Compare the2023 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Chevrolet Blazer

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
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Outback have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Blazer doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Blazer doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Outback (except Base/Premium) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Blazer doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Outback. But it costs extra on the Blazer.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Outback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Blazer doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

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 Blazer doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Outback and the Blazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors 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 Subaru Outback is safer than the Chevrolet Blazer:

	Outback	Blazer
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	158	182
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/249 lbs.	104/435 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	241	313
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	43%	43%
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	140 lbs.

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 Subaru Outback is safer than the Chevrolet Blazer:

	Outback	Blazer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	28	93
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	157 lbs.
Hip Force	247 lbs.	369 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	116	251
Hip Force	635 lbs.	673 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	265
Hip Force	674 lbs.	695 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Blazer has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Outback’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Blazer’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 13 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 270) than the Blazer’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Outback XT/Wilderness 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Chevrolet Blazer V6:

	Outback	Blazer
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	15.8 sec	17 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	96 MPH	94 MPH

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 Blazer doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Outback gets better mileage than the Blazer:

			MPG
Outback
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/32 hwy
		XT 2.4 turbo flat-4	22 city/29 hwy
		Wilderness 2.4 turbo flat-4	21 city/26 hwy
Blazer
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Blazer with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Outback has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Blazer doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Outback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Blazer are solid, not vented.

The Outback stops shorter than the Blazer:

	Outback	Blazer
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Outback Wilderness/Onyx 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 Blazer; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Blazer’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Blazer LT (8.7 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.9 inches higher than on the Blazer RS/Premier (9.5 vs. 7.6 inches).

Chassis

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Chevrolet Blazer.

Passenger Space

The Outback has .3 inches more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear hip room than the Blazer.

Cargo Capacity

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Blazer with its rear seat up (32.6 vs. 30.5 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Blazer with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 64.2 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 Blazer’s liftover is 30.3 inches.

Towing

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Blazer’s (2700 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Outback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Blazer. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Outback’s standard front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Blazer’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically. The Outback Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx Edition’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

The Outback has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Blazer doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Outback has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Blazer doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Outback owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Outback will cost $270 to $2005 less than the Blazer over a five-year period.

The Outback will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Outback will retain 52.14% to 55.07% of its original price after five years, while the Blazer only retains 46.35% to 48.99%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outback is less expensive to operate than the Blazer because it costs $18 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the Blazer, including $102 less for a water pump, $350 less for a muffler, $116 less for front brake pads, $87 less for fuel injection, $74 less for a fuel pump, $554 less for a timing belt/chain and $819 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Outback will be $7546 to $8124 less than for the Chevrolet Blazer.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Outback and the Chevrolet Blazer, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Outback outsold the Chevrolet Blazer by over two to one during 2022.