Compare the2023 Mitsubishi Outlander SportVS 2023 Hyundai Kona

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 Kona 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 Kona doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Outlander Sport and the Kona have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 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, results indicate that the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is safer than the Hyundai Kona:

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

The Outlander Sport’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 1 more horsepower (148 vs. 147) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (145 vs. 132) than the Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The Outlander Sport has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Kona (15.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

The Outlander Sport stops much shorter than the Kona:

For better traction, the Outlander Sport has larger standard tires than the Kona (215/70R16 vs. 205/60R16).

For superior ride and handling, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Kona 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Outlander Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Outlander Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The Kona 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outlander Sport’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the Kona (105.1 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander Sport has a 1.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Kona (8.5 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Outlander Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Outlander Sport has 3.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Kona (97.5 vs. 94.1).

The Outlander Sport has .1 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Kona.

The Outlander Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Kona with its rear seat up (21.7 vs. 19.2 cubic feet). The Outlander Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Kona with its rear seat folded (49.5 vs. 45.8 cubic feet).

The Outlander Sport’s driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Kona’s standard driver’s power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

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

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

Consumer Reports rated the Outlander Sport’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Kona’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Outlander Sport’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Kona SE doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

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 Kona is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outlander Sport is less expensive to operate than the Kona because it costs $9 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Outlander Sport than the Kona, including $178 less for a muffler.