2023 Mitsubishi Outlander

Overview

The Mitsubishi Outlander’s front bumper reminds us of something that might print documents or handle faxes at the office but look past its Xerox-inspired face and you’ll find an SUV with an elegant cabin with a comfortable ride. While the Outlander is essentially a three-row version of the Nissan Rogue—the two share the same platform—its tightly-packed rearmost seats are mostly there as decoration as they provide little to no legroom for adults. The smaller two-row Outlander Sport is reviewed separately. The Outlander’s power comes from a 181-hp four-cylinder, and a CVT with front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is optional. A plug-in hybrid is also available and makes a combined 248 horsepower from an all-wheel drive powertrain that consists of a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors.

What’s New for 2023?

Mitsubishi has added a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the three-row Outlander lineup for 2023. The Outlander PHEV features Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel-drive system and acts as the company’s next step in its commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

ES

$28,000 (est)

SE

$31,000 (est)

Black Edition

$32,000 (est)

SEL Special Edition

$34,000 (est)

SEL

$34,000 (est)

Outlander PHEV

$41,190

With a base price of around $28,000, the Outlander is a little pricier than other compact crossovers, including the Rogue. Despite a variety of desirable features, the top SEL trim has questionable value since it costs about as much as a top-of-the-line Mazda CX-5, which has won our 10Best award multiple times. So, we’d recommend the mid-level SEL model. For just over $30,000 (all-wheel drive adds $1800), it comes with intricate 20-inch wheels, a 9.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a hands-free power liftgate, wireless charging, and driver assists such as adaptive cruise and lane-keeping assist. We’d also select the Tech package that adds a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a Bose audio system, and a panoramic sunroof.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The Outlander’s standard engine is a 2.5-liter inline-four-cylinder engine that makes 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. It pairs exclusively with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Front-wheel drive is the standard configuration, but all-wheel drive is optional. Although the Outlander’s acceleration times are competitive with other compact crossovers (excluding speedsters such as the turbocharged CX-5 and Kia Sportage), it feels less responsive and lazier at highway speeds, which is exacerbated by its gearless CVT. Otherwise, the Outlander drives with agility and composure. Its steering is nicely weighted, its body motions are controlled, and its ride is taut. We did notice a lack of isolation that allowed a lot of road noise to enter the cabin on all but the smoothest roads, and our test vehicle’s large 20-inch wheels with limited sidewall cushioning didn’t help the situation. The Outlander we drove also had a soft-feeling brake pedal, but the stoppers hauled the SUV down from 70 mph in a class-competitive 172 feet. The plug-in hybrid model is more powerful and we estimate it will deliver slightly brisker acceleration. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder is assisted by a pair of electric motors for a combined 248 horsepower and in our first test drive, we noted that the Outlander PHEV felt perkier, especially in urban driving.

More on the Outlander SUV

Range, Charging, and Battery Life

With a 20.0-kWh battery pack onboard, the Outlander PHEV is good for a claimed 38 miles of electric-only driving range per charge. That puts it slightly ahead of other PHEV versions of the Hyundai Tucson and the Ford Escape, but behind the Toyota RAV4 Prime, which beats the Outlander slightly with a 42-mile driving range. Unfortunately, the Outlander PHEV suffers from a fairly slow onboard charging system, which means charging at home will take roughly 6.5 hours if the battery is entirely dead. Luckily, a DC fast-charging system is optional, but it uses an outdated CHAdeMO charging port that may not be easy to find at fast charging stations in your area.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The all-wheel-drive Outlander earns an EPA-rated 24 mpg city and 30 highway. Front-wheel drive Outlanders see a marginal improvement of 24 city and 31 mpg on the highway. During our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route—part of our extensive testing regimen—the all-wheel-drive Mitsubishi’s real-world result of 26 mpg fell short of its EPA estimate. The Outlander PHEV is rated for 25 mpg city and 27 mpg highway when running on gasoline, but by the government’s yardstick, it’s good for 64 MPGe combined when accounting for its electric driving range. For more information about the Outlander’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The new Outlander has significantly nicer cabin materials compared with its predecessor, which was marred by subpar plastics and chintzy trim pieces. Not only are the interior accents and surfaces of higher quality, but the design finally qualifies as modern. Likewise, there’s an assortment of contemporary content that includes an available 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a head-up display. While passengers in the first two rows enjoy more hip room and legroom than in the last-gen Outlander, its third row has very limited legroom for adults. The only other compact crossover with seating for seven is the Volkswagen Tiguan, but, unlike the Outlander, its extra set of seats is limited to front-drive models. Cargo space also increases on the new Outlander, with 1 cubic foot added to the total volume behind the second and third rows.

The Car and Driver Difference

Infotainment and Connectivity

On the infotainment front, the new Outlander offers either an 8.0- or 9.0-inch touchscreen, depending on the trim. Both units have standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but only the latter allows users to connect their iPhones wirelessly. Along with charging ports at the bottom of the center stack, the system features hard buttons and physical knobs for volume and tuning. Additional available infotainment features include a 10-speaker Bose audio system, wireless device charging, and access to the subscription-based Mitsubishi Connect app that provides remote services.

How to Buy and Maintain a Car

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Available with driver-assistance technology that includes adaptive cruise control and a semi-autonomous drive mode, the 2023 Outlander boasts a compelling set of tech. For more information about the compact crossover’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

Available forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking Available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert Available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Mitsubishi provides one of the better limited and powertrain warranties versus other compact crossovers and SUVs. Although the company doesn’t offer complimentary maintenance, its primary protection plans are just as long as those from Kia and Hyundai.

Limited warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles No complimentary scheduled maintenance

Specifications

Specifications

2022 Mitsubishi Outlander S-AWC

VEHICLE TYPE

front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon

PRICE AS TESTED

$38,590 (base price: $28,790)

ENGINE TYPE

DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement

152 in3, 2488 cm3

Power

181 hp @ 6000 rpm

Torque

181 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm

TRANSMISSION

continuously variable automatic

CHASSIS

Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink

Brakes (F/R): 13.8-in vented disc/13.0-in vented disc

Tires: Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus, P255/45R-20 101W M+S

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 106.5 in

Length: 185.4 in

Width: 73.3 in

Height: 68.8 in

Passenger volume: 120 ft3

Cargo volume: 12 ft3

Curb weight: 3864 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 8.2 sec

100 mph: 23.9 sec

Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.6 sec

Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.7 sec

Top gear, 50–70 mph: 6.0 sec

1/4 mile: 16.3 sec @ 86 mph

Top speed (C/D est): 120 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 171 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.85 g

Standing-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.

C/D FUEL ECONOMY

75-mph highway driving: 26 mpg

Highway range: 370 miles

EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 26/24/30 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

More Features and Specs