Compare the2022 Subaru OutbackVS 2022 Infiniti QX55

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Outback are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The QX55 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Outback has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The QX55 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Outback’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The QX55 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Outback and the QX55 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outback its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 62 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The QX55 has not been tested, yet.

There are over 3 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Outback’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Outback has a standard 150-amp alternator (190-amp - Outback XT). The QX55’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 17th in reliability. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 3 places higher in reliability than Infiniti.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The QX55 doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Outback XT/Wilderness XT CVT turbo 4 cyl. gets better fuel mileage than the QX55 CVT (23 city/30 hwy vs. 22 city/28 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Outback’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The QX55 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX55 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Outback has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the QX55 (18.5 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Outback Wilderness/Onyx Edition XT has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the QX55; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the QX55 (8.7 vs. 8.6 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the QX55 (9.5 vs. 8.6 inches).

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 400 pounds less than the Infiniti QX55.

The front grille of the Outback 2.5i uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The QX55 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Outback has 8.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the QX55 (109 vs. 100.2).

The Outback has .2 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 1 inch more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the QX55.

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the QX55 with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 26.9 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the QX55 with its rear seat folded (75.7 vs. 54.1 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Outback easier. The Outback’s trunk lift-over height is 28.4 inches, while the QX55’s liftover is 29.9 inches.

The engine in the Outback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the QX55. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Outback’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Outback Base). The QX55 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Infiniti Connection can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Outback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The QX55 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Outback’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The QX55 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Outback and the QX55 offer available heated front seats. The Outback Limited/Touring/Onyx also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the QX55.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Subaru Outback (except Base) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The QX55 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Outback as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.