Toyota RAV4 vs. Subaru Outback: What’s The Difference?
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It’s no secret that people love SUVs. They’re safe, spacious, and often offer a nice suite of entertainment features. Toyota and Subaru are generally regarded as some of the finest SUV manufacturers out there, and for a good reason.
However, with both of them being so high quality, it can be difficult to understand what it is that sets them apart from each other. If this is something you’re worried about, have no fear! We’ve created a full-fledged Toyota RAV4 vs. Subaru Outback comparison so that you can make an informed decision on which is best for you.
A Brief Overview
The Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Outback are both incredible vehicles. Their differences become clearer as you start to get into the higher trim levels, but they’re still there from the beginning. The RAV4 gets better gas mileage and has a stronger performance, while the Outback is a little safer.
Their prices are pretty similar until you start shopping for those top-class trims, in which the Outback is a few thousand dollars cheaper than the RAV4. If performance and fuel economy are your top priorities, the RAV4 is likely the SUV for you.
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Specs
In terms of base engine power, the Toyota RAV4 has the Subaru Outback beat. The RAV4’s base trim comes with a four-cylinder, 203 horsepower engine, effectively making it the most powerful base SUV currently on the market. Compared to the Outback’s initial 2.5 Liter, 182 horsepower engine, the RAV4 is much stronger.
The initial four trim levels in the Outback use the 182 horsepower engine. You can get a more advanced engine with your Outback, though, if you opt for the Outback’s top 3 trims, the XT trim levels. These will get you a turbocharged engine with 260 horsepower. While this is nothing to write off, the 2021 RAV4s have actually introduced a new engine that blows even this turbocharged engine out of the water.
As of 2021, you can purchase a Prime Mode RAV4 that comes with a plug-in hybrid engine rather than a gas-powered one. You might think this would be relatively weak, but it generates an astounding 302 horsepower. If we’re talking performance, the RAV4 wins by a landslide in the Toyota RAV4 vs. Subaru Outback conversation.
The Outback does just barely win, however, in terms of cargo space. The cargo space in an Outback with the seats down is approximately 76 cubic feet, which is a little higher than the RAV4’s cargo space of about 70 cubic feet.
Safety and Reliability
Before we get into the specifics, it’s worth clarifying that both the Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Outback have garnered extremely high safety ratings, and you’ll be in good hands with either choice. The differences between them are small but still worth talking about since safety is usually a huge selling point for SUVs.
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety gave the 2021 models of both cars a full five stars for their overall safety rating, which is top tier. With that being said, the Outback is the safer vehicle of the two by a thin margin. Though both SUVs were praised by the IIHS, the RAV4 suffers from lower front crash scores and subpar headlights for its base trim.
Otherwise, there’s very little to be worried about in terms of safety with the RAV4. Both of these vehicles come with a high-quality suite of safety features, with base RAV4s coming equipped with automatic emergency braking and advanced cruise control and base Outbacks coming with pre-collision braking and their own version of advanced cruise control.
Gas Mileage
Despite being more powerful than the Outback, the RAV4 also has better fuel economy! Its initial engine returns an estimated 27 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway. If you go for the Prime Mode RAV4 that comes with the plug-in hybrid engine, you can expect a whopping 41 miles per gallon in the city and 38 miles per gallon on the highway. This is astronomically high and really can’t be beat by almost any other SUV out there.
In comparison, the Outback’s original 2.5 Liter engine returns an estimated 26 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway. If you decide to get the one with the turbocharged engine, you’re trading some fuel economy for that extra power, as it gets 23 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the highway. No matter which way you slice it, the RAV4 completely blows the Outback out of the water with its gas mileage.
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Technology
Whereas technology may be a deciding factor in a lot of car comparisons, it actually isn’t a huge piece of the Toyota RAV4 vs. Subaru Outback battle. They fare pretty similarly when it comes to standard technology, both having loads of safety features and some solid infotainment tech.
You start off with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the base trims of both vehicles and can upgrade to add a variety of features such as a panoramic sunroof and heated seats. There really isn’t a clear winner when it comes to technology here; it’s essentially a tie between the two SUVs.
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Price
Pricing is an interesting piece of the Toyota RAV4 vs. Subaru Outback comparison. With the base trims of the 2021 models, they’re very close in price. The 2021 base Subaru Outback’s cost starts around $26,800, while the 2021 base Toyota RAV4 starts around $26,400. This means that price likely won’t be much of a deciding factor if you plan to buy the original trim. As we move up the trim levels, though, the difference starts to become clearer.
The top-level Outback trim, the Outback XT, starts its pricing at roughly $35,000. The Toyota RAV4 Prime, on the other hand, goes for a little over $38,000, leaving a few thousand dollars difference in between the two cars. It’s worth it if you value the incredible performance and gas mileage enough, but if not, the Outback XT might be your best bet.
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