2025 Subaru Outback vs. 2025 Kia Sportage

 

The wagon vehicle class has a lot of utility. Wagons are comfortable, spacious, and multifaceted vehicles that also offer a stylish design to top it all off. As a result of their practicality, wagons remain a popular vehicle choice among consumers. But how do the latest additions from some of the world's most well-known automakers stack up?

We're talking about the 2025 Subaru Outback vs. the 2025 Kia Sportage. In this post, we'll explore each wagon in the most important categories to answer the simple question: Which is the best choice for you? Keep reading to learn more.

Stunning Exterior

A vehicle's exterior is where that all-important first impression is made. For this reason, a vehicle's exterior design is essential for grabbing attention and influencing the buying decision. Let's see how the Outback and Sportage fare in this category.

2025 Subaru Outback

The Outback retains its signature look, which people love. It receives ample cladding across the lower front bumper, giving it an athletic, aggressive look. As a result, the Subaru Outback has a prominent sense of distinction and maturity in its exterior design. Other exterior design elements of the Outback include its prominent black cladding over the wheel arches, bold hood indentations, and signature Subaru badging on the front grille.

2025 Kia Sportage

Kia is a manufacturer continually on the cusp of innovation. This is exemplified by the automaker's desire to reinvent the Sportage almost yearly. One stand-out exterior feature that will immediately catch your attention is the Sportage's sleek gloss black grille finish. Moreover, the Sportage receives premium fully LED headlights for the 2025 model year, giving it a very upscale exterior design language.

Driver-Centric Interior

Every cabin should be focused on one thing: the driver. It should be comfortable, have intuitive features, and a user-friendly layout. But do the Outback and Sportage adhere to this design philosophy? Let's find out.

2025 Subaru Outback

The interior is outfitted with newly designed cloth seating. These seats offer a sports-like design with the comfort of a cozy living room chair using soft and plush fabric. As a result, the interior offers a driver-focused experience with its comfortable seats and silent ride quality.

2025 Kia Sportage

How does a refined SynTex leatherette sound? With multi-layered leathered materials, this upscale fabric adds style and durability to the Kia Sportage's seats. As a result, the Kia Sportage boasts a high-end cabin experience that is relaxing and stylish at the same time. Finally, you don't have to choose one over the other. With the 2025 Kia Sportage, you can get the best of both worlds.

Power and Performance

Some prefer high-octane performance from their vehicles, while others want calm and controlled performance. Let's see how the Subaru Outback and Kia Sportage compare regarding their performance capabilities.

2025 Subaru Outback

The Outback's 2.5-liter BOXER 4-cylinder engine produces 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. While these figures won't blow you away by any means, they will undoubtedly provide a controlled and respectable ride quality that is worth the modest price tag. However, if you're looking for a little more power to your performance, you can opt for the 2.4-liter turbo BOXER engine. It boasts an output of 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque.

2025 Kia Sportage

The 2025 Kia Sportage's traditional plant engine is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. It produces 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. The Kia Sportage has a traditional 8-speed automatic transmission, compared to most of its rivals, which use a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

And lastly, the Kia Sportage has excellent ride quality. It can soak up and absorb bumps and potholes very well, creating a streamlined driving experience for you and your passengers.

Safety Features

Safety will always be a prime concern for most motorists. For this reason, both Subaru and Kia have gone to great lengths to ensure their vehicles are top-rated in regard to safety standards. But let's see how they stack up against each other.

2025 Subaru Outback

You can rest easy in the 2025 Subaru Outback. This superb wagon is armed with the latest technologies for a safe and secure driving experience. Some of these safety and driver-assistance features include Forward-Collision Warning, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Adaptive Cruise Control, and more.

2025 Kia Sportage

A vehicle's measure is how well it can keep its occupants safe. The 2025 Kia Sportage certainly covers that base. Its suite of safety and driver-assistance features gives it a pronounced capability to keep all passengers secure while on the road. Some of its safety features include Driver Monitoring Alert, Lane-Keeping Assist System, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Electronic Stability Control, and more.

Advanced Technology

Advanced tech has now become the standard for drivers. And the both the Outback and Sportage have delivered in this essential vehicle category. But let's find out how they compare to each other.

2025 Subaru Outback

The Subaru Outback comes equipped with a 4.2-inch multifunction display, a 12-speaker Harmon/Kardon sound system (for the Onyx Edition, Touring, and Limited trims), and a large vertically positioned 11.6-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration come as standard equipment.

2025 Kia Sportage

Let's talk about tech. The 2025 Kia Sportage comes fully equipped with standard features such as voice recognition capabilities, an 8-speaker sound system, and an optional 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Moreover, the Sportage also receives touch-sensitive controls underneath the monitor that switches between the stereo and the climate system.

Conclusion

While both models offer a lot in terms of utility and performance, choosing one over the other is a matter of personal preference, budget, and needs. However, if you're leaning more toward the 2025 Subaru Outback, we can help. At Granite Subaru, we are a team of automotive specialists. And we're here to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have regarding the vehicle-buying process.

So, if you're interested in learning more about the Subaru Outback, contact us today for additional information.