2024 Subaru Outback vs 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained its rugged yet refined aesthetic, with the Wilderness trim receiving a subtle update featuring a new front fascia and LED fog lights. The dark grey cladding provided a striking contrast to the Autumn Green Metallic paint of the Premier XT model, which was described as a "green-tinged dark khaki." This colour choice was surprisingly appealing, offering a fresh take on the typical champagne-beige hues. The Outback's various trims showcased different levels of black and chrome exterior fittings, with the Premier XT trim featuring the most chrome, which was tastefully executed. Wheel designs varied across trims, with the Wilderness trim sporting matte black 17-inch alloy wheels, while the Onyx trim upgraded to 18-inch wheels in basic black, and the Limited and Premier XT trims added a machine finish.

Inside, the top-trim Outback impressed with its luxurious Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery, which was both attractive and supple. The Limited trims offered standard leather seating, while the Onyx and Wilderness trims featured Subaru's StarTex synthetic leather. The Convenience and Touring trims came with cloth seats. The interior quality exceeded expectations for a brand known more for capability than luxury, providing a comfortable and upscale experience.

The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV marked a significant evolution for the Blazer nameplate, transitioning from its truck-based off-roader roots to a modern electric SUV. Built on the General Motors Ultium platform, the Blazer EV shared its wheelbase with the Cadillac Lyriq, resulting in a long 3,093-millimetre wheelbase. However, the Blazer's proportions made it appear more like a stretch limo compared to the Lyriq. The Blazer EV's design featured a tall hood, a reimagined front end, and boomerang-shaped taillights, giving it a bold and aggressive look. Unlike its aerodynamic rivals, the Blazer EV embraced a more traditional SUV appearance, with dimensions that were 18 cm longer and 10 cm wider than the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Kia EV6.

The Blazer EV launched with LT and RS trim levels, each offering distinct styling elements. The base LT trim featured a colour-coordinated front fascia, while the RS trim boasted a blacked-out front fascia and exterior accents. Wheel sizes varied, with the LT riding on 19-inch wheels and the RS on 21-inch wheels. The forthcoming Blazer EV SS promised unique styling and mechanical elements, including a black roof and 22-inch wheels. Inside, the RS and SS models featured large round air vents and a flat-bottom steering wheel, with optional red leather upholstery adding a fun and vibrant touch. While some interior components felt flimsy, the Blazer EV mostly avoided the overuse of piano-black plastic seen in other brands.

The 2024 Subaru Outback continued to deliver its signature performance with a "Boxer" horizontally opposed engine. The standard engine was a 2.5-litre flat-four, producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. However, the XT trims, including the Wilderness trim, were equipped with a more powerful 2.4-litre turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, generating 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This turbo setup increased the towing capacity from 1,225 to 1,587 kilograms. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) were standard across the lineup. The Premier XT test car featured the turbo engine, which provided a better fit for the vehicle's weight, offering a more satisfying driving experience. The CVT effectively mimicked the sound and feel of eight distinct gears, enhancing the driving experience. The Outback's suspension and reasonably sized wheels contributed to a comfortable ride, while the Wilderness trim offered increased ground clearance and all-terrain tires for off-road adventures.

In Canada, the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV offered a single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) and a dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) powertrain in the LT and RS trim levels. The RWD models delivered 340 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The AWD models, with 288 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque, came with an 85-kWh battery pack. Interestingly, the dual-motor powertrain had a lower output than the single-motor option, positioning it as the base offering. The Blazer EV SS performance model, set to complete the lineup, promised a dual-motor AWD powertrain with 557 horsepower and 648 lb-ft of torque, along with a Wide Open Watts (WOW) launch mode for rapid acceleration. During test drives, the RWD and AWD versions of the Blazer EV RS demonstrated strong acceleration, with the AWD model offering better traction off the line. The Blazer EV's handling was precise, but the stiff suspension compromised ride comfort. The steering-wheel paddle allowed for adjustable regenerative braking, enhancing driver involvement.

The 2024 Subaru Outback managed to offer ample interior space despite its sleeker proportions. With a moonroof-equipped model, the Outback provided more headroom up front than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, while rear-seat headroom fell slightly short of the RAV4 but remained ahead of the CR-V. The Outback also offered more front-row legroom than both competitors and surpassed the RAV4 in rear-seat legroom. The cargo area measured 923 litres with all seats in place and expanded to 2,141 litres with the rear seats folded. While the RAV4 and CR-V offered more cargo space with all seats occupied, the Outback excelled when the rear seats were folded. The Outback's feature availability included dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a power-adjustable driver's seat as standard in Canada. Heated outboard rear seats were available from the Onyx trim, while a powered front passenger's seat was offered on the Limited trim. The Premier XT trim added front seat ventilation. The hands-free power liftgate and power moonroof were standard from the Touring trim, and the Outback's raised roof rails with retractable cross bars provided added convenience.

The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV's interior felt spacious, but its headroom and legroom measurements were comparable to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Kia EV6. The Blazer EV lacked the commanding driving position of a traditional SUV, but outward visibility was not an issue. The high side sills and deep dashboard created a unique driving experience. Cargo space measured 722 litres with the second row in place and expanded to 1,673 litres with the seats folded, falling short of the gasoline Blazer's capacity. However, it offered more cargo space than the EV6 and featured a "presence activated" liftgate for added convenience. The Blazer EV's interior design included small-item storage, such as a secure phone parking spot and a centre console storage bin. Some climate controls and headlight buttons were integrated into the touchscreen, requiring adjustment for users.

The 2024 Subaru Outback offered a mix of old-school features and modern technology. The Premier XT trim was the only one to include a CD player, while all trims featured both USB-C and USB-A ports. The top-trim test car boasted an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, with the Convenience trim retaining a dual-7-inch-screen system. The Subaru Starlink multimedia platform, though reminiscent of a pre-Y2K era, included standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless functionality starting from the Touring trim. The climate controls were managed through the touchscreen, with hard buttons for defoggers and temperature adjustments. Bluetooth and SiriusXM connectivity were standard, and most trims featured a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, except for the Convenience and Touring models.

The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV introduced a new Google-based infotainment system, featuring built-in Google apps like Google Maps and Google Assistant. However, standalone Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were eliminated, offering deeper functionality for Android users but limited options for iOS users. The Blazer EV featured a 17.7-inch touchscreen and an 11-inch digital instrument cluster, both with sharp graphics. The infotainment system included built-in route planning and over-the-air software updates. The user experience was generally positive, with well-designed layouts, although the touchscreen's angle could be inconvenient for passengers. The Blazer EV also introduced a hands-free start sequence, allowing drivers to start the vehicle by pressing the brake pedal when the key fob was inside.

The 2024 Subaru Outback earned a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Outback's safety features included standard reverse automatic braking from the Touring trim, along with the EyeSight suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies. This suite included adaptive cruise control with lane-centring, automatic pre-collision braking, and lane-keep assist. The Touring trim also added automatic emergency steering, blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Premier XT trim featured a digital rearview mirror and a driver-attention monitor.

Crash-test ratings for the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV were not available at the time of publication. However, the Blazer EV came equipped with standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, a following-distance indicator, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, reverse automatic braking, and park assist. The Super Cruise hands-free driver assist system was standard on the SS trim and optional on the RS trim, providing advanced driver assistance capabilities.