Compare the2027 Genesis GV70 VS 2026 Subaru Outback

The GV70’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Outback doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the GV70 and Outback have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV70 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Outback’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The GV70 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Outback doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the GV70 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The GV70’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Outback’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the GV70 and Outback have rear cross-traffic warning, but the GV70 has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Outback’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the GV70 and the Outback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all-wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4189-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Genesis GV70 is safer than the Outback:

	GV70	Outback
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	57	87
Neck Compression	-67 lbs.	22 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	130	144
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	89 lbs.
Neck Compression	-89 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.43 in	2.44 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	469 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The GV70 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Outback’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV70 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Outback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Outback ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The GV70’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Outback’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV70 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outback.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the GV70 has a standard 740-amp battery. The Outback’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis above average in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

The GV70’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 120 more horsepower (300 vs. 180) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 178) than the Outback 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The GV70’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (300 vs. 260) and 34 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 277) than the Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder. The GV70’s optional 3.5 turbo V6 produces 115 more horsepower (375 vs. 260) and 114 lbs.-ft. more torque (391 vs. 277) than the Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Genesis GV70 is faster than the Outback XT/Wilderness 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder:

	GV70 turbo 4 cyl.	GV70 turbo V6	Outback
Zero to 60 MPH	5.6 sec	4.6 sec	6.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	14.5 sec	12 sec	15.6 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.6 sec	5.4 sec	6.7 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.4 sec	2.9 sec	3.6 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.3 sec	3.8 sec	4.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	13.2 sec	14.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99 MPH	104 MPH	97 MPH
Top Speed	150 MPH	150 MPH	128 MPH

The GV70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Outback doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the GV70’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Outback:

	GV70	Outback
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.8 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	13.6 inches

The GV70 stops shorter than the Outback:

	GV70	Outback
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver

For better traction, the GV70 has larger standard tires than the Outback (235/55R19 vs. 225/65R17). The GV70 Sport Prestige/Prestige Graphite’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outback (255/40R21 vs. 225/65R17).

The GV70’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outback Wilderness’ standard 65 series tires. The GV70 Sport Prestige/Prestige Graphite’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Outback XT’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV70 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Outback Wilderness. The GV70 Sport Prestige/Prestige Graphite’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Outback XT.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GV70’s wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than on the Outback (113.2 inches vs. 108.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the GV70 is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Outback.

The GV70’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Outback’s (57% to 43%). This gives the GV70 more stable handling and braking.

The GV70 2.5T Sport Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the Outback Touring XT pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Outback Touring XT (26.3 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 27.2 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

The GV70 is 6.1 inches shorter than the Outback, making the GV70 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the GV70 2.5T Advanced is quieter than the Outback Wilderness (65 vs. 67 dB).

The front step up height for the GV70 is 1.5 inches lower than the Outback (17.5” vs. 19”). The GV70’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the Outback’s (17.3” vs. 18.5”).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GV70’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Outback doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The GV70’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outback’s (3500 vs. 2700 pounds).

The GV70 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Outback uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The GV70 Select/Advanced/Prestige’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The GV70 Sport Prestige/Prestige Graphite has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Outback doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the GV70 and the Outback have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GV70 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Outback prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

On a hot day the GV70’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Outback can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GV70’s standard Proximity Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start standard on the Outback doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear doors.

The GV70’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Outback’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The GV70 Sport Prestige/3.5T has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Outback.

The GV70 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Outback Premium/Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx.

The Genesis GV70 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Outback.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis GV70 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Outback.

The GV70 Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Outback doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige/Prestige Graphite’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Outback doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Motor Trend selected the GV70 as their 2022 Sport Utility of the Year. The Outback has never been chosen.