Compare the2023 Jeep RenegadeVS 2023 Subaru Outback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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The Renegade Limited offers optional ParkSense to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Outback doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Renegade 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. A system to reveal vehicles in the Outback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Renegade 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 Renegade’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 Renegade and the Outback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes and daytime running lights.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Jeep Renegade is safer than the Subaru Outback:

	Renegade	Outback
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	35%	43%
Neck Compression	47 lbs.	51 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 Jeep Renegade is safer than the Subaru Outback:

	Renegade	Outback
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	625 lbs.	674 lbs.

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

Warranty

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Renegade for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outback.

There are almost 4 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Renegade’s warranty.

Reliability

The engine in the Renegade has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Outback have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Subaru With 25 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Subaru.

Engine

The Renegade’s 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 34 lbs.-ft. more torque (210 vs. 176) than the Outback 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Renegade gets better mileage than the Outback:

			MPG
Renegade
	AWD	1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		Trailhawk 1.3 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
Outback
	AWD	XT 2.4 turbo flat-4	22 city/29 hwy
		Wilderness 2.4 turbo flat-4	21 city/26 hwy

The Renegade has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Outback doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

The Renegade stops much shorter than the Outback:

	Renegade	Outback
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Renegade’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outback (235/45R19 vs. 225/65R17).

The Renegade’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outback Onyx/Limited/Touring’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Renegade offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Outback’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Renegade’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Outback doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Renegade handles at .79 G’s, while the Outback Wilderness pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Renegade Trailhawk’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Outback’s (35.3 feet vs. 36.1 feet).

Chassis

The Jeep Renegade may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Subaru Outback.

The Renegade is 2 feet shorter than the Outback Wilderness, making the Renegade easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Renegade has 1 inch more front headroom and 1.4 inches more rear headroom than the Outback.

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Renegade 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.

Ergonomics

The Renegade offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Outback doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Renegade and the Outback have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Renegade 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 Renegade’s optional 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 Renegade’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 Renegade 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.

The Renegade offers an optional 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 Renegade Limited’s optional Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Outback doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Renegade is less expensive to operate than the Outback because it costs $246 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Renegade than the Outback, including $90 less for fuel injection, $56 less for a fuel pump, $68 less for a timing belt/chain and $40 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Jeep Renegade will be $1886 to $5572 less than for the Subaru Outback.