Compare the2023 Subaru OutbackVS 2022 Lexus RX

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 RX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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

Both the Outback and the RX 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, 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, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 Lexus RX:

	Outback	RX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	158	194
Neck Injury Risk	26%	33.2%
Neck Stress	281 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	57 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/249 lbs.	433/719 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	241	305
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	147 lbs.	267 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	70 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	161/137 lbs.	403/457 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 Lexus RX:

	Outback	RX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	28	53
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	110 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	116	165
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	275
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	674 lbs.	685 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 RX last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

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

Engine

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 277 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. ) than the RX 450h’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Outback XT/Wilderness 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the RX 450h 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid:

	Outback	RX
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.9 MPH	94.3 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 RX doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			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
RX
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the Outback’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the RX 450h, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RX 450h requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Outback has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the RX Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Outback higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Lexus RX (5 to 7). This means the Outback produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RX every 15,000 miles.

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 RX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Outback Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the RX 450h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 2.7 feet tighter than the RX’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RX (8.7 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.3 inches higher than on the RX (9.5 vs. 8.2 inches).

Chassis

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 800 pounds less than the Lexus RX.

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 RX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Outback has .7 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room and 1.5 inches more rear legroom than the RX.

Cargo Capacity

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (32.6 vs. 16 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 32.6 cubic feet).

Towing

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (2700 vs. 0 pounds).

Servicing Ease

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

Ergonomics

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 RX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Outback’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the RX’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Outback owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Outback will cost $1610 to $3935 less than the RX over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outback is less expensive to operate than the RX because typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the RX, including $785 less for a water pump, $430 less for a muffler, $58 less for front brake pads, $300 less for a starter, $93 less for fuel injection, $28 less for a fuel pump, $1416 less for a timing belt/chain and $1829 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 $13863 to $16380 less than for the Lexus RX.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Outback outsold the Lexus RX by 53% during 2022.