Forester Hybrid vs EV6 Review Clash

Two very different roads, one clear question: what actually works for everyday drivers? We put miles on the 2025 Subaru Forester Premium Hybrid and the refreshed Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD to find out, comparing real-world efficiency, tech usability, comfort, and cost. Along the way, we pull apart the numbers you care about—mpg versus range, tow ratings, cargo usability—and the little things that make or break ownership, like whether your phone stays put on the charger.

We start with the Forester Hybrid’s practical perks: wide-opening doors that make entry easy, an insulated windshield that softens road noise, and a simple, clean interface anchored by a 12.3-inch digital cluster and 11.6-inch touchscreen. The hybrid system’s 194 horsepower feels adequate, and while the CVT’s manual mode isn’t essential, the all-wheel-drive ride is planted and predictable. We talk through honest mileage—32.3 mpg over nearly 400 miles—and why a 16.6-gallon tank and 1,500-pound tow rating help this small SUV punch above its weight. Then comes the money: where the trim pricing lands, and how it stacks up against CR-V Hybrid, RAV4 Hybrid, CX-50 Hybrid, and Sportage Hybrid.

We switch gears to car culture with a practical guide to starting a collection without celebrity money. Think storage first, define a theme, build a wish list, network with local enthusiasts, and budget for maintenance before you chase the dream. Whether you love 80s Chevys or numbers-matching time capsules, discipline builds a better garage than impulse ever will.

Then the EV6 GT-Line takes center stage. Built in Georgia, this is one of the sharpest-looking EVs on the market, with refreshed front and rear design, a sweeping cockpit display, and a smart flat phone charger in a striking console. We talk range reality—expect around 275 miles in daily use—charging frustrations, surprisingly smooth handling for a 4,500-pound crossover, and a 2,700-pound tow rating that adds real utility. Pricing, competitors, and the truth about finding fast, reliable chargers round it out.

If you’re cross-shopping hybrids and EVs, this ride-along gives you clarity without hype. Follow the show, share it with a friend who’s shopping, and drop your take: team hybrid or team EV? Leave a review and tell us what you’re driving next.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

All right, time now for this hour's car review. Mr. Mars uh drove the 2025 Subaru Forester and hear his feelings about it.

Features, Cabin, And Tech

Hybrid Power, MPG, And Ride

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Yeah, so you did the wilderness last week, so this is a little bit different one. It is part of the six gen, but this is new for 2025, and it's the Forester Premium Hybrid All-Wheel Drive. It is kind of more of a streetcar versus the wilderness that we had last week. So the final assembly locations in Japan. There's actually nine different Foresters, but there's only four hybrid premium sport limited in touring. And I had the hybrid for the for the week that I drove it. Now, this is a small hybrid sport utilities, the way it's classified, fits in between the cross-trek and the outback, fits in between those two different sizes if you're out looking at these. Comes with LED headlights with the automatic height adjustance, which I thought was rather different. And it also has the automatic on off for the headlights if the windowship wipers come on. If you turn them on, you're automatically getting headlights, which is kind of neat. Yeah, it's a lot. Heated exterior mirrors with a de-icer. You might need that a little up north, not too much down here in Houston. Had a panoramic moonroof to get you more of that outside feeling, power rear lift gate with a hands-free foot activated close on it, and we were rolling on the 18-inch alloy wheels that come with that premium package. Now, the interior, we had the premium cloth seats, which we know I liked it a lot better than the leather for this kind of vehicle. They are heated in the front seats. The second row seat is a 6040. It does recline and it does fold. And up front, we had a 12.3 inch LED digital gauge package all the way across there. Nice and big. You can see anything and everything. And it has 11.6 inch tablet style multimedia touchscreen. And that's where you're going to find your navigation and all your infotainment systems. It's got plenty of USB-C ports, got a wireless charger on it. I will say though, the wireless charger, if you're driving, there's nothing really to hold your phone in place. And it will slide on you a little bit. So just be aware of that. It's got a rear cargo cover on it so that you keep things out of sight, out of mind, whenever you've got cargo back there. And up under the hood is a four-cylinder, 2.5 liter flat four boxer type motor with two electric motor generators. Now, this is where the hybrid system that comes in. Now combined, it puts out 194 horsepower up from 180 on the regular gasoline only engine. It is still backed by a CVT, but it does have a six-speed manual mode on it that I kind of didn't mess with much. I didn't think it was why. Yeah. It has a tow rating of 1500 pounds. Uh MPG in the city, the EPA says you should look for about 35, highway 34, combined 35. Now it has a 16.6 gallon tank, so that means you're going to get about a 580-mile range out of this vehicle with it, even in the hybrid. Now, I drove it 391.6 miles and got 32.3 miles to the gallon. A little bit lower than the rating on it, but I was well pleased with that by all means. Now, one of the great things about it is it's got a wide opening doors to make it easy to get in and out. You don't have to climb down in it, you don't have to climb up in it like you do some vehicles. Uh, it's also got an insulated front windshield that reduces the road noise. All the controls are easy to climb down into it. Well, you know, some cars you got to kind of fall down into, yeah, and then you got to climb up.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

I just want to make sure that we're correct here. You said climb down into it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Well, I've got to climb, it's either climb or fall, and usually it hurts when I fall at this age.

SPEAKER_02 3:36

Depends on where you're going, too.

Pricing And Competitors

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh and uh it does have a little bit of a firm ride, but that's an all-wheel drive, and and the suspicion that's suspension that's set up for this vehicle, but it's not quite, I don't think as firm as the wilderness ride, but uh you know, you have to be the judge of that. Now, the base trim price on this vehicle is$38,015. Um the base model price you can get into a Subaruinforcer for$31,415. Now, I did note that the premium, the MSRP based on the premium is$34,850. But you go to the hybrid, the one that we're driving, and you're back up to that$38015, which means you're paying$32,400 to get into that hybrid to fall into it. Just something you've got to count on whenever you're you're calculating, deciding if you want to go that route. Competitors, you're gonna find you can go look at the Mazda CX50 hybrid that's$35,499 to start. Honda CRV's got a hybrid that starts at$36045. Uh the Kia's 40 has a hybrid, but it's$30,185. I got a friend that's got a 40 now, and he's looking to buy a new one and he's seriously considering this hybrid. I'd like to get my hands on one just so we can kind of test it out a little bit more. Uh Toyota's even got a RAM 4 hybrid. So there's lots of things to look at, particularly in that small SUV. Uh if you're looking for a hybrid, there are plenty to look at there, plenty to choose from there. And if you get a chance, drive the Subaru Forrester hybrid.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

There you go. Hey, you know what? In wheel time car talk show continues right after a quick break.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Okay, time now for Jeff's Car Culture, how to start a car collection.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Yeah, we talked earlier that we've talked about a lot of the car car collections around the world. Catching, isn't it? Yeah. Uh prior to purchasing cars, it's important to ask yourself questions like what type of collectibles can I afford? Jay Leno recommends listening to your heart when beginning a car collection, but you don't have his money. So determine your storage solution. Before you start making any purchases, you want to arrange storage locations, especially if you plan to build a collection of more than four vehicles. Square footage location, security, that's all the factors that you really need to consider. Despite popular misconceptions, classic car collecting isn't a hobby reserved for the rich and famous. You can actually start a collection with hot rods and cars for under 10 grand. So there's a market out there. Establish your collection theme. One of the tips for collecting is what do you want to do? Uh it's got to be cohesive. What sets your collection apart from the random assortment of vehicles? If you're unsure where to begin, start with a muffler. Start with a muffler. Uh, prior to purchasing cars, it's important to ask yourself like, what am I more interested in? Vintage, sports cars, hot rods, what type of collectibles can you afford? So that's the main thing before you even get started. Network with fellow collectors. Be here at the Lupe Tortilla. Uh, the car shows here. Get guidance, get technical advice, get some things from the network people. Uh you know, you're networking with other cars as well. It's invaluable. Don't forget to set a budget. Get caught up with the excitement of the first car, soon to be a collector. Could be a reckless purchase with no decision. Before buying a collector car, build out your collection wish list. Account for maintenance costs. Is that car gonna be maintained in that spot? So you got to consider that as well. And lastly, just ask questions, ask the questions that we uh all want to know about our hot rod. So get involved in that, network, find out what you're gonna do, make a list, check it twice, start a collection.

unknown 7:19

Can I do that for that?

SPEAKER_02 7:20

Sure. I know guys that have car collections, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Right, and his car collection is different, can you use the classic hot rod there up? All different kinds. He I don't know how many he's got. Lots, lots fill up the entire barn. I don't know another guy that his car collection is originals, untouched, originals, all original, gotta have the paperwork, yep, numbers matching, the whole line, it's all originals, it's all he's got. He's probably got 75. All originals. One of them is a 4GT, a four GT that still has the original wrap on the seats. Oh, yeah, oh wow, you open the door, everything's all still in plastic. How much is that worth? Wow, yeah. Of course, I don't know how much it costs, probably a lot, but those are the kind of things. I got a Chevy collection. Yeah, I got a Chevy collection from the 80s, I got a Buick collection from the 90s, yeah. Whatever. That's the whole collection. And that's the point of it.

SPEAKER_02 8:23

You know, you if if you're you're I like the Novas, the Cougars, you know, the Torinos, things like that. That would be something that you would collect. Oh, the guys do the Ferraris, you know, you got Corvettes. How much money you got? Exactly.

Collector Themes And Budgets

2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line Review

SPEAKER_01 8:35

All right, time to I'm going to do a review now of the 2025 Kia EV6. Are you there's nobody else listening? No. Are you guys listening? Yeah, okay. The Kia EV6 was assembled in West Point, Georgia. Available trim levels include the light, the light long range, wind, GT line, and GT. I had the GT line long-range all-wheel drive with 20-inch wheels. This is an all-electric, small SUV two-row seats, including the driver, five exterior changes from last model year, refreshed front and rear styling this year. Exterior features include radically sloped hood with a short overhang. This is a very different-looking vehicle, sharp, distinctive lighting, front and rear, fast back rear design with unique rear sunshade and spoiler, extra large rear hatch door. What I liked, this, in my opinion, is one of the sharpest-looking EVs in the market today, and it's in the SUV form. What could use improvement? I put a big question mark right where I put that question. Okay, because I don't know. I think it fits a lot of categories. Interior highlights, sweeping combination display that stretches almost door to door. Attractive, unique center console with a flat phone charger. I really liked it. It sits right there beside you and it's flat, and you can look down there and go, Who's bothering me right now? Yeah, attractive, unique center console, comfortable seating with attractive materials, steering wheel controls are easy to understand and use. You're thinking, well, now why did he say that? Is he just try to fill time? No, because I drive a new different car every week. And let me tell you something, everybody tries to reinvent the wheel, and there's no reason for that. I see slight adjustments, and you know, um, we're gonna do this over here and do that, but why change the whole thing? Last week I drove a vehicle that had steering wheel controls that weren't really controls, they were pads to fill in all the blanks. No, no, no, no, no. You fill in the blanks, I'll tell you whether or not I like it. Cargo trunk room, small. What I liked the clamshell hatch that keeps cargo limited to accommodate taller items, but it works for this vehicle. What could use improvement? Nothing. It's an electric motor with 225 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque with a direct drive automatic transmission. There's no transmission, there's direct drive electric motors. The tow rating 2700 pounds, which kind of surprised me. Well, you know, it's it's not gonna overkill or anything, but 2700 pounds, that's a percentage. Pardon me just a minute. Hello? Hi. You can listen and hear us on the air. I know. Love you and talk to you soon. Bye.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

That was his stock broker he's talking to on a Saturday, yeah, right.

Interior Design And Usability

SPEAKER_01 12:27

Actually, actually, it was the parole department, and uh they were uh checking to see my location. Your ankle monitor fell off. Manufacturers miles per gallon E-rating is 128 city, 101 highway for a range of 318 miles. And from what I could gather, without trying to do the math and overcomplicate things, it probably gets about in realistic terms, about 275 miles in a regular everyday drive. I drove it for 502 miles. What I liked about it was the power. What could use improvement? More range and finding a damn Tesla charger. Did I see that? I'm sorry. Yeah, uh what riding handling smooth, although it is heavy, it doesn't feel heavy. It's 4502, uh 45 4,520 pounds. It's heavy. It is heavy, it's big base trim price 58.9 prices tested 6740. Base model price 42.9 competitors Hyundai Ionic 5 for 35,000, Chevy Equinox EV for 35.1 and the Nissan Area for 39.7. Next week, the Ford Expedition. If the area is not being produced anymore, well, it's not going to be produced anymore. Yes, that's correct. EVs are out, gasoline hot rods are in. Well, hybrids are the thing, and I I can't encourage you enough to look at the hybrids because I think that you're going to be very impressed because it gets gas mileage and power all at the same time under one roof. Under one roof.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Well, and range anxiety shouldn't be an issue with the hybrid either.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

And neither should find a damn plug-in charger. That's true. And don't get me started on get them started. Well, go ahead, get me started because I could go the next hour and a half to tell you about EVs. Mars, have you had any of those? EVs? Uh-huh. Well, you know what? I'm gonna make a request that you get them back to back to back. I'm I'm pretty well.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

You can use all the electricity in in that area. Hey