Compare the2022 Toyota Prius PrimeVS 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

The Prius Prime has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Prius Prime Limited has standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Prius Prime’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Prius Prime 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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Prius Prime and the Outlander PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Prius Prime is safer than the Outlander PHEV:

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Prius Prime the rating of “Top Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander PHEV was not even a standard “Top Pick” for 2016.

The Prius Prime’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Outlander PHEV’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius Prime for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mitsubishi doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outlander PHEV.

There are almost 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius Prime’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Prius Prime’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Outlander PHEV’s camshafts. If the Outlander PHEV’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 13th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Mitsubishi is ranked 20th.

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the Outlander PHEV running on electricity (145 city/121 hwy vs. 77 city/71 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Outlander PHEV running its gasoline engine (55 city/53 hwy vs. 26 city/26 hwy).

The Prius Prime’s maximum driving range in pure electric mode is 25 miles, 4% further than the Outlander PHEV’s 24-mile range.

The Prius Prime stops shorter than the Outlander PHEV:

The Prius Prime 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 PHEV doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prius Prime’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Outlander PHEV (106.3 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

The Prius Prime LE handles at .79 G’s, while the Outlander PHEV GT pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Prius Prime’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Outlander PHEV’s (33.4 feet vs. 35.6 feet).

The Toyota Prius Prime may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 850 to 900 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

The Prius Prime is 9.4 inches shorter in height than the Outlander PHEV, making the Prius Prime much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The front grille of the Prius Prime uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Prius Prime has 2.3 inches more front legroom and 1.1 inches more front hip room than the Outlander PHEV.

The Prius Prime Limited has a standard 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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the Prius Prime the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Outlander PHEV can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Prius Prime has standard extendable sun visors. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is standard on the Prius Prime XLE/Limited. The Prius Prime’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a navigation system.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Prius Prime XLE/Limited has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Prius Prime Limited’s Intelligent Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Prius Prime will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Prius Prime will retain 46.7% to 46.86% of its original price after five years, while the Outlander PHEV only retains 40.31% to 40.44%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Prius Prime will be $11485 to $11853 less than for the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Prius Prime as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Prius outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander by 50% during 2020.