Subaru Outback vs Hyundai Ioniq 5
What's the difference?

Subaru Outback

$48,990 - $62,690

2026 price

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Hyundai Ioniq 5

$42,449 - $92,950

2024 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

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5

By Marcus Craft

By James Cleary

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.4L

Electric motor type

Permanent Magnet

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Vehicle type

Battery Electric

Fuel Efficiency

9.7L/100km (combined)

Electric range

500 km

Energy consumption

18.2 kWh/100km

Battery capacity

84.00 kWh

Seating

Likes

Maintains Outback spirit
All-around drivability
Off-road capability

Refinement
Safety
Still looks great

Dislikes

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

Awkward exterior door handles
No spare wheel
Big turning circle

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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2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Summary

What is it about single letters and performance cars?

BMW has M, Volkswagen has R, Lexus has F, and with only 23 choices left Hyundai opted for N - which stands for Namyang, site of the brand’s sprawling proving ground and development centre in South Korea, and Nurburgring, the famous German racing circuit where its performance cars are fine-tuned.

And like BMW M Sport, VW R-Line and Lexus F Sport, the Korean giant has N Line as a ‘lite’ option. Sporty models that add a little more punch and visual flair without crossing the line into hardcore hot-rod territory.

And this is one its latest examples, the pure-electric Ioniq 5 SUV in top-spec Epiq AWD trim and equipped with the N Line Option Pack as well as the tricky Digital Mirror Pack.

In this configuration it slots into the $90K price band, which means it has a lot to live up to in terms of performance, safety, driving dynamics, value and more.

So, stay with us to see if this premium five-seater is the kind of sporty EV SUV that gets your heart racing.

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Subaru Outback 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5

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

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 Epiq N-Line AWD leverages an electric powertrain’s best attributes brilliantly well.

It’s ultra smooth and comfortable with ample performance and great dynamics thanks in part to this car’s N Line spec.

Its price tag pits it against formidable competition from the German Big Three, Tesla and others. But it has what it takes in terms of quality and value to fight that battle. It’s an impressive machine.

Subaru Outback vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Subaru Outback vs Hyundai Ioniq 5
What's the difference?