Compare the2023 Mitsubishi Outlander SportVS 2023 GMC Terrain

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 Terrain 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 Terrain doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Outlander Sport and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 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 GMC Terrain:

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

The Outlander Sport comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Terrain’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

The Outlander Sport’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Terrain’s (7/100,000 vs. 6/100,000).

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 GMC 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, GMC is rated lower.

The Outlander Sport has almost a gallon more fuel capacity than the Terrain FWD’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 14.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Terrain doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Outlander Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Outlander Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander Sport’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Terrain w/17” wheels’ (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Outlander Sport’s turning circle is 6.8 feet tighter than the Terrain w/19” wheels’ (34.8 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander Sport has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Terrain SLE (8.5 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Outlander Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outlander Sport’s minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali (8.5 vs. 7.9 inches).

The Outlander Sport is 10.4 inches shorter than the Terrain, making the Outlander Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Outlander Sport has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Terrain doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 Terrain’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Terrain 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 Terrain because it costs $491 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Outlander Sport than the Terrain, including $590 less for a muffler, $152 less for front brake pads, $114 less for fuel injection, $46 less for a fuel pump and $301 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport will be $2293 to $17032 less than for the GMC Terrain.