Subaru Outback vs Citroen C5 Aircross
What's the difference?

Subaru Outback

$48,990 - $62,690

2026 price

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Citroen C5 Aircross

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2023 price

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Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mini Countryman

Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2026 Subaru Outback

2023 Citroen C5 Aircross

By Marcus Craft

By Emily Agar

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.4L

Turbo 4, 1.6L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

9.7L/100km (combined)

5.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Maintains Outback spirit
All-around drivability
Off-road capability

Cute and stylish design
Spacious boot for this class
Easy to park

Dislikes

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

Driving is a bit hit or miss
Technology will fluster an average user
Expensive compared to rivals

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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2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Summary

Let’s be honest, medium SUVs are the bread and butter of the Aussie new car market and there are a lot of rivals to choose from.

Which is why the Citroen C5 Aircross Sport’s much-needed update is welcomed with open arms, especially since it’s the only model in the range.

It boasts more space than a lot of its rivals but it’s been let down in the past by a sparse safety sheet and older tech.

The facelifted model sees tweaks to the design, safety and tech, making it more of a true competitor against the likes of the Kia Sportage, ever-popular Mazda CX-5 and practical Nissan X-Trail.

But are the changes enough for it to be considered as a family SUV? I’ve been testing it this week with my family of three to find out for you!

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Subaru Outback 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross

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.

Verdict

So, what did my family think about the Citroen C5 Aircross Sport?

I love how it looks and its updated safety list. It’s fairly spacious inside and has a great boot space but it’s lacking a lot of family-orientated practicality in the back seat. The lack of individual storage and amenities is noticeable when you have a kid or two but even as an adult, not having a cupholder for your coffee/drink on a trip feels odd.

The multimedia system and reversing camera need to be improved, too. Overall, it will suit a small family which is out of the baby stage but can’t yet justify upgrading to a larger SUV. It gets a 6.5/10 from my family.

Subaru Outback vs Citroen C5 Aircross What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Subaru Outback vs Citroen C5 Aircross
What's the difference?