Compare the2022 Kia NiroVS 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Niro are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Niro LXS/LXS SE/Touring SE/EX Premium’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 Sport doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Niro 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 crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, 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 Kia Niro is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport:

	Niro	Outlander Sport
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	139	208
Neck Injury Risk	27%	29%
Neck Stress	291 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	37 lbs.	90 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	74/269 lbs.	334/511 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 Kia Niro is safer than the Outlander Sport:

	Niro	Outlander Sport
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	1 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.32/.48	.68/.36

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 Kia Niro is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport:

	Niro	Outlander Sport
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	138	163
Hip Force	342 lbs.	518 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	170	349
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	17 inches
HIC	214	365
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	41 G’s
Hip Force	712 lbs.	807 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Niro is 4.8% to 7% less likely to roll over than the Outlander Sport.

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 Niro the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 216 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander Sport was not even a “Top Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Niro’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Niro’s reliability 11 points higher than the Outlander Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 13th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 5 places higher in reliability than Mitsubishi.

Engine

The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 145) than the Outlander Sport ES/LE/SE’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 167) than the Outlander Sport GT’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Niro is faster than the Outlander Sport ES/LE/SE 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	Niro	Outlander Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	8.9 sec	10.1 sec
Quarter Mile	16.8 sec	17.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	83 MPH	78.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Niro
	FWD	LX 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/48 hwy
		LXS/EX 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	51 city/46 hwy
		Touring 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	46 city/40 hwy
Outlander Sport
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Niro’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Niro’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Niro higher (7 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (5). This means the Niro produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Outlander Sport every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Niro stops shorter than the Outlander Sport:

	Niro	Outlander Sport
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Niro Touring SE’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outlander Sport’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Niro 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.

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Niro is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Outlander Sport.

The Niro Touring SE handles at .82 G’s, while the Outlander Sport 4WD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Niro Touring SE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Outlander Sport SE 4WD (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Niro has 3.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander Sport (100.9 vs. 97.5).

The Niro has .7 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom and 1.1 inches more rear legroom than the Outlander Sport.

Cargo Capacity

The Niro has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Outlander Sport with its rear seat folded (54.5 vs. 49.5 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Niro and the Outlander Sport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Niro 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 Niro’s standard front power windows open with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Outlander Sport’s front passenger window doesn’t open automatically. The Niro EX Premium’s front power windows open fully with one touch of the switches, and its driver’s window also automatically closes.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro 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.

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

When the Niro with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Outlander Sport’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro EX Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Niro EX Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Niro’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Niro and the Outlander Sport offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro Touring SE/EX Premium has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Niro Touring SE/EX Premium has a standard Advanced Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Niro Touring SE/EX Premium has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.