The Forester and Outback are Subaru's best-selling models, and each has a lot to offer buyers looking for a fun and practical vehicle. But what exactly is the difference between a Subaru Forester and a Subaru Outback? And which is best for what you need? Find out how the two vehicles stack up in our Subaru Outback vs. Forester comparison.

Which Is Bigger?

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The Subaru Forester is a compact crossover that competes with the likes of the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Mazda CX-5. The Outback, on the other hand, has few direct competitors as a mainstream midsize wagon-like crossover. Despite that difference in body style, they both have the same ground clearance of 8.7 inches.

There's a considerable difference between the two vehicles in terms of exterior dimensions. The Outback is bigger than the Forester. It's 9.2 inches longer and 1.5 inches wider, although it's 2 inches closer to the ground. The Outback is also a bit heavier, with the base model coming in at 3,634 pounds compared to the Forester's 3,449 pounds.

Which Is More Spacious Inside?

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Overall, the Forester has more room for occupants. Total passenger volume in the Forester measures 111.9 cubic feet compared to the Outback's 109 cubic feet. The Forester offers slightly more front legroom, but they have almost the same amount of rear legroom with the Outback boasting 39.5 inches and the Forester at 39.4 inches. We've been in both vehicles and found they each offer plenty of headroom and legroom for rear passengers.

The Forester also offers more cargo space. Behind the second row, the Forester has 35.4 cubic feet of cargo room compared to the Outback's 32.5. With the seats down, the Forester's cargo area jumps to 76.1 cubic feet compared to the Outback's 75.7. Despite their differences in dimensions, rest assured that both vehicles offer lots of room for passengers and cargo.

Which Is More Powerful?

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Performance might not be the top consideration for many buyers when it comes to deciding between Subaru Outback vs. Forester. It's still important to consider how well these vehicles accelerate. The Forester and Outback both feature a 2.5-liter flat-four making 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque. But unlike the Forester, the Outback also offers a more powerful turbocharged engine on top-trim versions. This 2.4-liter engine delivers a robust 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque.

Many of our editors have found the base 2.5-liter flat-four underpowered in both the Forester and Outback. Neither vehicle feels particularly quick off the line, so you'll have to pick your battles carefully at onramp meters. But in both models, we praised the CVT transmission for making acceleration smooth.

In our tests, the Forester Limited ran from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 8.3 seconds, although a Touring model was slower. A recent Outback we tested with the base engine made the 0-60 run in 8.7 seconds.

The turbocharged Outback performs better, achieving a time of 6.1 seconds. Still, this version won't have you thinking it's a sports car. In our First Drive review, we said the turbo "feels more powerful, but only when merging or passing. Otherwise, it's no sportier than the baseline."

Which Is More Efficient?

The Forester and Outback are equally efficient with the 2.5-liter engine. They both deliver 26/33/29 mpg city/highway/combined in this configuration. Both vehicles are available exclusively with all-wheel drive (and they're both off-road capable).

If you opt for the turbocharged Outback, fuel economy drops significantly. This engine is rated to achieve 23/30/26 mpg.

Which Is More Luxurious?

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Perhaps because the Outback was recently redesigned, it has a few more features than the Forester. Take the optional 11.6-inch touchscreen as an example; it's much bigger than the Forester's optional 8.0-inch screen. The Outback also offers ventilated front seats, unlike the Forester. Although both models offer leather-trimmed upholstery, the Outback offers even more supple Nappa leather as well.

Which Is Safer?

No surprises here; both models perform well in crash tests. The 2020 Subaru Outback was named a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), earning "Good" scores in all crash categories. The 2019 Forester, its most recently rated model, also nabbed "Good" scores in all crash tests, but it earned the even more prestigious Top Safety Pick+ award with the help of its strong headlight ratings.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet rated the redesigned 2020 Outback, but the 2019 model earned an overall five-star rating just like the 2020 Forester.

Subaru is known for its strong safety technologies. On both vehicles, the EyeSight package is standard equipment, including pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure and sway warning, and lane keep assist. High beam assist, which automatically adjusts the headlights between the low and high settings when an oncoming vehicle is detected, is standard on the Outback and optional on the Forester. Other available safety features on both models include reverse automatic braking as well as blind-spot detection with lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert.

Which Is Cheaper?

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You can get a Forester for cheaper than an Outback. Priced from $25,505, the base 2020 Subaru Forester is $2,150 less expensive than the base Outback. A bigger variation exists when you look at the most expensive models. The Forester Touring tops the range at $35,605, while the Outback Touring XT reaches $40,705.

Subaru Outback vs. Forester: Which Is Best?

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So which is best: the Forester or Outback? The answer to this question might come down to whether you prefer the look of a wagon or a taller crossover. That said, consumers looking for more power may want to consider the Outback if they're willing to pay a big price premium for the turbo engine. The Outback also has the latest convenience features from Subaru, though the Forester benefits from a slightly more spacious interior.

What is the difference between a Subaru Forester and a Subaru Outback?