Compare the2025 Hyundai Santa Fe HybridVS 2025 Subaru Outback

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

Safety

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Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and Outback have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Outback’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Subaru Outback has not been tested.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Outback only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Outback’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Santa Fe Hybrid has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Outback and its not available on the Base and the Outback’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Outback 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 and available all wheel drive.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid weighs 485 to 934 pounds more than the Subaru Outback. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Santa Fe Hybrid is much safer than the Outback:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Outback
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg Forces L/R	382/472 pounds	517/584 pounds
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Chest Rating
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	POOR

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is safer than the Outback:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Outback
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	-22 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	.94 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.54 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	9 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	64	387
Neck Compression	-45 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	-.87 in	1.81 in
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	469 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.14 in	1.42 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	848 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid (built after November 2024) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Outback is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Warranty

The Santa Fe Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Outback’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Santa Fe Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Outback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Outback ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Outback’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outback.

There are over 31 percent more Hyundai dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Santa Fe Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 12th.

Engine

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 49 more horsepower (231 vs. 182) and 95 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 176) than the Outback 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is faster than the Outback 2.5i 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Outback
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88.7 MPH	86.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Hybrid gets better mileage than the Outback:

			MPG
Santa Fe Hybrid
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy
Outback
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/32 hwy
		XT 2.4 turbo flat-4	22 city/29 hwy
		Wilderness 2.4 turbo flat-4	21 city/26 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Santa Fe Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Outback doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Outback XT/Wilderness requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid higher (6 out of 10) than the Subaru Outback (5 to 6). This means the Santa Fe Hybrid produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Outback every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Santa Fe Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Outback:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Outback
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.8 inches

The Santa Fe Hybrid stops much shorter than the Outback:

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Outback
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Santa Fe Hybrid has larger standard tires than the Outback (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outback (255/45R20 vs. 225/65R17).

The Santa Fe SEL Hybrid’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outback’s standard 65 series tires. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Outback Onyx/Limited/Touring’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe SEL Hybrid has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Outback. The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Outback Onyx/Limited/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Outback doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the Outback (110.8 inches vs. 108.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Hybrid is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Outback.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (54% to 46%) than the Outback’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Santa Fe Hybrid more stable handling and braking.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Outback Wilderness pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Outback Limited (27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Santa Fe Hybrid has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Outback can only carry 5.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 42 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outback (151 vs. 109).

The Santa Fe Hybrid has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 2 inches more rear legroom, .1 inches more rear hip room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Outback.

Cargo Capacity

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the Outback.

	Santa Fe Hybrid	Outback
Third Seat Folded	40.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	32.6 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	79.6 cubic feet	75.6 cubic feet

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Santa Fe Hybrid’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Outback doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Assist on the Santa Fe Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Outback doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Santa Fe Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Outback uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Outback have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Santa Fe Hybrid is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Outback prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

On a hot day the Santa Fe Hybrid’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Outback can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard Proximity Key that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start costs extra on the Outback and isn’t available on the Outback Base.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Outback’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Outback Premium/Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx.

The Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Outback Premium/Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx.

Both the Santa Fe Hybrid and the Outback offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Santa Fe Hybrid has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Outback doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console for two separate devices. Wireless charging costs extra on the Outback and isn’t available on the Outback Base.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Outback doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Santa Fe Hybrid Limited/Calligraphy’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Outback doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Santa Fe Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Outback doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid and the Subaru Outback, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Santa Fe Hybrid first among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Outback isn’t in the top three.

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