2023 Subaru Forester vs. 2023 Subaru Outback: Head to Head

Winner: 2023 Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester has a starting sticker price of $26,395 and $36,495 in its top trim. The Outback’s base model starts at $28,395, with its costliest version going for $42,295.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester takes this category with a J.D. Power rating of 84 out of 100 points for projected reliability, based on the company’s annual ownership surveys. Meanwhile, the Outback gets a rating of 73 out of 100.

A J.D. Power predicted reliability score of 91-100 is considered the Best, 81-90 is Great, 70-80 is Average, and 0-69 is Fair and considered below average.

Both models come with a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Outback

This is a close call. Both the Subaru Outback and Forester seat five occupants and come standard with cloth upholstery. Both provide ample room up front, with sufficient space in the back for three kids or two adults and comfortable seating.

Both models can be upgraded with synthetic- or genuine-leather upholstery, along with heated and power-adjustable front seats and heated rear seats. The Outback wins this race by a whisker with its available ventilated front seats for added hot-weather comfort.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Outback

The Subaru Forester provides 28.9 cubic feet of storage space behind the rear seats and 74.2 cubic feet with the seatbacks folded down. But the Outback is just a tad more generous in this regard, with 32.6 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks upright and 75.6 cubic feet with them folded.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Forester

Neither the Subaru Forester nor the Outback include flashy interior designs, but they’re both well-finished with top-quality materials. Critics note that the Forester does a better job of isolating the cabin from road noise at highway speeds, so we'll give it the edge here.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Outback

The Forester’s standard infotainment system comes with a 6.5-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, satellite radio, a four-speaker stereo, Bluetooth and two USB ports. It can be upgraded with an 8-inch screen, navigation and either a six- or nine-speaker stereo.

Other standard features include remote keyless entry and automatic climate control. Higher trims add proximity keyless entry, push-button start, a six-speaker stereo, a Wi-Fi hot spot, a panoramic moonroof and dual-zone automatic climate control.

The Subaru Outback offers a few interior features the Forester lacks, including dual 7-inch screens, an 11.6-inch screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless device charging, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and a universal garage door opener.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Outback

Unlike most other automakers, Subarus employ what’s called a “boxer” engine design in which the cylinders are horizontally opposed to each other, rather than inline or in a V-shaped configuration. This is said to help create a lower center of gravity for added stability and handling prowess.

The Forester and Outback come standard with the same powertrain: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that sends 182 horsepower to all four wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). That's the only option in the Forester, but the Outback offers a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 260 horsepower.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Forester

The Subaru Forester is EPA-rated at 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway, which is good for the segment. The exception is the Wilderness trim which gets a somewhat lower 25/28 mpg city/highway because of its off-road-oriented gear ratios and all-terrain tires.

The Outback is rated at 26 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, though trims with the quicker turbocharged engine suffer in this regard with 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Forester

Neither of these Subarus is particularly sporty, but both models’ suspensions are able to soak up bumps and pavement imperfections nicely. Critics rate the Outback’s steering as feeling numb at times, so we’ll give this category to the Forester.

Of note, the Subaru Forester and Outback both come in Wilderness trims that include higher ground clearances and added features that enable them to at least venture modestly away from the pavement. However, they can't match the off-road skills of a truck-based SUV packing a 4WD system with low-range gearing.

Winner: 2023 Subaru Outback

Both the Subaru Outback and Forester received an overall safety rating of five out of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with five stars in the frontal and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover test.

They also offer similar driver-assistance systems. However, while the Outback gets the highest rating of Good across the board in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s crash tests, the Forester is rated Acceptable (the second-highest rating) in side-impact protection and Marginal (the second-lowest rating) for its moderate overlap frontal crash test.

Tie

You can’t go wrong with either the 2023 Subaru Forester or the 2023 Subaru Outback, with both taking five out of our 10 evaluation categories. The Forester starts and tops out at lower prices than the Outback, gets a higher rating for reliability, has a slightly higher-quality interior and gets better fuel economy. It also handles a bit better than the Outback, with slightly more engaging steering.

The Subaru Outback, on the other hand, has slightly more comfortable seating with available ventilated front seats the Forester lacks, additional cargo space and interior features and a quicker available turbocharged engine. While both offer identical safety features, the Outback racks up higher scores in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s crash tests.

For more information on either of these two Subaru crossover SUVs, or to see how either holds up against other makes, models and vehicle types, be sure to consult U.S. News’ comprehensive new car rankings and ratings. You’ll also want to click over to our best new car deals section to discover which incentives are available this month on any current models under your consideration, including cash rebates, cut-rate financing and leasing promotions.

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