Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and Outlander PHEV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Outlander PHEV’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Outlander PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander PHEV has not been tested, yet.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Outlander PHEV runs out after 100,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mitsubishi doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Outlander PHEV.

There are almost 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. With 41 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Mitsubishi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 14th.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 13 more horsepower (261 vs. 248) than the Outlander PHEV’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Outlander PHEV running its gasoline engine (33 city/32 hwy vs. 25 city/27 hwy).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outlander PHEV’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Outlander PHEV.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Outlander PHEV (108.9 inches vs. 106.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander PHEV.

The Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 200 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has standard flush composite headlights. The Outlander PHEV has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has .6 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front legroom, 3.6 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 3 inches more rear hip room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Outlander PHEV.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Outlander PHEV with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 11.7 cubic feet). The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Outlander PHEV with its rear seat folded (72.1 vs. 64.7 cubic feet).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Outlander PHEV’s in almost every dimension:

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outlander PHEV’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Outlander PHEV uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The power windows standard on both the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid and the Outlander PHEV have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Outlander PHEV prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s front power windows 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 Outlander PHEV’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Outlander PHEV’s power window, power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mitsubishi only offers heated mirrors on the Outlander PHEV SE/SEL.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

A built-in pollen filter removes pollen, exhaust fumes and other pollutants from the Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid’s passenger compartment. This helps prevent lung and/or sinus irritation which can trigger allergies or asthma. The Outlander PHEV’s air conditioner doesn’t offer a filtration system.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Outlander PHEV SE/SEL offers wireless charging.

The Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Limited’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander by almost three to one during 2022.