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The Best Mid-Size Sedans of 20252025 Subaru Outback vs 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan
We look at two popular compact SUVs, the Subaru Outback and Volkswagen Tiguan, to see which is the better choice for your everyday adventures.
Popular Compact SUVs Go Head-to-Head
Since roughly the late 2000s, the Subaru Outback has made a slow, drawn-out transition from the archetypal Japanese import station wagon into a SUV in line with the trends. It’s to the point that now, it’s in the same class as the Volkswagen Tiguan.
Today, let’s take a look at two of the most tempting compact SUVs you can buy new today. With a recent model update incoming on the part of both the Outback and Tiguan, this might not be current for too much longer. Still, the current Outback is tempting enough to merit a look.
Specs
Subaru had something of a formula going with its powertrains. Across much of the range, there’s a standard naturally-aspirated 2.5L naturally aspirated boxer four-cylinder or the 2.4L turbo boxer four-cylinder engine.
The 2.5-liter boxer engine is pretty drab only netting about 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft. Frankly, an 8.5-second zero-to-60 sprint is just incredibly slow, and depending on how long the highway merges are where you live, it’s even a bit precarious. The turbocharged high-trimmed engine is much more encouraging with 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, good for a sub-six-second sprint from a dig to 60 mph. Fuel economy is about average for the segment, with estimates of 28 MPGs combined out of the base engine and 25 out of the turbo.
Then, there’s the Tiguan, which brings a 2.0L turbocharged four-pot with 184 horsepower and 221-lb ft of torque. Wouldn’t you know, it also sprints to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds with FWD equipped. Certainly, it’s not a stat either vehicle here wants to brag about. Fuel economy sits at about average for the segment at around 22-mpg city and 30 mpg highway.
The Tiguan starkly lags behind the Outback in towing, with 1,500 lbs of capacity with FWD and 1,800 lbs with AWD. If you need to do some light towing the Outback is far better equipped with the standard engine towing about 2,700 lbs and the turbo engine towing 3,500 lbs.
Based on towing and performance of the turbocharged engine, we have to give the nod to the Outback.
Driving and Performance
On the face of it, neither of these two mid-size crossovers is exactly a riot to drive. But you knew that already. On a more nuanced side of things, traits inherent to the Outback make it somewhat more desirable than the VW. Starting with the obvious, native Subaru all-wheel drive makes the average base Outback more capable in varying climates than the Tiguan. In its exciting Wilderness trim with A/T tires and 9.5 inches of ground clearance, it’s one of the most capable affordable family cars on sale today.
The Tiguan is equally adequate in its execution, although it’s surely not as proficient off-road. It’s also lighter than the previous generation, making for a zippier driving experience when the going gets twisty. So to say, a GTI variant would probably be fireworks. With that said, your preference between the two, as far as driving mechanics are concerned, will largely boil down to how you plan to drive it. Do you enjoy woodland getaways by the lakeside and maybe carrying a teardrop trailer behind you? The Outback is superior. Or do you want a grocery-getter with old-school steering feedback on paved roads? The VW takes the cake.
Trims and Features
The Outback’s list of trims is truly vast, with nine options to choose from and almost $15 grand in extras and upgrades between the base and the top of the range. Meanwhile, the Tiguan only has four trims and just over $10,000 of extras between the bottom and the top.
Starting with the more daunting Outback lineup, the Base trim has surprising quirks that scream “Subaru.” Its seven-inch horizontally split center infotainment screens, give a delightful, quirky note to this trim. At $29,995 to start, the Base trim also gives 17-inch alloy wheels over steelies and plastic covers. With single-zone climate control, black cloth seats, and a four-speaker stereo, the alloys are the only bones that Subaru throws you without going up a trim.
The $33,060 Premium trim adds dual-zone climate control and an extra two stereo speakers, plus heated front seats and leather wrapped shifter and steering wheel. Then, the $37,970 Onyx trim brings funky black body cladding and wheels, plus a hands-free liftgate, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio unit, and blind-spot monitoring. It’s also the entry point for the dual-function X-MODE terrain response system with hill descent control.
Kicking things up one more notch, the Limited trim at $39,720 brings leather seats to the party in black or two-tone gray on black, plus built-in navigation. The Touring trim at $42,280 delivers top-quality Nappa leather and… an optional CD player? It shouldn’t be, but that’s one of the coolest features for a specific automotive trim of 2025. Interestingly, the Touring trim goes back to the base 2.5L engine, leaving the 2.4L turbo option for the range-topping Touring XT.
Finally, the turbo 2.4 motor appears in the $41,225 Onyx XT trim, plus StarTex vegan leather seat upholstery and green stitching. Though not the range-topper, the Wilderness trim at $41,710 is likely the most desirable Outback trim. A subtle suspension lift, X-Drive terrain response system, and heavy-duty roof rack make for an off-roader of the highest order.
The $42,060 Limited XT trim brings the tech with driver-attention monitoring, reverse automatic braking, and automatic high beams. Topping the range, the $44,740 Touring XT combines all the tech and features of the range with power folding mirrors and its most advanced driver assistance suite. This includes Subaru’s DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System. Sure, nearly $45 grand is a big ask for an Outback. But because Subaru doesn’t have a Lexus or Acura equivalent brand, it’s safe to say they just packed all the features possible under one roof.
Starting at $29,495, the S trim brings a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster to the party, one thing you’ll have to wait until 2026 for the all-new Outback to feature. It also gets 17-inch alloys to match, plus a 12.9-inch center screen on lower trims. You even get ChatGPT-capable voice recognition software right out of the box from the base trim onwards. At $32,295, the SE trim brings 19-inch wheels and V-Tex leatherette upholstery to the table, plus a power liftgate.
The swag really picks up with the $35,455 SE R-Line Black trim that packs a panoramic sunroof, 20-inch black alloy wheels, a heads-up display, and R-Line-specific interior and exterior trim pieces that scream “sporty.” Then, the $39,755 SEL R-Line adds LED-illuminated front and rear VW emblems, a 15-inch center screen, a UV-protected front windscreen, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio unit, and perforated Verenna leather for an Audi-level luxurious experience. In effect, the Tiguan condenses the vast trim lineup of the Outback into four manageable trims.
Comfort and Interior
Once again, the question of which interior you prefer between the Outback and Tiguan depends on your use case. The Tiguan has a longer wheelbase and is also taller. But the Outback’s lower profile and famous “in-between” state between a wagon and an SUV give it an altogether different interior feel than the Tiguan. Cargo space is solid for both, with the VW bringing 12 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 65.3 with the seating area folded.
Upholstery material is a strong suit for both vehicles here, with eclectic mixes of cloth, leatherette, and real leather across both ranges. It means there’s an interior configuration out there that’s just right for you between one of these two machines. In a remarkably non-luxury segment, Subaru and VW seem not to have gotten the memo. It’s all the better for us.
Meanwhile, the Outback differentiates itself with 32.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats when they’re extended and 75.6 when they’re stowed away. Outback rear occupants are spoiled with 39 inches of legroom to the Tiguan’s 38.7. Interestingly, the Tiguan’s FWD configuration has historically thrown a real curveball with a third row of seating. But thanks to feedback detailing how the third row led to more practical problems than it solved, all Tiguans in 2025 will only sport two rows of seating. As VW themselves must have realized, families who need three rows just buy full-size SUVs and minivans instead.
The Verdict
With 11 trims between them, sorting all of the 2025 Outback and Tiguan variables is difficult. Even so, two things are constant. One, the Outback’s quasi-wagon proportions pay dividends in practicality. This is why, though we praise the Tiguan for so many positive changes, the final sixth-generation Outback wins the day this time around. Will that be the same when the new model hits dealerships? Only time will tell.
