Compare the2026 Lexus RZVS 2026 Subaru Uncharted

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the RZ are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Uncharted doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The RZ has standard Safety Connect®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Uncharted doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the RZ and the Uncharted have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 RZ comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Uncharted’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RZ 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Uncharted. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Uncharted ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The RZ’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Uncharted’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 11th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 72 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 21st.

The RZ has more powerful engines than the Uncharted:

For better traction and acceleration, the RZ has larger rear tires than the Uncharted (255/55R18 vs. 235/60R18).

The RZ’s standard 255/55R18 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Uncharted Premium’s standard 60 series tires. The RZ’s optional 255/45R20 rear tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Uncharted Sport/GT’s 50 series tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the RZ’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Uncharted (112.2 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

The RZ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Uncharted doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The RZ has .2 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 5.3 inches more rear legroom and 7 inches more rear hip room than the Uncharted.

The RZ has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Uncharted (34.1 vs. 25.4 cubic feet).

The RZ’s cargo area is larger than the Uncharted’s in almost every dimension:

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 4% lower rating, Subaru is ranked third.

The RZ offers an optional 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 Uncharted doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The RZ’s standard Smart Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start standard on the Uncharted doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

To lock it, the door handles on the Uncharted must be held while closing the door. On the RZ you just lock the door and close it, which makes it easier to lock up, especially when your hands are full.

The RZ’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Uncharted’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The RZ’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Uncharted has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The RZ has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Uncharted Sport/GT.

The RZ’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Uncharted’s navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

The Lexus RZ 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 Uncharted.

The RZ’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Advanced Park will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Uncharted doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus RZ, based on reliability, safety and performance.