2021 Subaru Outback vs 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, which debuted in 2005 and entered its second generation in 2014, received a significant refresh in 2018 that carried over into 2021. This refresh introduced the dual-screen center console, a defining feature of recent Land Rover interiors. The 2021 model offered a variety of trims, including SE, HSE Silver, HST, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography, SVR, and SVR Carbon Edition. Standard features on the base SE trim included leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, an eight-speaker Meridian premium sound system, a WiFi hotspot, and the dual-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims added more luxurious features, such as quad-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, and a 19-speaker Meridian sound system. The HSE Dynamic trim featured a supercharged V8 engine, while the Autobiography trim offered 22-way power-adjustable front seats and power soft-close doors. The SVR and SVR Carbon Edition trims focused on performance, with a more powerful V8 engine and sportier features.

The 2021 Subaru Outback, redesigned for the 2020 model year, maintained a familiar and comfortable feel reminiscent of older Subaru models. The interior featured analog gauges with familiar typefaces, colors, and spacing, and a steering wheel with more buttons but similar shapes and angles. The seats had a similar form, but the interior was fresher than the smaller 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. The base trim had two 7-inch touchscreens in the center stack, while higher trims featured an 11.6-inch portrait display. The interior quality was evident, with substantial window switches, padding on the dash, and surface materials. Limited and Touring trims offered two-tone brown or beige leather upholstery with contrast stitching, while the Onyx Edition XT featured gray and black StarTex, a soft and water-resistant synthetic material. The exterior styling remained smooth and plain, with gray cladding on the wheel arches, sills, and bumpers. The 2021 model introduced a new brown paint option, Brilliant Bronze Metallic, and standard adaptive LED headlights.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a variety of powertrain options. The base P360 mild-hybrid powertrain, available in the SE and SE Silver Edition trims, combined a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine with a 48-volt electrical system, producing 355 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. The HST model featured a more potent version of this powertrain, the P400, rated at 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The HSE Silver Edition also offered plug-in hybrid and diesel powertrains. The P400e plug-in hybrid combined a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine with electric assist, producing 398 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque, while the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 made 254 hp and 443 lb-ft. The HSE Dynamic and Autobiography trims featured a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine, producing 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. The SVR and SVR Carbon Edition trims had a more powerful version of this engine, making 575 hp and 516 lb-ft. All models had an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive (4WD). The Range Rover Sport also featured height-adjustable air suspension and a Terrain Response system with multiple modes for various terrains. The towing capacity was up to 7,716 pounds for most variants, except the SVR, which could tow 6,613 pounds.

The 2021 Subaru Outback's base engine was a 2.5-liter flat-four, producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. This engine struggled to move the vehicle, especially when loaded with passengers and cargo. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) did not help, making the Outback slow and noisy. The XT trims, available on the Limited, Touring, and Onyx Edition, featured a 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four engine, producing 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm. This engine provided a significant improvement in performance, making the Outback more capable of keeping up with traffic. The turbo XT had an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway, compared to 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway for the base engine. The Outback's handling was squishy, and the steering was imprecise, but it excelled as a long-distance cruiser. The ride comfort and ground clearance of 8.7 inches allowed the Outback to handle rough roads and off-road conditions. Subaru's electronically-variable all-wheel drive (AWD) system was proactive, always driving all four wheels and reacting quickly to varying torque splits. The X-Mode optimized the vehicle for tougher road conditions, and the Onyx Edition added two more driving modes for snow and mud.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a maximum of 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 31.7 cubic feet with the second row in use. An optional third row of seating increased the seating capacity from five to seven, but with the third row in use, the cargo space was reduced to 10.8 cubic feet. Both the first and second rows provided ample headroom and legroom, while the optional third row was tight and best suited for children.

The 2021 Subaru Outback had a ground clearance higher than many trucks, allowing it to go anywhere without the drawbacks of being oversized. Inside, it offered 76 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 33 cubic feet with them raised. The cargo area was wide, flat, and free of intrusive wheel arches. Headroom and legroom were ample in all four outboard seating positions, and the seats were comfortable and supportive. Outward visibility was excellent, thanks to thin pillars, a low shoulder height, and lots of glass. Storage options included large map pockets, bottle holders in each door, and handy pockets in the front center console. However, some features like push-button start and rear climate vents were only standard on higher trims. The Outback's best feature was the standard roof rails with integrated crossbars, which could be swiveled and locked in place within seconds.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport's interior was dominated by a dual-screen center console. The lower screen operated climate controls and vehicle settings, while the upper screen housed the infotainment system. The system was not always intuitive, and earlier models had bugs. The lower screen had dials that controlled various functions, including fan speed, temperature, and heated/ventilated seats. The upper touchscreen had reasonably sized icons for switching between menus and accessing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. However, there was a learning curve with this infotainment system.

The 2021 Subaru Outback's infotainment system looked outdated, with graphics and typefaces reminiscent of older gaming consoles. The central screen in the instrument panel was even worse. Despite this, the Outback's adaptive cruise control had four settings for traffic speed changes, but finding and changing these settings was difficult. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, and the optional navigation was more modern-looking. Subaru EyeSight, standard on all trims, included adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, and forward automatic emergency braking. However, the system relied on forward-looking cameras without radar, which affected its functionality in certain conditions.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport came with standard driver assistance features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and front-and-rear parking sensors. However, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert were optional. Other available features included a surround-view parking camera, traffic sign recognition, driver drowsiness monitoring, and parallel and perpendicular park assist. A head-up display was also available.

The 2021 Subaru Outback had a stronger and stiffer chassis than previous models, with standard driver’s knee and passenger seat-cushion airbags. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was optional on Premium and standard on higher trims. Rear emergency braking was optional on the Onyx Edition XT and standard on the Limited 2.5 and Touring trims. A driver-attention monitor was standard on the Limited XT and Touring trims. The Outback was a 2020 IIHS "Top Safety Pick+," earning top ratings in all crash tests and for headlights, as well as a "Superior" rating for forward emergency braking. The NHTSA gave the 2021 Outback an overall five-star rating, with four stars for the front passenger in a frontal crash and four stars for the rollover test.