Subaru Forester vs Toyota Grand Highlander
Two compact SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.
// VERDICT
Our verdict
Buy the Subaru Forester based on your priorities for this class.
Buy the Toyota Grand Highlander based on your priorities for this class.
// COST HEAD TO HEAD
Maintenance and ownership cost
| Subaru Forester | Toyota Grand Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance | $632 | — |
| 5-year total cost | $3,160 | — |
| Reliability score | 7 / 10 | — |
| Major repair risk (5yr) | 13% | — |
| Cargo space | 74.4 cu ft | — |
| Starting price (new) | $29,600winner | $41,860 |
| Best years to buy | — | — |
// RELIABILITY
Which is more reliable?
| Subaru Forester | Toyota Grand Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| RepairPal score | 7 / 10 | — |
| NHTSA complaints / 100k | 162.9 | 0winner |
| Years to avoid | 2013, 2018, 2019 | None identified |
| Value retained · 3 yr | 86.9% | — |
| Value retained · 5 yr | 67.5% | — |
| Value retained · 7 yr | 54.4% | — |
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks — and what it costs
| Subaru Forester | Toyota Grand Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 13.3% | —winner |
| Electrical | 8.0% | —winner |
| ADAS | 10.6% | —winner |
| Brakes | 3.8% | —winner |
| Suspension | 4.2% | —winner |
| Steering | 1.8% | —winner |
| Fuel system | 1.6% | —winner |
| Tires/Wheels | 1.5% | —winner |
| Glass/Windows | 24.4% | —winner |
| Airbags | 10.4% | —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 Grand Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg annual premium | $2,035winner | $2,474 |
// FULL MODEL PAGES
// 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 →