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The Forester’s boxier shape changes what actually fits compared to the Outback — not necessarily more or less overall space, but a different shape entirely. Tall, upright items that fight for room under the Outback’s lower roofline fit the Forester without much thought, while long gear that needs to lie flat is where the Forester starts to feel tighter.
Cargo shape and packing style usually matter more than the raw cargo number on a spec sheet — and that’s exactly where the Forester’s extra height and shorter floor length show up in real use.
Quick Picks
- Best for packing: Soft duffel bags — compress and fit around gear better than rigid luggage, especially in the Forester’s narrower wheel-well width.
- Best for organization: Packing cubes — keep everyone’s stuff separated on longer trips.
- Best for flexible storage: Collapsible storage bins — the Forester’s extra headroom means these can stack upright without hitting the cargo cover.
- Best for the console: Forester center console organizer — solves everyday clutter that has nothing to do with the cargo area.
What Actually Affects Fitment in a Forester
The Forester’s real advantage is cargo height. Its boxier, more upright shape means bins, coolers, and tall items don’t get squeezed the way they can under a lower roofline — there’s genuinely more room to stack things vertically before hitting the cargo cover. The tradeoff is floor length: the Forester’s cargo floor is shorter than the Outback’s, so anything long and flat — skis out of a bag, long lumber, a fully reclined sleeping setup — is where the Forester loses ground first. Rear seat fold angle matters here too; a flatter fold helps offset the shorter floor somewhat, but it doesn’t fully close the gap.
What Fits for Everyday Use
Groceries, strollers, coolers, and weekend bags all fit comfortably — day-to-day use is where the Forester and Outback feel most similar. The real difference shows up with tall, upright items: a cooler that has to sit upright, a tall diaper bag, or stacked bins all fit more easily in the Forester because of the extra headroom, where they’d need to be laid flat in a lower-roofline vehicle.
Dog crates are a good example of the Forester’s height paying off directly — a taller wire crate that would need to be angled or partially folded in a lower vehicle fits upright in the Forester without much thought. See our Subaru Forester Dog Setup guide for more on this specifically.
Large Items and One-Off Hauls
- Bikes — fit with the seat down; the extra headroom actually makes loading a full-size frame a little easier than in a lower vehicle, since there’s less need to remove the front wheel. A bike fork mount keeps interior transport clean.
- Tall, upright items — potted plants, tall boxes, upright appliances — this is where the Forester’s height is a genuine, real advantage over the Outback.
- Long lumber and flat-pack furniture — the Outback wins here. The Forester’s shorter floor means long, flat items hit the front seats sooner.
- Moving-day loads — works fine for smaller moves and dorm-sized furniture; large flat items (mattresses, long dressers) are the Forester’s weakest spot.
Forester vs Outback vs Crosstrek Cargo Space
The Forester feels roomier vertically than either the Outback or Crosstrek, but its shorter cargo length shows up with long gear and family packing. The Outback usually feels biggest overall thanks to its longer floor. The Crosstrek works best with lighter, simpler loads and fills up fastest of the three.
| Model | Best Strength | Biggest Limitation | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forester | Upright cargo space and visibility | Shorter cargo length than Outback | Vertical loads, taller gear |
| Outback | Long cargo floor and flexible packing | Less vertical cargo height than Forester | Family trips, camping, mixed daily use |
| Crosstrek | Compact and easy to manage daily | Fills up fastest with passengers or gear | Lighter, simpler loads |
Common Mistakes
- Assuming more headroom means more total space. The Forester’s height helps with upright items specifically — it doesn’t add length for flat, long gear.
- Packing hard containers too early. Soft bags fit around the Forester’s narrower wheel wells more easily than rigid coolers or bins.
- Forgetting the shorter floor when planning a sleeping setup. Sleeping flat takes more folding and adjustment than it does in an Outback.
FAQs
Does the Forester hold more than the Outback?
Not usually in real use. The Forester offers better vertical space, while the Outback feels more flexible because of its longer cargo floor.
Can the Forester fit a full-size stroller?
Yes — most full-size strollers fit without issue, and the extra headroom makes loading them a little easier than in a lower-roofline vehicle.
Is the Forester big enough for family road trips?
Yes for most families — passenger visibility and headroom are genuine strengths, though longer gear needs more thought than it would in an Outback.
What’s the biggest limitation of the Forester’s cargo area?
Floor length. Long, flat items and full sleeping setups are where it loses ground to the Outback first.
When do you actually need roof storage on a Forester?
Usually once long gear (skis, lumber, a full camping load) stops fitting flat inside — the same point where any of the three models would need it, just reached a little sooner in the Forester than the Outback.
Final Thoughts
The Forester trades cargo length for cargo height compared to the Outback — a real, genuine tradeoff rather than a straightforward upgrade or downgrade. For upright, bulky items it’s the better fit of the two. For long, flat gear or sleeping setups, the Outback still wins. Knowing which one matters for your actual use is more useful than comparing raw cargo numbers.
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