12 Alternatives To The 2026 Subaru Outback

For a long time, the Subaru Outback employed a design language that made people wonder whether it was an SUV or a lifted station wagon. However, the 2026 Outback is something different — Subaru has removed all doubt and made it a full-blown SUV. The new design has its fans and detractors, as long-time fans of the Outback pine for its semi-wagon roots while others criticize the design as just a longer Subaru Forester. In either case, Outback fans may be wondering what else is out there to scratch that itch. 

As it turns out, plenty of contenders match up well against the 2026 Outback, especially since it looks much more like a typical crossover SUV. Shoppers enjoy the Outback for a variety of reasons, including its off-road prowess thanks to its Wilderness trim and 8.7-inch ground clearance, the inclusion of Subaru's excellent boxer engine, standard all-wheel drive, and the brand's excellent 260 hp optional engine. Fortunately, aside from the boxer engine, most of the Outback's features are obtainable through other brands. 

So, if you're in the market for those kinds of things, you have plenty of options to look forward to. Admittedly, most car brands don't marry all of the above things together exactly like Subaru does, but a few come close. 

It seems counterintuitive, but if you like the Subaru vibe, the first place we'd recommend you check is the Subaru Forester. With the Outback growing substantially in size, the two SUVs share a lot of the same look, feel, and even size. The 2026 Outback is longer than the Forester, at 192.3 inches versus 183.3 inches, respectively. It's also a little over 3 inches wider while being roughly the same height overall. Thus, if you want something a bit smaller, a Forester could be exactly what you're looking for.

While the Outback has the stronger engine, the Forester comes with a hybrid powertrain that pairs a 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine with a 1.1-kWh that makes a total of 194 hp. That is not too different from the base engine of the Outback minus the hybrid component, so the two are very similar overall unless you get the upgraded Outback engine. However, the hybrid powertrain on the Forester and its 35 mpg combined rating will almost certainly be better than the Outback. So, you go a little slower, but you get more gas per mile. 

Since they are under the same roof, even the interior is quite similar. Thus, if you like the Outback but not its larger size, checking out a present or past generation of Forester could be your next best bet. 

The Subaru Crosstrek is an excellent option in the other direction, offering a Subaru package even smaller than the outgoing wagon-like 2025 Outback. Thus, you can retain that station wagon feel without getting a much larger vehicle. The Crosstrek does have some extra compromises compared to an Outback or Forester, though. It doesn't have quite as much off-road prowess as its larger stablemates, so this isn't the best Subaru for tackling your local trails. 

The car also doesn't have as strong of an engine. Subaru pops a 2.0-liter, 152 hp engine into the base model, which we recommend you skip entirely. The noticeably stronger 2.5-liter boxer makes 182 hp and brings it up more in line with the Forester and base models of the Outback. Since the exterior dimensions are smaller, the interior dimensions are also smaller as well, boding well for folks who want something lithe instead of a big, boxy SUV. Other than that, it's like all other Subarus in that it has standard all-wheel drive. 

Overall, the Crosstrek is a good candidate if you want something even smaller than the Forester while retaining the wagon feel and staying within Subaru's lineup. It boasts the same 8.7-inch ground clearance, so while it's not quite as good for off-road tasks, you can still drive to your campsite with it at least. 

The Honda Passport is arguably the closest non-Subaru competitor of any vehicle on the list, given the Outback's new digs. The wheelbase, total length, and total width are all within 2-3 inches of the Outback, with the Passport being slightly wider and slightly shorter overall. Both feature two rows, a muscular stature, and roughly the same interior dimensions as well. In terms of cross-shopping, it doesn't get much closer than this. 

And in some ways, the Passport is the superior vehicle. All Passports come with a 285 hp V6 engine and come with Honda's i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system. It gets up to speed pretty quickly and can even tow a fair amount at 4,500 pounds. We don't know the 2026 Outback's tow capacity for sure, but it's slated to be around 3,500 pounds. The Passport is also decent at off-roading and the 2026 Outback likely will too. 

About the only category where the 2026 Outback will likely best the Passport is fuel economy. The Passport gets 20 mpg combined, which is a bit low for 2025. Generally, Subarus do better than that and while the 2026 Outback's fuel economy numbers remain a mystery, it would be a surprise if they weren't several mpg better than the Passport. 

The Mazda CX-50 also exists in the same category as the 2026 Outback, and offers a lot of the same capabilities. The CX-50 is slightly smaller than the Outback with a 110-inch wheelbase and 185 inches of total length. However, the two vehicles have roughly the same ground clearance and when it comes to off-road capabilities, Mazda is quite proud of what it's accomplished with the CX-50. In short, you can buy either one and get largely the same experience when it comes to size and capability. 

Even the engines are similar. Base CX-50 models come with a 2.5-liter powerplant that makes 187 hp, which is very close to what the 2.5-liter makes in Subaru vehicles. Optional is that same engine that outputs 256 hp, which is also very similar to the 2.4-liter turbo-four likely going in the Outback. Both are slated to tow 3,500 pounds and both get reasonable fuel economy on both engines. Most of the differences are in things like interior design and under-the-hood stuff like suspension components. On paper, the two are very similar. 

Between the two, it mostly comes down to personal preference. The CX-50 rides a little stiffer whereas Subarus tend to ride softer. You really can't go wrong either way and there's not enough of a difference in specs to recommend one over the other. 

The Kia Seltos probably isn't what you'd expect for a list like this. It's shorter and thinner than the 2026 Outback, but it has a similar height and width to the outgoing 2025 Outback, so drivers who want something around that same size — minus some of the length — might find something interesting in it. The Seltos is also less expensive than the Outback all the way around. Its top trim costs $32,000, while the top end 2025 Outback runs for $46,000. 

For the money, the Seltos is decent. It has a weaker base engine at just 146 hp, but its upgraded 1.6-liter turbo-four gets 195 hp, which scoots this little guy around town without much hassle. The upper end trims have decent features like seat ventilation and Kia's tech is usually quite good. It's not a Subaru and won't match the 2026 Outback in terms of size or power, so this is mostly a value proposition. You can get a lot of features for not that much money with a Seltos. 

The one thing both vehicles do have in common is decent fuel economy. Even with the upgraded engine and all-wheel drive, the Seltos can put up north of 30 mpg in real world mixed use, which is decent for a 2025 vehicle with no hybrid powertrain. 

If larger, boxy SUVs are your thing, the Ford Bronco is right up there. The Bronco is a bit larger than the expected dimensions of the 2026 Outback, boasting a wheelbase of 116 inches, nearly 200 inches in length, and 78 inches in height, besting the Outback by 2-4 inches all the way around. It also leans more into off-road styling with a ground clearance of 8.8 inches, which is a tenth of an inch higher than the 2025 Outback. So, if you like Subaru for going off-road, the Bronco will easily compete in that arena. 

The truck-like SUV has more up its sleeve too. The 2.3-liter turbo-four comes standard and puts up 300 hp, which is more than either engine on the Outback. There is also an optional twin-turbo V6 that adds another 15 hp to the mix. Also, unlike the Subaru, the Bronco has a 4x4 mode that you can manually engage if you get stuck in the mud or sand somewhere. Again, the Bronco leans heavily into its off-road capabilities, much more so than Subaru. 

Like the Passport, the biggest win for the Outback against the Bronco is fuel economy. Both Bronco powerplants get around 20 mpg combined, which is quite a bit lower than the Outback is expected to have, and lower than the 2025 Outback's engine options. 

If the regular Bronco is a little too big for your tastes, the Ford Bronco Sport is another reasonable alternative to the 2026 Subaru Outback. It's in the same neighborhood as the Kia Seltos in terms of size, with around 173 inches in total length and a 105-inch wheelbase. It matches its larger sibling in terms of ground clearance at 8.8 inches, which is just a bit higher than the 2025 Outback. It's also quite capable of the trails, making it a reasonable substitution for people who value offroading. 

Ford tones it down with the powerplants in the Bronco Sport. It comes with a turbocharged three-cylinder good for 180 hp and an optional 2.0-liter four-cylinder that can output 250 hp. This comes close to matching the Outback's expected engines, so the speed and power should be similar between the two. However, in terms of fuel economy, the Subaru is still expected to win. The Bronco Sport's fuel economy is under 30 mpg combined with its most efficient powertrain. 

In all, this is a nice option for people looking for something smaller than the incoming 2026 Outback while still being able to go offroad and get out of sticky situations when it comes to snow or ice. The Bronco Sport also comes with 4x4 instead of AWD, giving you some extra oomph when you need it.

If you like Subaru's offroad prowess, a natural suggestion is the crowned champion of off-roading, the Jeep Wrangler. For this particular purpose, the Wrangler smokes the 2026 Outback. It starts with a 9.7 inches of ground clearance and can get upwards of nearly 13 inches. Its powertrain is designed for rock crawling and trails. It works pretty well on pavement too, but the Wrangler is designed to not be on concrete, which gives it a leg up over Subaru in that department. 

Jeep Wranglers come with four engine options. There is a 270 hp turbo-four, a 285 hp V6, and a 470 hp V8. Jeep also provides a plug-in hybrid option, which makes 375 hp. For starters, all of those engines are stronger than even the turbo-four slated to go into the 2026 Outback. Secondly, the ability to choose between a four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engine is nice for people who want as much power as they can get. 

The downside predictably comes in the form of fuel economy. The turbo-four gets in the mid-20 mpg range, and it only gets worse from there for the regular gas engines. For the plug-in hybrid, Jeep estimates that the vehicle does 49 mpge, which is actually better than the Outback is slated to do. 

Subaru fans pining for the soon-to-be-gone half-wagon, half-SUV style of the 2025 Outback, there is good news for you. You can still get that style of vehicle, although you'll likely to have to pay quite a bit extra for it. The Volvo V60 Cross Country is one such example. The good news is that Volvo does a lot of Subaru-like things, like include all-wheel drive as standard equipment so at least you don't have to worry about that. One the downside, the V60 Cross Country is quite a bit more expensive than the Outback with a starting price of $51,000. 

For the money, you get a fairly capable wagon-SUV hybrid. It's powered by a 247 hp turbo-four, which is the only engine option. It's not a bad one, either, as it zips to 60 mph in a reasonable 7.1 seconds and gets 27 mpg combined. The Subaru gets better fuel economy, and its the optional turbo-four will likely be a bit faster, but the V60 Cross Country is competitive in this space while keeping the wagon styling. 

In terms of dimensions, the Cross Country is a little smaller than the outgoing 2025 Outback but not so much that you'd notice without breaking out the tape measure. In essence, this is essentially an upscale 2025 Outback for those interested in something like that. 

The Audio A4 Allroad is a wagon and not an SUV, which could be very appealing if you're already missing the outgoing 2025 Outback. Other than its lack of SUV chops, it's actually quite similar to the Volve V60 Cross Country. It's more expensive than the highest trim of the 2025 Outback with a starting price of $48,895. Like Subaru and Volvo, the Allroad comes with standard all-wheel drive and a plucky engine that gets decent fuel economy. This is designed for pavement use, so off-roading is technically possible but not recommended. This is best shown by its 6.5-inch ground clearance. 

Otherwise, the Allroad has a lot in common with the Volvo. It comes with a single 2.0-liter turbo-four that makes 261 hp. That helps it scoot to 60 mph in about 5.2 seconds, which is faster than the Volvo and Subaru's 2.4-liter turbo-four. Fuel economy is slightly worse than what the 2026 Outback is expected to get, with the Allroad getting in the mid-20 mpg range. The interior will be nicer, as is typical for a higher-end vehicle, but otherwise, the Allroad and the Outback stack up pretty well. 

Wagon sales have flatlined in recent years, with the Subaru Outback accounting for a sizable percentage of all of those sales. With it going fully into the SUV territory, wagon fans only have a few options left.

Should you have a lot of money to part with, the BMW M5 Touring is about as good as it gets for wagon fans. It's almost nothing like the Outback in any measurable way except for the fact that it's a wagon. With that said, there is hope that this high-end model can help spark interest in the wagon market once again after years of neglect from automakers. In terms of usability, it's similar to the Audi A4 Allroad in that it's designed for pavement use and not off-roading. That's fairly normal for wagons not trying to also be an SUV. 

In short, this thing is nuts. It has a starting price of $125,000 and has a variety of packages that add more features and balloon the cost even further. For the money, you get standard all-wheel drive, a standard Bowers & Wilkins stereo system, a panoramic sunroof, and a giant dashboard display. You also get a plug-in hybrid powertrain that includes a twin-turbo V8 engine. The combined power is 717 hp. As you can likely imagine, this thing is fast, doing the 0-60 mph sprint in under four seconds. 

There are still places where the Subaru Outback wins other than ground clearance. The M5's fuel economy is laughable at best, coming in at around 13 mpg combined. So, for efficiency, price, and off-roading, the Outback is still a good option. 

We would be remiss if we didn't mention Kia's EV6 and its mechanical twin, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. It's about as close as EVs get to walking that line between wagon and SUV. In terms of dimensions, it's only a little smaller than the 2025 or 2026 Outback models, making it a good sit in if you want to go the EV route. That means interior space and cargo space should be somewhat similar overall to an Outback. The only arena where the EV6 and Ioniq 5 can't compete is off-roading. The ground clearance is simply too short at 6.1 inches. 

When it comes to powertrains, EVs couldn't be more different from gas engines. Both the EV6 and Ioniq 5 come with two electric motor configurations. One is a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle to give it rear-wheel drive and up to 225 hp. The other option is a dual motor system that enables all-wheel drive and up to a total of 641 hp. That makes it much faster than any Subaru Outback, and the nature of electric vehicles means it's more fuel efficient as well. 

You'll lose out on some things opting for an EV over a gas engine, so overall it's mostly a matter of personal preference. However, the wagon-like nature of the EV6 and Ioniq 5 make it good for people who don't want to give that up yet.