Compare the2022 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2022 Audi Q3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

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 Outlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Outlander has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Q3 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Outlander has standard Rear Automatic Emergency Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Q3 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Outlander’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 Q3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Outlander and the Q3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outlander its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q3 was last a “Top Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

The Outlander comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q3’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Mitsubishi’s powertrain warranty covers the Outlander 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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 Outlander’s reliability 20 points higher than the Q3.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 96 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi 13th in reliability, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Outlander gets better mileage than the Q3:

			MPG
Outlander
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy
Q3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Mitsubishi Outlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Outlander has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The Outlander has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Q3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Outlander’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Q3:

	Outlander	Q3
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches
Opt Rear Rotors		12.2 inches

The Outlander stops much shorter than the Q3:

	Outlander	Q3
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Outlander has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q3 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Outlander is .5 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Q3.

The Outlander SEL AWC handles at .87 G’s, while the Q3 40 TFSI Premium Plus pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Outlander SEL AWC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Q3 40 TFSI Premium Plus (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Outlander’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Q3’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander ES has a 2.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q3 (8.3 vs. 5.5 inches), allowing the Outlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outlander SE/SEL’s minimum ground clearance is 2.9 inches higher than on the Q3 (8.4 vs. 5.5 inches).

Chassis

The Mitsubishi Outlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 300 pounds less than the Audi Q3.

The front grille of the Outlander uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Outlander has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Q3 can only carry 5.

The Outlander has 41.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (125.5 vs. 84).

The Outlander has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q3.

Cargo Capacity

The Outlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q3.

	Outlander	Q3
Third Seat Folded	33.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	23.7 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	79.7 cubic feet	48 cubic feet

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Outlander’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Q3 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Outlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q3’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Outlander uses the Active Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Outlander offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Outlander’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Q3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Outlander SEL offers an optional 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 Q3 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Outlander’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Q3’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Outlander has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Outlander’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Q3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Outlander S-AWC has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Q3 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Outlander to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Q3 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Outlander SEL 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 Q3’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Outlander and the Q3 offer available heated front seats. The Outlander SEL also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q3.

On extremely cold winter days, the Outlander SEL’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Q3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Model Availability

The Outlander is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q3 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The Mitsubishi Outlander outsold the Audi Q3 by 7% during 2020.