Most cross-shoppers pick the Forester: standard AWD, better visibility, and EyeSight at base trim. It's also Consumer Reports' 2026 Top Compact SUV.
But the CR-V wins on a few points. Here's the full back-to-back before your test drive.
If you are cross-shopping a 2026 Forester against a 2026 CR-V, the spec sheets are close enough that the test drive is what settles it, so plan to drive both on the same Saturday afternoon. What decides it shows up once you do.
Standard Symmetrical AWD is the deciding factor for buyers who need AWD. Forester ships it on every trim; CR-V charges roughly $1,500 more to option it. Then there's how you see out of the thing, which buyers don't expect to care about until they're sitting in both.
The Forester's tall square greenhouse and thin pillars beat the CR-V's sloped rooflines for changing lanes on I-15. EyeSight Driver Assist at base trim matters: Subaru has shipped EyeSight standard for years. Honda Sensing is also standard across the CR-V lineup; the edge Subaru buyers cite is EyeSight's longer track record and well-regarded lane-centering tuning, not whether the base trim has it.
Findlay Subaru of Las Vegas has served Las Vegas families at 6455 Roy Horn Way since 2009. We are part of the Findlay Automotive Group, founded 1961. We hold a 4.7-star Google rating across 3,500+ reviews. Reach our sales team through the contact page to schedule the cross-shop Saturday.
| Factor | Forester 2026 Subaru | CR-V 2026 Honda |
|---|---|---|
| Standard drivetrain | Symmetrical AWD (standard, all trims) | FWD standard; AWD optional |
| Engine (non-hybrid) | 2.5L horizontally opposed 4-cyl, 180 hp | 1.5L turbocharged inline-4, 190 hp |
| Hybrid available | Yes: Premium / Sport / Limited / Touring Hybrid ($34,730 – $41,545) | Yes (CR-V Hybrid trims) |
| Hybrid combined MPG | 35 city / 34 hwy (Forester Hybrid) | 40 combined FWD; 37 combined AWD (EPA) |
| Ground clearance | 8.7 in standard · 9.3 in Wilderness | 7.8 in FWD; 8.2 in AWD |
| Cargo behind rear seats | 27.5 cu ft (Sport / Limited / Touring); 29.6 cu ft (Base, Premium) | 39.3 cu ft (gas); 36.3 cu ft (Hybrid) |
| Max cargo, seats folded | Up to 74.4 cu ft | 76.5 cu ft (gas); 71.8 cu ft (Hybrid) |
| Max towing | 1,500 lb standard; 3,500 lb Wilderness | 1,500 lb (gas); 1,000 lb (Hybrid) |
| Standard driver-assist | Subaru EyeSight (every trim) | Honda Sensing (every trim) |
| Base MSRP (national) | $29,995 (2026 Forester Base, subaru.com) | Check current MSRP at automobiles.honda.com |
Confirm trim-level numbers against subaru.com and automobiles.honda.com before you sign anything. Both brands adjust trims and option packages mid-model-year.
Spec disclosure · Sources: Subaru of America (subaru.com), American Honda Motor Co. (automobiles.honda.com), accessed June 2026. Manufacturers periodically refresh trim packaging and EPA figures, so any number used on a deal sheet should be re-pulled at the time of purchase. Considering a specific Forester trim? Tell us which one through the contact page and we'll send the live spec and out-the-door price.
A few things come up in our Forester-versus-CR-V conversations far more reliably than spec-sheet comparisons do, and you won't spot any of them in a configurator.
Standard Symmetrical AWD is the deciding factor for buyers who actually need AWD. Forester ships it standard on every trim; CR-V adds roughly $1,500 to option it. Buyers who drive to Mount Charleston in winter, take the Sunday loop through Red Rock when the monsoon hits, or keep a second home in Pahrump pick the Forester.
They want the always-on engagement. The dollar comparison gets closer when you spec a CR-V with AWD, but the trim mix never reaches the same value point as a base Forester Premium.
Then there's visibility. Most buyers don't expect to care about it until they sit in both cars back-to-back. Forester's tall, square greenhouse and thin pillars give meaningfully better outward visibility than the more sloped CR-V rooflines, and our Product Specialists watch older buyers and parents flag it on nearly every test drive. The rear three-quarter view for changing lanes on I-15 is a measurable difference. CR-V buyers who flag interior quietness as their priority pick the Honda; Forester buyers who flag visibility pick the Subaru.
EyeSight is the third thing buyers raise. Subaru ships it standard on every 2026 Forester: adaptive cruise control, lane centering, pre-collision braking, pre-collision throttle management. Honda Sensing is also strong on the CR-V. At base trim the difference comes down to feature granularity. EyeSight has been on the market longer, and independent reviewers rate its lane-centering tuning well.
Already installed. Every 2026 Forester ships with full-time Symmetrical AWD. No option box.
Adds to MSRP. A base CR-V is FWD; AWD adds roughly $1,500 to the trim sticker.
Tall, square greenhouse. Thin pillars beat the CR-V's sloped rooflines for changing lanes.
Mt. Charleston ready. Always-on engagement for the Sunday loop or a second home in Pahrump.
Every trim. Adaptive cruise, lane centering, pre-collision braking. Included at base.
Honda wins here. Buyers who flag interior quietness as the top priority pick the CR-V.
Standard Symmetrical AWD on every trim. The Forester comes set up for the roof rack and the corner; a CR-V adds roughly $1,500 to option all-wheel drive.
For Las Vegas drivers the AWD question splits two ways: paved Clark County roads don't require it, but Mt. Charleston in snow, Red Rock after rain, or a winter trip to Zion changes the calculation in the Forester's favor.
Want to feel the difference? Schedule a Forester test drive or reach Sales through the contact page. Ask for the cross-shop route so you can drive both the Forester and a CR-V back-to-back on the same stretch of Roy Horn Way and I-15.
We have inspected and serviced both Forester and CR-V trade-ins across full Mojave summer cycles, and the same wear shows up year after year.
Forester Wilderness in its element. 9.3 inches of ground clearance on the Wilderness (8.7 in on standard trims), a 3,500 lb tow rating on Wilderness, and a cooling system that handles 110°F when the maintenance stays current.
Findlay Subaru's service team at 6455 Roy Horn Way handles Subaru-specific rotations, alignments, and Express Service intervals on a schedule built for the Mojave climate. Book a service appointment or schedule online through the service scheduler. Fixed Operations Director Carmine Kopecky runs the service operation.
Service hours: Monday–Friday 7 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 7 AM to 5 PM. Closed Sunday.
Buy the Forester here, service it here.
Factory-trained on the boxer-engine, symmetrical-AWD platform — not a generalist guessing at a Subaru.
Engineered to Subaru's own standards and looked up by VIN, stocked at our parts counter.
Work documented and on file keeps your factory and powertrain coverage on the strongest footing.
The full 2026 Subaru Forester lineup. Verified MSRPs from Subaru of America (subaru.com, verified May 2026).
Symmetrical AWD and EyeSight are standard across every 2026 trim. Standard engine is the 2.5L SUBARU BOXER 4-cylinder at 180 hp, EPA-rated 33 mpg highway and 26 mpg city on Base and Premium gas trims. Maximum towing capacity is 1,500 lb on standard trims and 3,500 lb on Wilderness.
MSRP, excludes destination and Nevada fees. Gas Forester trims are EPA-rated 26–29 mpg combined depending on trim. For current Findlay out-the-door pricing, see the 2026 Forester inventory.
The 2026 Forester Hybrid lineup runs from Premium Hybrid at $34,730 through Sport Hybrid $37,930, Limited Hybrid $38,995, and Touring Hybrid $41,545. Hybrid system net power is 194 hp (gas engine alone 162 hp / 154 lb-ft). EPA fuel economy on the hybrid lineup runs 34 mpg highway and 35 mpg city.
Power rear gate, 2026 Forester Sport. Hands-full and the gate opens for you. Symmetrical AWD is standard on the Sport, like every other trim.
Cargo behind the rear seats runs 27.5 cu ft on Sport, Limited, and Touring trims and 29.6 cu ft on Base and Premium (per Subaru 2026 specs). Maximum cargo with the seats folded runs up to 74.4 cu ft. Ground clearance is 8.7 in on standard trims and 9.3 in on the Forester Wilderness.
Inside the 2026 Forester. The vertical touchscreen runs climate, phone mirroring, and the EyeSight settings; physical knobs stay for volume and tuning.
Symmetrical AWD and EyeSight are standard on every 2026 Forester trim. On the CR-V, all-wheel drive is an option you add.
Both suites are mature and feature-comparable at the standard-equipment level. The current 2026 IIHS designation for each vehicle (Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+, by trim) is published at iihs.org/ratings.
NHTSA five-star overall ratings have been awarded to recent model years of both vehicles. Verify the current 2026 NHTSA figure at nhtsa.gov.
Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist is standard on every 2026 Forester trim, including adaptive cruise control, lane centering, pre-collision braking, and pre-collision throttle management. Honda Sensing pairs a camera with millimeter-wave radar and is standard across the CR-V lineup.
We have served buyers who walked in priorities-first on driver-assist. The Forester's stereo-camera tuning and the CR-V's radar-plus-camera architecture both perform well at urban speeds; the differences appear at the edges: low-light, heavy rain, lane-line ambiguity.
EyeSight lives behind the glass. The stereo cameras sit at the top of the windshield, standard on every 2026 Forester trim. Clean glass and current calibration are the practical safety variables.
On any specific car, the suite name matters less than the basics: is it calibrated, is the windshield clean (EyeSight reads the road through it), is the software current? A Findlay Subaru technician can confirm EyeSight calibration during any scheduled service visit booked through the service scheduler.
Both are well-regarded, and they rate within a few points of each other. Consumer Reports gives the CR-V a slight edge on predicted reliability for this model year, while Forester owners report higher satisfaction and J.D. Power scores the two close on dependability. Worth weighing against that single metric: Consumer Reports names Subaru its 2026 Best Overall Brand for the second year running and ranks the Forester its Top Compact SUV. Neither vehicle is the runaway pick, so this dimension rarely decides the cross-shop on its own.
On resale, the CR-V holds its value modestly better at five years per published depreciation data, though both beat the compact-SUV average and the gap is small. For independent valuation context, pull each vehicle up at Kelley Blue Book before you walk in. Treat any single-year reliability rating as one data point alongside maintenance history and trim choice.
Subaru is Consumer Reports' 2026 Best Overall Automotive Brand.
Per Consumer Reports via Subaru of America (2026). Forester and Forester Hybrid named 2026 Top Compact SUV. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services.
EPA combined ratings and Consumer Reports' real-world testing land close. In CR's tested numbers, the two hybrids are nearly even, with the CR-V Hybrid about 1 mpg ahead of the Forester Hybrid; on the gas models, the Forester tested slightly ahead, though EPA combined figures are closer. Verify the current EPA numbers for the exact trims you are comparing at fueleconomy.gov against your own city-versus-highway mix.
Subaru's New Vehicle Limited Warranty runs 3 years or 36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, with the powertrain at 5 years or 60,000 miles. Honda's CR-V coverage matches. None of that requires servicing exclusively at a Subaru retailer, but documented OEM-spec service is the cleanest paper trail you can have.
Findlay Subaru of Las Vegas is a Certified Subaru Eco-Friendly Retailer, and Subaru of America named us their 2023 Subaru Love Promise Retailer of the Year.
Five categories drive the five-year number. The Forester-vs-CR-V distinction moves it less than driver profile and trim choice do.
Net read: five-year TCO is closer than most shoppers expect. The standard-AWD difference, the Saturday test-drive impressions, and the long-term service relationship move the buying decision more than the spreadsheet does.
Out-the-door pricing at any Las Vegas dealer reflects national MSRP plus destination, dealer documentation fee, Nevada DMV fees, and any active manufacturer or dealer incentives. For a current 2026 Forester quote at Findlay Subaru of Las Vegas, reach Sales through the contact page or visit 6455 Roy Horn Way.
The fastest way to settle the Forester-versus-CR-V question is to drive them back-to-back, then get the numbers in writing.
A weekend car in Clark County. Most of the Foresters we sell spend their week on I-15 and their Saturdays at the courts, the trailhead, or Mt. Charleston.
For a current 2026 Forester quote at Findlay Subaru of Las Vegas, reach Sales through the contact page or visit 6455 Roy Horn Way.
Drive them back-to-back and you'll answer the AWD-and-visibility question yourself faster than we can across the desk. Ask for the cross-shop route when you call.
| Your top priority | Vehicle that wins on paper | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Standard AWD with no option box | Forester | Symmetrical AWD standard on every trim |
| Outward visibility on I-15 | Forester | Tall, square greenhouse with thin pillars |
| Highest ground clearance | Forester | 8.7 in (every trim) |
| Tow rating for trail rigs | Forester Wilderness | 3,500 lb on Wilderness; 1,500 lb on standard trims |
| EyeSight standard at base trim | Forester | Subaru ships EyeSight on every trim |
| Interior quietness as top priority | CR-V | Buyers who flag this consistently pick the Honda |
| Maximum hatch cargo volume | CR-V | Honda publishes more cubic feet behind the second row |
| Buying experience close to 89118 | Forester at Findlay | Cross-shop route, Express Store, 100-mile home delivery |
Browse current Forester inventory · Run a trade appraisal · Schedule a test drive. Apply for financing before you visit so we have a tier and a max already on file.
Findlay Automotive Group founded 1961, 65 years in business. Authorized Subaru retailer at 6455 Roy Horn Way, Las Vegas, NV 89118. General Manager Burton Hughes; General Sales Manager Scott McCoy.
Burton Hughes · General Manager.
Scott McCoy · General Sales Manager.
Part of Findlay Automotive Group (founded 1961, 65 years in business).
Authorized Subaru of America retailer serving Las Vegas, Henderson, Pahrump, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Summerlin.
Express Store with instant upfront pricing online. Same-day financing approval. Personalized video walkaround on request.
Home delivery within 100 miles of 89118. Complete-from-home buying flow if you don't want to come in.
Six Subaru program designations: Eco-Friendly Retailer, Express Service, Certified Pre-Owned, TradeUp Advantage, Love-Encore, Subaru Parts Online.
Sales: Mon–Sat 8 AM–8 PMSunday: closed
Browse online inventory and the Express Store. Reach any department through the contact page.
6455 Roy Horn Way, Las Vegas, NV 89118.
Three patterns repeat at our desk. First, standard Symmetrical AWD: Forester ships it on every trim, while the CR-V charges roughly $1,500 more for it. Second, outward visibility: the Forester's tall square greenhouse and thin pillars beat the CR-V's sloped rooflines for changing lanes on I-15. Third, EyeSight Driver Assist standard equipment at base trim.
None of those are obvious from a spec sheet. They show up after the test drive. CR-V buyers who flag interior quietness as their top priority pick the Honda.
Yes. Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard on every 2026 Forester trim sold for the U.S. market. There is no FWD Forester.
The CR-V offers AWD as an option that adds roughly $1,500 to the trim's MSRP; the base CR-V is front-wheel drive unless AWD is specifically optioned. Confirm the build sheet before you sign.
Verified Subaru of America MSRPs (subaru.com, verified May 2026): Base $29,995, Premium $32,995, Sport $35,995, Sport Onyx Edition $36,495, Wilderness $36,995, Limited $39,295, Touring $41,595.
Forester Hybrid lineup: Premium Hybrid $34,730, Sport Hybrid $37,930, Limited Hybrid $38,995, Touring Hybrid $41,545. Hybrid system net power is 194 hp, EPA-rated 34 mpg highway and 35 mpg city.
Both manufacturers certify their cooling systems for desert-Southwest operation. The failure mode we have served at our service drive is not the cooling system itself; it is owners who stretched coolant condition checks past the published interval. We have replaced coolant on both Foresters and CR-Vs at the 5-year mark and found additive depletion that should have been caught at year 3.
Battery service in Mojave heat runs 6 to 12 months earlier than the manuals predict. Have the battery load-tested every spring before the heat hits.
Findlay Subaru of Las Vegas is at 6455 Roy Horn Way, Las Vegas, NV 89118. Sales hours: Monday through Saturday 8 AM to 8 PM, closed Sunday. Reach any department through the contact page.
We have served Las Vegas families since 2009 as part of the Findlay Automotive Group, founded 1961. We hold a 4.7-star Google rating across 3,500+ reviews and the Subaru Love Promise 2026 Heart Award. Ask for the cross-shop route when you contact us.
EyeSight uses a stereo-camera architecture behind the windshield. Honda Sensing uses a camera-plus-radar combination. EyeSight is standard on every 2026 Forester trim: adaptive cruise control, lane centering, pre-collision braking, and pre-collision throttle management. Honda Sensing is standard across the CR-V lineup.
At urban speeds both perform well; the differences appear at the edges: low-light, heavy rain, lane-line ambiguity. The practical question on any specific vehicle is whether the system is calibrated, the windshield clean, and the software current.
The CR-V carries more cargo behind the rear seats: roughly 39 cubic feet versus the Forester's 27.5 to 29.6, depending on trim. If maximum behind-the-seats capacity for a stroller, a Costco run, or gear is your top priority, the Honda wins that number.
The two are closer with the seats folded (CR-V up to 76.5 cu ft, Forester up to 74.4). The Forester's cargo opening is taller and more upright, which some buyers find easier to load. Drive both with your actual gear in the back before you decide.
The Forester has a real, defensible edge in snow. Its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard and full-time, sending power to all four wheels continuously. The CR-V's Real Time AWD is front-wheel-drive based and sends power rearward only when it detects slip, and it costs extra to add. Consumer Reports' track testing has rated the Forester ahead of the CR-V for snow traction.
That said, a CR-V with AWD is still capable for most Las Vegas winter driving, including trips up to Mt. Charleston. If you regularly drive in snow, the Forester's always-on system is the more confident choice.
Both are well-regarded. The two rate within a few points of each other on reliability: Consumer Reports gives the CR-V a slight edge on predicted reliability, while Forester owners report higher satisfaction, and J.D. Power scores them close on dependability. Neither is the runaway pick.
On resale, the CR-V holds value modestly better at five years, though both beat the compact-SUV average and the gap is small. For a long-term hold, either is a sound choice.
The 2026 Forester starts at $29,995 MSRP (Subaru of America, verified May 2026) with standard all-wheel drive. The CR-V's base trim is front-wheel drive; matching the Forester's standard AWD adds roughly $1,500 to a comparable CR-V. Check the current CR-V MSRP at automobiles.honda.com, since once AWD is added the entry prices land closer than the headline base numbers suggest.
For your out-the-door number on either vehicle in Clark County, including Nevada DMV fees, reach Sales through the contact page.
Specifications and capability claims cross-checked against Subaru of America (subaru.com) and American Honda Motor Co. (automobiles.honda.com) accessed May 2026. Trim packaging, EPA figures, and incentives change mid-model-year, so any number used on a deal sheet should be re-pulled at the time of purchase. For a current quote on a 2026 Forester, use our contact page.
What it usually comes down to: the AWD that's already in the Forester's price, how well you see out on I-15, and EyeSight at the base trim. CR-V buyers who put interior quietness first pick the Honda; the ones who care about visibility and standard AWD pick the Forester.
Ask for the cross-shop route. Same stretch of Roy Horn Way and I-15, both vehicles back-to-back, and the AWD-and-visibility question answers itself.
