Compare the2022 Kia Niro Plug-In HybridVS 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

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 Plug-In Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’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.

Compared to metal, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has a metal gas tank.

Both the Niro Plug-In Hybrid 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available rear parking sensors.

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 Niro Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Outlander PHEV:

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

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 Plug-In Hybrid the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 216 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander PHEV was not even a “Top Pick” for 2016.

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 Plug-In Hybrid’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’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 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.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Outlander PHEV running on electricity (110 city/99 hwy vs. 77 city/71 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Niro Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Outlander PHEV running its gasoline engine (48 city/44 hwy vs. 26 city/26 hwy).

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s maximum driving range in pure electric mode is 26 miles, 8% further than the Outlander PHEV’s 24-mile range.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Outlander PHEV’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

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

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander PHEV.

For better maneuverability, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Outlander PHEV’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.6 feet).

The Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 850 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid is 1 foot, 1.3 inches shorter than the Outlander PHEV, making the Niro Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid has .8 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room and .8 inches more rear headroom than the Outlander PHEV.

When two different drivers share the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro Plug-In Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Outlander PHEV 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 Plug-In Hybrid has standard extendable sun visors. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer extendable visors.

When the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium 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 PHEV’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is standard on the Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX Premium. The Niro Plug-In Hybrid’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 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid EX/EX Premium has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.