Compare 2018 Honda CR-V vs 2018 Subaru Forester

2018 Honda CR-V
2018 Subaru Forester
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Select style
EX 2WD
Style MPG City MPG Hwy Invoice MSRP
CR-V EX 2WD 28 34 $25,396 $27,050
CR-V EX AWD 27 33 $26,707 $28,450
CR-V EX-L 2WD 28 34 $27,736 $29,550
CR-V EX-L 2WD w/Navi 28 34 $28,672 $30,550
CR-V EX-L AWD 27 33 $29,047 $30,950
CR-V EX-L AWD w/Navi 27 33 $29,983 $31,950
CR-V LX 2WD 26 32 $22,775 $24,250
CR-V LX AWD 25 31 $24,085 $25,650
CR-V Touring 2WD 28 34 $30,732 $32,750
CR-V Touring AWD 27 33 $32,042 $34,150
Select style
2.0XT Premium CVT
Style MPG City MPG Hwy Invoice MSRP
Forester 2.0XT Premium CVT 23 27 $27,607 $29,495
Forester 2.0XT Touring CVT 23 27 $33,675 $36,090
Forester 2.5i CVT 26 32 $22,455 $23,795
Forester 2.5i Limited CVT 26 32 $27,505 $29,395
Forester 2.5i Manual 22 28 $21,547 $22,795
Forester 2.5i Premium Black Edition CVT 26 32 $25,634 $27,345
Forester 2.5i Premium Black Edition w/EyeSight CVT 26 32 $26,657 $28,540
Forester 2.5i Premium CVT 26 32 $24,649 $26,195
Forester 2.5i Premium Manual 22 28 $24,215 $25,695
Forester 2.5i Touring CVT 26 32 $30,887 $33,090

2018 Honda CR-V vs. 2018 Subaru Forester: Compare Cars

Andrew Ganz Andrew Ganz Senior Editor

Comparison shopping the 2018 Honda CR-V and the 2018 Subaru Forester is like bringing Aesop’s “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” fable to life. These two compact, five-seat crossovers bring lots to the table, but do so with decidedly different personalities.

The citified 2018 CR-V rates higher on our scale—a 7.0 out of 10—which isn’t unexpected given that it was just redesigned. The 2018 Forester’s basic design dates back five model years and it’s up for a redo, but sales climb annually and it rates a still strong 6.7 overall.

 
Pricing
Invoice Price
$25,396
$27,607
Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price
$27,050
$29,495
Monthly Payment Estimate
$451 / month
$492 / month
The Car Connection's Take
TCC Rating
7.0
6.7
TCC’s Bottom Line
The 2018 Honda CR-V may be light on personality, but this compact crossover checks off every other box. It’s a very smart choice. The 2018 Subaru Forester continues to offer top safety scores, remarkable space inside, and all-round versatility; it’s still one of the best small SUVs, and a good value for money.
TCC Likes
TCC Dislikes
Fuel Economy
City
28 mpg 23 mpg
Highway
34 mpg 27 mpg
Vehicle
EPA Classification
Small SUV 2WD Small SUV 4WD
Interior Dimensions
Passenger Volume (ft³)
102.9 103.3
Second Shoulder Room (in)
55.6 56.5
Front Leg Room (in)
41.3 43
Front Hip Room (in)
55.1 53.9
Passenger Capacity
5 5
Second Leg Room (in)
40.4 38
Front Head Room (in)
38 40
Second Hip Room (in)
49.5 53
Front Shoulder Room (in)
57.9 57
Second Head Room (in)
39.1 37.5
Exterior Dimensions
Height, Overall (in)
66.1 68.2
Track Width, Rear (in)
63.7 61.1
Wheelbase (in)
104.7 103.9
Width, Max w/o mirrors (in)
73 70.7
Track Width, Front (in)
63 60.9
Length, Overall (in)
180.6 181.5
Liftover Height (in)
- 28.6
Min Ground Clearance (in)
- 8.7
Cargo Area Dimensions
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 (ft³)
39.2 31.5
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 (ft³)
39.2 31.5
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 (ft³)
75.8 68.5
Cargo Box Width @ Wheelhousings (in)
- 42.2
Cargo Area Length @ Floor to Seat 1 (in)
- 71.9
Cargo Area Width @ Beltline (in)
- 45.9
Cargo Box (Area) Height (in)
- 31.9
Cargo Area Length @ Floor to Seat 2 (in)
- 37.1
Brakes
Disc - Rear (Yes or )
Yes Yes
Rear Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness (in)
10.2 10.9
Brake Type
4-Wheel Disc 4-Wheel Disc
Rear Drum Diam x Width (in)
NA NA
Disc - Front (Yes or )
Yes Yes
Front Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness (in)
11.1 12.4
Drum - Rear (Yes or )
NA NA
Brake ABS System
4-Wheel 4-Wheel
Fuel Tank
Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx (gal)
14 15.9
Steering
Steering Type
Rack-Pinion Rack-Pinion
Turning Diameter - Curb to Curb (ft)
37.4 34.8
Tires
Spare Tire Order Code
NA NA
Rear Tire Size
P235/60HR18 P225/55HR18
Rear Tire Order Code
NA NA
Front Tire Size
P235/60HR18 P225/55HR18
Spare Tire Size
Compact Compact
Front Tire Order Code
NA NA
Trailering
Maximum Trailering Capacity (lbs)
NA 1500
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. (lbs)
NA 150
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. (lbs)
NA 150
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. (lbs)
NA 1500
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. (lbs)
NA 1500
Weight Information
Base Curb Weight (lbs)
3358 3653
Wheels
Rear Wheel Size (in)
18 X 7 18 X 7
Front Wheel Material
Aluminum Aluminum
Spare Wheel Material
Steel Steel
Front Wheel Size (in)
18 X 7 18 X 7
Spare Wheel Size (in)
Compact Compact
Rear Wheel Material
Aluminum Aluminum
Electrical
Cold Cranking Amps @ 0° F (Primary)
410 -
Engine
SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM
190 @ 5600 250 @ 5600
Engine Type
Intercooled Turbo Regular Unleaded I-4 Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded H-4
Fuel System
Gasoline Direct Injection Gasoline Direct Injection
SAE Net Torque @ RPM
179 @ 2000 258 @ 2000
Engine Order Code
NA NA
Displacement
1.5 L/91 2.0 L/122
Mileage
EPA Fuel Economy Est - Hwy (MPG)
34 27
EPA Fuel Economy Est - City (MPG)
28 23
Fuel Economy Est-Combined (MPG)
30 25
Transmission
Reverse Ratio (:1)
1.86 2.35
Trans Order Code
NA NA
Drivetrain
Front Wheel Drive All Wheel Drive
Trans Description Cont.
CVT w/OD CVT w/OD
First Gear Ratio (:1)
2.65 - 0.41 3.50 - 0.98
Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1)
5.64 4.11
Trans Type
1 8
Trans Description Cont. Again
NA NA
Eighth Gear Ratio (:1)
- 0.66
Seventh Gear Ratio (:1)
- 0.80
Summary
Vehicle Name
Honda CR-V Subaru Forester
Body Style
Sport Utility Sport Utility
Suspension
Suspension Type - Rear
Multi-Link Double Wishbone
Suspension Type - Rear (Cont.)
Multi-Link Double Wishbone
Suspension Type - Front
Strut Strut
Suspension Type - Front (Cont.)
Strut Strut
Emissions
EPA Greenhouse Gas Score
NA -
Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year
5.9 7.0
Crash Test Ratings
Overall Rating
Overall Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Frontal Barrier Crash Rating Driver
Frontal Barrier Crash Rating Passenger
Overall Side Crash Rating
Side Barrier Rating
Side Barrier Rating Driver
Side Barrier Rating Passenger Rear Seat
Side Pole Rating Driver Front Seat
Combined Side Rating Front Seat
Combined Side Rating Rear Seat
Rollover Rating

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