Compare the2023 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country

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 Cross Country doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Outback and the V60 Cross Country 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, all wheel drive, 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 Cross Country:

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 Cross Country:

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 V60 Cross Country has not been fully tested, yet.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Outback 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the V60 Cross Country. 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 Cross Country 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.

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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 7 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 13 more horsepower (260 vs. 247) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 258) than the V60 Cross Country’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

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 Cross Country doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Outback 2.5i gets better fuel mileage than the V60 Cross Country B5 (26 city/32 hwy vs. 23 city/30 hwy).

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

The Outback has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the V60 Cross Country (18.5 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Cross Country (5). This means the Outback produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the V60 Cross Country every 15,000 miles.

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 Cross Country doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Outback stops shorter than the V60 Cross Country:

For better traction, the Outback has larger tires than the V60 Cross Country (225/65R17 vs. 215/55R18).

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

The front and rear suspension of the Outback uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the V60 Cross Country, 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 Cross Country’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the V60 Cross Country (8.7 vs. 7.8 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.7 inches higher than on the V60 Cross Country (9.5 vs. 7.8 inches).

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 450 pounds less than the Volvo V60 Cross Country.

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 Cross Country doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

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

The Outback has 2.7 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch 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 Cross Country.

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

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the V60 Cross Country 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 Cross Country with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 60.5 cubic feet).

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

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

The engine in the Outback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the V60 Cross Country. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

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 Cross Country 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 Cross Country doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

The Subaru Outback outsold the Volvo 60 Series by almost 20 to one during 2022.