2021 Subaru Outback vs 2022 Volvo XC40

The Outback, like any Subaru, is an old soul in a young person’s body. It embraces a rosier past of automotive history, back when cars were just cars and drivers were concerned only with driving. It’s conservative, unhip to fashion, and slow. Yet the 2021 Outback—a raised, all-wheel drive (AWD) station wagon like the first 1995 model—has all of today’s essentials and extra technology. Subaru just skips the fripperies and focuses on what people really need: Generous space, go-anywhere capability, reliability, low cost, high resale, and safety. It’s not all that innovative or stylish, but a Subaru Outback tackles the everyday banalities of life as few other cars can.

The 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge AWD is an all-electric version of the XC40 subcompact crossover SUV. The Recharge was launched for the 2021 model year, so it doesn't get any significant changes for 2022. It comes with standard all-wheel drive (AWD; front-wheel drive is not offered in our market), and Natural Resources Canada says this plug-in electric vehicle can go up to 359 kilometres on a single charge. Is this the breakthrough EV we’ve been waiting for?