Jeep Renegade vs Subaru Outback
What's the difference?

Jeep Renegade

$6,999 - $15,990

2016 price

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Subaru Outback

$48,990 - $62,690

2026 price

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Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mini Countryman

Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Summary

2016 Jeep Renegade

2026 Subaru Outback

By Peter Anderson

By Marcus Craft

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 2.4L

Turbo 4, 2.4L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

7.5L/100km (combined)

9.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Tonka tough
Lots of standard inclusions
Looks the part

Maintains Outback spirit
All-around drivability
Off-road capability

Dislikes

Iffy entertainment software
Naff interior
Vague steering

Gold edging
Needs better all-terrain tyres
More off-road goodies would add to the appeal

2016 Jeep Renegade Summary

Jeep's Renegade might be late to the mini-SUV party but it comes with a pretty impressive back catalogue to suggest that this is a SUV that can cash the cheques its name can write.

The top of the range Trailhawk can write even bigger cheques than the lower models, bringing with it a range of off-road tech toys to let you really get down and dirty.

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2026 Subaru Outback Summary

The Subaru Outback holds a special place in the hearts of adventurers everywhere. It’s long been regarded by its fans as a genuine mix of decent on-road manners, family-friendly practicality and sound off-road capability. Just right for light-duty off-roading.

Now, Subaru claims, it has made the Outback even better and a new off-road-focussed variant called the all-wheel-drive Wilderness now sits near the top of the line-up.

The Wilderness is equipped with a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol, four-cylinder, horizontally-opposed 'boxer' engine, 240mm of ground clearance, improved approach/departure angles and electronically controlled dampers.

But is this new Outback all it’s cracked up to be? Read on.

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Deep dive comparison

2016 Jeep Renegade 2026 Subaru Outback

Verdict

Rugged, dependable and good off-road are the most obvious qualities of the Trailhawk. It stands out from the rest of the mini-SUVs by being able to do the S and the U with plenty of vigour.

It's just a shame that its on-road manners can't match that of its big brother, the Cherokee. Unless you're planning on proper off-roading, the Trailhawk might not be quite what you're looking for.

Verdict

If you’re a Subaru fan chances are the Wilderness will float your boat. It’s an appealing mix of on-road refinement and more than satisfactory capability on bush tracks.

The Wilderness engine-and-CVT combination helps to make this Subaru well refined and highly responsive on-road and it benefits from punchier low-rev output in off-road scenarios.

Subaru has made a habit of producing practical vehicles and this new addition to the upgraded Outback line-up doesn’t disappoint.

Does anyone need a Wilderness version of the Outback? Probably not. Will anyone want a Wilderness edition Outback? I reckon a lot of Outback fans would fall over themselves to get their hands on one of these.

Jeep Renegade vs Subaru Outback What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Jeep Renegade vs Subaru Outback
What's the difference?