Comparing Subaru Forester hybrid and Toyota Prius Plug-in is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. They are very different cars for very  different purposes. Why to compare then? Well, there might be others like me. Considering changing from a SUV like car to almost a regular passenger car.

For starters Subaru e-Boxer is also a hybrid car. It is not sold on all markets but can be found currently e.g. from Europe. Subaru is powered with 2.0 liters naturally aspirated engine and mated with a very small 17 hp electric motor. Electric motor provides some torque especially when it is mostly needed, e.g. when moving the car from the traffic lights.

Subaru is capable of moving alone short distances with electric only power, but don’t expect this to be your gas saver. Electric only situations happen mostly on parking lots and sometimes during speeds when going downhills. In other words when not depressing the accelerator pedal too much.

Most of the time the powertrain is smooth but there are some moments when the car shuts down the gasoline engine but it needs more power than an electric motor can produce. It then quickly fires up the gasoline engine and it can feel a bit jerky for a moment.

Toyota on the other hand has very long experience of designing and manufacturing hybrid cars. And this really is visible in their cars. Powertrain is smooth without any awkward moments. It just works in all situations as it should. Especially the new Prius plug-in / Prime for model year 2023 / 2024 is a gem to drive with the power delivery it provides.

Interior and cargo space

It is not a surprise that Subaru Forester e-Boxer excels in the cargo capacity. Even the battery pack over the rear axle does not eat any cargo capacity from the trunk. In a real life situation you can throw two little kids’ bicycles to the trunk and there is still plenty of space left. This can be done without lowering second seating row seats.

This is something that just won’t happen with the Prius. It has limited cargo capacity but you should be able to throw in three airplane cabin suitcases without hassle.

From the passenger point of view Subaru has more space available. You may install a kids safety seat (the one where the kid face is towards the back) and still have plenty of space available at the front seat.

You may install a similar safety seat in Prius too and still sit relatively comfortable at the front but not as comfortable as in Forester. I am a bit shy 180 cm and tested this personally.

Winner: Subaru Forester

Visibility

Subaru is famous for its visibility. Especially with Forester. It is like a mobile fish tank. You can see so well outside and there are no shadows at all. This is a safety feature but also helps to maneuver in tight spots.

Prius has good visibility but not as good as Forester has. On the other hand Prius offers 360 camera view, which helps in tight places. Without the help of cameras and sensors, it might be a bit more difficult to park the car accurately.

Winner: Subaru Forester

Infotainment

Both manufacturers offer built-in navigation systems but also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. Using Apple CarPlay over the default navigation system is often recommended due to more accurate maps and also usability is better when using Apple or Google maps.

Subaru has an 8” screen, while Toyota has a 12” screen. Both of the screens do the job and provide a high resolution image. Obviously a bigger screen is nicer to use and e.g. when using Apple CarPlay graphics are a bit different when compared to a smaller screen.

On the audio side Subaru has a Harman/Kardon system with 9 speaker setup, including a subwoofer. The Prius has a 6 speaker setup without a subwoofer. JBL Premium sound system is not offered in Europe for some reason.

I’ve an opportunity to listen to Prius for one night and I integrated my iPhone with Apple Music into the car. Prius sounds better for some reason. One reason might be smaller cabin space and thus providing more “punchy” sound than Forester with a subwoofer.

Winner: Toyota Prius

Acceleration and passing power

Subaru Forester e-Boxer accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h (0-60 mph) in 11,8 seconds. Prius does the same in 6,8 seconds. In fact Prius is about as fast as Forester when using electric motor only.

Still in real life usage Forester does the job just fine. You don’t do 0 to 100 km/h accelerations that often, if ever. In real life passing is easy too. However with Prius you have more spots and places when to pass slower traffic. You don’t need that long straight to pass someone.

Winner: Toyota Prius

Fuel economy

Fuel economy is the one category where Toyota Prius excels. It might be the most efficient gasoline car on the market. No matter if you’re driving in the city or long distance driving. It’s a real fuel sipper!

What might be surprising is that the Subaru Forester e-Boxer can be a real fuel saver too! There are some driving profiles where it does not take that much fuel. When the conditions are right, you can drive below 5 litres per 100 km (close to 50 mpg) and that’s cool!

Still it has no match to Prius. My record for the same route with 4th gen Prius is 2,7 litres per 100 km (87 mpg).

Winner: Toyota Prius

Symmetrical all-wheel-drive vs. front wheel drive

If fuel efficiency made Prius legendary, Symmetrical all-wheel-drive does the same for Subaru. Subaru’s AWD is superior to many of its competitors in the segment. I would not say that Subaru is meant for real rock crawling but in the class of SUV cars it has an extremely capable all wheel drive system. Even deep snow and slippery ice does not stop this thing moving! This combined with extremely great ground clearance makes the car a good choice for those who often drive in bad conditions.

Bad conditions can also be, for example extremely heavy rain. Confidence just feels behind Subaru’s steering wheel. It goes steadily forward.

Subaru offers two different modes for AWD by allowing wheelspin in those cases when it might be needed. Subaru also offers hill descent control. All these are missing from Toyota.

Prius Plug-in is always a front wheel drive setup. If you see deep snow, please don’t try to go there. My advice is to keep “escape boards” inside the trunk if you’re living in the snowy areas. Luckily Prius has a good amount of ground clearance as well, although it’s not a SUV and not meant to be one.

Winner: Subaru Forester

Exterior

Depending on which you like you might love Subaru’s boxy look. Or then Toyota’s new sleek design attracts more.

For me personally, the coupe-like design of the new Toyota Prius attracts but there are many different tastes out there!

Design also has impacts to the practicality as taller rear passengers might have bit too less head room available in Prius.

Winner: tie

Conclusion

In this comparison Toyota gained 3 wins and Subaru got likewise 3 wins and then one tie with the exterior.

Which car is better of these two? It highly depends on your needs. If the priority is low running costs, then Prius is a better choice. However if you have a big family and need to haul cargo a lot or road conditions are often bad, then I would choose Subaru.

Alo worth noting is that these two cars are not direct competitors for each other but there might be different situations in one’s life and sometimes you might want to trade your SUV for something totally different.