Compare the2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SportVS 2021 Hyundai Tucson

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

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

Both the Outlander Sport and the Tucson have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, 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 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 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

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

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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 8th.

The Outlander Sport GT’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 7 more horsepower (168 vs. 161) and 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (167 vs. 150) than the Tucson’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder is faster than the Hyundai Tucson 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

The Outlander Sport 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 Tucson doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Outlander Sport stops shorter than the Tucson:

For greater off-road capability the Outlander Sport has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tucson (8.5 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the Outlander Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Outlander Sport is 4.5 inches shorter than the Tucson, making the Outlander Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Outlander Sport’s driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Tucson’s standard driver’s power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

The Outlander Sport’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Tucson’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Outlander Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Tucson Value/SEL/Sport/Limited/Ultimate.

Insurance will cost less for the Outlander Sport owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Outlander Sport with a number “1” insurance rate while the Tucson is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outlander Sport is less expensive to operate than the Tucson because it costs $182 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Outlander Sport than the Tucson, including $128 less for a muffler.