Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 Subaru Outback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Outback 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 Highlander (except L/LE/XLE/XSE) offers an optional Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Outback only offers a rear monitor.

Compared to metal, the Highlander’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Outback has a metal gas tank.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Subaru Outback:

	Highlander	Outback
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	43%

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

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Subaru Outback:

	Highlander	Outback
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.5 inches
Abdominal Force	79 G’s	101 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	116
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	635 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	664 lbs.	674 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Highlander is 1.6% to 2.1% less likely to roll over than the Outback.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outback.

There are almost 2 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Outback isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 24th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 17th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Subaru is ranked 8th.

Engine

The Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 113 more horsepower (295 vs. 182) and 87 lbs.-ft. more torque (263 vs. 176) than the Outback 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 35 more horsepower (295 vs. 260) than the Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Highlander is faster than the Outback 2.5i 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	Highlander	Outback
Zero to 60 MPH	7.2 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.5 MPH	86.1 MPH

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Highlander’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Outback:

	Highlander	Outback
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13.3 inches	11.8 inches

The Highlander stops much shorter than the Outback:

	Highlander	Outback
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Highlander has larger tires than the Outback (235/65R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outback Onyx Edition XT/Limited/Touring’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Highlander L/LE/XLE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Outback. The Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Outback Onyx Edition XT/Limited/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Highlander’s wheelbase is 4.1 inches longer than on the Outback (112.2 inches vs. 108.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Outback.

The Highlander XLE AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Outback Limited XT pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Highlander XLE AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Outback Limited (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Outback can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 32.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outback (141.3 vs. 109).

The Highlander has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear legroom, 2.2 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Outback.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the Outback.

	Highlander	Outback
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	32.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	75.7 cubic feet

The Highlander’s cargo area is larger than the Outback’s in almost every dimension:

	Highlander	Outback
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	17.8”/48”/80.7”	n.a./42”/75”
Max Width	50”	51”
Min Width	45.8”	43.3”
Height	31”	32.1”

Towing

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outback’s (5000 vs. 2700 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Outback doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Outback doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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

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

The Highlander’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 Outback’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Highlander the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Outback can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Highlander Platinum’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Outback’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Highlander’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Outback Premium/Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx.

The Highlander has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Outback Premium/Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx.

Both the Highlander and the Outback offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Highlander has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Outback doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Highlander Limited/Platinum 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 Outback doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Highlander is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Outback doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Highlander is less expensive to operate than the Outback because it costs $473 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Highlander than the Outback, including $105 less for a water pump, $28 less for a muffler, $25 less for front brake pads and $234 less for front struts.

Recommendations

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Subaru Outback by 64% during the 2021 model year.