Subaru Forester VS GWM Haval H6
Subaru Forester
Likes
- Hard to beat practicality
- Easy driving experience
- Ride height and capability
Dislikes
- Uninspiring drivetrain
- Price getting steep
- Potential thirst for fuel
GWM Haval H6
Likes
- Pleasant design inside and out
- Great price tag and ongoing costs
- Well-equipped for price
Dislikes
- Technology isn't as good as rivals
- Misses out on features that its rivals have
- Driving experience is a mixed bag
Summary
Subaru Forester
There’s a new top dog in the Subaru Forester family (without getting into the hybrids, that is), and it’s wearing an STI badge.
But don’t get too excited about it, because this isn’t a full-blown piece of engineering from Subaru Tecnica International - rather a slightly modified special edition based on a high-spec Forester.
Is it worthy of the iconic pink badge? Or more importantly, is it worthy of your money? We’re putting this kitted-out version of Subaru’s likeable family SUV to the test to find out.
Read more about
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.5L |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.4L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
GWM Haval H6
This week I'm road-testing the new GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid, which is the flagship model, and it offers the convenience of a hybrid engine and the space of much larger SUVs, despite only being mid-sized.
But that's not what should worry rivals like the ever-popular Toyota RAV4 hybrid, Nissan X-Trail e-Power and Kia Sportage - it's its price tag.
Read more about
- 2024 GWM Haval H9 revealed: Will the seven-seat large SUV come to Australia to take on the new Toyota Prado in a 4WD battle?
- 2023's sales winners! How Isuzu, Nissan, GWM, Tesla and more had excellent years
- Will the 2024 Haval H5 come to Australia to take on the Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento? New larger Chinese SUV adopts tough styling and turbocharged engines
This Chinese competitor is shaking things up and in this review I'll unpack if it's as good in real life as it is on paper.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.2L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Subaru Forester7.5/10
Don’t let the 7.5/10 make you think the Forester is not a good car. For the person who needs a practical, off-road-capable mid-size family SUV without too many complications, it’s extremely hard to look past this thing.
Is the STI Sport the best choice in the range? Not for most, given its higher price and relative lack of extra ability to go with it. A standard suspension tune and even a slightly less plush interior are probably a better call for most family needs, which means saving a fair bit at the purchase.
It’s also worth noting that the next generation Forester is coming soon, and with that could come a price hike. If a Forester is on the shopping list but the cost of living is starting to bite, now might be the time.
If the slightly sharper handling and red interior leather is of interest to you, the STI Sport might be worth a look, but just know the Forester’s best attributes can be had for less money in a much cheaper variant.
GWM Haval H67.9/10
The GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid offers an attractive package for those hunting for a medium SUV hybrid that is affordable but well-equipped. Its rivals have a nicer on-road driving experience and better multimedia systems but you get a lot for your money and the H6 has great on-going costs.
Design
Subaru Forester
The Forester is a pretty good-looking thing in this writer’s eyes, but its design hasn’t changed dramatically in the last few years.
The mid-size SUV looks equally at home on inner-city residential streets and in the middle of nowhere, even with the slightly ‘sported-up’ black trim of the STI version. And I do mean ‘slightly’.
Aside from the fact it looks a lot like the Forester 2.5i Sport of a few years ago (without the red bits), the STI Sport is perhaps ironically unadventurous. Even its alloy wheels don’t scream ‘sports’.
For all the SUVs with their respective brands’ performance badging (and not engineering) attached to them that bear more bark than bite, maybe it’s not such a bad thing Subaru has refrained from putting the Forester in full Tecnica uniform.
Inside, however, the black and red leather seems determined to distract from the fact that not much else has changed cabin-wise. It feels visually busier than it needs to, but still falls on the correct side of the restrained/garish line.
But there’s probably a reason the interior feels a little bit ‘classic Subie’ - if it works, it might pay to avoid making big changes.
GWM Haval H6
The Haval H6 is a good-looking medium SUV. It manages to blend the functionality of its size with a sleekness that should make it appealing to a wide audience.
You can tell the hybrid models apart from the pack because the grille ‘bleeds’ into the surrounding panels rather than maintaining the usual rectangular shape of the non-hybrid models. It makes the front look more stylish.
The full suite of LED lights look particularly interesting on the Ultra Hybrid with a focus on the full-width strip at the rear and cute ‘bunting’ styled brake lights.
The cabin exudes a good sense of quality with most of the materials used, like the synthetic leather upholstery and trims as well as soft touchpoints throughout. There are some harder plastics which detract from this general aesthetic but they’re mostly found in the back row and centre console.
The dashboard is stepped and has a lot going on with the chrome accents, shapes, style of vents and tech screens. You might think that would be overwhelming but it just adds nice focal points. The cabin is a pleasant space to be in.
Practicality
Subaru Forester
I've heard the Forester called a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ kind of car, and I reckon that’s unfair. Aside from having Subaru’s venerable all-wheel drive at its disposal, the Forester is a supremely practical SUV - exactly what it needs to be given the reasons most people buy SUVs.
Okay, so the interface and tech is pretty old. If you’ve been in a Forester built in the last few years, there’s not a lot new to find.
There are some deliberately large buttons, the climate controls are still very classic and tactile, even the steering wheel buttons are pretty chunky.
If you’re not used to the amount of technology in new cars, Subaru has tried to make this as easy as possible to navigate.
I hate to sound like one of those ‘back in my day’ people, but in a lot of cases I’m finding myself preferring interior layouts and controls of a few years ago rather than post-2020 screens and ‘iPad’ style controls.
Newer Subarus have a rather large portrait centre screen, and even though it works fine, this one with the buttons below it is easier.
The instrument cluster being a pair of physical dials is also welcome, even if it means the digital display looks many years older than the car really is.
It’s also a spacious cabin, if not just physically then in feeling also. The huge sunroof and high-visibility glasshouse means plenty of light comes in and makes it feel roomy while also of course being easy to see out of (and therefore, manoeuvre).
Ergonomically, the Subie is sound. The seating position, aforementioned driver visibility, controls placement and space around each passenger is practical and well thought out, plus moving back into the second row doesn’t feel like a huge comfort downgrade.
Light in the second row is also good, the seats recline and the touch-point materials are like the front seats - comfy leather and a lack of scratchy plastics unless you go looking for them.
The second row can also be folded down (in a 60/40 split) from the boot with controls near the electric tailgate, which brings the boot space from 498 litres to 1060L, though Subaru says maximum space available is 1740L up to the ceiling.
GWM Haval H6
The cabin has loads of passenger space and it feels roomy up front. It’s also an easy car to get in and out of, which I like. I don't love the comfort of the front seats, though, as the seat backs cave too far inwards, even with the lumbar extended. Not conducive to great posture.
The back seat is like a lounge, though, and in this instance I'd prefer to be a passenger princess than the driver in this car.
In the back row, the head- and legroom is excellent and middle seaters will be comfortable thanks to the flat floor.
Individual storage is very good up front, the centre console playing the hero with its large shelf underneath. There are also two cupholders, a utility tray and a cute little nook for any small items like keys.
The middle console is medium-sized, as is the glove box and both doors have storage bins and a drink bottle holder.
In the back seat, there are map pockets, two cupholders in a fold down armrest and shallow storage bins in each door.
The other amenities in the back row are okay and you get directional air vents and reading lights.
You get a good storage capacity with the 600L boot and the level loading space makes it easy to slide gear in and out. The back seat has a 60/40 split if you need to boost your storage capacity. There’s no spare tyre in this model, just a tyre repair kit but you do get a powered tailgate.
The practicality of the cabin is hurt by the usefulness of some of its tech, which is a shame since the cabin on a whole is fairly good.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great and is fairly easy to use but the screen can occasionally lag. There are a lot of functions buried in the system and I miss having physical buttons for this reason. I sometimes don't bother with the heat and ventilation functions for the front seats because it isn't simple to access them.
You don’t get built-in sat nav or digital radio in this model but you do have wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I have beef with the CarPlay as the USB-A port for it is on the passenger side, not the driver's side. The CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity also dropped out a lot, which I found frustrating, especially when I was using it to navigate.
Charging options are okay with each row getting two USB-A ports. The front also features a wireless charging pad and a 12-volt outlet but you miss out on faster USB-C sockets.
Price and features
Subaru Forester
At $48,640, before on-road costs, the Forester STI Sport AWD (to use its full name) has some strong competition - there are high-spec AWD hybrid Toyota RAV4 GXLs, powerful front-drive SUVs like the Ford Escape Vignale and Hyundai Tucson N-Line hybrid, or even variants of Euros like the VW Tiguan and Renault Koleos all within $1000 of the STI Sport’s sticker price.
But those looking for the practicality the mix of Subaru’s AWD, the space inside, and perhaps even the slightly older interior can provide, there’s a decent list of features for a car coming in at just a slice under ‘fifty large’.
The STI Sport AWD is based on the top-spec (petrol) Forester 2.5i-S, so it shares plenty of standard features - read on for those - but the key additions for this variant include a suspension tune by the eponymous performance division, a combination black and ‘Bordeaux Red’ interior leather with red contrast stitching, STI badging inside and out, dark grey 18-inch alloy wheels and black exterior trim for the grille, mirrors, roof rails and light surrounds.
From the Forester 2.5i-S, the STI Sport also brings along the existing leather seats and trim, with power-adjustable fronts which are also heated, plus the other main interior features like the 8.0-inch touchscreen for multimedia with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with subwoofer and amp and a large electric sunroof.
It’s lacking some more modern features like wireless phone mirroring, wireless phone charging, USB-C ports or a fully digital driver display, but the latter of those is certainly no great loss.
On the outside, the existing self-levelling LED headlights with cornering response, LED DRLs and fog lights, privacy glass, roof rails and electric tailgate all also carry over from the 2.5i-S.
There are certainly rivals with more features, but they require trade-offs in other areas that might not appeal to Subaru customers.
GWM Haval H6
The H6 has six variants and our model on test is the flagship Ultra Hybrid, which is priced from $45,990, drive-away. That makes it way more affordable than similarly equipped rivals, the closest drive-away price tag being over $10K higher, at $56,206 for the Toyota RAV4 Cruiser 2WD Hybrid.
Pricing goes up from there with the Kia Sportage GT-Line HEV priced from $60,496 and the Nissan X-Trail e-Power Ti-L from $63,200 (drive-away prices based on a NSW, 2000 postcode). So what do you get on the top-model hybrid H6?
For premium features, expect to see synthetic leather upholstery and trims, a panoramic sunroof, a handsfree powered tailgate, dual-zone climate control and a head-up display.
The front seats are electric, with the passenger side featuring four-way adjustment and the driver's side eight-way, as well as powered lumbar support. They sport heat and ventilation functions for added comfort.
Technology is high-quality with the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system. There is wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is good because unlike it's rivals, you miss out on built-in satellite navigation and digital radio in this model.
The exterior boasts a full suite of LED lights, including DRLs. Rims are 19-inch alloy but this hybrid model only gets a tyre puncture repair kit.
For the price tag, the kit is well-rounded and most creature comforts are assured.
Under the bonnet
Subaru Forester
The same drivetrain as is used in the 2.5i-S is found in the STI Sport AWD.
No prizes for anyone who guessed it’s a 2.5-litre flat-four engine, but some might be disappointed to know that means no turbocharging and no sporty transmission - the STI Sport still outputs 136kW and 239Nm via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Subaru’s ever-present ‘symmetrical’ all-wheel drive system is, of course, here in the Forester too, but the brand’s relatively recent foray into hybrid drivetrains was given a miss for this version.
GWM Haval H6
The Ultra Hybrid is powered by a (110kW/230Nm) 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine and 'two-speed' (130kW/300Nm) electric motor with drive going to the front wheels only. The motor is powered by a relatively small 1.8kWh lithium-ion battery and GWM Haval quotes combined petrol-electric outputs of 179kW/530Nm.
Clearly that 530Nm torque figure is the result of simply adding the engine and motor's peak numbers together, which is 'unusual' because other brands quote a blended torque output and that's a massive amount of pulling power. In comparison, the RAV4 produces 160kW/221Nm and the Sportage 169kW/350Nm.
Question marks hovering above specification calculations aside, on the road the Ultra Hybrid is no slouch and you can easily keep your speed consistent on hills.
Efficiency
Subaru Forester
Subaru claims a 7.4L/100km combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption figure for the STI Sport AWD, and while we’ve seen tests come close to that in other variants of the Forester with the same drivetrain, inner-city life can be a detriment to the Forester’s drinking habits.
On a test loop which was fairly unsympathetic to fuel efficiency, the Forester’s trip computer reported a 10.2L/100km figure, though a commute from inner-Melbourne to the CBD saw the digits nudge 13.0.
Historically, highway driving has been better for the Forester, and the STI Sport should be no different - plus its 63-litre fuel tank (able to run on 91 RON) should mean if you can approach Subaru’s claimed fuel consumption figure, you could theoretically find yourself driving more than 800km on a single tank.
GWM Haval H6
The official combined cycle fuel figure is just 5.2L/100km and my real-world usage is 6.0L/100km after mostly open road driving. I would expect that figure to be lower in an urban setting.
Based on the combined cycle number and the 61L fuel tank, expect a driving range of up to 1173km for this model. Great for road tripping adventures. GWM recommends a minimum 91 RON 'standard' unleaded petrol to be used.
The Ultra Hybrid is not a plug-in hybrid. Instead, it uses its engine and regenerative braking to recoup battery percentage while you’re driving. After 230km I was only down to 91 per cent for the battery, which means it’s pretty darn efficient in that recouping process.
Driving
Subaru Forester
Like much of the Forester STI, the driving experience is heavily borrowed from some tried and true Subaru characteristics.
That naturally aspirated flat-four engine, though underwhelming on paper, gets the job done without much fuss. In fact, it sometimes feels peppier than it should given its outputs.
Its 'S/I' (Sport or Intelligent) drive mode selector is there to adjust acceleration style, but it doesn’t make an enormous difference.
Yes, it could do with more torque, but the engine doesn’t struggle and only starts to sound laboured at high revs during the kind of acceleration you’d need for seconds at a time.
The sound of a CVT whirring away isn’t exactly auditory bliss, nor does it make for engaging acceleration.
But it’s relatively quiet under regular load below highway speed and, as long as the road isn’t too coarse, NVH is generally good in the Forester.
Road, wind and engine noise are certainly present in certain circumstances, but they’re not intrusive until you get to higher speeds.
At those high speeds is where you might notice one of the most significant changes to the STI version of the Forester - the dampers have been retuned by STI, for what Subaru hopes is a “sharper, more responsive driving experience”.
It’s hard to seriously call the Forester sharp - it’s a mid-size family SUV with enough clearance to go light off-roading - but the STI Sport holds up well for what it is.
The Forester driving experience was already likeable and easy, and in terms of cornering and handling bumpy rural (or even just bumpy urban) roads, the suspension keeps things under control without feeling too stiff.
Its body doesn’t roll as much as you might expect when cornering, but given STI’s engineers focused their efforts on the dampers, its a good thing the Forester doesn’t either waft or thud when presented with big sharp bumps, nor does it vibrate and rattle over constant rough surfaces.
Of course, it’s also got 'X Mode' controls for different surfaces like snow, dirt and mud, making it a pretty handy companion for outdoor adventuring or camping trips in regions where the weather gets a bit unpredictable. If you’ve ever tried to get a front-wheel drive hatchback out of a muddy hillside campsite…
Essentially, the Forester is the kind of SUV that, if you wanted to, you could have a medium amount of fun with on a twisty road before taking it down a particularly rough, unsealed or muddy trail, then later hand the keys to your grandma knowing she’d be able to handle everything about the driving experience, too.
GWM Haval H6
The Ultra Hybrid has a good well of power to dip into and the switch between the petrol and electric functions is pretty smooth but occasionally when you’re getting up to speed on a highway you get some loud noises as it switches over.
Power delivery is well balanced but you lose traction in the front if you accelerate too quickly from a standstill, particularly if you’re doing it on an incline.
When you’re braking on a hill, there can be a quick sliding sensation as if its slipped out of gear, which I did not like at all.
The ride comfort is a mixed bag for me, mostly because the front seats are uncomfortable on a longer journey but the suspension is compliant enough that you don’t wince when you hit bumps. There is some roll when you hit corners but otherwise you don’t really feel jostled in the Ultra Hybrid which is good.
Around town and at lower speeds, the engine noise is virtually nil and that creates a more refined on-road experience but road and wind noise are noticeable at higher speeds.
With the steering wheel feel set on ‘Comfort’ the H6 manoeuvres responsively in the city but can feel a little clunky in a tight car park because of its larger 12m turning circle.
The 360-degree view camera system is super clear, though, and you also get front and rear parking sensors so I didn’t find the H6 hard to park.
Safety
Subaru Forester
The Forester holds a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in 2019, which sounds outdated but arguably the most important aspects of the ANCAP testing are the crash protection, for which the Forester scored highly - an extremely good 94 per cent for adult occupant protection and 86 per cent for child occupant protection.
Seven airbags including dual frontal, side chest, curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag keep occupants protected, while Subaru notes the engine’s low-centred nature means it’s designed to slip under rather than into the cabin cell in case of a frontal collision.
Its active safety systems have been kept up to date, with functions like lane-keep assist, driver monitoring, automatic reverse braking and the help of Subaru’s ‘EyeSight’ monitoring system are all welcome additions, particularly since they’re not as intrusive as some rivals.
The lane-keep assist, for example, only beeps (relatively calmly) and intervenes when the Forester actually approaches the lane edge, and the driver monitoring and speed warning systems don’t chime or give warnings unless something is actually going wrong.
Like the multimedia and interior layout, the active safety is one area where the most recent previous generation of common features seems to be better than those many manufacturers are now implementing.
GWM Haval H6
In this grade level the H6 has a great suite of safety features, including a biggie like rear cross-traffic alert, which is only available on the higher Ultra grades. The lane keeping aid is quite sensitive, though, which can lead to a jerky on-road feel.
Other standard safety features include driver attention alert, tyre pressure monitoring, rear collision warning, LED lights, lane departure/keeping aids, emergency lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, child safety locks and a 360-degree camera system with front and rear parking sensors.
A windshield mounted USB-A port for a dashcam, is also standard.
The H6 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022 as well as seven airbags including a front centre airbag.
It has high individual assessment scores for adult and child protection at 90 and 88 per cent, respectively.
The H6 features AEB with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 5.0-85km/h (150km/h for car detection).
There are two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tether anchor points. Three car seats are likely to fit.
Ownership
Subaru Forester
Subaru’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is now considered the minimum par-for-course coverage for a mainstream new car in Australia, while some rivals are offering seven-, eight- or even 10-year warranties (though the longer one are sometimes conditional).
Subaru also offers 12 months of roadside assistance, though this is also often offered in similar lengths to warranties by competitors.
Servicing intervals for the Forester are every 12,500km or 12 months, with the first of five capped price services (aside from a free one-month check-up) costing $370.91 and the most expensive (fourth) costing $888.62.
A $1387.25 three-year service contract or a $2674.64 five-year plan are on offer.
GWM Haval H6
Affordability is extended to the ongoing costs for the H6 because it comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is above average for the class.
The hybrid battery is covered by an eight-year warranty and there is a five-year capped priced servicing program where services average $330, which is very competitive for the class.
Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first and you also get complimentary roadside assistance for five years through Allianz Global Assistance.