2025 Dodge Durango vs 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained its rugged yet refined appearance, with the Wilderness trim receiving a fresh front fascia and LED fog lights. The dark gray cladding provided a striking contrast to the Autumn Green Metallic paint of the Touring XT model, which was described as a "green-tinged dark khaki." This color choice was surprisingly appealing, offering a unique alternative to more traditional champagne-beige hues. The Outback's various trims featured different levels of black and chrome exterior accents, with the Touring trim showcasing the most chrome, which was tastefully executed. Wheel designs varied across trims, with the Wilderness trim sporting matte black 17-inch alloy wheels, while the Onyx Edition upgraded to 18-inch wheels in basic black, and the Limited and Touring trims added a machine finish. Inside, the top-trim Touring XT impressed with its Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery, offering a level of luxury unexpected from Subaru. The Outback Limited featured standard leather seating, while the Onyx Edition and Wilderness trims used Subaru's StarTex synthetic leather, and the Base and Premium trims came with cloth seats.

The 2025 Dodge Durango, particularly in the SRT Hellcat Premium trim with the Silver Bullet special edition package, exuded a bold and aggressive presence. The Triple Nickel paint, satin black hood, unique wheels, dark badges, and black exhaust tips added visual attitude to the SUV. Inside, the SRT Hellcat maintained a subdued yet premium feel with dark red Nappa leather seat faces contrasting with the black cabin. The Premium Package included a suede headliner, a leather and suede steering wheel wrap, and forged carbon fiber trim, enhancing the interior's upscale vibe. However, some plastic surfaces detracted from the overall luxury feel. The Durango's interior was spacious and comfortable, with heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated second-row captain's chairs. The third-row seat offered ample room for adults, and the cargo space was generous, with 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 85.1 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The 2024 Subaru Outback was powered by a "Boxer" horizontally opposed engine, with the base model featuring a 2.5-liter flat-four engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT trims, including the Wilderness, were equipped with a more powerful 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This turbo setup increased the towing capacity from 2,700 to 3,500 lbs. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) were standard across the lineup. The Touring XT model, with its turbocharged engine, provided a more satisfying driving experience compared to the base engine, which felt underpowered. The CVT mimicked the sound and feel of eight distinct gears, and the brake pedal, aided by an electronic booster, offered a reassuring feel. The Outback's steering was adequate, and its comfortable ride was attributed to the well-engineered suspension and reasonably sized wheels. The Wilderness trim offered 9.2 inches of ground clearance and all-terrain tires, along with Subaru's advanced X-Mode for off-road adventures.

The 2025 Dodge Durango streamlined its powertrain offerings, with the GT model featuring a 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6, the R/T with a 360-hp 5.7-liter V8, and the SRT Hellcat boasting a 710-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8. All models used an eight-speed automatic transmission, with AWD standard on the R/T and SRT Hellcat. The SRT Hellcat's engine produced 645 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to accelerate to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, reach a top speed of 180 mph, and tow up to 8,700 pounds. Despite its power, the Durango SRT Hellcat suffered from poor fuel economy, with an EPA rating of 12/17/13 mpg in city/highway/combined driving. The SUV's full-time AWD system, electronic limited-slip rear differential, and high-performance exhaust system contributed to its impressive performance. The Durango SRT Hellcat featured a competition-tuned adaptive damping suspension, performance steering, and Brembo performance brakes, providing a firm yet comfortable ride. The SUV's handling was remarkable, with outstanding grip and braking capabilities, making it feel track-ready despite its size and configuration.

The 2024 Subaru Outback offered a spacious interior despite its sleek proportions. It provided more headroom up front compared to the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, and it excelled in front-row 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 surpassed the RAV4 when the rear seats were folded. The Outback featured dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver's seat starting with the Premium trim. The Limited trim added a powered front passenger's seat and heated rear seats. Ventilated front seats were exclusive to the Touring trim, and a heated steering wheel was available from the Onyx Edition. The hands-free power liftgate was optional on the Premium trim and standard on higher trims, while the Onyx Edition included a power moonroof. Raised roof rails with retractable cross bars were standard, and the cross bars could be easily stowed away when not needed.

The 2025 Dodge Durango excelled in form and function, offering a roomy and comfortable interior with thoughtful features. The SRT Hellcat Premium model featured heated and ventilated front seats with Nappa premium leather, though the performance seats prioritized comfort over secure support during spirited driving. The heated second-row captain's chairs provided good leg support, and the third-row seat offered ample room for adults. The Durango's cargo space measured 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 43.3 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded, and a maximum of 85.1 cubic feet. The SUV featured a large center console with ample storage, rear climate controls, USB charging ports, and a household-style power outlet. The power liftgate provided easy access to the cargo area, and the power liftgate closing button was conveniently located for shorter individuals.

The 2024 Subaru Outback Touring trim featured a CD player, USB-C and USB-A ports, and an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen. The Subaru Starlink multimedia platform included standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless capability starting from the Premium trim. 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 featured a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system. The base model had a four-speaker sound system, while the Premium trim had six speakers.

The 2025 Dodge Durango featured a Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a native navigation system. The system included SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Dodge Connect and SiriusXM Guardian subscription services, and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. It supported dual-phone Bluetooth pairing, was Alexa-compatible, and offered wireless smartphone charging. The SRT Hellcat came with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Uconnect system worked well, though the voice recognition required specificity. The SRT Hellcat included SRT Performance Pages for tracking performance metrics, adding a sporty touch to the family-friendly SUV.

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 from the Onyx trim level.

The 2025 Dodge Durango's safety features were limited compared to modern standards. It included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Upgrades included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and front parking sensors. The NHTSA gave the Durango a four-star overall rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating for AWD models. The IIHS's small overlap frontal-impact test results were concerning, and the Durango had not been assessed in newer evaluations.