Compare the2026 Genesis GV70VS 2026 Subaru Forester

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The GV70’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Forester doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the GV70 and Forester have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV70 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Forester’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The GV70 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Forester doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the GV70 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The GV70’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Forester’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The GV70 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GV70 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist and automatically engage the brakes. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and it’s not available on the Base and the Forester’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the GV70 and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Genesis GV70 is safer than the Subaru Forester:

	GV70	Forester
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.5%	33.1%
Neck Stress	142 lbs.	242 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Genesis GV70 is safer than the Subaru Forester:

	GV70	Forester
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	56	56
Hip Force	146 lbs.	349 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	208
Spine Acceleration	51 G’s	58 G’s
Hip Force	543 lbs.	640 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	504 lbs.	589 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The GV70 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Forester’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV70 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Forester. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Forester ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The GV70’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Forester’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV70 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forester.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the GV70 has a standard 150-amp alternator (180-amp - GV70 3.5T). The Forester’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the GV70 has a standard 740-amp battery. The Forester’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis above average in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

Engine

The GV70’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 120 more horsepower (300 vs. 180) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 178) than the Forester’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The GV70’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 106 more horsepower (300 vs. 194) than the Forester’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The GV70’s optional 3.5 turbo V6 produces 181 more horsepower (375 vs. 194) than the Forester’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Genesis GV70 is faster than the Subaru Forester:

	GV70 turbo 4 cyl.	GV70 turbo V6	Forester 4 cyl.	Forester 4 cyl. hybrid gas
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	5.2 sec	9.4 sec	8.2 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	9.9 sec	n/a	16.7 sec	n/a
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3 sec	n/a	5 sec	n/a
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	13.7 sec	17.2 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.4 MPH	102.2 MPH	81.1 MPH	85.8 MPH

Transmission

The GV70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Forester doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GV70’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Forester:

	GV70 2.5T	GV70 3.5T	Forester	Forester Hybrid
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	14.2 inches	12.4 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	13.6 inches	11.8 inches	11.8 inches

The GV70 stops shorter than the Forester:

	GV70	Forester
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	152 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GV70 has larger standard tires than the Forester (235/55R19 vs. 225/60R17). The GV70 Sport Prestige’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (255/40R21 vs. 235/50R19).

The GV70’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester’s standard 60 series tires. The GV70 Sport Prestige’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Forester Sport/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV70 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The GV70 Sport Prestige’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The GV70 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Forester’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GV70’s wheelbase is 8.3 inches longer than on the Forester (113.2 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the GV70 is 3.2 inches wider in the front and 3.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The GV70’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Forester’s (57% to 43%). This gives the GV70 more stable handling and braking.

The GV70 Sport Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the Forester Sport pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Forester Sport (26.3 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the GV70 Advanced is quieter than the Forester Touring:

	GV70	Forester
Full-Throttle	73 dB	73 dB
70 MPH Cruising	65 dB	69 dB

Passenger Space

The GV70 has 1.4 inches more front shoulder room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Forester.

Cargo Capacity

The GV70’s cargo area is larger than the Forester’s in almost every dimension:

	GV70	Forester
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	37”/72”	36.5”/70.7”
Max Width	56.5”	51.2”
Min Width	40.2”	43.3”
Height	29”	34.9”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GV70. The Forester doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The GV70’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The GV70 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the GV70 and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GV70 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The GV70’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Forester Premium/Wilderness/Sport/Limited/Touring’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

On a hot day the GV70’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GV70’s standard Proximity Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start is only offered on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness/Touring, and doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The GV70’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The GV70’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

Both the Genesis GV70 and Subaru Forester offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The GV70 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Forester’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The GV70 Sport Prestige/3.5T has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Forester.

The Genesis GV70 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Forester.

The GV70 Prestige/3.5T has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Forester doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The GV70 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2025 and 2 more times in the last 4 years. The Forester hasn’t been picked since 2006.

Motor Trend selected the GV70 as their 2022 Sport Utility of the Year. The Forester has never been chosen.

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