What is the best year for a Subaru Outback?

The 2023 Outback is the strongest used pick — 84 complaints, 10/10 NHTSA safety score, 9 severe issues. Strongly avoid 2018-2020, which generated 799, 1,025, and 889 complaints respectively, driven by widespread oil consumption and EyeSight system issues. The 2021-2022 range remained elevated. 2023 marks the clear turning point.

How much does Subaru Outback insurance cost?

Outback insurance averages about $1,964/year — roughly $164/month. One of the lower insurance rates in the compact class despite above-average maintenance costs.

Is the Subaru Outback or Honda Passport cheaper to maintain?

The Honda Passport is $86/year cheaper — $521 versus $607 for the Outback. The Passport also has a higher reliability score (8 vs. 7) and lower repair frequency (28% vs. 37%). The Outback's differentiators are its standard AWD and wagon body style, which are meaningful depending on use case.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Subaru Outback?

The 2018-2020 generation's documented complaint history makes extended warranty strongly recommended for those model years. Major repair probability of 12% and repair frequency of 37% are both above compact class averages. For 2023 and newer, the profile improves considerably — but the Outback's overall cost premium makes a repair fund or warranty worth planning for.

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan expensive to maintain?

The Tiguan costs $730/year to maintain — $209 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 92% means statistically, nearly every Tiguan owner makes at least one unscheduled shop visit per year — roughly three times the compact class average of 30%. Reliability score of 6 is well below the class average of 8. It is the highest-maintenance model in the compact segment by a wide margin.

What is the best year for a Volkswagen Tiguan?

The 2025 Tiguan (31 complaints, 10/10 safety, 1 severe) is the best on record. The 2023-2025 window shows meaningful improvement. Avoid 2018 (274 complaints) and 2022 (234 complaints), which coincide with generation transitions. For used buying, 2023 or newer is the safest range.

How much does Volkswagen Tiguan insurance cost?

Tiguan insurance averages around $2,004/year — about $167/month. Competitive for the compact class, despite significantly higher maintenance costs.

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan or Honda CR-V cheaper to maintain?

The CR-V is cheaper to maintain by $323/year — $407 versus $730 for the Tiguan, roughly $1,615 in savings over five years. The CR-V also has a significantly higher reliability score (9 vs. 6) and a repair frequency of 30% versus 92%. The maintenance cost gap between these two is among the largest in the compact class.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Volkswagen Tiguan?

A repair frequency of 92% — the highest of any compact SUV — combined with a reliability score of 6 makes extended warranty coverage a strong recommendation, particularly for used models. The probability of an unscheduled repair in any given year is nearly a statistical certainty; warranty coverage helps control what those visits cost.

Subaru Outback vs Volkswagen Tiguan

Two compact SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Subaru Outback — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.

Buy the Volkswagen Tiguan if its specific features or size suit your needs better.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Subaru Outback	Volkswagen Tiguan
Annual maintenance	$607winner	$730
5-year total cost	$3,035winner	$3,650
Reliability score	7 / 10winner	6 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	12%	12%
Cargo space	—	—
Starting price (new)	$34,995	$32,200winner
Best years to buy	—	2010

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Subaru Outback	Volkswagen Tiguan
RepairPal score	7 / 10winner	6 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	287.6	183.9winner
Years to avoid	2018, 2019, 2020	2018, 2022
Value retained · 3 yr	79.2%winner	71.9%
Value retained · 5 yr	61.4%winner	55.8%
Value retained · 7 yr	48.8%winner	43.6%

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Subaru Outback	Volkswagen Tiguan
Engine	8.1%winner	29.0%
Electrical	18.7%	10.6%winner
ADAS	7.0%winner	12.5%
Brakes	4.0%	3.8%winner
Steering	3.6%	3.6%winner
Fuel system	1.3%winner	3.6%
Tires/Wheels	1.0%	—winner
Glass/Windows	26.3%	2.8%winner
Airbags	5.4%winner	10.8%
Lighting	3.3%	2.8%winner
Seatbelt	—winner	1.8%

One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.

// INSURANCE

Which is cheaper to insure?

	Subaru Outback	Volkswagen Tiguan
Avg annual premium	$1,964winner	$2,004

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Subaru Outback

$607/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Volkswagen Tiguan

$730/yr maint · 6 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

The Outback costs $607/year to maintain — $86 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 37% is above the class average of 30%. Reliability score of 7 is below the class average of 8. Major repair probability of 12% is slightly above the 11% norm. Above-average cost and repair profile across all metrics.

How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →