Subaru Forester vs Toyota Highlander: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Highlander burns about $1,700 of fuel annually against $1,750 for the Subaru Forester. That $50 yearly gap compounds to roughly $250 over five years and $400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Toyota Highlander leads in both cycles — 36 mpg city and 35 mpg highway against 35 and 34 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Subaru Forester is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; Hybrid, 2.5), the Toyota Highlander with 4 (SIDI & PFI; Hybrid, SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; with Stop-Start). Across 29 recorded Subaru Forester configurations and 72 for the Toyota Highlander, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Subaru Forester is offered with All-Wheel Drive, the Toyota Highlander with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Toyota Highlander emits 245 g/mile of CO2 versus 255 g/mile for the Subaru Forester. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.