Maverick AWD Hybrid vs. Subaru Forester

[otowi]

Hi all, I have two (long story) 2020 Subaru Forester Tourings. I am considering trading one out for something different, and I am considering a 2025 Ford Maverick Lariat hybrid AWD. I am intrigued by the hybrid AWD and having the pickup bed. I am supposing feature-wise aside from hybrid, they are pretty comparable. I am thinking the Forester might be a tiny bit better for off-roading due to just a little bit higher clearance and X-mode. Am I missing anything?

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[MavDan]

Not much competes with Subaru, offroad.

 

[Scott Asheville]

The Subaru doesn't have snot dripping out of the headlights?

Every time I test drove a Forester I was impressed with the practicality and visibility. For some reason, I never bought one.

I guess the only thing you should be aware of is that with the Maverick you will have zero luggage space with 4 passengers in the vehicle (unless you do a dry lockable tonneau). That might not be something you ever do, but it's the one caution about going from SUV to truck (unless it's a LIghtning or Rivian with a big frunk).

Oh, one other thing - the Maverick is 17" longer (200" vs 183). So maybe not as nimble? The Forester does a turn in 35.4 feet. The Maverick's turn takes 40 feet.

 

[TheShark]

Having owned a couple of Subaru's in my life I would never go back to one. I really don't like the boxer engine and their cvt is god awful.

 

[TheShark]

Not much competes with Subaru, offroad.

Except maybe a Bronco, Jeep, Toyota Tacoma or 4Runner. Subaru does a really good marketing job and their AWD system is pretty good but if you are going to do any serious off roading you need to buy a vehicle that was made for it. Thankfully most people who buy Subaru's don't go off roading, they work great in snow.

 

[MavDan]

Except maybe a Bronco, Jeep, Toyota Tacoma or 4Runner. Subaru does a really good marketing job and their AWD system is pretty good but if you are going to do any serious off roading you need to buy a vehicle that was made for it. Thankfully most people who buy Subaru's don't go off roading, they work great in snow.

I mean, if you're talking about Rock crawling, sure...Otherwise they're better off with a Tremor.

 

[TwoTone]

Not much competes with Subaru, offroad.

Depends on your definition of offroad.

 

[tom_tucker]

Hi all, I have two (long story) 2020 Subaru Forester Tourings. I am considering trading one out for something different, and I am considering a 2025 Ford Maverick Lariat hybrid AWD. I am intrigued by the hybrid AWD and having the pickup bed. I am supposing feature-wise aside from hybrid, they are pretty comparable. I am thinking the Forester might be a tiny bit better for off-roading due to just a little bit higher clearance and X-mode. Am I missing anything?

Are you asking MTC to do the comparison for you? Print out the specs or put them in excel and compare? One thing you're certainly missing is the value proposition on both these vehicles by choosing the upper trims. Best of luck with researching your comparison.

 

[Maverickman74]

Granted none of us know what the AWD hybrid will be like offroad. However we have had a couple wild members offroading their 2wd hybrids. They did pretty decent from what the pictures showed. That said I can imagine it being worse than the standard AWD non FX4/Tremor models, especially if it is the 4k model with better gearing. There have been plenty of people offroading in those XL/4ks and have done really well. From what I have seen of Subarus is that unless it is the offroad spec model, Xmode gives up pretty quick and the whole thing just refuses to go forward when it gets out of sorts. Ford has a really strong electronic breaking system that will force alot of the power to the wheel that has traction. Not that it is the same vehicle but the technology has the same influence, but look at the big broncos and now i think the rangers and f150 tremors. Their trail turn assist is strong enough to fully lock one big 35" tire under power to make it pivot on a dime. Ford has a very aggressive system there. Infact i know that they have been working on just that for over 2 decades, I used to know someone working on the 97-04 f150s to develop a electronic/hydraulic braking controller to bring the truck to a stop at full grab if the engine dies back when it was all vaccum boosted. Thats system that is old enough to have graduated with a doctorate is what really gives our little fwd unibody focus based trucks the ability to do what they love to do, impress us.

 

[TheShark]

I mean, if you're talking about Rock crawling, sure...Otherwise they're better off with a Tremor.

Sure, it depends on what your definition of "off roading" is, driving down a fire road or heading up the side of a mountain. I have a Tremor and it's pretty capable but I also have a Bronco WildTrak and I know which one I'm going to use off road. I was watching a video on the Bronco forum of someone in one of the National Parks out west, don't remember which one, and at one point he was going through a difficult part and I hear him say look out for the Subaru parts, I thought he was kidding but the dashcam sure enough was picking up parts spewed along the trail from a Subaru. People do a lot of crazy things with AWD vehicles thinking they are 4WD, big difference. When I go to the Outer Banks and drive the beaches even though it's clearly posted 4WD only (not AWD) people take their Subaru's, CRV's, Chevy Equinox's out on the beach and if the sand happens to be compacted enough that day they might get away with it but many times not and at $250 a pop to be towed out not really a great idea, and oh, they never air down either. I've personally seen two burned out hulks of vehicles that started on fire when they were trying to get them unstuck. The Outback is a station wagon with AWD and lift and the way it's marketed you think you could conquer the Rubicon Trail. We have a Bronco Sport in our local Bronco club, it's been lifted, better tires, it's a Big Bend so it doesn't have the more advanced AWD of the Badlands or the Tremor, it does pretty good but it really is at it's limit when the Bronco isn't even breaking a sweat. I keep thinking I would never want to buy that vehicle after he is done with it because it's been driven hard and has take a lot of abuse for what it is.

 

[Montana]

If you are comparing AWD capability of our Mavericks vs. a full time AWD Subaru - the Subaru will crush us. The question is: Is that what you really need? I can tell you straight up that in winter months here in Montana, hands down I'd rather have full time AWD. But I make due with the Mavericks setup in slippery mode knowing it's still basically a FWD vehicle. It really just depends on what you need. Off roading is kind of a laughable term to just throw around now days too. It's a pretty safe assumption that when most people refer to off road, they mean service roads that don't even need a tire change to navigate. So again, totally up to your needs but as some folks will tell you - there's a high chance you don't actually need what you want.

I'd take advice with a grain of salt on what you should buy for your needs but the basic question of comparing a Subaru's AWD to our FORD's - it's not even a competition in 90% of scenarios that will benefit from AWD.

My personal opinion is screw that Subaru though. Get the Maverick...

...not biased at all on a Maverick forum

Also keep in mind the changes in the market from your 2020 to the new 2025. I think the safest actual advice you will get in regards to buying a new Maverick is to wait it out for a couple years while they work out new model kinks. It's largely the same vehicle, but it's still a FORD. Now you can toss that salt over your shoulder and ignore me then do what you want to do anyways lol.

 

[bgn]

I think the folks that underestimate even the standard all-wheel drive system have not pushed it to its real limits, especially with real all terrain tires. I have many, many times and I can tell you it is very capable. Yes, it is not a Bronco. Yes, it won't rock crawl. But neither will the majority of Broncos.

Just for fun, here's a shot from an overnight adventure with a local offroad YouTuber that I went to last year here in Washington. This is in the middle of the forest. Look at the vehicles that are there and, if you think you've found the least capable vehicle, think again. If you look closely, you can barely make out a Mercedes C300 on street tires. And it's at the top of a mountain in late fall next to Jeeps on 37s and 40s.

 

[Scupking]

You put some good all terrain tires on the hybrid awd and it should hold its own in a lot of situations.

 

[otowi]

Thanks for the input everyone. I don't think my needs include true off reading like the hobby or sport. But I do live in Colorado and like to drive around in the mountains and rural back roads. My Subaru has been great on all the roads I have taken it on but there are a number of rougher Forest service roads out there that I am less sure about. I suspect the hybrid Maverick with lower ground clearance would do less well than the Forester, but maybe a Tremor Package non hybrid would do as well or slightly better. I have two of the Foresters and definitely keeping one, but debating what type of truck would be the best compliment if I replace one of them and not trying to spend super high dollar.

 

[mav_kev]

Looking at your situation specifically, why not mix it up? The Maverick and the Forester are generally very comparable, other than the bed. Granted, it's small, but it's nice to be able to put dirty stuff in there and not in the cabin like you would with a Subie. As someone mentioned, you can't count on the bed as dry storage exactly, though a high quality tonneau or a cap (topper, shell, etc) would certainly help keep things mostly dry/clean. Having traded a Crosstrek for my Mav, that's the thing I miss the most, but I was willing to lose dry cargo space for more utility. The difference in "off-road" capability or snow performance has been pretty negligible, in my experience.

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