Toyota Prius v vs. Subaru Forester
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Toyota Prius v and Subaru Forester contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Toyota Prius v and the Subaru Forester.
When we compare the Toyota Prius v's and the Subaru Forester's specifications and ratings, the Toyota Prius v has the advantage in the area of fuel efficiency. The Subaru Forester has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, interior volume and base engine power. Based on this comparison of the Toyota Prius v's and the Subaru Forester's specifications and ratings, the Subaru Forester is a better car than the Toyota Prius v.
Pricing: A used 2017 Toyota Prius v ranges from $12,952 to $25,676 while a used 2017 Subaru Forester is priced between $12,499 to $22,995.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Toyota Prius v’s base engine makes 134 horsepower, and the Subaru Forester base engine makes 170 horsepower. The Prius v is rated to deliver an average of 41 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 464 miles. The Forester is rated to deliver an average of 24 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 445 miles. This gives the Toyota Prius v the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Subaru Forester. Both models use regular unleaded.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Subaru Forester has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front head room, front shoulder room, front leg room, rear head room, rear shoulder room, rear leg room, and cargo space.
Safety Ratings: The Subaru Forester has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$26,675
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Hybrid Compact Cars)
$26,393
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Hybrid Compact Cars)
$22,200 - $33,220
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$22,595
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact SUVs)
$23,728
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact SUVs)
$21,995 - $25,645
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$19,309
Price Range:
$12,952 - $25,676
Category Avg Price:
(Hybrid Compact Cars)
$17,139
Category Avg Price Range:
(Hybrid Compact Cars)
$14,262 - $19,309
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
53
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
100,494
# Good or Great Deals:
22
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$17,794
Price Range:
$12,499 - $22,995
Category Avg Price:
(Compact SUVs)
$16,407
Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact SUVs)
$14,149 - $20,586
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
479
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
96,978
# Good or Great Deals:
142
Toyota Prius v Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
Subaru Forester Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.6 / 10
Reliability:
8.3 / 10
Retained Value:
8.4 / 10
Safety:
9.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Toyota Prius v
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
5.2
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Hybrid Compact Cars)
5.2
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Hybrid Compact Cars)
4 - 6.5
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
34.4%
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Subaru Forester
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
4.1
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Compact SUVs)
3.8
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Compact SUVs)
2.8 - 6.4
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
10.1%
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
2.1
Typical Category Recalls:
(Hybrid Compact Cars)
2.8
Category Range for Recalls:
(Hybrid Compact Cars)
1 - 3.7
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
4.2
Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact SUVs)
3.7
Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact SUVs)
0.9 - 14.9
Toyota Prius v Rankings
Not yet available
Subaru Forester Rankings
Ranking
1 out of / 19Ranking
2 out of / 19Ranking
2 out of / 19Ranking
2 out of / 7Ranking
2 out of / 6Ranking
3 out of / 67Ranking
4 out of / 19Ranking
4 out of / 19Ranking
5 out of / 20Ranking
5 out of / 19Ranking
5 out of / 14Ranking
6 out of / 67Ranking
6 out of / 19Ranking
6 out of / 19Ranking
7 out of / 19Ranking
7 out of / 19Ranking
8 out of / 13Ranking
10 out of / 67Ranking
10 out of / 30Ranking
11 out of / 19Ranking
12 out of / 67Ranking
12 out of / 67Ranking
14 out of / 19Ranking
15 out of / 19Ranking
17 out of / 67Ranking
17 out of / 67Ranking
19 out of / 67Ranking
24 out of / 67Ranking
26 out of / 67Ranking
28 out of / 59Ranking
32 out of / 67Ranking
33 out of / 67Ranking
49 out of / 67Available Body Styles
Wagon
Available Body Styles
SUV
Available Drivetrain Options
Hybrid
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Toyota Prius v Trim Levels
Five, Four, Three, Two
Subaru Forester Trim Levels
2.0XT Premium, 2.0XT Touring, 2.5i, 2.5i Limited, 2.5i Premium, 2.5i Touring
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
2 years / 25000 miles
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
3 years / 36000 miles
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
134 hp @ 5200 rpm
Torque:
Not yet available
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.040 hp per pound
Towing capacity:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
170 hp @ 5800 rpm
Torque:
174 foot-lbs @ 4100 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.051 hp per pound
Towing capacity:
Not yet available
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
1.8 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT Automatic)
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
43 / 39 / 41
Range (city/hwy):
512 / 464 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2.5 liters
Engine Configuration:
Flat/Horizontally Opposed
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
22 / 28 / 24
Range (city/hwy):
350 / 445 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Internet Radio:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Available
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Power outlet:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Internet Radio:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
Available
Massage Seats:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Parking Sensors:
Available
Power Lift Gate:
Available
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
Standard
Roof Rack:
Available
Trailer Hitch:
Available
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Available
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Available
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
39.6 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.3 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
55.9 inches
Rear Head Room:
38.6 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.9 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
55.2 inches
Cargo Space:
34.3 cubic feet
Cargo Space, 2nd-row seat folded down:
67.3 cubic feet
Cargo Space, 3rd-row seat folded down:
Not yet available
Overall Interior Volume:
131.5 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
41.4 inches
Front Leg Room:
43 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
57 inches
Rear Head Room:
39.8 inches
Rear Leg Room:
38 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
56.5 inches
Cargo Space:
34.4 cubic feet
Cargo Space, 2nd-row seat folded down:
74.7 cubic feet
Cargo Space, 3rd-row seat folded down:
Not yet available
Overall Interior Volume:
142.7 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3340 lbs
Width:
69.9 inches
Height:
62 inches
Length:
182.3 inches
Wheelbase:
109.4 inches
Ground Clearance:
5.7 inches
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3322 lbs
Width:
80 inches
Height:
66.4 inches
Length:
181.5 inches
Wheelbase:
103.9 inches
Ground Clearance:
8.7 inches
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 x 6.5 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
P205/60R16
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
17.0 x 7.0 inches
Wheel Type:
steel
Tire Size:
P225/60R17
Exterior Colors
Black
Midnight Black Metallic
Blue
Blue Ribbon Metallic
Brown
Toasted Walnut Pearl
Gray
Magnetic Gray Metallic
Green
Galactic Aqua Mica / Sea Glass Pearl
Red
Absolutely Red
Silver
Classic Silver Metallic
White
Blizzard Pearl / Super White
Exterior Colors
Black
Crystal Black Silica
Blue
Quartz Blue Pearl
Brown
Not available
Gray
Dark Gray Metallic
Green
Jasmine Green Metallic
Red
Venetian Red Pearl
Silver
Ice Silver Metallic
White
Crystal White Pearl
Interior Colors
Black
Black
Gray
Ash
Interior Colors
Black
Black
Gray
Gray
