Honda CR-V vs Subaru Forester (2023-2026 vs 2025-2026): Which Should You Buy?

This is a genuine toss-up on paper — both score 7/10 and both files land on the same verdict shape: "buy it, but verify every recall by VIN first," because both are young generations with no long-term mileage data yet. The CR-V's edge is a clean cutoff: its worst defect, the 1.7-million-vehicle "sticky steering" recall, only affects cars built before August 30, 2024, so a 2025-2026 CR-V sidesteps it entirely, and its only real non-recall cost is a $180-400 12V battery. The Forester's edge is a simpler engine story — naturally aspirated 2.5L boxer only, no turbo, so it avoids the oil-dilution question mark still trailing the CR-V's 1.5T — but its costliest documented problem, windshield cracking ($1,000-2,500 for glass plus EyeSight recalibration), has no recall or settlement covering this generation, unlike the CR-V's issues which are almost all free dealer fixes. If minimizing out-of-pocket risk is the priority, take a post-August-2024 CR-V with recalls verified closed; if engine simplicity matters more and you're willing to carry full glass coverage, the Forester is an equally honest buy.

• •CR-V's headline problems (steering, three 2023 Hybrid recalls) are all free dealer fixes; Forester's costliest documented problem — windshield cracking — has no recall or settlement on this generation, making it the more likely real expense.
• •CR-V's 1.5T turbo still carries an unresolved oil-dilution class action and short-trip fuel-in-oil reports; Forester's naturally aspirated 2.5L boxer has no comparable engine-level flag in its file.
• •Both hybrids are unproven: CR-V's 4th-gen two-motor system stacked three recalls in its 2023 debut year, and the Forester Hybrid (added 2025) is Subaru's first-ever US Forester hybrid — neither has a multi-year track record.