2021 Volvo XC90 vs 2021 Subaru Forester

The 2021 Volvo XC90 marked a significant shift in Volvo's design philosophy, moving away from its traditionally conservative styling. While maintaining recognizable Volvo elements like a boxy profile and a blunt front end with a rectangular grille, the XC90 introduced softer lines, more chrome, and distinctive LED headlights with “Thor’s Hammer” daytime running lights. The Inscription trim, with its extra chrome trim and optional 21-inch alloy wheels, was the flashiest, while the R-Design and Momentum trims offered sportier and more basic looks, respectively. The XC90 shared its Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform with other Volvo models, ensuring a cohesive design language across the brand.

Inside, the XC90 embraced “Swedish minimalism” with thoughtfully arranged, high-quality materials. The matte-finish wood trim and optional wool upholstery provided a natural and unique touch, while the Orrefors crystal shifter added a high-end feel. The interior focused on simplicity and functionality, avoiding overwhelming flashiness. The Inscription trim featured luxurious touches like 10-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with backrest massage, although it lacked a power-adjustable steering wheel. Overall, the XC90’s interior was a blend of elegance and practicality.

The 2021 Subaru Forester, despite a redesign in 2019, retained a familiar look, with styling largely carried over from the previous generation. The most noticeable change was the distinctive cross-shaped taillights. Subaru’s decision to stick with a boxy, upright shape appealed to SUV shoppers looking for practicality. The Base trim level appeared plain with 17-inch steel wheels, but the Forester maintained a clean and unpretentious look compared to many other compact crossovers.

The Forester Sport model 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. Underneath, the Forester shared the Subaru Global Platform with other models, ensuring a consistent driving experience across the brand. The interior was a no-nonsense mix of durable materials, with the Sport trim adding orange accents. Cloth upholstery was standard on Base, Premium, and Sport models, while Limited and Touring trims offered leather. The All-Weather Package, standard on Premium and higher trims, added heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and a windshield de-icer.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 offered three powertrains, all based on a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base T5 model featured a turbocharged engine producing 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The T6 model added a supercharger, increasing output to 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid, also known as Recharge, combined the T6 engine with electric assist, delivering a total of 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. The T5 came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive optional, while the T6 and T8 models had standard all-wheel drive.

Despite the impressive 400 hp of the T8 Recharge, the small engine struggled to provide consistent power, especially when relying on electric power alone. The XC90 offered three drive modes—Pure (all-electric), Hybrid, and Power—but Pure mode was only practical at low speeds. The XC90 excelled in ride quality, thanks to an optional air-suspension system, and maintained a quiet cabin. Most models had a 5,000-pound towing capacity, except for the base FWD T5, which was rated at 4,000 pounds.

The 2021 Subaru Forester came 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. Subaru quoted a 1,500-pound maximum towing capacity, with standard Trailer Stability Assist. The lack of a turbocharged engine option meant the Forester’s power felt adequate but not thrilling, especially when merging onto highways or 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 and bounce on uneven pavement. All-wheel drive was standard, with a sophisticated system that included X-Mode for different surfaces. Sport models featured Dual X-Mode with “Snow/Dirt” and “Snow/Mud” modes. Premium and higher trims had hill-descent control, and all models offered 8.7 inches of ground clearance, making the Forester capable on rough terrain.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 was available in six-seat or seven-seat configurations, with second-row captain’s chairs or a bench seat. Headroom and legroom were average for the segment, with the third row being tight for adults. The seats in the second and third rows felt hard and lacked support. An optional power moonroof extended across the first two rows, enhancing the spacious feel. Standard four-zone climate control could be upgraded with a filtration system for fine particulate matter.

The Inscription trim featured 10-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats with backrest massage, but lacked a power-adjustable steering wheel. Storage space was limited, with a shallow center console storage bin. Cargo space for the T8 Recharge model was 11.2 cubic feet with all seats in place, 34.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and 64.1 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded, placing it near the bottom of the segment. A hands-free power tailgate was standard.

The 2021 Subaru Forester offered above-average headroom and legroom in both rows, thanks to its tall, flat roof. The large windows provided excellent visibility and a roomy feel but also let in a lot of sunlight. Cargo space was generous, with 35.4 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 76.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. This was more than the Honda CR-V and Hyundai Tucson but less than the Ford Escape and Nissan Rogue. A power liftgate was optional on the Sport trim and standard on Limited and Touring trims.

The Forester’s interior featured decently sized cupholders and a reasonably sized center console, but the phone-storage cubby was too small for an average-size phone, and wireless charging was not available. A power-adjustable driver’s seat was only available on the Premium trim and above. The large knobs for audio volume, tuning, and climate control were user-friendly, but the numerous buttons on the steering wheel could be confusing.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 featured the Sensus infotainment system, which emphasized simplicity and functionality. It came standard with a 9-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, Bluetooth, and a built-in WiFi hotspot. Two front USB-A ports and two rear USB-C ports were standard. Optional features included a 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system and a head-up display (HUD).

The portrait-oriented touchscreen was user-friendly, allowing for easy navigation through menus. However, the amount of text and typeface made reading some menus difficult while driving. The wireless charging pad added for 2021 was too small for most phones, and the lack of front USB-C ports was a drawback for drivers with newer phones.

The 2021 Subaru Forester’s standard Starlink infotainment system included a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, front-row USB ports, and a CD player. Sport models added an 8-inch touchscreen and Harman Kardon audio system, while Limited and Touring models included navigation and dual USB ports in the rear center console.

The Forester’s infotainment system was easy to use, with well-designed graphics and backup analog controls. However, the screen was slow to boot up. In addition to the main touchscreen, Subaru included a secondary screen in the center of the dashboard and a small screen in the instrument cluster, displaying secondary information like fuel economy and tire pressure. This setup seemed overly complex, as much of the same information could be displayed on both screens.

The 2021 Volvo XC90 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for non-hybrid models, with top “Good” scores in all crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention in vehicle-to-vehicle testing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave all 2021 XC90 models a five-star overall safety rating.

The XC90 offered a comprehensive list of standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, a driver-attention monitor, traffic-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver aid. Pilot Assist combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering, providing smooth and quick reactions to other vehicles, although it struggled with highway curves.

The 2021 Subaru Forester also received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” award from the IIHS, with top “Good” ratings in all crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention. The NHTSA gave the Forester a five-star overall rating.

The Forester came standard with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of driver-assist features, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lead-vehicle start alert. EyeSight used a pair of cameras mounted near the rearview mirror, making it cheaper and easier to package than rival systems. Subaru also offered a driver-monitoring system called DriverFocus, which checked for signs of distraction. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and reverse automatic braking.