Compare the2023 Mitsubishi Outlander SportVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

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 Taos 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 Taos doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Outlander Sport’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Taos.

Both the Outlander Sport and the Taos 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

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 Outlander Sport with standard seats is safer than the Taos:

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its top level performance in the IIHS moderate overlap frontal impact, side impact, rear impact, roof-crush crash tests, an “Acceptable” rating in the newer small overlap frontal crash test, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outlander Sport its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2015, a rating granted to only 227 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2015.

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 Taos’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Mitsubishi’s powertrain warranty covers the Outlander Sport 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Taos. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Taos ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Outlander Sport’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Taos’ camshafts. If the Taos’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 Sport’s reliability 13 points higher than the Taos.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. With 4 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mitsubishi higher than Volkswagen.

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 Volkswagen 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, Volkswagen is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mitsubishi vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mitsubishi 4 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Outlander Sport GT’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 10 more horsepower (168 vs. 158) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Outlander Sport has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Outlander Sport has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos AWD’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 14.5 gallons).

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 Taos doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Outlander Sport stops shorter than the Taos:

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 Taos 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 Taos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander Sport’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the Taos’ (34.8 feet vs. 37.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Taos (8.5 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Outlander Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Outlander Sport is 3.9 inches shorter than the Taos, making the Outlander Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Outlander Sport has 1.5 inches more front legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Taos.

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

The Outlander Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Volkswagen charges extra for heated mirrors on the Taos.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport outsold the Volkswagen Taos by 8% during 2021.