2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs 2025 Subaru Forester

The 2025 Subaru Forester underwent a noticeable visual transformation, focusing on a more streamlined and generic appearance while maintaining its practical roots. The exterior enhancements included standard roof rails and 17-inch alloy wheels, with higher trims featuring larger wheels and distinctive accents. The Forester Sport, for instance, showcased bronze trim accents and 19-inch wheels, adding a mature touch to its design. Inside, the Forester offered a more intentional and designed cabin, with trims like the Sport featuring StarTex material and brown contrast stitching, while higher trims boasted genuine leather seating. The overall interior design was more cohesive and upscale, with structural dash elements enhancing the aesthetic appeal.

In contrast, the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier and more athletic stance within the Range Rover family. Its design featured large front air intakes and fake vents, contributing to its aggressive look, although it appeared somewhat tall and narrow from certain angles. The Range Rover Sport lineup included various trims, with the SV Edition 2 standing out as the highest-performance model. This edition featured unique elements like carbon-fiber wheels and a hood with an exposed patch, adding to its sporty allure. Inside, the Range Rover Sport maintained a minimalist aesthetic, with a focus on luxury and comfort. The SV Edition 2 boasted red leather upholstery, sport seats with illuminated inserts, and a unique dashboard design, creating a cockpit-like feel.

The 2025 Subaru Forester retained its 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine, producing 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. While not the most powerful, the Forester's engine was paired with a Lineartonic CVT and Symmetrical AWD, providing a stable and confident driving experience. The Forester's X-Mode system, standard from the Premium trim, enhanced off-road capabilities, and the Sport trim offered a dual-function version for improved traction. Despite its modest power, the Forester impressed with its quietness at cruising speeds and smooth steering. Fuel economy was rated at 26 mpg city, 33 highway, and 29 combined, with slight variations for higher trims.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a range of powertrain options, all with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard 4WD. The base SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine with 355 horsepower, while the Dynamic SE offered a higher output of 395 hp. The Autobiography trim included a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 543 hp, and the SV Edition 2 boasted a twin-turbo BMW V8 with 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. The SV Edition 2 accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both on-road performance and off-road capabilities, thanks to its sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and Terrain Response system.

The 2025 Subaru Forester introduced a hands-free power liftgate, enhancing convenience for loading and unloading cargo. The cargo space increased slightly, offering 29.6 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 74.4 cubic feet when folded down. The Forester's roomy second row contributed to its competitive interior space, although it fell slightly short compared to some rivals. The interior featured a dark headliner, power-adjustable seats, and various comfort features, with higher trims offering additional amenities like seat ventilation and memory functions.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport positioned itself between the Velar and full-size Range Rover in terms of dimensions, offering a spacious two-row, five-seater configuration. While some competitors provided more legroom, the Range Rover Sport offered ample headroom and reclining rear seats for added comfort. The cargo space measured 31.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 53 cubic feet with the seats folded, providing substantial storage capacity. The Range Rover Sport's towing capacity was impressive, with turbo-six and V8 models capable of towing up to 7,716 pounds.

The 2025 Subaru Forester introduced an 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus infotainment system, standard on all but the base trim, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base model retained two 7-inch touchscreens with wired smartphone projection. Higher trims offered additional features like dual USB ports, a wireless charging pad, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Touring trim included a navigation system, Harman Kardon sound system, and advanced driver-assistance features, enhancing the overall tech experience.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment functions, both offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The minimalist design, while visually appealing, posed some functional challenges, as many controls required touchscreen interaction. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 included unique "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers, providing a unique audio experience, although it felt somewhat gimmicky.

The 2025 Subaru Forester offered a comprehensive suite of safety features, including Subaru's EyeSight technology with enhancements for 2025. The system included adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and a new Emergency Stop Assist feature, available on the Touring trim. While crash-test ratings were not yet available, the 2024 model received high marks, indicating strong safety performance.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. The 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking and visibility, although the parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings were not available at the time of publication.