Honda CR-V vs Subaru Outback: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Honda CR-V typically lists for $31,766 against $31,120 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 $28,245 vs the PREMIUM at $27,452; 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 ($28,245) faces the Subaru Outback PREMIUM ($27,452); the most common trims on the market are the EX-L (27.9% of Honda CR-V listings) and the PREMIUM (35.3% of Subaru Outback listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,100) faces the TOURING ($32,998). 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 | $28,245 | 9.9% | BASE | $25,771 | 2.1% |
| EX | $30,487 | 20.0% | PREMIUMMost popularCheapest | $27,452 | 35.3% |
| SPORT | $31,594 | 15.8% | ONYX EDITION | $29,691 | 13.3% |
| EX-LMost popular | $32,609 | 27.9% | LIMITED | $29,952 | 25.8% |
| SPORT-L | $34,851 | 14.6% | WILDERNESS | $32,869 | 11.3% |
| SPORT TOURINGPriciest | $36,100 | 10.8% | TOURINGPriciest | $32,998 | 12.3% |
| TRAILSPORT | $38,316 | 0.9% | — | ||
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 | $37,210 | $39,999 | Subaru Outback +$2,789 | 29–40 MPG | 23–27 MPG |
| 2025 | $32,998 | $31,120 | Honda CR-V +$1,878 | 28–40 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2024 | $31,766 | $28,750 | Honda CR-V +$3,016 | 29–40 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2023 | $29,632 | $25,470 | Honda CR-V +$4,162 | 29–30 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2022 | $26,721 | $23,943 | Honda CR-V +$2,778 | 29–30 MPG | 24–29 MPG |
| 2021 | $24,562 | $22,195 | Honda CR-V +$2,367 | 29–30 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2020 | $22,996 | $20,898 | Honda CR-V +$2,098 | 29–30 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2019 | $20,841 | $17,999 | Honda CR-V +$2,842 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2018 | $18,995 | $15,837 | Honda CR-V +$3,158 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2017 | $17,500 | $13,995 | Honda CR-V +$3,505 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2016 | $15,795 | $11,999 | Honda CR-V +$3,796 | 27–29 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2015 | $14,407 | $10,500 | Honda CR-V +$3,907 | 28–29 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2014 | $12,986 | $8,995 | Honda CR-V +$3,991 | 25–26 MPG | 20–26 MPG |
| 2013 | $11,751 | $7,971 | Honda CR-V +$3,780 | 25–26 MPG | 20–26 MPG |
| 2012 | $10,995 | $7,169 | Honda CR-V +$3,826 | 25–26 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2011 | $9,600 | $6,800 | Honda CR-V +$2,800 | 23–24 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2010 | $8,995 | $5,999 | Honda CR-V +$2,996 | 23–24 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2009 | $7,999 | $6,223 | Honda CR-V +$1,776 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2008 | $7,595 | $5,993 | Honda CR-V +$1,602 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2007 | $7,350 | $5,988 | Honda CR-V +$1,362 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2006 | $6,046 | $5,995 | Honda CR-V +$51 | 21–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
| 2005 | $5,999 | $4,997 | Honda CR-V +$1,002 | 21–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 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 Subaru Outback is cheaper: it typically lists for $31,120 versus $31,766 for the Honda CR-V (national medians, October 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 2.0 recalls per model year for the Honda CR-V and 6.9 for the Subaru Outback — an edge for the Honda CR-V. 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 $28,245 vs $27,452 for a Subaru Outback PREMIUM; the most common trims on the market are the EX-L ($32,609, 27.9% of Honda CR-V listings) and the PREMIUM ($27,452, 35.3% of Subaru Outback listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,100) faces the TOURING ($32,998). 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.