Compare the2023 Subaru OutbackVS 2021 Volvo V60

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
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 V60 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 V60.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Outback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The V60 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Outback and the V60 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 Volvo V60:

	Outback	V60
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	158	192
Neck Compression	57 lbs.	63 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/249 lbs.	395/518 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	241	314
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	114 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	161/137 lbs.	360/533 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 Volvo V60:

	Outback	V60
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	28	103
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	194 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	116	271
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	319

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

Warranty

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Outback 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the V60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the V60 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 65 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 30 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 10 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

Engine

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 10 more horsepower (260 vs. 250) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 258) than the V60 T5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Outback XT/Wilderness 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the V60 T5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Outback	V60
Zero to 30 MPH	2.5 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	6.9 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	9.9 sec	11.2 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	2.8 sec	3.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.9 MPH	92.2 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 V60 doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Outback and the V60 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Outback’s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch costs extra on the V60.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline. The V60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Outback has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the V60 (18.5 vs. 15.9 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 Volvo V60 (5 to 7). This means the Outback produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the V60 every 15,000 miles.

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 V60 doesn’t offer a CVT.

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 V60; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the Outback uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the V60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the V60’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a 3.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the V60 (8.7 vs. 5.4 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 4.1 inches higher than on the V60 (9.5 vs. 5.4 inches).

Chassis

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 300 pounds less than the Volvo V60.

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 V60 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Outback a Mid-Size Station Wagon car, while the V60 is rated a Small Station Wagon.

The Outback has 15 cubic feet more passenger volume than the V60 (109 vs. 94).

The Outback has 1.7 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 4.3 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 2.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the V60.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Outback’s rear seats recline. The V60’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the V60 with its rear seat up (32.6 vs. 23.2 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the V60 with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 50.9 cubic feet).

The Outback’s cargo area is larger than the V60’s in every dimension:

	Outback	V60
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42”/75”	40.7”/71.7”
Max Width	51”	43.7”
Min Width	43.3”	40.9”
Height	32.1”	28.8”

Towing

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the V60’s (2700 vs. 2000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Volvo V60 is only 2000 pounds. The Outback offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Outback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the V60. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because 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 V60 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Volvo On Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Outback has standard extendable sun visors. The V60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 V60 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Outback owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Outback with a number “5” insurance rate while the V60 is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outback is less expensive to operate than the V60 because typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the V60, including $124 less for a water pump, $280 less for a muffler, $53 less for front brake pads, $14 less for a starter, $186 less for fuel injection, $419 less for a fuel pump and $106 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Outback outsold the Volvo 60 Series by over 11 to one during the 2021 model year.

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