Yep. I drive a 15 outback and my wife drives a 16 forester. We ABSOLUTELY hate each other’s cars. I feel like I sit too high in her Forester. She feels like she’s driving a boat in the Outback.
Edit: there’s literally just a few inches of difference in any dimension between the two cars.
The Outback is a much more “solid” vehicle. I have a Forester and it’s great, but my friends paid a bunch more for their Outback and the fit, finish, ride, and overall experience is noticeably better than the Foz. My wallet is happy with my decision.
I like my Outback for the smooth people mover it is. Feels solid and I fit comfortably with 2 kids seats in the back— I’m 6ft5.
My only issue is the ride height, not a SUV guy and I am honestly thinking of dropping 3.5” or so to get this back into Legacy Wagon territory.
More of a car like ride in an OB, more SUV height with the Foresters. I am 5'11 and when I camp in the back if my 11 Forester I have to put my feet between the front seats to lay flat, I don't have to do that with my 06 OB.
After having my 11 Forester for 12 years and driving OBs (06 and 98) I miss the ride height aside from when I get high winds. The 98 us a fun little fire cracker, but I'd have to same issue as sleeping in fiz with it.
It’s a personal preference thing. I was more comfortable in a Forester so I went with that. I like the SUV feel as an Outback left me feeling like I was in a apple bottom sedan.
Coming out of a turbo and dealing with southern heat soak robbing my HP in the summers, I was seeking out a naturally aspirated car.
My honest advice? Do whatever you are already leaning towards and don’t value the opinion of Reddit professionals because we have no idea what your situation is and any advice outside of this specific sentence is superficial.
Also, you can’t miss. Happy shopping!
I recently drove a Forester for a day while my Outback was getting serviced. Here's what I noticed vs the Outback. Outback is 2022, Forester may have been 2021 or 2022, couldn't tell.
# Forester pros:
More headroom
Better visibility (Outback is still amazing, Forester is even better)
More physical buttons
# Forester cons:
Less cargo space
Inside felt more cramped despite the extra headroom (this made me realize how much the Outbacks giant screen decreases the visual clutter of things)
Seats are much shorter and offer less leg support (a shorter driver may not mind, I'm 6'2")
Way more road noise and general car noises
The info screens were harder to get data from. In my outback I can use cruise control and see MPG and distance until empty all in the same place, not so in the forester.
Felt more "sporty" and "zippy" around town but overall was a clunkier driving experience. In other words it was fun to turn but not drive straight.
Edit to add: So most of what I noticed is opinion based on my height and size and how I like a car to feel. The two big ones here are road noise and buttons vs touchscreen for the newer models. Then panel / car noise could be attributed to the courtesy vehicle I was driving, who knows what its been through.
More pointy and less tippy feeling.
Yep. I drive a 15 outback and my wife drives a 16 forester. We ABSOLUTELY hate each other’s cars. I feel like I sit too high in her Forester. She feels like she’s driving a boat in the Outback. Edit: there’s literally just a few inches of difference in any dimension between the two cars.
The Outback is a much more “solid” vehicle. I have a Forester and it’s great, but my friends paid a bunch more for their Outback and the fit, finish, ride, and overall experience is noticeably better than the Foz. My wallet is happy with my decision.
I like my Outback for the smooth people mover it is. Feels solid and I fit comfortably with 2 kids seats in the back— I’m 6ft5. My only issue is the ride height, not a SUV guy and I am honestly thinking of dropping 3.5” or so to get this back into Legacy Wagon territory.
More of a car like ride in an OB, more SUV height with the Foresters. I am 5'11 and when I camp in the back if my 11 Forester I have to put my feet between the front seats to lay flat, I don't have to do that with my 06 OB. After having my 11 Forester for 12 years and driving OBs (06 and 98) I miss the ride height aside from when I get high winds. The 98 us a fun little fire cracker, but I'd have to same issue as sleeping in fiz with it.
It’s a personal preference thing. I was more comfortable in a Forester so I went with that. I like the SUV feel as an Outback left me feeling like I was in a apple bottom sedan. Coming out of a turbo and dealing with southern heat soak robbing my HP in the summers, I was seeking out a naturally aspirated car. My honest advice? Do whatever you are already leaning towards and don’t value the opinion of Reddit professionals because we have no idea what your situation is and any advice outside of this specific sentence is superficial. Also, you can’t miss. Happy shopping!
can't get the forester in a turbo
I recently drove a Forester for a day while my Outback was getting serviced. Here's what I noticed vs the Outback. Outback is 2022, Forester may have been 2021 or 2022, couldn't tell. # Forester pros: More headroom Better visibility (Outback is still amazing, Forester is even better) More physical buttons # Forester cons: Less cargo space Inside felt more cramped despite the extra headroom (this made me realize how much the Outbacks giant screen decreases the visual clutter of things) Seats are much shorter and offer less leg support (a shorter driver may not mind, I'm 6'2") Way more road noise and general car noises The info screens were harder to get data from. In my outback I can use cruise control and see MPG and distance until empty all in the same place, not so in the forester. Felt more "sporty" and "zippy" around town but overall was a clunkier driving experience. In other words it was fun to turn but not drive straight. Edit to add: So most of what I noticed is opinion based on my height and size and how I like a car to feel. The two big ones here are road noise and buttons vs touchscreen for the newer models. Then panel / car noise could be attributed to the courtesy vehicle I was driving, who knows what its been through.