2021 Subaru Crosstrek vs 2021 Subaru Forester

The Crosstrek applies the successful formula of the Subaru Outback to a smaller vehicle. Like the Outback, the Crosstrek is an ordinary car that gets a raised ride height and plastic body cladding to make it look like an SUV, plus standard all-wheel drive. But while the Outback is based on the Subaru Legacy, the Crosstrek is a derivative of the Subaru Impreza.

Subaru launched the Crosstrek for the 2013 model year as a replacement for the Outback Sport. The current Crosstrek was introduced for the 2018 model year as the second generation of the model.

The 2021 Subaru Crosstrek is the same basic vehicle as before, but gets a handful of notable updates. A new Sport trim level joins the previous base, Premium, and Limited trim levels in a lineup, and a 2.5-liter engine is now available alongside the previous 2.0-liter engine. The 2021 Crosstrek also gets an upgraded version of Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assistance system.

The Subaru Forester was one of the original compact crossover SUVs. Along with the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4, it helped introduce a vehicular genre that is now displacing traditional sedans from American driveways. That means the Forester has more competition than ever.

What was once a small market segment has swelled with the addition of compact SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue, Volkswagen Tiguan, and the modern version of the Jeep Cherokee.

To keep pace with the competition, the Forester has packed on technology—and pounds. While the first-generation Forester (affectionately nicknamed “toaster” by fans because of its boxy shape) was genuinely compact, the current version has the footprint of a midsize SUV from two decades ago. This version was introduced for the 2019 model year, so it doesn’t change much for 2021. The only news is the addition of three standard safety features—steering-responsive LED headlights, automatic high beams, and a rear seatbelt reminder—standard fog lights and keyless access with push-button start for the Premium trim level, and additional equipment reshuffling on other trim levels.

The 2021 Subaru Forester is available in five trim levels—Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Touring—all with standard all-wheel drive (AWD). Our test car was the mid-range Sport model.