Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Subaru Outback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and Outback have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Outback’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Outback only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Outback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Outback and isn't available on the not available.

Compared to metal, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Outback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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 and rearview cameras.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid weighs 441 to 874 pounds more than the Subaru Outback. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Subaru Outback:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Outback
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	16%	26%
Neck Stress	149 lbs.	281 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	57 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	50/51 lbs.	230/249 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	43%
Neck Stress	99 lbs.	147 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Subaru Outback:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Outback
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	576 lbs.	674 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Outback’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Outback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Outback ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Outback’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outback.

There are over 30 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard 760-amp battery. The Outback’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s reliability 28 points higher than the Outback.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Subaru.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 78 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 22nd.

Engine

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 79 more horsepower (261 vs. 182) and 82 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 176) than the Outback 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 1 more horsepower (261 vs. 260) than the Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Outback:

			MPGe
Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid
	AWD	Electric Motor	79 city/72 hwy
Outback
			MPG
	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

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Outback:

			MPG
Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	33 city/32 hwy
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

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 31 miles. The Outback can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Outback doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Subaru Outback (6 to 7). This means the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Outback every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Outback:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Outback
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	11.8 inches

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid stops much shorter than the Outback:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Outback
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has larger tires than the Outback (235/55R19 vs. 225/65R17).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’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’s standard 65 series tires. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s tires are lower profile than the Outback Onyx/Limited/Touring’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Outback. The Outback’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Outback.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited handles at .83 G’s, while the Outback Wilderness pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Outback.

The front step up height for the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 1.5 inches lower than the Outback (17.5” vs. 19”). The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s rear step up height is .2 inches lower than the Outback’s (18.3” vs. 18.5”).

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume than the Outback with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 32.6 cubic feet).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Outback’s in almost every dimension:

	Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid	Outback
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.4”/77.4”	42”/75”
Max Width	54”	51”
Min Width	43.4”	43.3”
Height	31”	32.1”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Outback doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Assist on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid uses the Electronic 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.

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Outback uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Outback have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Outback offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Outback and isn’t available on the Outback Base.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited 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.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Outback doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Subaru Outback, based on reliability, safety and performance.