The Subaru lineup has an incredible selection of vehicles for you to choose from, although the Forester, with its bold design and remarkable engineering, is one of our favorites. As you check out the Forester, you'll find several impressive options across a wide range of trims, making it tricky to figure out which model is right for you.

Whether you're already interested in a Subaru Forester hybrid for sale in Rhinebeck or you've just started getting to know what this SUV offers, we're here to help you find everything you want. As you shop for a 2025 Subaru Forester, it's important that you pick the right model with the kind of performance that works best for your daily needs; so let's look at the different powertrain and engineering options you should have in mind and see which one is right for you.

Standard Engine for the Subaru Forester

When looking at your powertrain options for the Forester, there's no better place to start than with the standard engine. As you're looking at these models, you'll find three general options: the standard engine, a hybrid option, and some unique engineering for the Wilderness. Considering trim levels, this is the engine found on the Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Touring trim levels, so keep that in mind as we look at what it offers.

This standard powertrain is a 2.5L Subaru BOXER 4-cylinder engine designed to make this compact SUV incredibly fun to drive. With this engine, the Forester gets 180 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque, ensuring you have a great time on the road daily. It is paired with a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) that includes a low shift mode to provide a fun and responsive driving experience.

Every Forester model comes with Subaru's Symmetrical all-wheel drive, with traction control and stability control. All trims other than the Base model include Hill Descent Control and X-Mode, which optimizes engine output and performance in different conditions.

Most models with this standard engine get an estimated 26 MPG in the city and 33 MPG on the highway for fuel efficiency. Due to their features and options, the Sport and Touring trims get an estimated 25 MPG in the city instead, which isn't a big difference, but we still wanted to mention it.

Every model also includes four-wheel disc brakes to help keep you in control at all times while driving around Rhinebeck; you'll find 8.7 inches of ground clearance and 1,500 lbs of towing capacity for both these models and those with the hybrid engine we're about to look at—the Wilderness delivers different clearance and towing (more on that in a moment).

An Impressive and Efficient Hybrid Option

If you're looking for enhanced performance and fuel efficiency, check out a Forester with its available hybrid engine. As the name suggests, this engine is provided with the Premium Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Limited Hybrid, and Touring Hybrid trims.

This means you have both standard and hybrid versions of almost every trim level available; the starting Base trim is only offered with the standard engine, and the Wilderness trim has its own features (although it doesn't have a hybrid powertrain available). We love how Subaru does this because it gives you the freedom to get the features you want and choose the best engine.

This is a hybrid version of the standard 2.5L Subaru BOXER 4-cylinder engine. Again, this simplifies things since there aren't two completely different engines to deal with. Thanks to its hybrid system, this version delivers 194 hp with the engine and motor combined and 199 lb-ft of maximum torque.

You can see that this is enhanced performance compared to the standard engine; it's not a massive difference, but it showcases how well Subaru's engineers have developed this powertrain to deliver the best experience possible. It's paired with a Lineartronic CVT, but this one includes a six-speed hybrid-type manual mode to give you greater control as you drive.

As you would expect, this is your best option if you're looking for optimal gas mileage from the Forester while handling everything you regularly do in your SUV. These hybrid models get an estimated 35 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway, with the same gas tank as those with the standard engine. You can see that this is a slight improvement for highway driving and a significant boost to fuel economy when driving in Rhinebeck each day—this is why hybrids are perfect commuter vehicles since they let you get around the city, run errands, and take care of daily driving with few stops for gas.

Notes About the Forester Wilderness Model

Finally, as you consider different options for the Subaru Forester regarding performance and capabilities, we need to look at the Wilderness trim. The differences here aren't necessarily as dramatic as those between something like the Base model and the Touring Hybrid, but you should note several distinct things.

Although the Wilderness model has the standard engine, it's tuned slightly differently and delivers 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. Notably, this torque is reached at higher RPMs than the standard engine, giving you an SUV built for heading off-road and pushing itself harder than other Forester models.

Another important distinction with the Wilderness trim is that its engine is paired with a Lineartronic CVT with a seven-speed manual mode. This is the only Forester model that includes this transmission; again, it's not necessarily a huge difference, but it reinforces that this SUV has been designed to leave Rhinebeck streets behind and head out into its namesake. In terms of fuel efficiency, the Wilderness gets an estimated 25 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway—this is the lowest gas mileage for the Forester due to the unique features of the Wilderness and how well it has been engineered for other things.

We mentioned earlier that the standard models have 8.7 inches of ground clearance; the Wilderness has 9.2 inches of clearance, which can make a huge difference in getting over obstacles out on the trail. Similarly, it comes with all-terrain tires, while other models feature all-season tires that are great for city driving. 

Perhaps most remarkably, the Wilderness trim has been engineered to handle 3,000 lbs of towing: double the towing capacity of all other Forester models. This makes it perfect for hauling a boat or camper behind your SUV when you leave civilization behind for a weekend (or longer) of fun.

Great Performance for Rhinebeck Drivers

As you can see, you have three distinct options when looking for the right Subaru Forester with everything you need. Your first decision should be whether you want an SUV for off-road use; if so, focus on the Wilderness trim.

If you're not interested in hitting the trail, you should decide whether you want the standard engine or a hybrid model. Since you can pick between these two engines for almost every trim level of the 2025 Forester, you can decide on the interior and exterior features you're looking for and other specifics. By giving you such great options, Subaru makes it easy to get a vehicle with performance and features you'll enjoy for many years.