Compare the2025 Subaru OutbackVS 2024 Jaguar XF

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Outback are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Jaguar XF doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 XF doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Subaru Outback has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The XF doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 XF 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 XF doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Outback. But it costs extra on the XF.

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

The Subaru Outback achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The XF has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Outback’s reliability 20 points higher than the XF.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Jaguar vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jaguar is rated lower.

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (260 vs. 246) and 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 269) than the XF P250’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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 XF doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Outback XT/Wilderness for maximum performance). The XF requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Outback has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the XF. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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 XF 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 XF; 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 2.1 feet tighter than the XF’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.2 feet).

The Outback is 4.3 inches shorter than the XF, making the Outback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 XF doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Outback has 14 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XF (109 vs. 95).

The Outback has 2.6 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the XF.

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

The Outback has a 2700 lbs. towing capacity. The XF has no towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Jaguar. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With an 8% lower rating, Jaguar is ranked 10th.

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 XF doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its SOS Emergency Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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 XF doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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 XF doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Outback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XF doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 XF doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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

The Subaru Outback outsold the Jaguar XF by over 173 to one during 2023.