What is the best year for a Subaru Forester?

The 2024 Forester (28 complaints, 10/10 safety, 4 severe) is the standout year — the best on record. Avoid 2014 (402 complaints, 53 severe) and 2018-2019 (483 and 831 complaints respectively), which coincide with documented engine oil consumption and EyeSight recall issues. The 2022-2024 window shows significant improvement.

How much does Subaru Forester insurance cost?

Forester insurance averages about $2,035/year — roughly $170/month.

Is the Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 cheaper to maintain?

The RAV4 is $203/year cheaper — $429 versus $632 for the Forester, over $1,000 in savings over five years. The RAV4 also has higher reliability (8 vs. 7), lower major repair probability (10% vs. 13%), and lower repair frequency (26% vs. 37%). The RAV4 has a significant advantage on every maintenance metric.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Subaru Forester?

Reliability score of 7, major repair probability of 13%, and repair frequency of 37% — all above the compact class average — make extended warranty worth considering, particularly for 2014-2019 models with severe documented complaint spikes. For 2022 and newer, the risk profile improves substantially but still trails the class average.

Is the Toyota RAV4 expensive to maintain?

The RAV4 costs around $429/year to maintain — $92 below the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 26% is also below the class average of 30%, meaning fewer unscheduled shop visits than most rivals. Combined with an 8/10 reliability score and 10% major repair probability, it's one of the most economical compact SUVs to own over time.

What is the best year for a Toyota RAV4?

The 2022 RAV4 is the standout used buy. It marks the first fully settled year of the fifth generation after a turbulent launch window — complaints dropped from 865 in 2019 to just 127 in 2022, with a 10/10 NHTSA safety score and only 13 severe issues. The 2022–2023 range is reliably strong. Be cautious with 2019–2021 models, which carried elevated complaint counts as Toyota worked through early fifth-gen issues.

How much does Toyota RAV4 insurance cost?

RAV4 insurance averages around $1,990/year, or about $166/month — nearly identical to the Honda CR-V and toward the lower end for compact SUVs. The RAV4's broad popularity means insurers price it competitively. Rates vary by trim, location, and driver history, but the RAV4 is consistently an affordable quote across most profiles.

Is the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V cheaper to maintain?

The difference is minimal — the RAV4 averages $429/year versus $407/year for the CR-V, a gap of about $22 annually. Over five years that's roughly $110. Both are class leaders in maintenance cost. The CR-V scores slightly higher on reliability (9 vs. 8), but the RAV4's lower repair frequency (26% vs. 30%) means fewer unscheduled trips to the shop. Either is a sound long-term ownership choice.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Toyota RAV4?

Probably not for most buyers. The RAV4's major repair probability of 10% sits just below the compact segment average, and its 8/10 reliability score reflects a vehicle that holds up well with normal maintenance. If you're purchasing a 2019–2021 model used — which carried above-average complaints during the fifth generation's early years — adding powertrain coverage is a reasonable precaution. For 2022 and newer, the reliability case for an extended warranty is weak.

Subaru Forester vs Toyota RAV4

Two compact SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Subaru Forester if its specific features or size suit your needs better.

Buy the Toyota RAV4 — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Subaru Forester	Toyota RAV4
Annual maintenance	$632	$429winner
5-year total cost	$3,160	$2,145winner
Reliability score	7 / 10	8 / 10winner
Major repair risk (5yr)	13%	10%winner
Cargo space	74.4 cu ftwinner	70.4 cu ft
Starting price (new)	$29,600winner	$34,800
Best years to buy	—	2018, 2021, 2022

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Subaru Forester	Toyota RAV4
RepairPal score	7 / 10	8 / 10winner
NHTSA complaints / 100k	172.2	89winner
Years to avoid	2013, 2018, 2019	2012, 2013, 2014
Value retained · 3 yr	86.9%	94.5%winner
Value retained · 5 yr	67.5%	75%winner
Value retained · 7 yr	54.4%	62%winner

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Subaru Forester	Toyota RAV4
Engine	13.3%winner	15.5%
Electrical	8.0%winner	12.7%
ADAS	10.6%	9.7%winner
Brakes	3.8%winner	5.8%
Suspension	4.2%	2.9%winner
Steering	1.8%winner	3.9%
Fuel system	1.6%winner	7.9%
Tires/Wheels	1.5%winner	2.1%
Glass/Windows	24.4%	5.1%winner
Airbags	10.4%	7.8%winner

One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.

// INSURANCE

Which is cheaper to insure?

	Subaru Forester	Toyota RAV4
Avg annual premium	$2,035	$1,990winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Subaru Forester

$632/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Toyota RAV4

$429/yr maint · 8 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

The Forester costs $632/year to maintain — $111 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 37% is above the class average of 30%. Reliability score of 7 is below the class average of 8, and major repair probability of 13% is above the 11% norm. It trails the compact class average on every ownership-cost metric.

How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →