Compare the2023 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Toyota Rav4

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Outback. But it costs extra on the Rav4.

Both the Outback and the Rav4 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 Toyota Rav4:

	Outback	Rav4
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	29.3%
Neck Stress	281 lbs.	306 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/249 lbs.	400/388 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 Toyota Rav4:

	Outback	Rav4
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	28	83
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.5 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	138 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	116	146
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	299
Hip Force	674 lbs.	835 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Outback is safer than the Rav4:

	Outback	Rav4
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	69	120
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	67 lbs.
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	1026 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head Injury Criterion	387	542
Head Peak Forces	no contact	104 G’s
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	201 lbs.	223 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

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 Rav4 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Outback has larger alternators than the Rav4:

	Outback	Rav4
Standard Alternator	150 amps	100 amps
Optional Alternator	190 amps	130 amps

Engine

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 57 more horsepower (260 vs. 203) and 93 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Outback is faster than the Toyota Rav4:

	Outback 2.5i	Outback XT/Wilderness	Rav4
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	5.9 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	16.7 sec	14.6 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83.9 MPH	95.9 MPH	83.8 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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Outback 2.5i gets better fuel mileage than the Rav4 TRD Off-Road (26 city/32 hwy vs. 25 city/32 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. Toyota only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Rav4 LE AWD/XLE/XLE Premium.

The Outback has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Rav4 (18.5 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Outback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

	Outback	Rav4
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	11.1 inches

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 Rav4 are solid, not vented.

The Outback stops shorter than the Rav4:

	Outback	Rav4
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	134 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 Rav4; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outback’s wheelbase is 2.2 inches longer than on the Rav4 (108.1 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Outback Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Outback Wilderness executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 LE/XLE (8.7 vs. 8.4 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/Adventure/TRD Off-Road (9.5 vs. 8.6 inches).

Passenger Space

The Outback has 10.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 (109 vs. 98.9).

The Outback has .6 inches more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear legroom, 7.1 inches more rear hip room and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Rav4.

Cargo Capacity

The Outback has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rav4 with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

The Outback’s cargo area is larger than the Rav4’s in almost every dimension:

	Outback	Rav4
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42”/75”	40”/73.4”
Max Width	51”	59”
Min Width	43.3”	39.4”
Height	32.1”	36.6”

Towing

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4’s (2700 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Outback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Rav4. 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 Rav4 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Safety Connect™ can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Outback’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Rav4’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Outback’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Outback Limited/Touring is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Rav4’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Outback’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Rav4 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 because typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the Rav4, including $15 less for a muffler, $22 less for front brake pads, $77 less for a starter, $70 less for fuel injection, $144 less for a fuel pump, $473 less for a timing belt/chain and $107 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Outback and the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance.