2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained its rugged yet refined appearance, 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 alternative to the more common 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 standard black 17-inch alloy wheels and a matte black version for the Wilderness trim, 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 feel, surpassing expectations for a brand known more for capability than luxury. The Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery was both attractive and comfortable. The Limited trims featured standard leather seating, while the Onyx and Wilderness trims used Subaru's StarTex synthetic leather. The Convenience and Touring trims came with cloth seats. The interior design and materials elevated the Outback's appeal, making it a compelling choice for those seeking both functionality and a touch of luxury.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, available in three trims—XRT, Luxury, and Ultimate Calligraphy—debuted its fifth generation in 2024, maintaining its chunky, boxy design with a long wheelbase, flat hood, and snub nose. The H-shaped LED headlamps, reminiscent of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, fit well with the brand's design aesthetic. The Santa Fe offered vibrant colour options like Terracotta Orange and Atlantis Blue, catering to those tired of the typical greyscale SUV palette. However, the rear design suffered from mismatched proportions, with pixelated H-shaped LED taillights positioned too low, affecting visual balance.

Each trim had distinct wheel designs, ranging from 18 inches on the XRT to 21 inches on the Ultimate Calligraphy. The off-road-focused XRT trim added chrome and black exterior accents, along with black roof rails. Inside, the Santa Fe accommodated seven passengers, except for the Ultimate Calligraphy trim, which featured second-row captain's chairs. Upholstery options varied by trim, including leatherette, leather, and Nappa leather. While the interior fit and finish were generally good, some squeaks and rattles were noted during testing. The inclusion of physical dials for HVAC temperature was appreciated, though the fan speed buttons were less intuitive.

The 2024 Subaru Outback was powered by a "Boxer" horizontally opposed engine, with the base model featuring a 2.5-litre flat-four engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT trims, including the Wilderness trim, were equipped with a 2.4-litre turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, delivering 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, with its more powerful engine, provided a satisfying driving experience, managing the vehicle's weight effectively. The CVT mimicked the sound and feel of eight distinct gears, controllable via steering wheel-mounted paddles. The brake pedal, aided by an electronic booster, offered a reassuring feel, while the steering was adequate for a comfortable ride. The Outback's ground clearance was 22 centimetres, with the Wilderness trim offering 24.1 centimetres and all-terrain tires, along with an advanced dual-function X-Mode for off-road adventures.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a standard 2.5-litre turbocharged engine producing 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, with AWD standard across the lineup. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission handled shifting duties. The Santa Fe Hybrid, a separate model, combined a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, delivering 231 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque, also with standard AWD. The Santa Fe felt stable in corners, with firm brake feel and responsive steering, though turbo lag was noticeable during acceleration. The gear selector, located on a stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column, required some getting used to. The XRT trim featured 30-inch all-terrain tires and 21.2 centimetres of ground clearance, enhancing off-road capabilities. The approach, departure, and breakover angles were suitable for the class, though not ideal for rugged off-road conditions.

The 2024 Subaru Outback, despite its sleek proportions, offered ample interior space. With a moonroof-equipped model, the Outback provided more front headroom (992 mm) than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, though it fell slightly short in rear-seat headroom compared to the RAV4. The Outback excelled in front-row legroom 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 led when the rear seats were folded. Feature availability was a key consideration, with dual-zone climate control standard on most trims, along with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a power-adjustable driver's seat. Heated rear seats were available from the Onyx trim, while a powered front passenger's seat required the Limited trim. Ventilated front seats were exclusive to the Premier XT trim. The hands-free power liftgate and power moonroof were standard from the Touring trim, and the Outback's roof rails with retractable cross bars were a practical touch.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered generous interior space, with the most third-row legroom in its class. The second-row seats featured an adjustable cushion angle, and both the second and third rows could be folded with a button in the rear cargo area. Folding the third row provided 1,148 litres of space, while folding the second row expanded it to 2,267 litres. With all three rows occupied, the Santa Fe offered 413 litres of cargo space. The rear opening was notably wide, with a liftgate width of 127.5 cm and a height of 81 cm, accommodating larger items. The Santa Fe's towing capacity varied by trim, with most trims capable of towing 1,587 kilograms, while the XRT trim could tow up to 2,040 kilograms.

The 2024 Subaru Outback Premier XT featured a CD player, appealing to those who appreciated old-school features. The vehicle offered both USB-C and USB-A ports across all trims. The top-trim model boasted an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, while the Convenience trim retained a dual-7-inch-screen system. The Subaru Starlink multimedia platform, though dated in appearance, included standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless functionality starting from the Touring trim. Climate controls were integrated into 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 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, in Canada, came equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment and a digital gauge cluster of the same size. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with clear graphics and quick response times. Navigation was built-in only on the Luxury and Ultimate Calligraphy trims, but wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard. Charging options included multiple 27-watt USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad, capable of accommodating two phones in the Ultimate Calligraphy trim. The digital key feature allowed unlocking and starting the car using a phone or Apple watch, with the ability to share the key with up to three trusted individuals. The Ultimate Calligraphy trim offered a digital rearview mirror and a head-up display. Bluelink app connectivity was standard, providing features like climate control presets and alerts for customized location or speed rules. Over-the-air updates ensured the latest vehicle software.

The 2024 Subaru Outback earned a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), though it fell short of the previous year's Top Safety Pick+ designation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded both the 2023 and 2024 models five stars overall. Safety features included reverse automatic braking from the Touring trim, the EyeSight suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies, and a wide-angle camera for better detection of cyclists and pedestrians. The Premier XT trim featured a digital rearview mirror and a driver-attention monitor, with a backup camera and high-beam assist standard across all trims.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a comprehensive suite of safety features, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction turning detection. The Highway Drive Assist feature combined adaptive cruise control and lane following assist, though its performance varied in heavy traffic. The top trim included a blind spot avoidance feature and the Blind View Monitor, displaying a video feed of the blind spot in the gauge cluster. The NHTSA awarded the Santa Fe a four-out-of-five-star overall safety rating, while the IIHS rated it "Good" in most sections, with "Acceptable" scores in the headlight and LATCH categories.