Subaru Outback vs Toyota Land Cruiser: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Subaru Outback burns about $2,100 of fuel annually against $3,300 for the Toyota Land Cruiser. That $1,200 yearly gap compounds to roughly $6,000 over five years and $9,600 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 Subaru Outback leads in both cycles — 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway against 22 and 25 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 Land Cruiser with 2 (SIDI & PFI; Hybrid, 5.7). Across 26 recorded Subaru Outback configurations and 11 for the Toyota Land Cruiser, 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 Land Cruiser with 4-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 Subaru Outback emits 308 g/mile of CO2 versus 379 g/mile for the Toyota Land Cruiser. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.