Subaru Outback vs Hyundai Tucson
What's the difference?

Subaru Outback

$48,990 - $62,690

2026 price

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Hyundai Tucson

$21,888 - $57,980

2024 price

View pricing & specs

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 Tucson

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/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

9.7L/100km (combined)

5.3L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Maintains Outback spirit
All-around drivability
Off-road capability

Lots of drivetrain options, no matter grade level
Well-specified for grade
Hybrid powertrain proves frugal

Dislikes

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

Drive experience is mixed
Higher price point than before
Safety tech improved but still intrusive

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.

View full pricing & specs

2024 Hyundai Tucson Summary

For the first time in Australia, the mid-sized Hyundai Tucson is being offered with a hybrid powertrain – which combines its spritely turbo-powered engine with a fuel efficiency-improving electric motor. And it might be enough to swing you to becoming a hybrid fan.

The new powertrain makes the Tucson a proper competitor against Australia’s darling, the Toyota RAV4 but the Nissan X-Trail e-Power and Kia Sportage remain strong rivals.

This week I’m family-testing the mid-spec Elite Hybrid with the N Line option pack to see how the newly updated Tucson handles family life.

View full pricing & specs

Deep dive comparison

2026 Subaru Outback 2024 Hyundai Tucson

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 updated Hyundai Tucson Elite Hybrid N Line offers families space, features and easy-enough handling for everyday stuff and the occasional weekend adventure pursuits.

The price point is higher than the previous non-hybrid model but you get a lot of bang for your buck and my family was comfortable this week.

Subaru Outback vs Hyundai Tucson What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Subaru Outback vs Hyundai Tucson
What's the difference?