2023 Subaru Forester vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2023 Subaru Forester, despite its familiar and somewhat plain exterior, offered a practical and functional design. Its Cascade Green Silica paint was reminiscent of many Foresters seen over the years, contributing to its unassuming appearance. The Premier trim, however, stood out with its 18-inch alloy wheels and satin chrome exterior trim, adding a touch of elegance. Inside, the Forester Premier featured exclusive brown leather and metallic accents, maintaining a traditional Subaru design with analog gauges and an 8-inch touchscreen. While the interior was busy with a mix of materials, the layout was user-friendly, relying on buttons and knobs for easy operation.

In contrast, the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander presented a more modern and spacious design. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it was larger than its competitors, offering ample interior space. Its styling was conservative yet rugged, drawing inspiration from off-road vehicles. The Grand Highlander’s interior was comfortable, with black Softex synthetic leather on the XLE trim and real leather on higher trims. It featured a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat and heated front seats as standard, with additional amenities like second-row sunshades and a removable centre console. The Grand Highlander excelled as a road-trip vehicle, with high-quality materials and seamless construction.

The 2023 Subaru Forester was powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT mimicked a traditional automatic with eight programmed ratios, and the Subaru Intelligent Drive SI-Drive system offered a Sport mode for enhanced responsiveness. The Forester’s X-Mode off-road traction control system, with hill descent control, added Deep Snow and Mud settings from the Sport trim onwards. The Forester Premier demonstrated excellent driving dynamics, handling flooded roads and muddy trails with ease, thanks to its light and accurate steering, effective brakes, and well-tuned suspension. However, the engine was merely adequate, and the Forester fell short of its fuel economy rating, returning 9.1 L/100 km on the testing route.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options: a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder with 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, a 2.5-litre hybrid with 245 combined net horsepower, and the Hybrid Max powertrain with 362 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. All models featured all-wheel drive, with the Hybrid Max delivering impressive acceleration. The Grand Highlander’s size made it less maneuverable than the smaller Highlander, and its steering felt numb and disconnected. However, its brakes were solid, and acceleration was adequate. The Grand Highlander offered three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional off-road modes on gas-only and Hybrid Max models.

The 2023 Subaru Forester prioritized function over form, offering features like a panoramic glass sunroof, power-adjustable driver’s seat, and heated front seats. The Premier trim added perforated leather and dual-zone climate control. The Forester’s high seating position and large windows provided excellent visibility, making it easy to drive and park. However, the panoramic sunroof lacked sufficient tinting, and the rear seats were less comfortable for taller adults. The Forester offered ample interior storage and a usefully shaped cargo area, with 762 litres of space behind the back seat and 1,957 litres with the seats folded.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its rivals, with a total cargo capacity of 2,761 litres. It offered 1,640 litres behind the second-row seats and 583 litres with all three rows up. The Grand Highlander’s spacious interior provided good visibility and ample room in every row, accommodating six-foot adults in the third row comfortably. Its design catered to those seeking a minivan alternative, with a focus on comfort and practicality.

The 2023 Subaru Forester featured a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. An 8-inch touchscreen with navigation and a Harman Kardon audio system was available. The Forester’s user interface was straightforward, with separate climate controls and easy-to-use knobs and buttons. However, the voice-recognition system was unreliable, making Apple CarPlay or Android Auto preferable for navigation and other tasks.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering an intelligent assistant, cloud-based navigation, and live agent assistance via a subscription. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Grand Highlander Limited and Platinum trims featured an 11-speaker JBL stereo. While Toyota’s tech had improved, careful consideration of subscription options was recommended.

The 2023 Subaru Forester featured the next-generation EyeSight system with updated software and cameras, offering adaptive cruise control and Automatic Emergency Steering. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were standard on all but the Base trim. The Forester’s DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System was exclusive to the Limited and Premier trims. The Forester earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and five-star crash-test ratings from the NHTSA.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 as standard, with features like automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, and blind-spot monitoring. Adaptive cruise control with four following-distance settings was also standard. The Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS.