Compare the2022 Chevrolet TraxVS 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Chevrolet Trax has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Trax has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Outlander Sport 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 Trax and the Outlander Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport:

	Trax	Outlander Sport
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	122	208
Neck Injury Risk	26%	29%
Neck Stress	298 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	90 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	363/313 lbs.	334/511 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	207	251
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	43%
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	221 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	249/289 lbs.	394/494 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Outlander Sport:

	Trax	Outlander Sport
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	25 cm	28 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	1%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.53/.33	.68/.36
Tibia forces R/L	1.8/.6 kN	1.9/1.9 kN

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport:

	Trax	Outlander Sport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	163
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	163 G’s
Hip Force	388 lbs.	518 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	349
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	47 G’s
Hip Force	672 lbs.	794 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	17 inches
Hip Force	707 lbs.	807 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Trax the rating of “Top Pick” for 2016, a rating granted to only 219 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander Sport is not a “Top Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

There are almost 9 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trax’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 6th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 13th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 3 places higher in reliability than Mitsubishi.

Engine

The Trax’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 7 more horsepower (155 vs. 148) and 32 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 145) than the Outlander Sport ES/LE/SE’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Trax’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 10 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 167) than the Outlander Sport GT’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Trax gets better fuel mileage than the Outlander Sport:

			MPG
Trax
	2WD	1.4 Turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/32 hwy
	4WD	1.4 Turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
Outlander Sport
	2WD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy
	4WD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Trax’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Outlander Sport:

	Trax	Outlander Sport
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11.6 inches

The Trax stops much shorter than the Outlander Sport:

	Trax	Outlander Sport
70 to 0 MPH	166 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Trax has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Outlander Sport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Trax has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Trax handles at .80 G’s, while the Outlander Sport 4WD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Trax executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Outlander Sport SE 4WD (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

The Trax is 4.3 inches shorter than the Outlander Sport, making the Trax easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Trax has .2 inches more front headroom and .9 inches more rear headroom than the Outlander Sport.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Trax and the Outlander Sport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Trax is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Outlander Sport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Trax’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Outlander Sport’s passenger windows don’t open automatically.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Trax has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Outlander Sport only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Trax LT has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Trax owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Trax will cost $270 to $1945 less than the Outlander Sport over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Trax is less expensive to operate than the Outlander Sport because it costs $18 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Trax than the Outlander Sport, including $29 less for a water pump, $210 less for a starter, $248 less for fuel injection, $139 less for a fuel pump, $53 less for front struts and $164 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Chevrolet Trax, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.