Compare the2026 Genesis GV80 CoupeVS 2026 Subaru Forester

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The GV80 Coupe’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Forester doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the GV80 Coupe and Forester have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV80 Coupe has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Forester’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The GV80 Coupe has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Forester doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The GV80 Coupe has a standard Multi-Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Forester doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The GV80 Coupe has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GV80 Coupe has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist and automatically engage the brakes. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and it’s not available on the Base and the Forester’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the GV80 Coupe and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Genesis GV80 Coupe weighs 1238 to 1784 pounds more than the Subaru Forester. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Genesis GV80 Coupe is safer than the Subaru Forester:

	GV80 Coupe	Forester
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	30	56
Hip Force	335 lbs.	349 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	68	208
Spine Acceleration	20 G’s	58 G’s
Hip Force	341 lbs.	640 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The GV80 Coupe comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Forester’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV80 Coupe 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Forester. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Forester ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The GV80 Coupe’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Forester’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV80 Coupe for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forester.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the GV80 Coupe has a standard 180-amp alternator (227-amp - GV80 Coupe e-Supercharged). The Forester’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis above average in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

Engine

The GV80 3.5T Coupe’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 195 more horsepower (375 vs. 180) and 213 lbs.-ft. more torque (391 vs. 178) than the Forester’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The GV80 3.5T Coupe’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 181 more horsepower (375 vs. 194) than the Forester’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The GV80 3.5 e-Supercharger’s standard 3.5 turbo/supercharged V6 hybrid produces 215 more horsepower (409 vs. 194) than the Forester’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the GV80 3.5 e-Supercharger 3.5 turbo/supercharged V6 hybrid is faster than the Subaru Forester 4 cyl. hybrid gas:

	GV80 Coupe	Forester
Zero to 60 MPH	5.2 sec	8.4 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	13.4 sec	22.9 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.7 sec	9.2 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.2 sec	4.2 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.1 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	13.9 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101 MPH	86 MPH
Top Speed	150 MPH	113 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The GV80 Coupe has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Forester (21.1 vs. 16.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The GV80 Coupe 3.5T e-Supercharger’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Forester doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GV80 Coupe’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Forester:

	GV80 Coupe	Forester	Forester Hybrid
Front Rotors	14.9 inches	12.4 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	14.2 inches	11.8 inches	11.8 inches

The GV80 Coupe stops much shorter than the Forester:

	GV80 Coupe	Forester
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GV80 Coupe has larger tires than the Forester (265/50R20 vs. 225/60R17). The GV80 Coupe’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (265/50R20 vs. 235/50R19).

The GV80 Coupe’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester’s standard 60 series tires. The GV80 Coupe 3.5 e-Supercharger’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Forester Sport/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV80 Coupe has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The GV80 Coupe 3.5 e-Supercharger’s 22-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The GV80 Coupe has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Forester’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The GV80 Coupe has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Forester doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The GV80 Coupe’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Forester doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GV80 Coupe’s wheelbase is 11.4 inches longer than on the Forester (116.3 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GV80 Coupe is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 4.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The GV80 3.5 e-Supercharger executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Forester Sport (27.2 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

The GV80 Coupe uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Forester doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the GV80 3.5 e-Supercharger is quieter than the Forester Touring (66 vs. 69 dB).

Passenger Space

The GV80 Coupe has 2 inches more front hip room, 2.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.5 inches more rear hip room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Forester.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GV80 Coupe. The Forester doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The GV80 Coupe’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (6000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The GV80 Coupe uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The GV80 Coupe has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the GV80 Coupe and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GV80 Coupe is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The GV80 Coupe’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Forester Premium/Wilderness/Sport/Limited/Touring’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the GV80 Coupe the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GV80 Coupe’s standard Proximity Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start is only offered on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness/Touring, and doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The GV80 Coupe’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The GV80 Coupe’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

Both the Genesis GV80 Coupe and Subaru Forester offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The GV80 Coupe features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Forester’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and rear seats keep the GV80 Coupe’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Forester doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The GV80 Coupe has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Forester Limited/Touring.

The GV80 Coupe has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Forester.

The Genesis GV80 Coupe has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Forester.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis GV80 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring offers wireless charging.

The GV80 Coupe has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Forester doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GV80 Coupe’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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