2025 Subaru Forester Limited Hybrid Proves Adventure Doesn’t Require Compromise

theweeklydriver.com

The 2025 Subaru Forester Limited Hybrid settled into a rhythm on the rutted surface of red dirt roads, washboard grit under the tires announcing I’d left civilization behind.

This Forest Service Road, deep in Tahoe National Forest, stretched ahead through towering ponderosa pines and white fir, a ribbon of packed earth that official maps marked but most drivers never explored.

The Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system distributing torque between wheels without drama or hesitation. Far from Interstate 80’s drone, the only sounds came from rocks pinging the undercarriage and wind through the canopy overhead.

Over several days of threading through Tahoe National Forest, El Dorado National Forest, and Sierra National Forest, the 2025 Forester Hybrid proved why Subaru’s approach to hybrid technology prioritizes capability over maximum fuel economy.

Subaru’s next-generation series-parallel hybrid system combines a 2.5-liter BOXER engine optimized for Atkinson/Miller cycle operation with two electric motor generators delivering 194 combined horsepower.

The primary traction motor contributes 118 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, while a 1.1-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery provides the electrical storage. Unlike competitors that route electric power through on-demand rear axles, every component connects through Subaru’s mechanical all-wheel drive system.

On steep forest service roads climbing Grouse Ridge, the difference between mechanical AWD and electronic AWD became tangible. Where front-biased systems hesitate and recalculate, the Subaru Forester simply gripped and climbed.

The Forester’s 8.7 inches of ground clearance matched any competitor in the compact SUV segment. Combined with short overhangs and reasonable approach angles, it navigated rock ledges and embedded boulders that would scrape crossovers built primarily for shopping center parking lots.

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