Subaru Forester vs Volkswagen Atlas: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Subaru Forester burns about $1,750 of fuel annually against $2,450 for the Volkswagen Atlas. That $700 yearly gap compounds to roughly $3,500 over five years and $5,600 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 Subaru Forester leads in both cycles — 35 mpg city and 34 mpg highway against 22 and 29 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 Volkswagen Atlas with 1 (SIDI). Across 29 recorded Subaru Forester configurations and 57 for the Volkswagen Atlas, 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 Volkswagen Atlas 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 Small 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 Subaru Forester emits 255 g/mile of CO2 versus 364 g/mile for the Volkswagen Atlas. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.