2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was a striking presence on the road, blending the bold aesthetics of the Toyota Tundra with a newly sculpted SUV body. Its design was a significant departure from the previous generation, offering a more commanding presence. The Sequoia's traditional grille and front bumper distinguished it from the Tundra's more unconventional look. Inside, the Sequoia shared many elements with the Tundra, featuring an industrial theme with luxurious touches in the Capstone trim, such as leather, wood, and metallic finishes. The 14-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system dominated the dashboard, and the interior was available in a cream white-over-black two-tone color scheme. Despite its upscale appearance, some materials reminded occupants of its pickup truck origins.

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained its familiar design, with the Wilderness trim receiving a refreshed front fascia and LED fog lights. The Outback's dark gray cladding contrasted with the Autumn Green Metallic paint, creating an appealing look. Different trims offered varying levels of black and chrome exterior fittings, with the Touring trim featuring tasteful chrome accents. Wheel sizes and designs varied by trim, with the Wilderness trim sporting matte black wheels. Inside, the top-trim Outback impressed with its Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery, offering a level of luxury unexpected from Subaru. The interior materials varied across trims, with StarTex synthetic leather on the Onyx Edition and Wilderness trims, and cloth seats on the base and Premium trims.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was powered by a hybrid powertrain, featuring a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, a 36-kilowatt electric motor/generator, and a 1.87 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack. This setup delivered 437 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 583 pound-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm. The Sequoia's towing capacity increased to 9,520 pounds, and its payload capacity rose to 1,730 pounds. Fuel efficiency improved, with EPA ratings of 20 mpg with 4WD and 22 mpg with RWD. The Sequoia offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, with a Custom mode for personalized settings. The adaptive rear air suspension adjusted ride and handling traits, but the ride quality could be busy and jittery in certain modes. The steering was slow, and the regenerative braking system felt unresponsive at times.

The 2024 Subaru Outback featured a "Boxer" horizontally opposed engine, with the base model equipped with a 2.5-liter flat-four engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT trims, including the Wilderness, came with a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. The turbo setup increased towing capacity to 3,500 lbs. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission were standard. The turbo powertrain managed the vehicle's weight better, and the CVT mimicked eight distinct gears. The Outback offered a comfortable ride, with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, increasing to 9.2 inches on the Wilderness trim. The Wilderness also featured all-terrain tires and an advanced X-Mode for off-road adventures.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on open roads, offering a quiet cabin with comfortable front seats, a JBL premium sound system, and a triple-zone automatic climate control system. The wide, flat, padded upper door panel shelf provided a comfortable resting place for the driver's arm. Power-deploying running boards aided entry and exit, though taller individuals might find them cumbersome. The Sequoia's second-row captain's chairs lacked sliding functionality, limiting third-row legroom. The third-row seat was mounted high, with limited thigh support and legroom. Cargo space was compromised by the hybrid powertrain, with only 11.5 cubic feet behind the third row, expandable to 22.3 cubic feet. The Sequoia's maximum cargo capacity was 86.9 cubic feet, significantly less than its predecessor and segment rivals.

The 2024 Subaru Outback offered ample interior space despite its sleek design. It provided more front-row headroom than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, with competitive rear-seat legroom. The Outback's cargo area measured 32.6 cubic feet with all seats in place and 75.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. While the RAV4 and CR-V offered more cargo space with all seats occupied, the Outback excelled with the rear seats down. The Outback featured dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver's seat starting with the Premium trim. Heated rear seats and a powered front passenger's seat were available on the Limited trim. The Touring trim offered ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The hands-free power liftgate was optional on the Premium trim and standard on higher trims.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with an 8-inch touchscreen on the base SR5 trim and a 14-inch touchscreen on higher trims. The system was intuitive, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Intelligent Assistant responded to voice commands, though it occasionally misinterpreted requests. The Capstone trim included a 10-inch head-up display, but it was not visible with polarized sunglasses. The Sequoia came with a surround-view camera system and a digital rearview mirror starting with the Platinum trim. The parking sensors and automatic rear braking system effectively prevented collisions.

The 2024 Subaru Outback offered a mix of old-school and modern technology. The Touring trim included a CD player, while USB-C and USB-A ports were available on all but the base trim. The top-trim Outback featured an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The climate controls were integrated into the touchscreen, with hard buttons for defoggers and temperature adjustments. Wi-Fi capability was available on all but the base trim, and most trims came with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The base model had a four-speaker system, while the Premium trim had six speakers.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, and road sign recognition. Additional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. The Sequoia's adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist systems enhanced highway driving, though the lane-departure warning system's beeping could be irritating. The Sequoia had not been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, but the Tundra, on which it was based, received high ratings from the IIHS.

The 2024 Subaru Outback earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The EyeSight suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies was standard, including adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, automatic pre-collision braking, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency steering. Blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert became standard on the Onyx Edition. The Touring trim added a wide-angle camera, digital rearview mirror, and driver-attention monitor. Reverse automatic braking was standard starting with the Onyx trim.