2022 Genesis GV70 vs 2021 Subaru Forester

The 2021 Subaru Forester, despite its 2019 redesign, retained a styling that appeared older due to its resemblance to previous generations. The most notable change was the distinctive cross-shaped taillights. Subaru seemed to have adopted an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach, maintaining the boxy, upright shape that appealed to many SUV shoppers. The Base trim, with its 17-inch steel wheels, looked somewhat plain, but the overall design was clean and unpretentious. The Forester Sport models added orange striping, a rear spoiler, and black 18-inch alloy wheels, which made a significant visual impact, especially with complementary paint colors like Dark Blue Pearl. The Forester shared its platform with other Subaru models, emphasizing its rugged SUV marketing, although it had always shared underpinnings with sedans and hatchbacks. Inside, the Forester's no-nonsense interior featured durable materials, with the Sport trim adding orange accents. Cloth upholstery was standard on lower trims, while leather was available on higher trims, along with an All-Weather Package that included heated features.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 inherited some styling elements from other Genesis models but maintained a unique appearance. It featured quad LED strips for headlights and taillights, a large shield-shaped grille, and a sloping roofline that gave it a fastback look. The ribbed detailing added a muscular profile, combining SUV bulk with athletic, car-like elements. The Sport Prestige models had unique styling features, including big fake vents that framed the grille, 21-inch wheels with a web pattern, and dark chrome trim. The interior had an elliptical theme inspired by an airplane wing's cross-section, with most controls housed in a thin elliptical pod. The design was minimal, with a perched touchscreen and hidden air vents. The rotary gear selector and infotainment controller added a baroque spaceship feel. Genesis offered a wide array of interior color options, and the material quality in the Sport Prestige test car was luxurious, with Nappa leather upholstery and suede seat inserts. Base models, however, had leatherette seats.

The 2021 Subaru Forester was equipped with a single powertrain: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The engine's boxer configuration provided a lower center of gravity, and the Forester had a 1,500-pound towing capacity with standard Trailer Stability Assist. While adequate for most situations, the engine lacked the desired thrust for highway merging or overtaking, and wind noise was noticeable at higher speeds. The suspension was softly tuned, resulting in poor body control and noticeable body roll in corners. The Forester's standard all-wheel drive (AWD) and X-Mode offered more sophisticated drivetrain options than most competitors, with Dual X-Mode available on Sport models. Hill-descent control was standard on Premium and higher trims, and the Forester had 8.7 inches of ground clearance, making it better suited for off-road conditions than the average compact crossover.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 offered two powertrains: a base 2.5-liter turbo-four engine with 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 generating 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. Both engines came with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD. The GV70 included a rear electronic limited-slip differential and launch control, emphasizing its sporty intentions. The Sport+ drive mode sharpened throttle response and held high revs, but the chassis felt big and heavy, lacking the sharpness of competitors like the Acura RDX or BMW X3. The steering was adequate but not precise enough for spirited driving, and the exhaust sound was not pleasant. The GV70 was more comfortable on highways, but the ride was firm with 21-inch wheels, lacking the solidity expected from a luxury vehicle.

The 2021 Subaru Forester offered above-average headroom and legroom in both rows, thanks to its tall, flat roofline. This design also provided excellent outward visibility but allowed sunlight to raise cabin temperatures quickly. The Forester had 35.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 76.1 cubic feet with them folded, surpassing some competitors. However, it lacked a sliding second-row bench and had limited phone storage. The center console was reasonably sized, but wireless charging was unavailable. The Forester featured large knobs for audio and climate control, but the steering wheel had an overwhelming number of buttons.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 offered a stylish interior with an elliptical theme, inspired by an airplane wing's cross-section. The slim center console and thin door pockets limited storage space, but a covered storage cubby with USB ports was provided for phones. Rear-seat passengers had their own climate controls. The front seats in the Sport Prestige test car were heavily bolstered, which was great for spirited driving but might feel confining for some. The GV70 offered adequate legroom in both rows, with good rear-seat visibility. Cargo space was 28.9 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 56.9 cubic feet with them folded, which was not class-leading. The GV70's interior featured a wide array of color options, with luxurious Nappa leather upholstery and suede seat inserts in the Sport Prestige model.

The 2021 Subaru Forester came with the standard Subaru Starlink infotainment system, featuring a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Higher trims added navigation and dual USB ports in the rear center console. The system was user-friendly, with well-designed graphics and backup analog controls, but the screen was slow to boot up. A secondary screen in the center of the dashboard and a small screen in the instrument cluster provided additional information, though some redundancy was noted. The system's ease of use was appreciated, but the slow boot-up time was a drawback.

The 2022 Genesis GV70 offered a comprehensive suite of technology features, including a standard 14.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment system featured high-quality graphics and a functional glass rotary controller with pinch-and-zoom functionality. Higher trims offered a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 3D effect and a 12-inch head-up display. The GV70 also included a digital-key feature, allowing drivers to start the car with a fingerprint scanner and access a cloud-based driver profile. The rear-seat monitors used radar to detect a baby's breathing, and the 360-degree camera system could be activated remotely through an app. The GV70's technology was user-friendly and offered a high level of functionality.

The 2021 Subaru Forester excelled in safety, earning the highest "Top Safety Pick+" award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. It came standard with EyeSight, a suite of driver-assist features that included adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lead-vehicle start alert. The EyeSight system used cameras to monitor the road and driver, offering a driver-monitoring system called DriverFocus to detect signs of distraction. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and reverse automatic braking. While EyeSight's adaptive cruise control and lane-centering functions performed adequately, the latter's steering inputs were jerky.

The 2022 Genesis GV70, being a new model, did not have crash-test ratings from the IIHS or NHTSA at the time. However, it came standard with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, blind-spot and forward collision-avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic alert, a driver-attention monitor, and Highway Driving Assist. Optional features included Highway Driving Assist 2 with lane-change functionality and navigation-based adaptive cruise control. The Highway Driving Assist system provided smooth control inputs, but the lane-centering function struggled with certain curves, limiting its utility.