Subaru Outback Vs. Toyota Highlander | Interior, MPG, Cargo Space, Specs
Adventure seekers can plainly see from our Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander showdown that the 2025 Subaru Outback easily pulls ahead of its competitors. With more truly all-terrain capabilities, the Outback gives you the specs you need to explore the Great Outdoors. Plus, with a much lower starting MSRP and superior gas MPG ratings, you'll spend less on the expedition vehicle you deserve.
Dive into our Victory Subaru guide below to learn more about these models' differences and decide for yourself which one deserves to be your next trail companion.
| 2025 Subaru Outback | 2025 Toyota Highlander (Gas) | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine |
| 2.4L turbo 4-cyl |
| Horsepower |
| 265 |
| Torque |
| 310 lb-ft |
| Drivetrain | AWD | FWD or AWD |
| EPA-Est. MPG (Cty / Hwy / Comb) |
|
|
| Seating Capacity | 5 | 7 or 8 |
| Cargo Space Behind Rear Row | 32.6 cu ft | 16 cu ft |
| Length | 191.3-191.9 in | 194.9-197.4 in |
| Body Width | 74.2-74.6 in | 76 in |
| Height | 66.1-66.9 in | 68.1 in |
| Ride Height | 8.7-9.5 in | 8 in |
| All-Terrain Features |
|
|
Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander: Price & Standard Features
Right off the bat, you'll find that the 2025 Toyota Highlander has a much higher starting MSRP than the 2025 Subaru Outback. In fact, the starting price of the entry-level Toyota Highlander LE is closer to that of the mid-tier Subaru Onyx Edition XT and Wilderness models, which are fifth and sixth in the nine-trim Subaru lineup.
Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander pricing is a loss for the Highlander, and more to the point, the pricier Highlander offers less in many areas.
The Highlander has standard FWD with AWD available, but every single Subaru Outback has standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. Beyond that standard drivetrain difference, the Outback can go a lot further in terms of exterior, interior, and safety features.
For instance, the Outback Base trim has standard raised roof rails and LED Steering Responsive Headlights. Meanwhile, the pricier entry-level Highlander LE does not offer roof rails or the Toyota Adaptive Front-Lighting System – these are only available in higher trims.
When we turn our attention inward to the cabin of each SUV, we may find some similarities at first glance. However, you'll often have to pay significantly more to get the same or even less from the Toyota Highlander interior amenities than the Subaru Outback interior offerings.
Take the second-tier models from each automaker – the Outback Premium and the Highlander XLE – for example. Both offer heated, 10-way power adjustable driver's seats with lumbar support. However, the Outback Premium gives you an 11.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compared to the 8-inch display in the Highlander XLE – and it does so for thousands of dollars less.
While you can get more advanced interior and exterior features at a more affordable price with the Subaru Outback, we will admit that both brands deliver advanced driver-support systems as standard, showcasing their commitment to occupant safety. You'll find systems like these in either sport-ute:
- Pre-Collision Braking
- Lane Departure Warning
- Lane Keep Assist
- Rear-Vision Camera
- High Beam Assist
- Automatic Emergency Steering
That being said, our Toyota Highlander vs. Subaru Outback safety comparison still has to go to the Outback when you factor in price. You also have more available driver aids, like Lane Change Assist, Driver Focus Distraction Mitigation System, and Reverse Automatic Braking, with the Subaru Outback that aren't offered for the Highlander model.
Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander: Specs, Performance & MPG
We've talked about features and pricing, so what about performance specs? For starters, the 2025 Outback has higher MPG ratings while remaining the more off-road-ready SUV with standard all-wheel drive. It also provides two engine options, whereas the Highlander only offers one gas powertrain. Check out each engine's output and their estimated MPG values.
There's no sugarcoating it – we must mention that the Subaru Outback specs do include less horsepower than the Toyota Highlander. The Outback gives you the choice of a 182-horsepower 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER four-cylinder engine or a 260-horsepower 2.4-liter turbocharged SUBARU BOXER four-cylinder powertrain. The Toyota Highlander only comes with one gas-only engine option under its hood: a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 265 horsepower.
As you can see, the power output for the 2.4-liter turbo engines in each model is quite similar, with the Highlander only producing five more horsepower. While the standard 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER engine comes in lower, it gives you comparatively outstanding MPG ratings, especially when you consider its standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. As you'll see below, the Subaru Outback MPG ratings supersede that of the Toyota Highlander MPG ratings, even in its standard FWD configuration – enough so that you won't worry about five missing horsepower.
Each vehicle has multiple EPA-estimated MPG ratings. For the Subaru Outlander, your mileage will vary by engine. As for the Toyota Highlander, mileage varies by drivetrain. The first five trims for the 2025 Subaru Outback come standard with the 2.5-liter engine, which earns an EPA-estimated 26/32/28 MPG (City/Highway/Combined).1 Opting for most trims with the 2.4-liter turbocharged powertrain gives you up to an EPA-estimated 22/29/25 MPG (City/Highway/Combined).1 The trail-conquering Wilderness trim with the same turbocharged engine will lower your MPG rating slightly to 21/26/23 MPG (City/Highway/Combined)1 due to its unique specs, dimensions, and off-roading features.
Compare these to the Toyota Highlander MPG, and you'll find that it delivers up to an EPA-estimated 22/29/25 MPG (City/Highway/Combined)2 with its 2.4-liter turbo engine as well. However, that's with FWD versus AWD in the Subaru SUV. When you opt for available AWD in the Highlander, your mileage will drop to 21/28/24 MPG (City/Highway/Combined)2 – closer to the nature-loving Outback Wilderness trim.
All things considered from our Highlander vs. Outback performance evaluation, you can get nearly the same horsepower, better MPG ratings, and standard all-wheel drive with the Outback. To us, that's another win for the Subaru vehicle in our 2025 Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander clash.
Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander: All-Terrain Capabilities
Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander off-road adventuring capabilities are where the Highlander SUV's lows become really evident.
The Highlander is billed as an adventurous crossover SUV, but let's not forget where the very notion of "an adventurous crossover SUV" came from in the first place: the Subaru Outback.
Before the 1990s, the only way to get an SUV, especially one with true all-terrain capability, was to buy a vehicle that rode on a truck's frame. Naturally, these machines drove like trucks, which made them a rather compromised package for those who needed both smooth and agile handling for cities and ruggedness for wild trails and rough weather.
The Subaru Outback changed the game entirely when it was introduced to the world in 1994. It started as a trim package for the Subaru Legacy wagon, which took the smooth and agile unibody car chassis and turned it into a high-riding, all-terrain-dominating vehicle that offered the space and capability of a truck-frame SUV while negating those truck-based SUVs' unresponsive, unmaneuverable ride qualities.
Today, almost every brand has introduced models based on the legendary crossover SUV formula that many believe the Outback gave to the world. The Toyota Highlander is one such model. Although the Highlander offers available Multi-Terrain Select and an 8-inch maximum ground clearance, the model lacks standard AWD and all-terrain tires and pales in comparison to the Outback.
Specifically, a Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander head-to-head comparison of off-road qualities reveals that the Outback SUV has a higher 8.7-inch standard ride height. It also has standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with the X-MODE traction system on every model. The Outback Wilderness upgrades your ride height to 9.5 inches and adds all-terrain tires, skid plates, special water-repellent upholstery, and other adventure-ready qualities for a truly fearless driving companion, something the Highlander can't imitate. The Onyx Edition and Onyx Edition XT carry some of these same Wilderness additions, too.
So, if real exploration is on your radar, choose the real crossover SUV progenitor from our new Subaru Outback inventory.
Subaru Outback vs. Toyota Highlander: Dimensions & Cargo Space
Whether it's hauling cargo or your family, a 2025 Subaru Outback from our Subaru dealer in Somerset, NJ, can do it and more. The Highlander is a larger vehicle, and its longer, wider exterior makes it a less suitable companion for tighter city streets or tree-branch-surrounded trails.
The Highlander SUV's extra row of seats also means that both the front and second-row seats of the Subaru Outback have more legroom than the equivalent rows in a Highlander. The Subaru Outback cargo space measurements are also dramatically more spacious when all seats are in use compared to when all rows are occupied in the Toyota Highlander due to having one less row.
For example, keeping every seat upright results in the 2025 Highlander having 16 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third row – when all seats are upright, you'll find 32.6 cubic feet of cargo room in the Subaru Outback. With the back-row seats folded, the Toyota Highlander cargo space expands to 48.4 cubic feet. Meanwhile, the Subaru Outback has 75.6 cubic feet of cargo space when its second-row seats are lowered. Contact us to set up a tour and see how this spacious cargo hold fits your family's needs while remaining the more agile SUV.
Discover the 2025 Subaru Outback Today
The Outback is a versatile vehicle designed for everything from fun to function. With our new Subaru specials making its affordable price even more affordable, the Highlander can't hope to compete. If you're ready to feel its available turbocharged power, leading safety features, comfortable interior, and more, visit Victory Subaru today and test-drive the Outback trim level that suits you.
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1EPA fuel economy estimates. Actual mileage will vary with driving conditions and your vehicle’s condition.
2Use for comparison purposes only. Your mileage will vary for many reasons, including your vehicle's condition and how/where you drive. See www.fueleconomy.gov.
