Compare the2023 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander

Both the Telluride and Outlander have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Telluride 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’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 Telluride and the Outlander have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Telluride its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander has not been fully tested, yet.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Telluride’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Outlander isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 28th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 38 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 14th.

The Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 110 more horsepower (291 vs. 181) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 181) than the Outlander’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Telluride is faster than the Mitsubishi Outlander:

The Telluride has 4.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Outlander (18.8 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Outlander:

For better traction, the Telluride has larger tires than the Outlander (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R18).

The Telluride has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Outlander; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Telluride has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Outlander doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Telluride’s wheelbase is 7.7 inches longer than on the Outlander (114.2 inches vs. 106.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Telluride is 4.5 inches wider in the front and 4.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander.

The Telluride’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.7% to 44.3%) than the Outlander’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Telluride more stable handling and braking.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Telluride has standard flush composite headlights. The Outlander has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The Telluride has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Outlander can only carry 7.

The Telluride has 29.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander (155 vs. 125.5).

The Telluride has .3 inches more front headroom, 4.9 inches more front hip room, 3.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom, 4.7 inches more rear hip room, 5.3 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.6 inches more third row headroom, 12.7 inches more third row legroom, 1.6 inches more third row hip room and 4.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Outlander.

The Telluride’s cargo area provides more volume than the Outlander.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Telluride. The Outlander doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Telluride’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outlander’s (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

The Telluride uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Outlander 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 Telluride and the Outlander have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Telluride is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Outlander prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Telluride’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 Outlander’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Telluride’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’s power window, power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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

The Telluride’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mitsubishi only offers heated mirrors on the Outlander SE/SEL.

The Telluride EX/SX has standard front air conditioned seats and the Telluride SX Prestige also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Outlander doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Telluride SX Pro/SX Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Outlander doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Telluride owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Telluride will cost $470 to $6050 less than the Outlander over a five-year period.

The Telluride will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Telluride will retain 54.84% to 55.57% of its original price after five years, while the Outlander only retains 45.74% to 48.71%.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Kia Telluride as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Telluride second among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Outlander isn’t in the top three.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The Outlander has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Telluride as the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Outlander has never been chosen.

The Kia Telluride outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander by over two to one during 2022.