Honda CR-V vs Subaru Outback: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Honda CR-V typically lists for $32,347 against $32,704 for the Subaru Outback (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Honda CR-V takes fuel economy (28 MPG combined vs 22 MPG). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the LX at $28,764 vs the PREMIUM at $28,081; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)
A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Honda CR-V LX ($28,764) faces the Subaru Outback PREMIUM ($28,081); the most common trims on the market are the EX-L (27.8% of Honda CR-V listings) and the PREMIUM (37.3% of Subaru Outback listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,800) faces the WILDERNESS ($33,998). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.
| Honda CR-V | Subaru Outback | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| LXCheapest | $28,764 | 8.9% | BASE | $25,870 | 1.4% |
| EX | $30,734 | 19.1% | PREMIUMMost popularCheapest | $28,081 | 37.3% |
| SPORT | $31,999 | 16.7% | ONYX EDITION | $30,356 | 12.2% |
| EX-LMost popular | $32,802 | 27.8% | LIMITED | $30,905 | 26.6% |
| SPORT-L | $35,130 | 13.0% | TOURING | $33,494 | 11.5% |
| SPORT TOURINGPriciest | $36,800 | 12.8% | WILDERNESSPriciest | $33,998 | 11.0% |
| TRAILSPORT | $39,162 | 1.8% | — | ||
Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Honda CR-V prices · Subaru Outback prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Honda CR-V typical | Subaru Outback typical | Difference | Honda CR-V MPG | Subaru Outback MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $38,331 | $39,998 | Subaru Outback +$1,667 | 29–40 MPG | 23–27 MPG |
| 2025 | $33,699 | $32,704 | Honda CR-V +$995 | 28–40 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2024 | $32,347 | $29,482 | Honda CR-V +$2,865 | 29–40 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2023 | $30,499 | $26,995 | Honda CR-V +$3,504 | 29–30 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2022 | $27,386 | $24,787 | Honda CR-V +$2,599 | 29–30 MPG | 24–29 MPG |
| 2021 | $25,289 | $23,342 | Honda CR-V +$1,947 | 29–30 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2020 | $23,605 | $21,608 | Honda CR-V +$1,997 | 29–30 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2019 | $21,274 | $18,698 | Honda CR-V +$2,576 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2018 | $19,488 | $16,798 | Honda CR-V +$2,690 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2017 | $17,998 | $15,090 | Honda CR-V +$2,908 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2016 | $15,997 | $13,160 | Honda CR-V +$2,837 | 27–29 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2015 | $14,996 | $11,250 | Honda CR-V +$3,746 | 28–29 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2014 | $13,889 | $9,161 | Honda CR-V +$4,728 | 25–26 MPG | 20–26 MPG |
| 2013 | $12,495 | $8,500 | Honda CR-V +$3,995 | 25–26 MPG | 20–26 MPG |
| 2012 | $11,304 | $7,900 | Honda CR-V +$3,404 | 25–26 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2011 | $9,498 | $6,895 | Honda CR-V +$2,603 | 23–24 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2010 | $9,490 | $6,801 | Honda CR-V +$2,689 | 23–24 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2009 | $8,259 | $6,795 | Honda CR-V +$1,464 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2008 | $7,495 | $5,984 | Honda CR-V +$1,511 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2007 | $7,499 | $5,225 | Honda CR-V +$2,274 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2006 | $6,500 | $5,500 | Honda CR-V +$1,000 | 21–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
| 2005 | $6,999 | $4,995 | Honda CR-V +$2,004 | 21–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (July 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Honda CR-V or Subaru Outback?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Honda CR-V is cheaper: it typically lists for $32,347 versus $32,704 for the Subaru Outback (national medians, July 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Honda CR-V or Subaru Outback?
The Honda CR-V: its typical rated version returns 28 MPG combined versus 22 MPG for the Subaru Outback (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is more reliable — Honda CR-V or Subaru Outback?
NHTSA lists an average of 7.2 recalls per model year for the Honda CR-V and 6.9 for the Subaru Outback — an edge for the Subaru Outback. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.
Which trims should I actually compare?
Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Honda CR-V LX typically lists for $28,764 vs $28,081 for a Subaru Outback PREMIUM; the most common trims on the market are the EX-L ($32,802, 27.8% of Honda CR-V listings) and the PREMIUM ($28,081, 37.3% of Subaru Outback listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,800) faces the WILDERNESS ($33,998). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/honda/cr-v/vs/subaru/outback.
Dig deeper
Honda CR-V — live listings & specs Subaru Outback — live listings & specs Honda CR-V prices by year Subaru Outback prices by year Honda CR-V MPG by year Subaru Outback MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.