Compare the2024 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Porsche Macan

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 Macan 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 Macan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Outback (except Base/Premium) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Macan doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Outback (except Base)’s optional Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Macan doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Outback’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Macan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Outback and the Macan 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

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 30 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Macan has not been tested, yet.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Outback 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Porsche covers the Macan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Macan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Outback’s warranty.

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 Macan doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Macan requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Outback has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Macan (18.5 vs. 17.1 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 Porsche Macan (5). This means the Outback produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Macan every 15,000 miles.

The EPA certifies the Subaru Outback as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Porsche Macan is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

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 Macan doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 3.1 feet tighter than the Macan’s (36.1 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Macan (8.7 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the Macan (9.5 vs. 8.9 inches).

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 500 pounds less than the Porsche Macan.

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

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Macan with its rear seat up (32.6 vs. 17.2 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Macan with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 52.9 cubic feet).

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 Macan doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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 Macan doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Porsche 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 Macan’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Outback has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Macan only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 Macan doesn’t offer extendable visors.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outback is less expensive to operate than the Macan because typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the Macan, including $139 less for a water pump, $979 less for a muffler, $237 less for front brake pads, $108 less for a starter, $213 less for fuel injection, $89 less for a fuel pump, $240 less for front struts, $543 less for a timing belt/chain and $543 less for a power steering pump.

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

The Subaru Outback outsold the Porsche Macan by over 9 to one during 2022.