Compare the2023 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sportage PHEV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige has standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Sportage PHEV’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Sportage PHEV has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Sportage PHEV 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, 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 and available around view monitors.

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 Sportage PHEV with standard seats is safer than the Outlander PHEV:

	Sportage PHEV	Outlander PHEV
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	24 mm	48 mm
Distance Below Top of Head	-24 mm	2 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	10.1 g’s	10.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	3	47
Max Neck Tension	383	488

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

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 available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage PHEV the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 177 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Outlander PHEV is not a “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

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 Sportage PHEV’s warranty.

Reliability

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

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.

Engine

The Sportage PHEV’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 40 more horsepower (261 vs. 221) than the Outlander PHEV’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Sportage PHEV can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 34 miles. The Outlander PHEV has to start its internal combustion engine after only 24 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Sportage PHEV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Outlander PHEV:

	Sportage PHEV	Outlander PHEV
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12 inches	11.9 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sportage PHEV has larger tires than the Outlander PHEV (235/55R19 vs. 225/55R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sportage PHEV has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Outlander PHEV.

Suspension and Handling

The Sportage PHEV has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Outlander PHEV’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Sportage PHEV has vehicle speed sensitive 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 PHEV doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage PHEV’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the Outlander PHEV (108.5 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage PHEV is 3 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander PHEV.

Chassis

The front grille of the Sportage 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 Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Sportage PHEV has .5 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and 1.5 inches more rear hip room than the Outlander PHEV.

Cargo Capacity

The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume than the Outlander PHEV with its rear seat up (34.5 vs. 30.4 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sportage PHEV’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The Sportage PHEV’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Outlander PHEV’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sportage PHEV uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Sportage PHEV and the Outlander PHEV have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sportage PHEV 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.

On a hot day the Sportage PHEV’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Outlander PHEV can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Outlander PHEV’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Sportage PHEV’s standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sportage PHEV has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Outlander PHEV only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Sportage PHEV’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Outlander PHEV’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Sportage PHEV has standard extendable sun visors. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer extendable visors.

When the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Outlander PHEV’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige 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.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is standard on the Sportage PHEV. The Sportage PHEV’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer a navigation system.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sportage PHEV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Outlander PHEV doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. 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.

Recommendations

The Kia Sportage outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander by almost three to one during 2022.