Compare the2023 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2023 Subaru Forester

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

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 Forester doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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 Forester 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.

The Outlander has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Outlander has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Forester and isn't available on the not available.

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

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 Forester’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Mitsubishi’s powertrain warranty covers the Outlander 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Forester. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Forester ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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

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 Subaru 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, Subaru is rated below average.

The Outlander’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (181 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mitsubishi Outlander is faster than the Subaru Forester:

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

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 Forester doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

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

The Outlander stops much shorter than the Forester:

For better traction, the Outlander has larger standard tires than the Forester (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Outlander SE/SEL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (255/45R20 vs. 225/60R17).

The Outlander SE/SEL’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester Sport/Limited/Touring’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Outlander ES has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The Outlander SE/SEL’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Limited/Touring.

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 Forester doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outlander’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Forester (106.5 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Outlander is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The Outlander SEL AWC handles at .85 G’s, while the Forester Wilderness pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Outlander SEL AWC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Forester Touring (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

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

The Outlander has 13.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Forester (125.5 vs. 111.6).

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

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

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

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 Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Outlander SE/SEL’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Outlander ES’ standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Outlander SE/SEL’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

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 Forester 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 Forester doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Outlander has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mitsubishi Outlander SE/SEL has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Forester doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Subaru Forester, based on reliability, safety and performance.