Subaru certainly has its own personality among car brands. That’s due, at least in part, to the fact that all-wheel drive (AWD) comes standard with almost every model. That’s probably why the brand has historically sold so well in northern states like Alaska, Colorado, and Washington, where snow-covered roads are the norm in the winter.
We have to say, though, that the gas mileage on most of the 2025 models is pretty decent for AWD vehicles. Of all the models, the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid does the best at a combined 35 miles per gallon (35 mpg city/34 mph highway). All of the rest of the gas models are conventional ICE vehicles, but some of them hold their own when it comes to fuel efficiency. The Legacy can get up to 35 mpg on the highway while the Impreza isn’t too far behind at 34 mpg. Even a few of the SUVs, specifically the Crosstrek and Outback, can get over 30 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
We’d be remiss, though, if we didn’t mention the one EV on Subaru’s roster this model year. The “miles per gallon” metric doesn’t exactly apply to electric vehicles, but the EPA measures what they call “MPGe,” or “miles per gallon equivalent.” According to this metric, 33.7 kWh equals 1 gallon of gasoline. So, the 2025 Subaru Solterra is rated at a combined 104 MPGe (114 MPGe city/94 MPGe highway). Subaru says the 2025 Solterra can go for 227 miles on a full battery and promises that the 2026 model will be able to go for 288 miles. Two other EV models will be a part of the 2026 lineup as well: the Trailseeker and the Uncharted.
We’d expect the one hybrid offered by Subaru for the 2025 model year to get the best mileage of all its gas models. The Subaru Boxer engine and electric motor in the hybrid version of the Forester deliver 35 combined mpg, offering 35 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, with a promised range of 581 miles. That’s not bad, but it’s not the best we’ve seen among hybrid compact SUVs. The Kia Sportage hybrid, for example, can get up to 43 mpg, but that’s with front-wheel drive. The AWD version of the Sportage gets 38 mpg, which is still a little better than the Forester.
Overall, there’s not a lot that stands out about the Forester. All of the highlights of the Forester Base trim listed on the Subaru website are pretty standard fare: driver assist features, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, 74.4 cubic feet of cargo volume, and raised roof rails. We have to admit, though, that the steering responsive headlights sound pretty cool. There are four hybrid Forester trims available, and each comes standard with AWD, as well as Subaru’s X-Mode, which optimizes the AWD in conditions like mud or snow. As of this writing, the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid comes with a base price of $36,595.
You might expect non-performance cars to be more fuel efficient than the Subaru gas-powered SUVs, and that’s exactly what you get with the Legacy and Impreza. Subaru’s sedan and hatchback get virtually the same gas mileage, with the Legacy edging out the Impreza by just a smidge. When equipped with the four-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine, the Legacy is rated at 30 combined mpg (27 city mpg/35 mph highway).
That drops down to 26 combined mpg (23 city mpg/31 mph highway) with the 2.4-liter turbocharged engine, which comes standard in the Sport and Touring XT trims. The addition of that turbocharger will only get you 260 horsepower. That’s 78 more hp than the 2.5-liter engine, but we’re not sure it’s worth the trade-off in gas mileage.
The 2025 Subaru Legacy comes with the typical assemblage of bells and whistles, and we’re impressed that this five-seater vehicle is equipped with eight cupholders. Apparently, Subaru wants you to be prepared in case your group is extra thirsty. The Base trim of the Legacy starts out at $26,810 but goes up to $40,110 for the top-tier Touring XT trim. If you want to get one new, you’ll have to act soon, since this is the last year for the Subaru Legacy.
Subaru’s hatchback model, the Impreza, is right up there with the Legacy when it comes to gas mileage. The EPA rates the 2025 model at 30 combined mpg (27 city mpg/34 mph highway), when equipped with the four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine. The 2.5-liter engine, which comes standard in the RS trim, does almost as well at 29 combined mpg (26 city mpg/33 mph highway). The 2.5-liter engine will get you 28 more horsepower than the 2.0-liter engine, but that still only amounts to 180 hp total.
The 2026 model of the Impreza is already available, although the EPA hasn’t released its fuel-efficiency figures yet. However, Subaru says it will get up to 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, which will be a little worse than the 2025 model.
There’s nothing too flashy about the 2026 Impreza. It is a hatchback, after all. But you can opt for the moonroof if you want to feel like you’re living the dream. This model comes in just two trims, the Sport and RS. The RS trim will get you a few more standard safety features, rear USB charging ports, and an option to upgrade the audio system. Both trims start at under $30,000, which isn’t bad for an AWD vehicle of any size.
For a non-hybrid gas SUV, the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek does alright for itself in terms of gas mileage. The EPA rates it at 29 mpg combined (27 city mpg/34 mpg highway), when equipped with the four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine. Interestingly, the 2.5-liter engine is rated at almost the same figures — the only difference being it gets 33 mpg on the highway, instead of 34. That said, the Crosstrek Wilderness trim, which also comes with the 2.5-liter engine, gets a reduced 27 mpg combined. The 2.5-liter engine cranks 182 horsepower, but that’s only 30 hp more than the 2.0-liter engine, for virtually the same gas mileage, depending on the trim level.
The 2025 Crosstrek comes with a base price of $26,560 and made Consumer Reports’ list of best new cars under $30,000. The Base trim comes standard with both X-Mode and Hill Descent Control. But if you’re counting on the folding rear seat armrest with dual cup holders, you’re going to have to pay extra for the Premium trim. Totally worth it.
We should point out that the 2026 Crosstrek will also come in a hybrid version. The EPA hasn’t rated it yet, but Subaru says the Crosstrek Hybrid will get you to 36 mpg, with a range of up to 597 miles. It will start out at $33,995.
You can’t write an article about Subaru models without mentioning the venerable Outback. Fortunately, the 2025 Outback belongs here because it’s one of the brand’s higher performers in regard to fuel efficiency. When equipped with the four-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine, this SUV gets 28 combined mpg (26 city mpg/32 mpg highway). That drops down to 25 combined mpg (22 city mpg/29 mpg highway) with the turbocharged four-cylinder, 2.4-liter engine, which comes standard in the Onyx Edition XT, Limited XT, and Touring XT trims. It’s also standard in the Wilderness trim but delivers just 23 combined mpg (21 city mpg/26 mpg highway) in that model. Opting for one of the trims with the turbocharged 2.4-liter will get you 78 extra horsepower at 260 hp total.
The new Outback is the only midsize SUV among Subaru’s top gas performers, so it does offer a higher towing capacity than the other models covered here — 2,700 pounds to 3,500 pounds, depending on the trim level. The 2025 Outback pricing starts out $29,995 and climbs to $44,730 if you opt for the highest-tier trim. From what we’ve heard, the 2026 Subaru Outback will be more expensive, at least at the base level.

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