2024 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Hybrid Review: Reasonable In Every Way

In the compact crossover segment, giants like the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 offer almost unparalleled value and practicality, which may explain why the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander tries to stand out by offering a third row of seating. This is a rarity for such a small vehicle, and the Japanese car tries to compound this with a pair of fuel-efficient powertrains, including a hybrid setup with 248 horsepower and 33 miles of range. However, the third row is cramped, and performance is far from spirited, leaving many wondering what the Outlander really brings to the table besides novelty.

New for 2024

While the new Mitsubishi Outlander doesn't shake things up with its existing models, there is a new top-tier trim called the Platinum Edition, which comes with unique exterior paint and a contrasting roof. It also has different interior colors. Mitsubishi has also decided to up its warranty game by adding two-year complimentary scheduled maintenance to all its models.

2024 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander Hybrid Price: Which One to Buy

Between the regular and plug-in models, there are a total of eight trims, so the price of the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander varies quite a bit. The entry point to the range is the ES at $28,395, while the SE adds a few features and pushes the price up to $31,445. The Black Edition is mostly a cosmetic upgrade and will cost you $32,645, while the SEL sells for $34,945. It's no longer the top trim, though. The Platinum takes that spot at an MSRP of $41,225. This is just a smidge more expensive than the plug-in ES, which introduces the hybrid section of the lineup at $41,345, From there, you'll mostly see the same trims again, such as the SE for $42,995, the SEL for $46,295, and the Platinum for $50,345. It's worth noting that all new 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander hybrids get an all-wheel drivetrain as standard, but the gas-powered versions need to upgrade from front-wheel drive for $1,800. Beyond this, there is also a $1,445 destination charge.

We can't help but wonder why Mitsubishi decided to add the Platinum, since it doesn't bring anything of value to the table. It looks nice, sure, but the huge jump in price from the smartly packaged SEL is just unreasonable. Thus, we continue to recommend the old top-tier trim, which still stacks up well against the competition in terms of pricing and standard features. Mitsubishi has one of the better all-wheel-drive systems on the market, but if you don't live in an area that requires the extra grip to deal with subpar road conditions, we'd save the cash, especially if you want to add the Touring Package for the panoramic sunroof and head-up display.

Interior and Features

Mitsubishi makes the best of the Outlander's limited space with a clean and minimalist design that focuses on ergonomics and practicality.

If you've been inside a Nissan Rogue, you'll find the interior of the Outlander familiar, but Mitsubishi has tweaked it enough to make it unique. The minimalist approach works well, considering that there are three rows of seats that need to be squeezed in. There isn't enough room to make this an eight-adult hauler, though, since dimensions are a little tight for even the seven. On the plus side, steps have been taken to maximize what is on offer, with smartphone holders for every seat. This attention to detail is what helps the Outlander stand out from flashier models. That being said, the materials used are still quite high-quality.

Space

Not many compact crossovers are so ambitious as to slot three rows of seats into the cabin, and for good reason. There simply isn't enough room for anything but tiny children in the back row with less than 20 inches of legroom. Keeping the seats in place also eats up cargo capacity, hurting the practicality of the car. However, if you treat the Outlander like a regular five-seater compact, it's quite generous, with plenty of room in both rows both for heads and legs. Even optioning the sunroof doesn't hurt this capacity. Getting inside is as easy as you'd expect from a crossover, thanks to a high roof and step-in, along with wide-opening doors, and forward visibility is great. There are some blind spots near the back, though.

Cargo

As we've mentioned, treating the Outlander as a seven-seater results in very little cargo space - just 11.7 cubic feet. This is less than you'd find in the majority of sedans. Folding down these almost useless seats gives you a more reasonable 33.5 cu-ft area. This will cover most daily errands, but if you need to do some heavy lifting, you can fold down the second row, too. This gives you 79.7 cubes to work with, or 78.3 cubes if you get a model with a sunroof.

There are plenty of nooks and crannies to store stuff around the cabin, too. These include a glove compartment, large food pockets, a well-sized cubby under the center armrest, and a cupholder and smartphone slot for every seating position.

Materials and Colors

The materials used inside the cabin are hardy and affordable but not low-quality. Cloth is the most basic of the lot, presented in plain old Black. Luckily, synthetic leather is installed as low down in the lineup as the SE, which pairs it with Piano Black trim along the dashboard. Here, colors include Light Gray, unless you get the Black Edition, which tells you all you need to know. The SEL and Platinum upgrade to genuine leather with the option of semi-aniline. At this point, aluminum trim gives the cabin its character.

Features and Infotainment

Even the base Outlander comes well-equipped in terms of features, with comforts and conveniences like dual-zone climate control, push-button start, keyless entry, a seven-inch multi-information display, and an eight-inch touchscreen with Android Auto, Apple Carplay, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, and six speakers. The SE is a midway point, installing a nine-inch touchscreen with navigation and HD Radio, along with an eight-way power driver's seat and heated front seats. Most of the best tech comes standard in the SEL, including the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, tri-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a wireless charger. It also gets heated rear seats. There are also numerous optional extras like a panoramic sunroof, a ten-speaker Bose sound system, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

Performance

The gas Outlander is extremely lackluster, but the plug-in hybrid steps up the game in terms of performance and fuel economy.

The base engine for the Mitsubishi Outlander is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 181 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. This comes mated to a continuously variable transmission with an eight-speed sport mode and paddle shifters, which can send power to your choice of the front or all four wheels. However, there is also a hybrid option, which combines a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with two electric motors for a total of 248 hp and 332 lb-ft. At this point, there is only AWD. With the gas engine, the Mitsubishi Outlander accelerates from 0-60 mph in around 8.6 seconds, while the PHEV powertrain gets it there in 6.5 seconds. Both allow for a top speed of 119 mph. Both configurations also come with a subpar towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

These figures don't really speak to high performance, and when you're behind the wheel of the Outlander, you will see as much. This is definitely a sedate city cruiser, with just enough power to get you where you're going, and the PHEV is hardly competitive when compared to all the EVs hitting the market. Steering is light but devoid of feeling, but ride comfort is excellent, and the cabin is well-insulated from road and wind noise.

Fuel Efficiency

The plus side to mediocre performance is generally good gas mileage, and this is true for the Outlander, which gets 25/32/27 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles in its base FWD form. Pairing the combustion engine with AWD sees these numbers drop slightly to 25/26/25 mpg. The plug-in hybrid naturally gets much better economy, but only when the motors are at play. So long as there is charge, the crossover achieves 64 MPGe, but once it runs out, it drops to 26 mpg combined, which isn't bad. Fuel capacity varies from model to model. FWD trims get 14.5-gallon tanks, while AWD trims get 15.8 gallons of fuel. This gives the gas models a maximum range of 395 miles. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids can achieve up to 420 miles with 14.8 gallons of gas and a full charge. The latter is good for 38 miles, and it takes approximately eight hours to fully charge the battery using a Level 1 charger, or 16 hours on a 120V outlet.

Safety

The NHTSA has given the Outlander a four-star rating, but the IIHS still awarded it a Top Safety Pick title in 2023.

The last time the NHTSA gave the Mitsubishi Outlander a full safety review was in 2023, when it earned four out of five stars. Weak points included front crashes and rollover tests. Despite this, the IIHS has found the 2024 model to be Good in every category, and it even named the 2023 version a Top Safety Pick. Though the PHEV doesn't have its own scores, the gas model's ratings should carry over.

The standard safety suite comprises forward collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot assist, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and a rearview camera. There are also an impressive ten airbags spread around the cabin. More advanced systems are added at the SE trim, such as lane-keep assist, lane departure prevention, front parking sensors, and traffic sign recognition.

US NHTSA Crash Test Result

Reliability

The Mitsubishi Outlander enjoys a high reliability of 80 out of 100, at least according to JD Power's consumer survey. This is backed up by no recalls for 2024 since the 2023 issue of a faulty rearview camera was remedied. Every 2024 Outlander gets the automaker's excellent warranty, which includes five years/60,000 miles of basic maintenance, and ten years/100,000 miles of powertrain coverage. Roadside assistance is offered for five years, and there is complimentary maintenance for two years.

Warranty

Design

Long gone are the days when the Outlander was a forgettable lump of metal rolling down the road. Now, its styling would be better described as striking, though whether or not it is attractive depends on the eye of the beholder. Triple-layer LED headlights rest within indentations at the edge of the front fascia, separated from the tall grille by LED daytime running lights. The rear end is a little less inspired, with traditional LED taillights split over the tailgate and a short brake bar at the top. Slim A- and B-pillars create a floating roof that juxtaposes the otherwise muscular profile. The base model comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, but these can be upgraded to 20-inch variants on the upper trims. Roof rails are standard, but the power liftgate is only added once you upgrade to the SE.

Verdict: Is The 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander A Good SUV?

There are plenty of compact SUVs for sale in the USA, so it takes something special to stand out. We'd like to say that the 2024 Outlander has that je ne sais quoi, but it falls short in several key areas. This includes a lackluster drivetrain and a virtually pointless third row. Luckily, these are the only real weak points, as overall quality is good, the standard list of features is long, and safety is strong. These factors, combined with an affordable gas model and a fuel-efficient plug-in should be enough to convince value-minded shoppers to give the Outlander a try. But if you want any degree of power or fun, you'd best look elsewhere.