5 Affordable Alternatives To The Subaru Outback

Selecting five affordable alternatives to the Subaru Outback starts with defining the Outback's most important attributes. These should form the foundation of whatever vehicles make the list of Outback alternatives. The ground rules are that only new cars will be included, they must be available with all-wheel drive, must be a two-row layout in a wagon or SUV-style body, and must be priced under or comparable to the $44,730 MSRP cost of the top 2025 Outback trim, the Touring XT. Some off-road adaptations are also required.

First, a recap of the 2025 Subaru Outback. The Outback is a mid-sized wagon that has been an integral part of the Subaru lineup since it first appeared in 1995 as a trim package for the Legacy wagon. The 2025 Subaru Outback offers a choice of two different flat-four engines, a standard 2.5-liter normally aspirated version with 182 horsepower or a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine that produces 260 horsepower. Both engines send their power through a CVT to all four wheels. 

Performance of the standard engine Outback shows a zero-to-60 mph time of 8.6 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 16.8 seconds. The turbo engine noticeably improves the Outback's acceleration, giving a zero-to-60 mph time of 5.8 seconds, while the quarter-mile takes 14.6 seconds. Ground clearance of most Outback trims is 8.7 inches, with the Wilderness version offering an increased 9.5 inches. A total of nine trim levels are available on the 2025 Subaru Outback, ranging from the Base at $29,995 MSRP to the Touring XT at $44,730 MSRP (add $1,420 for destination and delivery).

The all-new 2025 Subaru Forester is the perfect alternative to the Subaru Outback. The 2025 Forester actually offers slightly less cargo space than the Outback, with 28 cu-ft behind the back seat and 69 cu-ft with the rear seat folded, compared to the Outback's 33 cu-ft- behind the back seat and 76 cu-ft with the rear seat down.

Power options in the 2025 Subaru Forester again include two choices, but there are differences. Base engine is a 2.5-liter flat-four similar to the Outback's, but with a lower 180 horsepower rating, again channeled through a CVT to an all-wheel drive (AWD) system. Our First Drive review found that while acceleration was similar to the previous Forester, the new steering rack felt tighter and more precise. Optional on four trims is a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, using a 2.5-liter engine operating on the Atkinson cycle, producing 162 horsepower by itself. The gasoline engine is assisted by a 118-horsepower electric motor located inside the transmission. The hybrid system's combined total output is 194 horsepower.  

The hybrid's performance is slightly better, even with its 300-pound weight penalty, according to Car and Driver. The hybrid does zero-to-60 mph in 8.1 seconds, compared to 8.3 for the non-hybrid, while the hybrid does the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds and the non-hybrid does it in 16.6 seconds. Ground clearance is 8.7 inches, with the Wilderness model boasting 9.2 inches. Forester pricing starts at $29,995 MSRP for the Base and goes up to $43,295 MSRP for the Touring Hybrid (plus $1,420 destination and delivery).

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport is the Bronco's little sibling — smaller in size and price. The Bronco Sport, a compact SUV, better fits our pricing parameters and can be outfitted with off-road capability. Cargo space in the Bronco Sport is 32.5 cu-ft behind the back seat and 65.2 cu-ft with the rear seat folded.

The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport gets its power from two different powertrain choices. The entry-level engine is a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline three-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower. The Badlands trim upgrades you to a 2.0-liter inline four packing 250 horsepower. The transmission is an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive is standard. The base engine goes from zero-to-60 mph in 8.1 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 16.2 seconds, while the 250-horse upgrade completes zero-to-60 mph in 5.9 seconds and does the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds, says Car and Driver. Ground clearance is 7.8 inches with the standard suspension and 8.8 inches with the off-road-focused Sasquatch package. Our First Drive review discovered that while the Sasquatch package provides fine off-road chops, there are some compromises during daily driving duties.

The Sasquatch package is available on the Outer Banks and Badlands trims. It includes steel bumpers and skidplates, plus 29-inch all-terrain tires. The Badlands Sasquatch adds liquid-cooled center differential, transmission oil cooler, Bilstein rear shocks, 360-degree camera, and Trail Control that provides automatic hill descent control and one-pedal driving. Pricing starts at $30,995 MSRP for the entry-level Big Bend and proceeds to $40,115 MSRP for the Badlands (add $1,595 for destination charges).

While not every driver will venture off the pavement with a 2025 Toyota RAV4, here's a version made for a Subaru-oriented audience. The 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition, one of nine different RAV4 trims, has been designed to capture a piece of Subaru's market. It dresses the part with off-road suspension tuned by TRD and bronze-tone 18-inch alloy wheels shod with Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires. Cargo capacity of the Woodland Edition is 37.6 cu-ft behind the back seat and 69.8 cu-ft with the rear seat folded.  

Toyota's trusty conventional gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain combines a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder driving the front wheels through a CVT with three electric motors. One of these motors powers the rear axle by itself to provide the RAV4 Woodland Edition with all-wheel drive. Total system horsepower is 219 horsepower, which, based on Car and Driver figures, lets the Woodland Edition sprint from zero-to-60 mph in 7.3 seconds and gets it through the quarter-mile in 15.6 seconds. Ground clearance of the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition is 8.1 inches. Our review of the RAV4 Hybrid found it to be a well-balanced but uninspiring choice among its competitive set.

The pricing for the 2025 RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition starts at $35,520 MSRP (plus the obligatory $1,395 for what Toyota calls its delivery, processing and handling fee). The only available factory options are two-tone paint for $500 and the $925 Woodland grade weather package, which adds rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated front seats, and heated steering wheel. If you want something more affordable that still has AWD and multi-terrain modes, the base LE trim starts at $29,250 and the hybrid LE is $32,300 MSRP.

The 2025 Honda Passport Trailsport is Honda's best attempt so far at an off-road-ready, two-row SUV. There is no such comparable vehicle in the CR-V compact SUV lineup. The Passport Trailsport comes in a larger, mid-size package and definitely looks the part. It comes equipped with an off-road tuned suspension and 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with all-terrain tires. The Honda Passport Trailsport also features intelligent traction management functionality with modes for mud, sand, and snow. The Trailsport's cargo capacity is 50.5 cu-ft behind the back seat and 100.8 cu-ft with the rear seat folded, the largest amount in our group, thanks to its larger platform.

Power for the 2025 Honda Passport Trailsport comes from a 3.5-liter V6 engine which produces 280 horsepower, sending its power through a nine-speed automatic transmission to all four of the vehicle's wheels through its i-VTM4 AWD system. The Trailsport's AWD drivetrain enables it to go from zero-to-60 mph in 5.9 seconds and do the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds. The Honda Passport Trailsport's ground clearance is 8.1 inches.

Pricing of the 2025 Honda Passport Trailsport is a skosh more at $45,000 MSRP, along with its $1,450 destination and handling fee. Available options include exterior paint color upgrades ($455), HPD black alloy wheels ($1,834), and four different manufacturer-installed packages that provide exterior upgrades like roof rack crossbars, trailer hitch, fender flares, and different alloy wheels ($440 to $2,800). SlashGear did test the newest iteration, finding that the 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport could poach 4Runner buyers. However, it costs a bit more than the Subaru Outback Touring XT, starting at $48,450. If you don't need the adventure ready package, the base AWD 2025 Passport EX-L is $42,400 MSRP, plus destination. 

Our final addition to the list of affordable alternatives to the Subaru Outback is a Jeep, but one that is much more civilized than the very basic Wrangler — it's the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, a two-row, affordable 4x4 version. The least expensive 4x4 Jeep Grand Cherokee should compare just fine to the base model Subaru Outback in terms of off-road abilities. The Grand Cherokee Laredo's cargo capacity is 37.7 cu-ft behind the back seat and 70.8 cu-ft with the rear seat folded. Unfortunately, the high-performance models of the past, the Grand Cherokee SRT and Trackhawk, are no longer in the lineup. 

The power source for the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 293 horsepower with stop/start, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. While several all-wheel drive systems are available, the mid-sized Grand Cherokee Laredo comes standard with Jeep's Quadra-Trac I active on-demand 4x4 system with the Jeep® Selec-Terrain traction management system. The Grand Cherokee Laredo can accelerate from zero-to-60 mph in 7.4 seconds, while the quarter-mile goes by in 15.6 seconds, according to Car and Driver. Ground clearance comes in at 8.4 inches for the Laredo.

Pricing of the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 starts at $39,035 MSRP, plus the $1,795 destination fee. Options you can add include four of the five exterior colors ($595 additional, white is the no-cost option), Luxury Tech Group I (includes heated front seats, heated steering wheel, power liftgate, rain-sensitive wipers, and remote-start for $1,795 more), and the $995 trailer-towing package.