2025 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2026 Subaru Outback

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was available in two trim levels, the 1958 and the Cruiser. The 1958 trim, named after the year the model first appeared in North America, featured a retro design with round headlights and basic equipment, priced at $73,270. The Cruiser trim, priced at $82,030, offered a more modern and upscale appearance, with additional off-roading capabilities and a Premium Package option that included leather and advanced technology. The Cruiser trim test vehicle, with its Premium Package, Heritage Blue and Grey paint, and 20-inch wheels, had an MSRP of $90,603. Despite its utilitarian interior, the Cruiser trim provided a more luxurious feel than the 1958, with dual 12.3-inch digital screens and intuitive steering wheel controls.

The 2026 Subaru Outback, after 30 years as a wagon, adopted a more SUV-like appearance with a blockier and more upright design. Although only marginally larger, the new Outback's design gave it a more commanding presence. The interior featured a flatter dashboard and reintroduced physical climate controls, enhancing usability. The base trim, equivalent to Canada’s Touring trim, offered commendable material quality, while higher trims provided smoother materials and appealing colour palettes. The Outback's interior improvements, such as larger cupholders and door pockets, demonstrated Subaru's attention to customer needs, making it a practical choice for families and adventurers alike.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with Toyota’s i-Force Max hybrid system, combining a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, producing 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. It featured a full-time 4WD system with electronic locking differentials and a towing capacity of 2,720 kilograms. Despite its official fuel economy rating of 10.1 L/100 km, real-world testing showed a less efficient 15.0 L/100 km. The Land Cruiser excelled in off-road conditions, with features like Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Monitor, but its handling on twisty roads was less impressive due to its suspension tuning.

The 2026 Subaru Outback offered two engine options: a 2.5-litre boxer engine with 180 horsepower and a turbocharged 2.4-litre boxer engine with 260 horsepower. Both engines were paired with a CVT and standard AWD. The base engine provided adequate performance, while the turbocharged engine offered more power for an additional cost. The Outback handled well in both city and highway settings, with a comfortable ride and minimal road noise. Its off-road capabilities were enhanced by 22 centimetres of ground clearance and X-Mode for improved traction, making it suitable for various terrains.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's interior featured SofTex artificial leather in the Cruiser trim, with ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Premium Package added real leather and a power sunroof. While the front seats were comfortable, the second-row seats lacked support, and the high load floor made loading heavy items challenging. The Land Cruiser offered 1,062 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,324 litres with the rear seats folded.

The 2026 Subaru Outback's interior space increased, with a total volume of 3,146 litres. The rear seats provided ample legroom and comfort for taller passengers. The cargo capacity behind the rear seats increased to 980 litres, with a maximum of 2,280 litres with the seats folded. The Outback featured a multifunction cargo cover and a robust roof rack, enhancing its practicality for outdoor adventures.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser's Cruiser trim featured dual 12.3-inch displays with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, and connected service plans. The Premium Package added a JBL sound system, head-up display, and digital key technology. The TAM infotainment system was user-friendly, with a cloud-based navigation system and voice recognition.

The 2026 Subaru Outback featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 12.1-inch infotainment touchscreen with improved processing power and anti-reflective coating. The system was intuitive, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a cloud-based navigation system in higher trims. The reintroduction of physical climate controls improved usability, making the Outback's tech features practical and user-friendly.

The 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser included Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, with features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. The Premium Package added front cross-traffic alert and Traffic Jam Assist. The Land Cruiser received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in side-impact testing but a three-star rollover resistance rating.

The 2026 Subaru Outback came with Subaru's EyeSight suite, including frontal collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and blind spot monitoring. The Premium XT trim added a surround-view camera system. Although crash test results were not available, Subaru's safety reputation suggested high ratings were likely.