Compare the2026 Honda PassportVS 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
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Honda Passport has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Outback doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Outback’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Passport TrailSport Elite has a standard Multi-View Camera System 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 Passport 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 Passport has standard Cross Traffic Monitor, helping the driver avoid collisions. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Outback and its not available on the Base.

Compared to metal, the Passport’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Outback has a metal gas tank.

Both the Passport 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Honda Passport weighs 532 to 1064 pounds more than the Subaru Outback. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

There are over 67 percent more Honda dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

Engine

The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 103 more horsepower (285 vs. 182) and 86 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 176) than the Outback 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 25 more horsepower (285 vs. 260) than the Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The Outback doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport 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.

The Passport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Outback doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Passport higher (7 out of 10) than the Subaru Outback (5 to 6). This means the Passport produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Outback every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Passport	Outback
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Outback (265/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Passport TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outback (275/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The Passport’s 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.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Outback.

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Outback doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport’s wheelbase is 5.5 inches longer than on the Outback (113.6 inches vs. 108.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 6.1 inches wider in the front and 5.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Outback.

Passenger Space

The Passport has 10.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outback (119.1 vs. 109).

The Passport has .4 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front hip room, 3.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 2.6 inches more rear hip room and 4.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Outback.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Outback with its rear seat up (44 vs. 32.6 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Outback with its rear seat folded (83.8 vs. 75.6 cubic feet).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Passport’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Outback doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outback’s (5000 vs. 2700 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Passport uses the Vehicle Stability Assist 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.

Ergonomics

The Passport’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Passport’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Outback’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On a hot day the Passport’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 Passport has standard Push Button Start and Smart Entry 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 Passport’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Outback’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Passport TrailSport Elite’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

The Passport’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 Passport 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 Passport and the Outback offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Passport 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.

The Honda Passport has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Outback.

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

The Passport TrailSport has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, 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.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Passport and the Subaru Outback, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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