Compare the2023 Toyota Highlander HybridVS 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander Hybrid have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Highlander 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 Highlander Hybrid has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Highlander Hybrid has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum has standard Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Highlander 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 Highlander 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.

The Highlander Hybrid has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Highlander Hybrid and the Outlander PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Highlander Hybrid is safer than the Outlander PHEV:

	Highlander Hybrid	Outlander PHEV
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	14 mm	48 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	47
Max Neck Tension	156	488

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

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 Highlander Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 106 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander PHEV is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The Highlander Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Outlander PHEV’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander Hybrid for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mitsubishi doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outlander PHEV.

There are almost 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Highlander 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’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mitsubishi is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Mitsubishi is ranked 20th.

Engine

The Highlander Hybrid’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 22 more horsepower (243 vs. 221) than the Outlander PHEV’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is faster than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV:

	Highlander Hybrid	Outlander PHEV
Zero to 60 MPH	8.4 sec	8.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.3 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85.6 MPH	83.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander Hybrid gets better mileage than the Outlander PHEV running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
Highlander Hybrid
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/35 hwy
		2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy
Outlander PHEV
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/26 hwy

The Highlander Hybrid has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Outlander PHEV (17.1 vs. 11.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Highlander Hybrid	Outlander PHEV
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.3 inches	11.9 inches

The Highlander Hybrid’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Outlander PHEV are solid, not vented.

The Highlander Hybrid stops shorter than the Outlander PHEV:

	Highlander Hybrid	Outlander PHEV
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Highlander Hybrid has larger tires than the Outlander PHEV (235/65R18 vs. 225/55R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum has standard 20-inch wheels. The Outlander PHEV’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Highlander Hybrid has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Outlander PHEV; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Highlander Hybrid’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the Outlander PHEV (112.2 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander Hybrid is 4.7 inches wider in the front and 4.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander PHEV.

The Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD handles at .78 G’s, while the Outlander PHEV GT pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Highlander Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Outlander PHEV (8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Highlander Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Highlander Hybrid has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Outlander PHEV can only carry 5.

The Highlander Hybrid has 39.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander PHEV (141.3 vs. 102.1).

The Highlander Hybrid has .6 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 4.6 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 5.1 inches more rear hip room and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Outlander PHEV.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the Outlander PHEV.

	Highlander Hybrid	Outlander PHEV
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	30.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	66.6 cubic feet

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Highlander Hybrid. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Highlander Hybrid Bronze/Limited/Platinum’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The Highlander Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outlander PHEV’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander Hybrid uses the Enhanced Vehicle 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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Highlander Hybrid Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning 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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Highlander Hybrid and the Outlander PHEV have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Highlander 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.

If the windows are left open on the Highlander Hybrid the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Outlander PHEV can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Outlander PHEV’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Highlander Hybrid’s standard doors lock when the transmission is engaged. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights. (The power lock’s automatic feature may have to be activated by your dealer.)

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

The Highlander Hybrid’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Outlander PHEV’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Highlander Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Outlander PHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Highlander Hybrid Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

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

When the Highlander Hybrid Bronze/Limited/Platinum 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.

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

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum 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 available on the Highlander Hybrid. The Highlander 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 Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE/Bronze/Limited/Platinum has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Highlander Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander by almost five to one during the 2022 model year.

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