Subaru Outback vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Grand Highlander burns about $1,700 of fuel annually against $2,100 for the Subaru Outback. That $400 yearly gap compounds to roughly $2,000 over five years and $3,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Toyota Grand Highlander leads in both cycles — 37 mpg city and 34 mpg highway against 26 and 33 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Subaru Outback is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, 2.5, 3.6), the Toyota Grand Highlander with 2 (SIDI & PFI, SIDI & PFI; Hybrid). Across 26 recorded Subaru Outback configurations and 22 for the Toyota Grand Highlander, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Subaru Outback is offered with All-Wheel Drive, the Toyota Grand Highlander with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD and Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Toyota Grand Highlander emits 246 g/mile of CO2 versus 308 g/mile for the Subaru Outback. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.