Compare the2025 Subaru OutbackVS 2026 Honda CR-V

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 CR-V doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard EyeSight, the Subaru Outback is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Honda CR-V, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Outback	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-17 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	-6 MPH	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-33 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.7 sec	2.4 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-4 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.1 sec	No Warning

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

The Subaru Outback’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Honda CR-V does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Outback and the CR-V 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, 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Outback is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Outback	CR-V
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	158	211
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/249 lbs.	217/317 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	241	357
Neck Injury Risk	43%	54%
Neck Stress	147 lbs.	211 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	161/137 lbs.	408/341 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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Outback is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Outback	CR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	28	72
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	115 lbs.
Hip Force	247 lbs.	347 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	302
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	674 lbs.	753 lbs.

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

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Outback has a standard 620-amp battery. The CR-V’s 410-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fourth.

Engine

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 56 more horsepower (260 vs. 204) and 30 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 247) than the CR-V Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Outback 2.5i 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder is faster than the Honda CR-V turbo 4 cyl.:

	Outback	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	8.7 sec

As tested in Motor Trend the Outback XT/Wilderness 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the CR-V Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

	Outback	CR-V
Zero to 30 MPH	2.5 sec	2.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	7.6 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	9.9 sec	15.3 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	2.8 sec	4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95.9 MPH	81.5 MPH

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 CR-V doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Outback and the CR-V have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Outback’s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

The Outback has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V (18.5 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The Outback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CR-V are solid, not vented.

The Outback stops much shorter than the CR-V:

	Outback	CR-V
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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 CR-V; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outback’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the CR-V (108.1 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

The Outback Touring XT handles at .80 G’s, while the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Outback Wilderness executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the CR-V Hybrid’s (36.1 feet vs. 37 feet). The Outback’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the CR-V 1.5T’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CR-V (8.7 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.3 inches higher than on the CR-V (9.5 vs. 8.2 inches).

Passenger Space

The Outback has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CR-V (109 vs. 106).

The Outback has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the CR-V.

Cargo Capacity

The Outback’s cargo area is larger than the CR-V’s in almost every dimension:

	Outback	CR-V
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42”/75”	36.6”/74.7”
Max Width	51”	58”
Min Width	43.3”	41.5”
Height	32.1”	36.5”

Towing

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V’s (2700 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Honda CR-V is only 1500 pounds. The Outback offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Outback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the CR-V. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 15% lower rating, Honda is ranked 7th.

Ergonomics

The Outback’s standard front power windows 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 CR-V’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Outback Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx Edition’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

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 CR-V doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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 CR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

When the Outback Limited/Touring is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The CR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Outback’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The CR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Subaru Outback and Honda CR-V offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Outback offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the CR-V’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Both the Outback and the CR-V offer available heated front seats. The Outback Limited/Touring/Onyx XT/Wilderness also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CR-V.

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 CR-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Compared to the Honda CR-V, the Subaru Outback eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Compared to traditional radio, the Subaru Outback’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport Touring.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Outback and the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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