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 Rogue Sport 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 Rogue Sport doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
Both the Outlander Sport and the Rogue Sport 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, daytime running lights, 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 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is safer than the Nissan Rogue Sport:
|
Outlander Sport |
Rogue Sport |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
208 |
399 |
Neck Injury Risk |
29% |
33.7% |
Neck Compression |
90 lbs. |
106 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
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 Nissan Rogue Sport:
|
Outlander Sport |
Rogue Sport |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Chest Movement |
.4 inches |
.9 inches |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
41 G’s |
45 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its top level performance in the IIHS moderate overlap frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, roof-crush crash tests, an “Acceptable” rating in the newer small overlap frontal crash test, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outlander Sport its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2015, a rating granted to only 214 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Rogue Sport has not been fully tested, yet.