Compare the2023 GMC AcadiaVS 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander

The Acadia Denali’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Outlander doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the GMC Acadia are height-adjustable, and the middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Mitsubishi Outlander doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

Both the Acadia and the Outlander have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

There are over 5 times as many GMC dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Acadia’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Acadia third 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 GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 64 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated below average.

The Acadia’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (228 vs. 181) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 181) than the Outlander’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 129 more horsepower (310 vs. 181) and 90 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 181) than the Outlander’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Acadia’s fuel efficiency. The Outlander doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Acadia 2.0 Turbo’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Outlander doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Acadia’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Outlander doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Acadia FWD’s standard fuel tank has 4.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Outlander (19.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Acadia AWD’s standard fuel tank has 7.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Outlander (21.7 vs. 14.5 gallons).

The GMC Acadia’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Mitsubishi Outlander only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Acadia 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 Acadia offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Outlander’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Acadia has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Outlander doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Acadia’s wheelbase is 6 inches longer than on the Outlander (112.5 inches vs. 106.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Acadia is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander.

The Acadia SLT AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Outlander SEL AWC (26.9 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

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

The Acadia uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Outlander doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Acadia has 18.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander (143.8 vs. 125.5).

The Acadia has 1.7 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.7 inches more third row headroom, 11 inches more third row legroom, .8 inches more third row hip room and 3.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Outlander.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Mitsubishi Outlander is limited to 2000 pounds. The Acadia offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Acadia 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 Acadia and the Outlander have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Acadia 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 Acadia’s front power windows lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Outlander’s standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Acadia’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Outlander doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mitsubishi Connect can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Acadia’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.

The Acadia’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 Acadia SLT/AT4/Denali’s standard rear view mirror and optional side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Outlander offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Acadia (except SLE) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Outlander doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Acadia offers an optional 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 Acadia owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Acadia will cost $675 to $6255 less than the Outlander over a five-year period.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the GMC Acadia and the Mitsubishi Outlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The GMC Acadia outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander by 24% during 2022.