Ford Bronco Sport vs Subaru Forester Hybrid

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport was a compact SUV that embraced rugged styling, setting itself apart from its sibling, the Ford Escape. It featured a rectangular grille with round headlights and "Bronco" lettering, reminiscent of the larger Bronco model. The Bronco Sport maintained a square silhouette with a long, flat hood and upright greenhouse, giving it a cute yet robust appearance. For 2025, the styling remained largely unchanged, except for the introduction of off-road packages like the Black Diamond and Sasquatch, which added modular steel bumpers and underbody protection. The interior, while less distinctive, was functional with new centre-console grab handles and auxiliary switches for aftermarket accessories.

In contrast, the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid underwent a redesign, resulting in a more cohesive yet conventional look. Its blockier shape and black plastic elements hinted at off-road potential, while subtle hybrid badges differentiated it from its non-hybrid counterpart. Inside, the Forester Hybrid retained some of its previous charm with a beveled dashboard and a large vertical infotainment touchscreen. The cabin featured a mix of hard and soft-touch materials, with the front seats offering ample comfort and support. The hybrid model also included heated outboard rear seats, enhancing passenger comfort. Despite losing some of its distinctiveness, the Forester Hybrid aimed for broader appeal.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport continued with its powertrain options from the previous year. Most trims were equipped with a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. The Badlands model featured a more powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, delivering 250 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with manual-shifting capability available on the 2.0-litre models. The Bronco Sport's all-wheel-drive system included a dual-clutch rear-drive unit for torque vectoring, enhancing its off-road capabilities. The Sasquatch Package added features like Trail Control, one-pedal driving, and off-road suspension, making it a serious contender for off-road enthusiasts. Despite its off-road prowess, the Bronco Sport remained composed and comfortable on highways.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid was powered by a 2.5-litre horizontally opposed flat four-cylinder engine, combined with a parallel hybrid system. This setup produced 194 horsepower, surpassing the standard Forester's 180 horsepower. The hybrid system featured two motor/generators and a 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The Forester Hybrid's all-wheel-drive system used a traditional driveshaft, promising better traction off-road. While acceleration was adequate, the hybrid transmission sometimes made it feel slower than it was. The hybrid system operated smoothly, with seamless transitions between electric and combustion power. The Forester Hybrid excelled off-road with its X-Mode drive programming and hill descent control, offering a balanced performance both on and off the pavement.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport offered practicality without compromising its off-road focus. It provided more headroom in both rows compared to competitors like the Jeep Compass Trailhawk and Subaru Forester Wilderness. While it excelled in first-row legroom, it lagged in second-row legroom. The Bronco Sport boasted 920 litres of cargo space with the rear seats up and 1,846 litres with them folded, although higher trims had slightly reduced capacity. It featured ample storage options, including a dedicated device tray with USB ports and mounting points. The Bronco Sport's towing capacity ranged from 1,000 to 1,225 kilograms, depending on the engine, with towing packages available for enhanced capability.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid impressed with its unimpeded forward view, thanks to thinner front roof pillars. The front seats offered ample space, creating an open and airy cockpit. Rear passengers enjoyed generous legroom and headroom, enhanced by the standard panoramic sunroof. The Forester Hybrid featured a wireless charging pad, although its hard plastic surface allowed phones to slide. Storage options included moderately sized cup holders, a deep centre armrest bin, and medium-sized door pockets. The Forester Hybrid offered 779 litres of cargo space, with a hands-free power liftgate and power remote seatback releases for added convenience.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport upgraded to the Ford Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring a larger 13.2-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The system offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, enhancing the vehicle's premium feel. The infotainment menus were well-designed, although some functions relied on the touchscreen. An available 360-degree camera system provided safety and off-road assistance, with split-screen views for obstacle detection.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid came equipped with an 11.6-inch vertical infotainment touchscreen, featuring built-in navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Subaru Starlink system received praise for its user-friendly interface, with large on-screen buttons and intuitive menus. Physical buttons flanking the screen allowed for easy temperature adjustments. The Forester Hybrid's X-Mode off-road drive menu was accessible through the touchscreen, offering simple terrain-related controls. The vehicle also featured multiple external camera views for off-road navigation and an 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with top scores in frontal and side crash tests. The IIHS awarded it a "Good" score in the small overlap front test and a "Marginal" score in the updated moderate overlap front test. The Bronco Sport came standard with Ford's Co-Pilot360 safety suite, including features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Reverse automatic emergency braking and traffic sign recognition were optional on certain trims.

The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid earned five stars in NHTSA crash tests, except for rollover protection, where it received four stars. The IIHS awarded the non-hybrid Forester top scores in most categories, earning it a Top Safety Pick award. The Forester Hybrid came standard with Subaru's EyeSight suite, including features like frontal collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist. Additional safety features, such as rear automatic braking and blind spot monitoring, were available on higher trims. The Forester Hybrid's safety systems operated smoothly, with customizable alerts for a more personalized experience.