Battle For The Best!! | Subaru Outback vs Hyundai Santa Fe 

Well compared. I was planning to buy a SF Hybrid Blue trim, but citing current supply shortages the Hyundai dealers I contacted wanted a significant premium over MSRP. This meant the SF was almost $6-7K more expensive than an Outback trim with similar features. Didn't feel that much of a price premium was justified. Purchased the Outback last week.

My son just bought the Subaru Wilderness and loves it. A bit on the odd side in styling IMO but its like a Swiss army knife in terms of functionality. They enjoy camping trips and travel with kids and pets so the interior materials are perfect. It's surprisingly capable offroad and they've used it to get back into fire roads in National parks that were pretty gnarly. Like most 'tools' the choice depends almost entirely on intended use..

I looked very carefully @ both & had sev Outback, this time got S F, warranty & hybrid milage won me over, now very happy & 0 problems with S F

Love our new Hyundai Santa Fe Limited. Good looks, well appointed roomy interior that allows me to easily load my husband's wheelchair and luggage for a road trip with our dog. I can also load one of our recumbent trikes. We are getting a hitch installed to accomodate an Alpaca Trike Carrier to carry both. The Santa Fe rides well on the highway. The safety features-lane assist, blind spot monitoring, cruise control with speed checking worked as expected. The navigation system was easy to learn and worked flawlessly. I would recommend that the system be allowed to be accessed by passenger while driving, as planned routes or destinations can change. Would also recommend driver sensitive key fob so that seat position for starting vehicle is different for me from my husband, the other driver of our single vehicle.

I have a 2019 Subaru Outback with the base motor, 36k miles, fwiw no issues. My gas mileage is approx 27 mpgs driving 90 miles a day on flat highway going 80 mph. I love the Outback, great vehicle.

This was a fantastic comparison. As a die hard Subaru fan on his second Outback, and someone who never really considered Hyundai, I convinced that I should be considering this brand in the future when vehicle shopping. Thank you for such a wonderful video and straightforward presentation style.

Just picked ups 2022 Outback Wilderness. This is my second Subaru, traded my 2013 Outback in. Never left me stranded or let me down, awesome for the winter months also. Love Subarus.

I currently own both an Outback and a Santa Fe hybrid. My 2019 Outback Touring is handsome, comfortable, and capable, but it’s underpowered and the cvt drone at high speeds is very annoying to me. The SF hybrid is quicker, very comfortable, quieter, and gets 33-36 mpg. It’s also awd and ground clearance is pretty close to the Outback (SF is 8.2” and Outback is 8.5”). I prefer the Santa Fe Hybrid, which has a six speed automatic, not an 8 speed dct as mentioned in part of the video. I do enjoy driving Subarus, though. The light feel of the steering and low center of gravity makes for a fun driving experience.

Good video. Previous to watching this I test drove both. Purchased the Santa Fe. I found it to be more spacious, more comfortable and quieter inside.

Awesome review! The Santa Fa is definitely a nice vehicle and either car would be a great choice. But, we just purchased our second Outback. Went for the all black Wilderness and absolutely love the look and feel.

Wanted to lease Santa Fe, ended up leasing an Outback. Huge difference in the offers for similar MSRP cars.

Honestly i really wish they made a long wheelbase version with a bigger trunk of the outback. I have never once needed a third row but i have loads of times needed a bigger trunk/longer second row to fit my 2 children and my dog on a week long trip. We go to campgrounds and travel a lot as a family. Out 2017 outback has only been short on perfect in the trunk space. I love the way it drives, its super smooth and comfortable, and for a mechanical awd system it gets pretty much the best fuel economy. Also i have only had a minor headlight repair after 70k miles of ownership so its been pretty reliable.

We've spent about 3 months with our Santa Fe hybrid and couldn't be happier. Our real-world MPG is closer to 36-40.

I own a 2022 Outback. It is about as basic as one can find. I paid less than $28 out the door. My one major gripe is it's gas mileage. My average around town mpg is only 20-21. I drive it normally without a heavy foot. There is no heavy traffic to deal with in small town Alabama. I have been retired for over 10 years so no sitting in the 8am traffic. I will be replacing it with a Ford Maverick hybrid.

If you go offroad often go Subaru. If you are a city driver, I'd pick Santa Fe.

I purchased a 2019 Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0t, Absolutely still Loving it!

I don't see a problem with the SantaFe grille. It's expressive enough without being polarizing. It's better than the Tucson and SantaCruz in my opinion.

Love our New Santa Fe’ Love Subies too. Dollar for Dollar You just get more with the Santa Fe. Room, Quiet, Hybrid Economy, and the Best Lane Keep assist!

I just purchased a fully-loaded Outback Wilderness and couldn't be happier. It fits my outdoor lifestyle and the roof rack supports 700 lbs of static weight so looking forward to putting a rooftop tent up there. In the city it is comfortable and very quick and agile for a car with 9.5" of ground clearance.

Subaru was smart for putting their radar behind the windshield. When I did long haul trucking, the sensor on my 2019 Freightliner was on the front bumper. It would get covered in snow and ice and throw warning messages while driving. The bumper sensors are useless in winter weather, especially on big commercial vehicles like school buses and semis. The last thing you want is a distraction light coming on in the dash.

Alex, Please don't rob us of our last mainstream wagon by calling it a SUV. The Outback is a wagon.

Stick with either of the two lower trims in the Subaru line (we went from an Outback to an Ascent and the same applies to both) and you get a ton of value for your dollar. The real price was around a 10% discount off of msrp back in May. I have to say though that Hyundai seems to have made big improvements in recent years, I'll have to check them out next time around.

I don't know if the Outback Wilderness has the extendable thigh support like the Touring XT, but the seats in my Legacy Touring XT are the most comfortable I've ever sat in thanks to that extra seat length. I'm 6' 3" with long legs and I can stretch out completely in them. My knees don't splay out and hit the console or door like in most compact or even midsize SUVs with their more chair like seating. Most reviews on either the Legacy or Outback Touring XT say the same thing - luxury car like seats. As far as Consumer Reports and reliability goes, the only thing that drags the Subaru down are in car electronics - a lot of folks don't care for the big touch screen (I don't really like it) and will ding it in the survey. I just don't see the Hyundai being more mechanically reliable than the Subaru. Hyundai/Kia have had their share of engine troubles in the past decade.

Not sure about testing the far more off-road focused Wilderness Outback against the Hyundai. Wouldn't an Onyx XT or Limited/Touring XT have been more in line with the intent of the Hyundai? The Wilderness has different drive ratio for offroading, thus impacting the way it's going to drive on the highway as well as it's MPG rating which is lower. I've also read that in the cabin, engine noise is more noticeable in the Wilderness than the other Outback models, and thanks to the more off-road capable Geolander tires, road noise is also more noticeable. I don't see this comparison as being as relevant as I don't see most folks who'd be looking at the Wilderness would consider the Santa Fe, given that for many, the two are focused on different daily pursuits (driving the kids to soccer practice vs driving out to the mountains to take a rugged day hike).

I like the styling of the Santa Fe than the Outback, but I am not interested in a more rugged AWD car (I really like the Outback, but I decided against buying one a few years ago because I felt there was no point paying - both upfront and in lower mileage - for AWD.) One thing I am surprised you did not mention when talking about the screens is the simply amazing Hyundai "blind spot" camera that shows what is in your blind spot when you use the directional. That feature makes the screens in the Santa Fe more useful than the larger screen in the Outback.

We just purchased the Santa Fe Limited and own an Outback XT. We would have liked a hybrid or PHEV, but they are hard to come by and many are marked up. The 2.5T is a hoot.

I think for some, trade in value might need to be considered.. Which I think belongs to Subaru

Great comparison. I'm loving my Outback XT Turbo with no complaints at all. The fuel economy you reported was right on the mark. I get great mileage on the HWY but it diminishes in stop and go city driving. But the turbo is perfect for when you need to move. The things I envy on the Sante Fe are the buttons in the center dash which are quicker than a touch screen and the blind spot cameras which show up on the main dash which are a great idea.

For the Subaru eyesight... I drove through a blizzard with cruise control on and distance set at the furthest n boy did it work. I was genuinely afraid on how bad it was with a ton of snow flying around.

The grading of the noise level A+ to B seems extreme for a 1 decibel difference.

Geez, the headlights are confusing on that Santa Fe ! Love your in-depth reviews, peacefrom510 .

I would have to go with the Santa Fe. This is not because there's something wrong with the Outback. I simply would prefer an SUV versus a wagon SUV mix. To me, the Outback is a wagon 2.0. In fact, I'm just about done researching vehicles. I'm still a few months off from purchasing but I wanted to get the research out of the way. I've narrowed it down to the Forester and the Santa Fe. The test drive more than cost is going to be the deciding factor.

Love my Subarus. The best visibility all around.

Good to know - I mostly drive alone, Battery pack under the passenger seat would distribute weight more evenly when I drive alone (smoother ride). Santa Fe interior is a beautiful 2-tone combination. LUV Santa Fe for both.

The price starts from $27k - that is incredible. Here in Norway SantaFe has only a plugin hybrid version and the price starts from $75k

The Hyundai's interior is much nicer but I much, much, much prefer a wagon to an SUV. In fact, I'm tired of the tall cars. The Outback is better off-road than has more ground clearance than many crossovers and SUVs and maybe there's no better car in the snow. So, vehicle height is not necessary for either off-road or driving in snow. But the Hyundai's interior is modern and clean. The Suburu is OK but Hyundai's is very nice.

Thought i wanted an outback for a long time until i drove one. Found it to be too small and cramped. We love our forester which feels a lot bigger. Buying a sante Fe tomorrow.

I love both of these vehicles. My decision would come down to the test drive.

I've driven both, but went for the Outback Premium. I found the seats in the Outback more comfortable and the ride just a hair more forgiving. I also didn't like the driver assistance tech in the Santa Fe as much. I found it confusing to use, even after learning it, though with the Outback I found it very natural to use. Both are great options, and if I had any issues with the CVT (which I don't, but recognize many do), I'd have gotten the Santa Fe instead. Both are great and I think people will have to drive them side-by-side and pick whichever feels the most natural and comfortable to them.

Loving my Santa Fe calligraphy! Subaru definitely has that nice rugged look

My mom has a 2020 Subaru Outback XT onyx edition. But the lease on it comes up in September of this year. And yesterday we test drove a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL with the premium package. And we all loved it so even like In July or August we will have a Santa Fe In the family. Even the base 2.5 engine is not the fastest it still has pretty of power. And since we been living in SC for almost 3 years now. We really don’t need AWD anymore. So we will just get front wheel drive.

The base NA 2.5 in the Santa Fe and Outback are a little lackluster in my opinion. I’d go with a hybrid or an upgraded engine. The 2.5T in the Hyundai is really quick

Santa Fe all the way unless your lifestyle or preference specifically benefits from what Subaru offers. Subarus are super nice cars, but off roading isn't an everybody activity.

I'm not really into CUVs, but if push came to shove between them, the Santa Fe would fulfill all my needs.

The Santa Fe is looking really good to me. It's up there along with the 2022 Outlander.

I’m interested in the new Santa Cruz. I hope you can review it soon.

A bit shocked that the Subaru only gets low 20’s mpg in 2021. A non-Slater for me. Looking forward to testing out the PHEV Santa Fe when available.

Love my 2020 Subaru Outback (First Subie) after a lot of shopping and agonizing. It is more noisy at highway speed than the Hyundai. The cargo compartment isn’t as high, but much lower to put bikes on the roof with the standard roof racks. The screen in the Outback is lovely and the vertical CarPlay Orientation is well done but they haven’t worked all the gremlins out of their new head unit IMHO. (Can’t speak for how solid the Santa Fe is. you only really know after a few months of living with one….) In the end it comes down to AWD for less$4 and the fact all all long roof cars drive better than CUVs and SUVs. I, like most people, spend 95+ percent of my time on some paved or graded road and the handing of a lifted wagon is superior to a taller box and you can get a much more compliant ride without getting floaty. CVTs are brilliant from an efficiency and mechanical simplicity perspective. (How many of you have paid for a slush box repair? The only repair is a rebuild by the time you get it out and apart…). I just roll my eyes at everyone banging on about the rubber banding/motorboating of a CVT. When i ask then to demonstrate, they get in my car and floor it and say, “See”? So I get in their car next and floor it and the tranny downshifts 2-3x. Sounds like its grinding metallic coffee and jumps into the right lane (because they all have torque steer because they didn’t pay for the 4WD that comes standard on the Subie….:-). If you drive like 80% of the people do 80% of the time, you are not hammering your transmission down into the lower gears and would notice if you had a CVT or not. Especially with the torque of the turbo 4. It’s because of these knuckleheads that OEMs are putting these fake “gears” into CVTs, which diminishes their efficiency. I wonder if those same people would prefer a little heating element in their LCD light bulbs just so they can enjoy the old-timey-ness of burning their fingers when removing the light from the socket:-? Bottom line, if you like the feeling of driving or if you frequently put things on the roof, buy the Outback. If you want a very nice appliance and don’t car about driving dynamics, you will be very happy with the Santa Fe. I would love the Pano roof but that’s even more weight up high to deal with in the corners and the moonroof in the Outback has very nice airflow without buffeting at highway speeds. Both great choices, if comes down to driving dynamics and lifestyle.

We have both (2020) and they are both super! The Outback (Limited) is mine and I commute 30 mi each way daily. I find the Outback to be an easier commuter with better mileage and better driver assist, but my wife's Santa Fe (XRT) is a more plush ride with a more finished feel, and a lot more power (turbo). They really are very similar in capability and suit each of our tastes perfectly! (I do wish I had her HUD, which is awesome, but I am usually wearing polarized sunglasses and can't see it anyway). Hard to go wrong with either!

I just wished that Subaru would allow the consumer some option to have those black plastic cladding painted! It just ruins an otherwise nice wagon. The Santa Fe? Just spectacular! With all things being equal, I'd rather own the Santa Fe with that turbo motor all wheel drive and good 8 speed automatic. The nod goes to the drivers seating position and just great drivetrain. The outback in the turbo model with that lovely touring trim is the better appearing of the 2 vehicles.

Why does everyone do the rocks and the moab comments? It's obvious there not rock crawlers but what about the important stuff. Who will go uphill in a foot of snow? Isn't that the way most people use them?

Super thorough video! I currently have the Santa Fe FWD and I'm obsessed with it, but will be relocating to state that has snow. That sparked an interest in the Outback, but after this video, while close, it still doesn't beat my Santa Fe. I'll either invest in great tires, or repurchase an AWD version after the move lol. Thanks for your insight!

Definitely Santa Fe is Bigger Subaru is smaller. Everyone needs more room. 🤣👍 Thanks Alex 👍👍👍

It also would have been really nice to remark on the rear hatch opening dimensions. It very important when trying load large bulky items into the back. Could be the difference in having to take the front wheel off one's mtb bike to get it into the back and not having to remove that wheel.

Santa Fe hybrid in a heart beat ✌😊 a lot more premium more modern.. yet fuel efficient in city driving! Courtage camping outdoor activities is fine. If i ever do serious off roading it's gonna be a Jeep rather than a CVT. Even in everyday driving much prefer a torque converter auto over any cvt

I'm biased as a santa fe sport owner so probably not a surprise I'd buy the santa fe over the outback. The outback has a better than usual interior for subaru but subaru interiors just aren't very nice and the santa fe looks much more premium.

I know it was released just before the video but new Hyundai Santa Fe XRT trim is the best comparison against the Subaru Outback Wilderness.

Why people insist on calling the Outback a crossover I will never understand... It is so clearly a slightly lifted wagon. Volvo doesn't call their V90 Cross Country a crossover, and it's essentially the same thing as the Outback, just a little shorter off the ground.

If you live where it snows, the subaru is hands down the winner. If it doesn't snow, or rarely does then the Santa fe might barely edge out the subaru.

Because this video I just ordered 2023 Outback Onyx XT!! Can't wait!!

Excellent comparison video! Thank you sir!

Nice review,but your not comparing two vehicles that are in the same class, the Hyundai is more for luxury and the outback is better designed for off-road. Two very different things.

Wow, the car market really is crazy right now. I got my 2019 Santa Fe SE FWD for $24,600 and 0% APR; while I watched this video I pulled up what they're going for now and the lowest price within 75 miles is a Santa Fe SE AWD for $30,600 (with an explicit "no negotiation" price disclaimer)

Toyota and Scion has a boxer in their versions of the BRZ~ FRS and 86

I have rented a Santa Fe and Kia Sorrento with the 2.5L naturally aspirated engine. Totally fine for driving around town but lacking a bit of passing oomph at high speeds.

Subaru is a wagon, I choose outback, also, it’s a 2.4 Turbo for Subaru Alex

definitely the Subaru went at a couple of dealerships yesterday Subaru of course won also looking at others like jeep or pathfinder

That center console on the Hyundai seems like something out of a spaceship. It's comical but interesting as well.

Lots of detailed information, very well presented!

I have done the test drive of both vehicles and finally chose Hyundai. Subaru had much more of the engine and wind noise in the cabin. Overall, both vehicles are great. But Hyundai is a tiny hair better.

Yet another thorough rundown/comparison from top to bottom. My takeaways: I love the integrated screen in the Subaru dash and a 6.1 second 0 to 60 time is amazing.

I picked the base outback here in Canada, but it's good to know the santa fe also has a spare tire included. I would never buy a road trip and soft roader without one.

In terms of exterior design, I prefer the Santa Fe, although I liked the 2020 version better. It definitely strikes me as an upscale design. The wheels, however, are trash.

I hate the rear turn signals almost at ground level. Much harder to see

I certainly liked that Subaru ad. Perhaps I'll go to Eugene, Oregon and take a test drive. 😁

Great review/video! I appreciate a professional job! Thanks!!

Thank you Alex for these reviews. You have and continue to help us. Cheers

So glad you've compared these two! I've been considering these two for replacing my 2015 OB 2.5i. On paper they are so close in most regards, especially functionally & dimensionally. Also on paper the SF is the winner, particularly the Hybrid as one who wants good MPG. Also Alex gives the SF the nod. However, visually and sitting in the two the SF seems so much more truck like while the OB more car like and spacious feeling. My brain wants to love the SF but my heart says "meh". Maybe it is just that the OB has that comfortable "old shoe" feeling. Obviously, I need to drive the both. Question for Alex and those who have driven both: For 70+ folks, how does the ingress/egress and visibility compare between the two?

Both are great car 🚗👌 And they have many specific merits, respectively 🥰😍😂😆

Love your videos. So very informative.

I really can't wait to see what Hyundai does with their plug-in hybrids. I love how the new Hyundais are looking and what they offer but, those bumper level turn signals need to go. That is currently the only pet peeve I have with the Hyundais. I find the wheels on the Santa Fe straight ugly but, they don't bother me that much. The Santa Fe plug-in hybrid is going to be a steal with government incentives along with Hyundai pricing it properly. I would prefer it if Hyundai offered either an 8-speed auto or even an E-CVT in the hybrid for better fuel economy but I guess the 6-speed was better capable of handling the extra heft of the hybrid. I know Subaru gets a lot of flack for the reliability of their boxer engines given those head gaskets but, Hyundai had engines that were notorious for wearing out piston rings prematurely causing excessive engine oil blow-by along with premature wear of connecting rod bearings. Here's hoping that Subaru and Hyundai have since fixed those issues in their engines.

Obvious bias here, I rented a Tucson and went and bought an Outback Primier XT. There is no comparison. The Outback is far better, lots of cheap plastic on the Tucson that scratches very easily, in my opinion not worth spending about the same money for it. The Outback is a better built and a feel of a more solid ride, the interior of mine is brown leather and a much softer interior with more comfortable seats, the dash design is far better then the Tucson, I recommend the Outback with 2.4 turbo.

Outback is a lifted Legacy wagon, therefore it's a wagon, forester is subarus crossover suv, there fixed it for you.

Subaru Outback XT for the practicality and old fashion/rugged design.

Great review. I’m looking to trade my 2014 Subaru Legacy for one of these vehicles. I’m leaning toward the Santa Fe hybrid in the basic blue, since it doesn’t have a panoramic sunroof, which takes away a few inches of headroom. Also the sliding second row of the Hyundai is very useful. Only concern is the hybrid turbo Hyundai is new technology, so reliability may be an issue. Are both load area with seats down nearly flat?

Excellent comparison review Alex. I am Subaru biased but either of these vehicles would be an excellent choice.

I like the new 2022 Santa Fe and it has so many powertrain options. Which would be better? A PHEV, a Hybrid, or a Turbo in the Hyundai?

The wilderness is almost like a different Subaru model altogether. The Santa Fe to me is a boring /cookie cutter design and I cannot stand the look of those headlights. The outback is unique looking at least because rugged wagons are so rare. And I do prefer the look of a wagon. Beyond the exterior styling which I don’t care for you make a really excellent case for the Santa Fe. Depending what you need the Santa Fe may be a better value. I think I’d still choose the Outback though; while I think Santa Fe interior is gorgeous, the Subaru infotainment screen is preferable and though the Subaru interior is not as nice overall (touring trim is close) the fit and finish of the Interior is still outstanding for the price. And while you didn’t spend to much time on the AWD systems, I really have a hard time believing Hyundai’s is equal to Subarus although I think it’s quite good.

Your comparing apples to hand grenades in this review. A top-end hybrid Santa Fe to a design specific Outback. It’s like comparing a Wrangler to a Buick Encore.

IMO id rather have the Outback...I feel the Options, 4x4 system has what would match my Lifestyle..i dont needs all that Leather and Feature comfort stuff. That dont impress me when i see that in cars.

Oooh the video i actually really have debated

I like the wheels better than the grill on the Sante Fe. but I don't really like the wheels much either.

Should’ve compared a different trim of the Subaru IMO. Picking the Wilderness against a Hybrid trim seems like a unorthodox choice. Why didn’t you pick a Limited or Touring trim? Of course the Wilderness is going to be louder NVH. You have beefier tires and a higher than stock suspension? Where you at dude?

Getting Santa Fe 2022 Limited hybrid. Thanks for the review

Great video alex. Thanks. Although you may want to be more careful of your spelling at the 20:57 mark as you misspelled a few words in the Santa Fe trim descriptions.

Thank you for comparing the Santa Ge to something similarly even. Everyone compares it to the Rav4/Venza and CRV. They do not compare. Have had my ‘22 Santa Fe Hybrid SEL for a month and happy with my choice.

I'd buy the Santa Fe for my wife and the Outback for my teenager. I think that about sums things up.

I would lean toward Santa Fe, mostly for the quiet and the button controls. Still not a big fan of the Outback infotainment system.

There's a disputable fact about the molded spare tire storage indented well in the trunk not sized to put the punctured factory tire while the spare one is put in use. Can this be verified?

I have a really hard time believing these cargo capacity numbers, at least in practical terms. I test drove both and brought a bunch of my larger camping equipment with me to test out the cargo room. I could fit everything no problem in the Outback, and couldn't fit the canopy in the Sante Fe without dropping the seats.