Compare the2023 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Honda CR-V

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 CR-V 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 CR-V.

The Outback Premium/Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx has standard STARLINK Safety and Security, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Outback and the CR-V 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.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CR-V has not been fully tested, yet.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Outback has a standard 620-amp battery. The CR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Honda With 4 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Honda.

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 70 more horsepower (260 vs. 190) and 98 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Outback is faster than the Honda CR-V:

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 CR-V doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

The Outback has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V (18.5 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 CR-V are solid, not vented.

The Outback stops shorter than the CR-V:

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outback’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the CR-V (108.1 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

The Outback Wilderness executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CR-V EX-L AWD (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the CR-V’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CR-V (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 CR-V (9.5 vs. 8.2 inches).

The Outback has 5.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CR-V (109 vs. 103.5).

The Outback has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 5.3 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the CR-V.

The Outback’s cargo area is larger than the CR-V’s in almost every dimension:

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Outback’s liftgate can be opened just by holding your hand near the emblem on the trunk, leaving your hands completely free. The CR-V doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V’s (2700 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Honda CR-V is only 1500 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 CR-V. 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 CR-V doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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 CR-V 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 CR-V 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 CR-V’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 CR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Outback and the CR-V offer available heated front seats. The Outback Limited/Touring/Onyx XT/Wilderness also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CR-V.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Outback Touring keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CR-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Outback’s optional (except Base/Premium/Onyx/Wilderness) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The CR-V doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is available on the Outback (except Base). The Outback’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The CR-V doesn’t offer a navigation system.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Outback and the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.