2026 Mitsubishi Outlander: Compromise comes standard
It now has mild-hybrid power and efficiency, but outfitting a small package means leaving some things out. Its handsome, comfortable two rows fall short in a three-row SUV. See what else is missing.
2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus vs. 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL S-AWC: Two kinds of hybrids to save us some fuel.
This week: Mitsubishi Outlander
Price as tested: $47,235. Advantage, CX-50.
What others are saying: “Highs: Class-above cabin, can seat seven people in a pinch, well equipped. Lows: Forgettable handling, not particularly quick, third-row riders won’t be comfortable,” says Car and Driver.
What Mitsubishi is saying: “Confidence comes standard.”
Reality: Compromise comes standard.
Catching up: When last we were together, the usually fun Mazda CX-50 was putting its least impressive foot forward in Hybrid form.
What’s new: The Mitsubishi Outlander gets a new mild-hybrid 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine powering it. This means a 48-volt battery captures energy and allows the vehicle to coast up to 13.5 mph, and adds a power boost when needed. It also saves fuel and restarts the engine when it’s shut off automatically while idling.
This three-ish-row Mitsubishi blurs the lines when competing against Mazda. It’s price- and size-matched to the CX-50, but the larger CX-90 offers the same type of power plant, albeit with a six-cylinder.
Competition: In addition to the CX-50, highlights include the Chevrolet Equinox, Dodge Hornet, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4.
Up to speed: The Mitsubishi Outlander produces 174 horses, far fewer than the CX-50 hybrid’s 219.
I thought the CX-50 was a dud from 0-60, but here’s the Mitsubishi saying, “Hold my Lite beer.” It took 8.4 seconds to reach 60 mph, according to Car and Driver. Advantage, CX-50 Hybrid.
Shiftless: Actually, the Outlander was screaming, “Hold my Lite beer.” The continuously variable transmission makes the same level of noise most Mitsubishis usually do, and that is a lot. Car and Driver whined about the CX-50 but this is some real whining right here.
The transmission is engaged by a Nissan-standard square-handled shifter. Paddles allow for changing the gearless gears and are mainly there to give drivers something to do while they wait to get up to speed and watch the cars whiz by.
On the road: The all-wheel-drive Outlander handles with the same level of disdain for handling as it does for acceleration, feeling floaty and kind of unconcerned most of the time. I do have to say that like its cousin Rogue, normal driving feels fine. The Outlander just kind of moves along without drawing any attention to itself, and it makes a pleasant companion until you ask for a little something extra. Surely you’ve enjoyed coworkers like this, or family members, hopefully not spouses. Advantage, CX-50 Hybrid.
Driver’s Seat: The Outlander Driver’s Seat is spacious and comfortable. The Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat remarked more than once about how nice it felt to ride in, thanks to the semi-aniline leather seats that were part of the $3,050 Premium Package.
This version of the Outlander did not feature The Price is Right spinning wheel speedometer from a previous Outlander PHEV tested, just a standard-issue Nissan-ubishi dial with easy-to-change information in the center. This is a toss-up.
Friends and stuff: The middle seat is as comfortable as the front. Even though it’s a bench, its plush feel helps passengers sink in a bit, and I’m sure cornering is not a slippery experience. Not like the driver will be zigging and zagging on the curves, but good to know.
The third-row seat is actually as well appointed as the rest, at least in the upholstery department. But you just KNOW that any bench seat that’s as hard to find as this one is going to be super snug. Mitsubishi must employ a lot of dads who pack for vacation to find something this impressively packaged.
But we (or at least our little people) are not cargo, and we were not meant to be flat-packed like Ikea furniture. Leaving the middle row as far back as possible, there is absolute zero for the third-row legroom. Move the middle up to where 5-foot, 10-inch passengers are snug, the legroom back there becomes bearable. Your knees will be in your face though.
The surprising downfall is headroom. I had to sit with my head canted to the side and still the pressure from the ceiling literally hurt. And that rear window is right there breathing down your neck like a bad boss.
Cargo space is 64.3/30.6/10.9 cubic feet, depending on the folding. Advantage, Mitsubishi.
Play some tunes: Sound from the 12-speaker Yamaha system (also in the premium Package) is an odd mix of clarity and mistuning. I could hear all the parts of my favorite poorly recorded songs, but many of them sounded a little off. An under-engineered song among my faves features a low guitar that can hardly be heard on some stereos; this unit plays all the chords but they sounded … flatulent. Not ideal. Could work to one’s benefit on a first date, I suppose. But how do I even grade this? Advantage, CX-50 Hybrid.
A dial handles the volume and some buttons get you around but most of the magic happens in the touchscreen. The all-icons home screen offers the same Windows 95 look as Mitsubishis long have.
Keeping warm and cool: Dials control the temperature while buttons handle the fan speed and settings. It’s a nice ebony black cover but with real buttons, so you can drag your finger across without resetting anything. Take that, Hyundai.
Fuel economy: Despite the smaller engine, the Outlander couldn’t beat fellow mild-hybrid SUV Mazda CX-90; the vehicle averaged 24 mpg, where the Mazda was 25. And was worse than the CX-50’s 30.
Where it’s built: Okazaki, Japan, from which all of its parts originate.
How it’s built: Consumer Reports says the Outlander rates a 3 out of 5 for reliability.
In the end: On paper, Mitsubishi kind of has something here. But like squeezing a lot of that Ikea furniture (and Ikea children) into a small space, eventually you start to realize some things have to be left out. In this case, it’s acceleration, comfort, handling, and fuel economy.
So that puts us back in the CX-50 Hybrid. The 36 mpg in 2025 made a stronger case for it, though.
