Forester vs. Honda CRV

Why buy a Forester over a CRV

[Pros]
Much more powerful Engine 165 hp vs 125 hp
Much safer. Only mini-SUV without rollover warning
Much more for your dollar.
Subaru's All Wheel Drive system is amazing.

[Cons]
More expensive to insure (due to average cost of repairs)

[We love] the room, feel and cost of this vehicle.

[We hate] the price of repairs on it.

[Who should drive this vehicle:]
Small families who want an economical vehicle that offers some room for shipping and is safe.


[Our story]
After quite an exhaustive comparison process we purchased a Forester over a Honda CRV. We had are minds made up before even shopping for a mini-SUV on a Honda CRV. We test drove the CRV and thought it was great. We put a down payment down (they said that we could have a week to think about it). Durring this week I was alerted by the safety reports on mini-SUV's. After further investigation I discovered that the Forester had the only acceptable crash test results of a car in its class.

We went out and test drove a Subaru. Right of the bat you notice a huge power difference in the Forester over the CRV. This makes sense when you consider the 165 hp vs 125 hp engine difference. The all wheel drive system in the Subaru is impressive. Living in Minnesota you can it is a huge plus over the CRV (the one we tested was 2WD). As for price, the CRV appears cheaper but if you compare the base model Forester L (which has AWD, A/C, power windows/locks, ABS) and then the base model CRV plus the 4WD option, ABS option, and the Power windows/locks you are looking at a savings of roughly $1500 dollars on the Subaru. As for space, they were both pretty equal. Both lacked the leg room in the back seat, but that is to be expected with a mini SUV. Both had ample room once the back seats were lowered.

The only drawback in the Forester is the price to insure. The CRV is less expensive to insure. This price is based on the average cost of repairs.