Having loved the all-new Subaru Forester when it came out in 2019 I am pleased to see Subaru making a hybrid version and look forward to putting it through our BabyDrive testing and driving it with my family!
I am always VERY eager to test each new Subaru Forester for BabyDrive as we have one as our family car!! It's not as clean and modern as the shiny showroom car tested here though!! Ours, Gump, is old and battered and has carried us and our memories around Australia a few times since we bought him ten years ago!
Our pre-baby selves have cheered him over sand dunes, held our breath down slippery liquid dirt roads and slept on top of him in our roof tent in some of the most remote and beautiful locations!! He is also the one we brought our baby girl home in and the one she has peed all over the seats of during toilet training, has squished monster crackers into the seats and she also fondly calls him Gump too! Heart melt!!
Oh! Enough of the reminiscing!!!! Let's see how the Subaru Forester Hybrid gets on as a BabyDrive!!
The first thing I'm going to tell you about is the hybrid electric motor, which for me let the Forester down during our week of testing! It lacked a lot of the plus points that hybrids bring to family life, like the car starting quietly, driving your bub to sleep using majority battery and not fuel, sitting in the car with the aircon running while bub sleeps using majority battery rather than fuel and the obvious advantage of reducing fuel consumption.
Sadly none of these things was the case with the Subaru Forester Hybrid. The petrol engine is smaller than a regular Forester and this should in theory be compensated for by the electric motor however, the real-world result is that the car is very revvy, especially on motorways and up hills, so it feels like it's actually using more fuel than the regular Forester. The use of the electric motor also doesn't last long at all compared to other hybrid cars I've driven and the engine comes in almost straight away so you don't get that lovely quiet start as in most hybrids.
You can also really feel when the engine kicks in and it's not a smooth transition. In fact, on a few occasions during our week it was almost like a thump when the engine kicked in.
I normally love that I can do laps of my local block to get my daughter to sleep using predominantly battery but it just wasn't the case with the hybrid Forester and when I did come to a stop with her asleep in the back when I put the car into ‘Park' the engine kicked in with a rev and noisily chewed through the fuel while she slept.
I personally prefer the regular Forester and feel this is a missed opportunity with the hybrid to make it really work well to provide the same advantages as other hybrid cars for families.
The rest of the Subaru Forester is fantastic as usual! The facial recognition technology allows you to register a few drivers so that the car will scan your face automatically when you get in and adjust your seat, mirrors, aircon and digital display preferences to exactly how you like it. Which was perfect for us as I'm in the third trimester of pregnancy I like my aircon nice and cool whereas it is winter so hubby has his set to warm! Not forgetting it also gives you a welcome and leaving greeting!!
This is the comfort advantage of the facial recognition technology, it also scans your face for fatigue and concentration too while you're driving. If I tilt my head to see my little rear passengers or look away too long then I got some beeping and a “keep your eyes on the road” warning! Which is of course great technology but how about pop a conversation mirror in so I can see my rear passengers and I wouldn't have to turn my head??! Just saying!!
There is also the EyeSight technology in the new model Forester and this hybrid. It is a combination of a few safety features and when the cruise control is on it is constantly scanning the road in front of you and beeps constantly on motorways especially as cars come in and out of its range in front of you. It can feel a little harassing, especially when added to the usual cacophony of driving with kids in the car too.
So while talking about the cacophony of kids let's get onto those rear passengers… The Subaru Forester Hybrid is still practical back there.
Three child seats fit nicely in the back seats. There are three top tether anchorages in the seatbacks that are easily accessible through the boot and ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats. They are covered over with velcro fixed panels that I think over time will collect kids' dust, fluff and food in the velcro.
Legroom is really good in the Forester and even with rear-facing child seats installed, we could fit a 184cm driver in front of them. With forward-facing, you can easily fit a 184cm+ passenger in front.
Space has not been taken away from the boot in the hybrid model which is often the case. It is still spacious, however, the spare tyre has gone from underneath the boot floor in place of fitting in the battery.
We found fifteen shopping bags would fit in the boot of the Subaru Forester Hybrid from empty or a large dog. That's equal to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and one more than the Toyota RAV4 hybrid. The boot floor is nice and flat good for dogs and suitable for an emergency nappy change and there are shopping bag hooks on both sides of the boot and a 12V socket on the left.
A twin side-by-side pram fits in the boot with six shopping bags as well as most other sizes of pram and stroller.
Storage is good inside the Subaru Forester Hybrid as well. All the door bins are well-sized to hold a large refillable water bottle, the cup holders in the front and back hold reusable and disposable coffee cups. The glove box and central console boxes are good sizes.
The rear map pockets have extra sections to hold more than just an iPad.
The media system is the same nice modern system that we loved in the 2019 Subaru Forester. It also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as digital radio, which is excellent.
The sat-nav is easily navigated and the guidance is easily muted on the screen.
The reversing camera image is lovely and clear and fills the whole screen.
You can adjust the volume of the parking sensors in the screen in front of the steering wheel but I couldn't turn it off.
There is also the smaller screen, above the media screen, where you can see two extra camera views, one out of the front and the other is down the left-hand kerb, which I found really useful. There are two buttons in the central console to control these cameras.
I found the 2019 Subaru Forester a great car to drive but the Subaru Forester Hybrid a little disappointing. This is mainly because it is not as smooth as the regular Forester and the transition from electric motor to engine is not smooth.
Overall the new 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid SUV is practical in terms of size and fitting everything and everyone in, but the hybrid is a missed opportunity.
The new Subaru Forester scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2018 onwards and has seven airbags as standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
So… How big is the boot of the 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid? How good is the storage the 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid?
When it is empty I could fit 15 shopping bags in the boot of the Subaru Forester hybrid. That's the same as a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and one more than the Toyota RAV4 hybrid.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The twin side-by-side stroller fits in the boot with six shopping bags beside it.
The tandem stroller fits in the boot with seven shopping bags beside it.
The single stroller fits in the boot with eight shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot with 12 shopping bags beside it.
The boot floor is nice and flat good for dogs, a large dog would fit in the boot of the Subaru Forester. It is also suitable for an emergency nappy change and there are shopping bag hooks on both sides of the boot and a 12V socket on the left.
There is no spare tyre in the hybrid model, the space under the floor that usually houses it is taken up with the battery. There is one storage space near the front which we found useful for carrying a cake to a birthday party!!
The retractable roller blind has a flap of fabric covering the gap between the rear seats and the bar. There are little ledges on either side of the boot that help prevent it from falling down into the boot.
Storage in the cabin of the Subaru Forester Hybrid is good. In the front, the door bins are a good size and will hold a large refillable water bottle, with space behind for an iPad or wallet and there are storage wells in the handles too.
There are two cup holders in the central console, that are well sized to hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup.
Behind them is a little ledge I sometimes put my glasses or phone in and the central console storage box is quite deep and a good size. It is lined so things don't rattle around in the bottom and it has two USBs, a 12V socket and AUX inside it too and there is a removable tray at the top which would hold a small phone and some coins.
In front of the gear lever is a rubber-lined well for your phone.
There is a 12V, AUX and two USB sockets in there too.
The glove box is big enough to hold my wallet and iPad, with the rather chunky manual.
There is a sunglasses case in the ceiling that is lined to protect your lenses and there are lit vanity mirrors in both front visors. The visors are both extendable which is great for blocking out the sun while driving.
In the back of the Subaru Forester Hybrid's front seats, there are map pockets. Each has three compartments that will hold an iPad, phone and wallet but not conceal them.
In a fold-down armrest in the central seatback are two cup holders that will hold a re-usable or disposable coffee cup.
The door bins in the back are smaller than in the front but they will still hold a large refillable water bottle and there are storage wells in the handles also.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the new 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid? How good is the media system?
The Subaru Forester hybrid is a bit of a beepy and noisy BabyDrive! The Eyesight technology constantly scans the road in front of you so every time a car comes in or out of range it beeps, which with everyone changing lanes and speeds on motorways is VERY frequently and the beeping gets a bit much.
There are also a few nagging warnings too which flash up regularly and beep to add to the beeping and the driver can feel a little harassed and frazzled by the system especially on motorways! The beeping can be disturbing for little rear passengers too!
There is facial recognition technology in the Suburu Forester too…
…so when you first get into the car it will scan your face, bring up a welcome sign and adjust your seat, mirrors, aircon etc to your settings. I love this because being 20cm shorter than my husband we have our setas etc set very differently!!
The media system in the Subaru Forester is nice and modern and easy to use and navigate and it includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There are some good features within the screen. In the sat-nav, you can mute the guidance voice easily on the right side on the screen.
The reversing camera image is nice and clear and fills the whole screen.
You can't turn off the parking sensors but you can turn the volume up and down in the screen in front of the driver selecting maximum through to a minimum volume.
There is a second camera screen up on the dashboard which shows more visuals from two more cameras at the front and left side of the car.
You can flick between these views and have just the front, or just the side or both, using the two buttons down in the central console.
The hybrid and engine visual also come up in this second screen. Showing when the engine or electric motor is in use and when the battery is being recharged and how much charge it has left.
We were very surprised and disappointed by the Subaru Foresters Hybrid engine. It is very and uses a lot more fuel than we'd expect from a hybrid. The petrol engine is smaller than that of a regular Forester and in theory should be compensated by the electric motor however this isn't very effective. The revving on motorways and when going up hills is disturbing for passengers.
The engine also kicks in way too early so you don't really get too much driving on just the hybrid alone. The engine starts almost straight away so I couldn't drive my daughter to sleep using battery power alone. Or sit with the attery powered engine running while she sleeps either.
The indicators are nice and quiet in the new Forester.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
I found the rear doors feel quite stiff and rarely close first time so I had to keep re-shutting them, they are fairly quiet to open. The doors and windows can both be locked from the driver's door control panel.
I found you can come to a stop with the engine still running and get out of the car without sounding any alarms. If you turn the engine off then there is a beeping rear seat reminder.
Since becoming a mum I spend A LOT of time parked up somewhere with a nice view while my daughter is asleep in the back! If it's hot I need to leave the engine running and the aircon on but I do like to get out and drink my cuppa tea in the fresh air while enjoying the fact my limbs are free from said dangling child!! SO this is a very important test as I have found that sometimes I have been held hostage by a cars BEEEEPING alarms when I have taken off my seatbelt or opened the door while the engine is still running!! (I only stand outside the car, I am not a bad mother!!)
You can turn a lot of the noisy functions off in the panel of buttons by the driver's right knee.
You can also turn off lane departure warning in the panel above your heads n the front.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit on the 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid?
There are three top tether points across the rear seat backrests of the Subaru Forester Hybrid that can easily be accessed through the boot. They are within clearly marked plastic guides and are easy to connect to.
There are ISOFix points in both the rear outer seats behind velcro flaps that are not within plastic guides but are easy to connect when installing child seats. The velcro is a worry for me, that over time it will get filled with child crumbs, fluff and spills or that it will catch on clothes too.
I managed to fit three child seats into the Subaru Forester Hybrid really nicely using ISOFix for the capsule and the seatbelt for the other two seats. The central seatbelt comes from the ceiling which is a little trickier and obstructs visibility ore out of the rear window.
Posting bub into their child seat from inside and outside the car is really nice and easy, the ceiling is high in the Forester and the door openings are wide. This makes it easy from inside too.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
Legroom is great in the Subaru Forester hybrid as it is in the regular Subaru Forester. And we could fit a 184cm passenger in front of a rear-facing child seat.
There is room to feed bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid? And How good is the 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid to drive?
The front seats of the 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid are comfortable, the headrests are adjustable so I can have a ponytail which is fantastic!
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with bub, the seats are quite comfortable. There is good headroom and legroom.
In the central seat, the backrest is quite hard because of the fold-down armrest and there is a small hump in the footwell in the middle.
I found I could only just squeeze between two child seats in the back but my shoulders were completely crushed and I'm 162cm.
For the first year of Tulsi’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Tulsi so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel was fully adjustable in/out and up/down. The cruise controls are on the right on the steering wheel and was easy to use. I found the cruise control to be quite accurate on motorways and at lower speeds.
There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard; two central ones and one at either end. For rear passengers there are two air vents in the back of the central console box, which are reachable from the front while driving. There are two USB charging points for rear passengers too.
The controls for the aircon are located centrally on the dashboard, I found them easy to reach and use whilst driving.
The interior lights in the rear are in the ceiling centrally behind the large sunroof in the hybrid model. They are situated too far back for me to reach them from the driver's seat while driving!
I have found Tulsi does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.
Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!
It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
Visibility in the Subaru Forester Hybrid is very good for both driver and passengers, the windows are big and square, giving everyone a great view out.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Tulsi has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Forester was simple to park as the visibility and cameras was so good!
There are handles above both rear doors which are well-positioned to hold a baby toy for rear-facing passengers.
The 2020 Subaru Forester Hybrid I tested has keyless entry and exit which is fantastic for not having to fumble around for keys and keeps your hands free for holding on to little ones, especially in car parks!
Scoring 94% for Adult Occupancy Protection and 86% for Child Occupancy Protection.
Of the child occupancy protection ANCAP wrote:
In the frontal offset and side impact tests, protection of the 10 year old and 6 year old dummies was GOOD and maximum points were scored in these tests.
The Subaru Forester is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed that most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, though one of the convertible seats in rearward-facing mode and one of the booster seats could not be correctly installed in the centre rear position.
Seven airbags come as standard in the Subaru Forester; there is a driver’s knee airbag as well as dual frontal airbags and front side airbags and side curtain airbags for the front and the rear side passengers.
Automatic high beam, fatigue detection and reversing collision avoidance (auto brake) are not available on base variant but standard or optional on higher variants.
All models of the new Subaru Forester also come with EyeSight® Driver Assist system as standard, which consists of adaptive cruise control, emergency lane keep assist, lane departure warning, lane sway warning, lane keep assist, lead vehicle start alert, pre-collision braking system, pre-collision brake assist, pre-collision throttle management, brake light recognition, speed limiter, electronic throttle control system (ETC), X-Mode and tyre pressure monitoring system.
The 2.5i-L and 2.5i Premium models come with a driver monitoring system called Driver Focus that includes drowsiness warning, distraction warning and facial recognition.
These two models also have an adaptive driving beam (ADB), front view monitor (FVM), reverse automatic braking (RAB) and side view monitor (SVM).
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Tulsi’s asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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1 Comment
The vehicle is great. Great side protection. All the beeps can be turned off. If you are discarding this as a good car based on the beeps and not the actual safety of the car may I suggest not having kids.
The vehicle is great. Great side protection. All the beeps can be turned off. If you are discarding this as a good car based on the beeps and not the actual safety of the car may I suggest not having kids.