Compare the2024 Jaguar E-Pace VS 2024 Subaru Outback

Both the E-Pace and Outback have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The E-Pace has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Outback’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the E-Pace deploy with different levels of force to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The E-Pace’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Outback’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The E-Pace offers an optional 3D Surround Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Outback only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The E-Pace has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Outback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the E-Pace has standard Rear Traffic Warning and Rear Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Outback and its not available on the Base and the Outback’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the E-Pace and the Outback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and rearview cameras.

The E-Pace comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Outback’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

The E-Pace’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Outback’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Jaguar pays for scheduled maintenance on the E-Pace for 5 years and 60,000 miles. Jaguar will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outback.

The E-Pace’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 64 more horsepower (246 vs. 182) and 93 lbs.-ft. more torque (269 vs. 176) than the Outback 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jaguar E-Pace is faster than the Outback 2.5i 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	E-Pace	Outback
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.6 sec

Regenerative brakes improve the E-Pace’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Outback doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Jaguar E-Pace higher (7 out of 10) than the Subaru Outback (6 to 7). This means the E-Pace produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Outback every 15,000 miles.

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

	E-Pace	Outback
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	12.4 inches

For better traction, the E-Pace has larger standard tires than the Outback (235/55R19 vs. 225/65R17). The E-Pace’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outback (245/45R20 vs. 225/65R17).

The E-Pace’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outback’s standard 65 series tires. The E-Pace’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Outback Onyx/Limited/Touring’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the E-Pace has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Outback. The E-Pace’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Outback Onyx/Limited/Touring.

The E-Pace offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Outback’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The E-Pace has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Outback doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the E-Pace is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Outback.

The E-Pace SE handles at .83 G’s, while the Outback Wilderness pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The E-Pace is 1 foot, 6.3 inches shorter than the Outback Wilderness, making the E-Pace easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The E-Pace’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outback’s (3968 vs. 2700 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the E-Pace uses the Dynamic 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.

The E-Pace uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Outback uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The E-Pace has a standard 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 E-Pace’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The E-Pace offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Outback doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the E-Pace and the Outback have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the E-Pace 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 E-Pace’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Outback’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On a hot day the E-Pace’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Outback can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The E-Pace’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Outback’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the E-Pace to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Outback doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The E-Pace’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 E-Pace 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.

Both the E-Pace and the Outback offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the E-Pace has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Outback doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Jaguar E-Pace has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Outback and isn’t available on the Outback Base.