The Honda Passport has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Outback doesn't offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport'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.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda Passport achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Subaru Outback has not been tested.

The Honda Passport TrailSport Elite's Multi-View Camera System is available with washers for its front and rear cameras, ensuring crystal-clear visibility in any weather condition. Conversely, the Subaru Outback only offers a rear camera washer, which may not provide the same level of all-weather performance.

Both the Passport 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.

The Honda Passport weighs 496 to 964 pounds more than the Subaru Outback. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Honda Passport has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS' rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Outback has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

There are over 66 percent more Honda dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport's warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport second among midsize suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Outback isn't in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in long-term dependability. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

The Passport's 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 105 more horsepower (285 vs. 180) and 84 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 178) than the Outback 2.5i's standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Passport's 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 25 more horsepower (285 vs. 260) than the Outback XT/Wilderness' standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine's cylinders helps improve the Passport's fuel efficiency. The Outback doesn't offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Outback XT/Wilderness requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Passport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it's removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Outback doesn't offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Passport higher (7 out of 10) than the Subaru Outback (5 to 6). This means the Passport produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Outback every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Passport's brake rotors are larger than those on the Outback:

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Outback (265/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Passport TrailSport's tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outback (275/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The Passport's tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outback Wilderness' standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Outback Wilderness.

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle's integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Outback doesn't offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport's wheelbase is 5.5 inches longer than on the Outback (113.6 inches vs. 108.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 5.8 inches wider in the front and 5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Outback.

The Passport has 6.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outback (119.1 vs. 112.3).

The Passport has 3.3 inches more front hip room, 4 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 2.3 inches more rear hip room and 4.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Outback.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Outback with its rear seat up (44 vs. 34.6 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Outback with its rear seat folded (83.8 vs. 80.5 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Passport TrailSport Elite's liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under 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 Passport's standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outback's (5000 vs. 2700 pounds).

The Passport's standard easy entry system glides the driver's seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outback doesn't offer an easy entry system.

On a hot day the Passport'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 Passport's standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn't have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Outback's standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Passport 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 Honda Passport 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 Honda Passport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Outback.

The Passport TrailSport 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Passport, based on reliability, safety and performance.