Not sure if this will help you since your looking at new vehicles, but I might be able to provide a little insight. I have an 06 Forester and 06 Outback. Style wise, the new Forester looks completely different inside and out from my 06. Drivetrain wise, little change. The Outback/Legacy, on the other hand, is mostly the same, the front grille is a little different and the taillights I think. Both use the same standard engine, 2.5, 174 hp 4cyl with 5spd or 4spd sportshift automatic. With the Forester, you can upgraded to the XT Turbo and about 224 hp. I've never driven one, but have written the turbo transforms the vehicle, performance wise. For city driving, the 2.5 is a great performer all around, but when accelerating into traffic, passing at say 50 to 70, you really have to push it to get going. Add people and cargo, and it will be worse. The biggest drawback to the XT is premium gas is a must, of course. Same base engine/trans for the Outback, but the option engines are the 2.5 Turbo and 3.0 6cyl, the turbo standard with a 5spd manual or optional 5spd sportshift automatic. The 3.0 standard with the 5spd sportshift auto. The 3.0 is 250 hp in my 06, it may be 245hp in the 09's. Almost identical hp to the 2.5 turbo (243), but with no turbo lag. This engine, too, requires premium. This engine is silky smooth, and it is mated to a 5spd sportshift automatic. The standard 2.5 and 3.0 seem to be in the 21-22 and 18-21 mpg ranges in my normal driving. Just like the commercials, how you drive and where, etc, will determine where you end up number wise. I like power, so I'll probably never go with the standard engine again. The 3.0 is (my opinion) my much more refined, better performer all the way around. It's quiet and smooth. Really, very different from my Forester. You can feel it suspension wise, better shocks, etc. The old saying, "you get what you pay for" is true, you'll pay to get into the turbo and 3.0 models, upper $20's to low $30's, so if you on a budget the 2.5i models with the standard engines for both vehicles are where you will be. With almost a $10K difference in price, you'll surely feel a difference in ride and performance from the base 2.5I to the 3.0R. On Subaru.com, you can look at the brochures from current models back to 2005 I think. You can easily compare the performance numbers, weight, etc there. They are in PDF form. If you are looking for SVX type of performace, the turbo in either the Forester or Legacy or the 3.0 in the Legacy are the ways to go! Hoped that helped!
