Compare the2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVVS 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 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 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Outlander PHEV 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Outlander PHEV and the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outlander PHEV the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 55 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has not been fully tested, yet.

The Outlander PHEV’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (332 vs. 258) than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:

The Outlander PHEV can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 38 miles. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has to start its internal combustion engine after only 31 miles.

The Outlander PHEV has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (14.8 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Outlander PHEV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:

The Outlander PHEV stops shorter than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid:

For better traction, the Outlander PHEV SE/SEL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (255/45R20 vs. 235/55R19).

The Outlander PHEV 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Outlander PHEV SE/SEL has standard 20-inch wheels. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Outlander PHEV 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Outlander PHEV SEL Premium handles at .85 G’s, while the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander PHEV’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Outlander PHEV is 3 inches shorter than the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid, making the Outlander PHEV easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Outlander PHEV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Outlander PHEV has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid can only carry 5.

The Outlander PHEV offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited, the Outlander PHEV has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Outlander PHEV 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Outlander PHEV 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Outlander PHEV’s 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 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 PHEV has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Outlander PHEV SEL offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid.