2016 Toyota RAV4 vs. 2016 Subaru Forester

The compact crossover SUV class of the global automotive industry is arguably the most competitive. Almost every automaker builds a model or two and many of them are good buys for customers. The closeness of this class is clearly illustrated by comparing the 2016 Toyota RAV4 vs. 2016 Subaru Forester. For the new model-year, the 2016 RAV4 has been redesigned with new elements and accents, revealing a bolder and more athletic style. From a mechanical and performance standpoint, the two vehicles are fairly closely matched. Both vehicles are powered by similarly sized four-cylinder engines; although the 2016 RAV4 has a slight horsepower advantage over the 2016 Forester. 

As a crossover SUV, Bairl Toyota customers expect vehicles in this class to provide more than a fair amount of flexibility. The 2016 Toyota RAV4 easily overtakes the 2016 Subaru Forester in this regard. While both vehicles can seat five passengers, the new RAV4 has more space to use in a variety of ways. When riders are sitting in the rear seat, there will still be nearly 40 cubic-feet of space to store cargo. Folding that seat down in the proper configuration and that space will quickly expand to more than 70 cubic-feet. By comparison, the 2016 Forester barely brakes 30 cubic-feet of cargo space when riders are in the backseat. The Subaru can only offer about 68.5 cubic-feet of cargo volume with its second row stowed away.