Honda CR-V vs Subaru Outback: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (August 2026), the Honda CR-V typically lists for $32,120 against $29,332 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 $28,726 vs the PREMIUM at $27,660; 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 ($28,726) faces the Subaru Outback PREMIUM ($27,660); the most common trims on the market are the EX-L (28.2% of Honda CR-V listings) and the PREMIUM (36.4% of Subaru Outback listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,339) faces the WILDERNESS ($33,420). 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 | $28,726 | 9.3% | BASE | $25,994 | 1.8% |
| EX | $30,853 | 19.7% | PREMIUMMost popularCheapest | $27,660 | 36.4% |
| SPORT | $32,172 | 16.0% | ONYX EDITION | $30,164 | 12.8% |
| EX-LMost popular | $32,998 | 28.2% | LIMITED | $30,490 | 26.8% |
| SPORT-L | $35,003 | 14.2% | TOURING | $33,119 | 11.1% |
| SPORT TOURINGPriciest | $36,339 | 11.5% | WILDERNESSPriciest | $33,420 | 11.1% |
| TRAILSPORT | $39,038 | 1.1% | — | ||
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 | $37,900 | $39,995 | Subaru Outback +$2,095 | 29–40 MPG | 23–27 MPG |
| 2025 | $33,376 | $31,936 | Honda CR-V +$1,440 | 28–40 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2024 | $32,120 | $29,332 | Honda CR-V +$2,788 | 29–40 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2023 | $30,249 | $26,058 | Honda CR-V +$4,191 | 29–30 MPG | 23–28 MPG |
| 2022 | $27,151 | $23,998 | Honda CR-V +$3,153 | 29–30 MPG | 24–29 MPG |
| 2021 | $24,998 | $22,599 | Honda CR-V +$2,399 | 29–30 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2020 | $23,488 | $21,495 | Honda CR-V +$1,993 | 29–30 MPG | 26–29 MPG |
| 2019 | $21,062 | $18,459 | Honda CR-V +$2,603 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2018 | $18,997 | $16,139 | Honda CR-V +$2,858 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2017 | $17,995 | $14,347 | Honda CR-V +$3,648 | 27–30 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2016 | $15,791 | $12,900 | Honda CR-V +$2,891 | 27–29 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2015 | $14,644 | $10,895 | Honda CR-V +$3,749 | 28–29 MPG | 22–28 MPG |
| 2014 | $12,998 | $8,999 | Honda CR-V +$3,999 | 25–26 MPG | 20–26 MPG |
| 2013 | $11,992 | $7,999 | Honda CR-V +$3,993 | 25–26 MPG | 20–26 MPG |
| 2012 | $11,170 | $7,272 | Honda CR-V +$3,898 | 25–26 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2011 | $9,495 | $6,800 | Honda CR-V +$2,695 | 23–24 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2010 | $8,995 | $6,098 | Honda CR-V +$2,897 | 23–24 MPG | 20–24 MPG |
| 2009 | $7,995 | $6,349 | Honda CR-V +$1,646 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2008 | $7,068 | $5,995 | Honda CR-V +$1,073 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2007 | $7,499 | $5,497 | Honda CR-V +$2,002 | 22–23 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2006 | $6,450 | $5,595 | Honda CR-V +$855 | 21–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
| 2005 | $5,950 | $4,995 | Honda CR-V +$955 | 21–23 MPG | 19–22 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (August 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 $29,332 versus $32,120 for the Honda CR-V (national medians, August 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 4.4 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 $28,726 vs $27,660 for a Subaru Outback PREMIUM; the most common trims on the market are the EX-L ($32,998, 28.2% of Honda CR-V listings) and the PREMIUM ($27,660, 36.4% of Subaru Outback listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,339) faces the WILDERNESS ($33,420). 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.