple cupholders and dash-integrated shelves for phones and cables.

The 2021 Subaru Forester provided above-average headroom and legroom, thanks to its tall roofline. The cabin felt airy and offered excellent visibility, though it could get warm on sunny days. The Forester's cargo space was generous, with 35.4 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 76.1 cubic feet with them folded. While it lacked a sliding second-row bench, a power liftgate was available on higher trims. The Forester's interior featured well-sized cupholders and a reasonably sized center console, though the phone-storage cubby was small. The controls were user-friendly, with large knobs for audio and climate settings, though the steering wheel had an overwhelming number of buttons.

The 2020 Toyota Highlander's infotainment system felt outdated, with low-resolution screens and a lack of onboard apps. The 12.3-inch touchscreen, optional on the Limited and standard on the Platinum, was underutilized due to constant display of climate and fuel information. However, the Highlander included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The vehicle's head-up display and instrument cluster screen provided useful information, and the semi-automated driving system performed well. Standard features included adaptive cruise control and road sign detection, while the optional JBL audio system offered decent sound quality.

The 2021 Subaru Forester's Starlink infotainment system featured a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Higher trims added an 8-inch touchscreen and Harman Kardon audio system. The system was user-friendly, with well-designed graphics and backup analog controls, though it was slow to start. The Forester also included secondary screens for additional information, though the setup felt overly complex. The standard EyeSight suite offered adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure warning, with optional features like blind-spot monitoring and reverse automatic braking.

The 2020 Toyota Highlander came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which included automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring and rear emergency braking. The Highlander received a 2020 Top Safety Pick from the IIHS but had not yet been rated by the NHTSA.

The 2021 Subaru Forester excelled in safety, earning a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The Forester's standard EyeSight system included adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking, while the optional DriverFocus system monitored driver attention. Additional safety features included blind-spot monitoring and reverse automatic braking.