Compare the2023 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mitsubishi Outlander 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 Alfa Romeo Stelvio 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 Outlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Stelvio 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 Stelvio doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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

The Outlander SE/SEL has a standard Multi View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Stelvio only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Outlander and the Stelvio have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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 and available all wheel drive.

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 Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Stelvio has not been tested, yet.

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 Stelvio’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 Alfa Romeo covers the Stelvio. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Stelvio ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Outlander’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Stelvio’s (7 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Mitsubishi dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Outlander’s warranty.

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 40 points higher than the Stelvio.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi above average in long-term dependability. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Alfa Romeo is rated below average.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Mitsubishi Outlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Stelvio 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 Stelvio doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mitsubishi Outlander higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio (5). This means the Outlander produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Stelvio every 15,000 miles.

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The Outlander stops much shorter than the Stelvio:

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Outlander SEL AWC handles at .85 G’s, while the Stelvio Sprint AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Stelvio’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander ES has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Stelvio (8.3 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Outlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outlander SE/SEL’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the Stelvio (8.4 vs. 8.1 inches).

The Mitsubishi Outlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

The Outlander has 27.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Stelvio (125.5 vs. 97.6).

The Outlander has .4 inches more front headroom, 5.1 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom and 8 inches more rear legroom than the Stelvio.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Outlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Stelvio’s rear seats don’t recline.

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

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Outlander’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Stelvio’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Outlander to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Stelvio 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 Stelvio’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mitsubishi Outlander will be $4159 to $11240 less than for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Mitsubishi Outlander, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio isn't recommended.

The Mitsubishi Outlander outsold the Alfa Romeo Stelvio by almost six to one during 2022.