Compare the2024 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2023 Subaru Crosstrek

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mitsubishi Outlander 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 Subaru Crosstrek doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Mitsubishi Outlander 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Outlander 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Outlander SE/SEL has a standard Multi View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Crosstrek only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Outlander has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Crosstrek’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Outlander has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Crosstrek and its not available on the Base/Manual.

Both the Outlander and the Crosstrek have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

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 Outlander its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Crosstrek is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The Outlander comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Crosstrek’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Mitsubishi’s powertrain warranty covers the Outlander 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Crosstrek. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Crosstrek ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Outlander’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Crosstrek’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Mitsubishi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Outlander for 2 years and 30,000 miles. Mitsubishi will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Crosstrek.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi above average in long-term dependability. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

Engine

The Outlander’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 29 more horsepower (181 vs. 152) and 36 lbs.-ft. more torque (181 vs. 145) than the Crosstrek’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Outlander’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (181 vs. 176) than the Crosstrek Sport/Limited’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mitsubishi Outlander is faster than the Subaru Crosstrek 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder (automatics tested):

	Outlander	Crosstrek
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84.8 MPH	80.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Outlander has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The Mitsubishi Outlander comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Crosstrek.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Outlander	Crosstrek
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	10.8 inches

The Outlander’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Crosstrek are solid, not vented.

The Outlander stops much shorter than the Crosstrek:

	Outlander	Crosstrek
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Outlander has larger standard tires than the Crosstrek (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Outlander SE/Black Edition/SEL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Crosstrek (255/45R20 vs. 225/60R17).

The Outlander SE/Black Edition/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 Crosstrek Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Outlander ES has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Crosstrek. The Outlander SE/Black Edition/SEL’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Crosstrek Limited.

The Outlander 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outlander’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Crosstrek (106.5 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Outlander is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Crosstrek.

The Outlander SEL AWC handles at .85 G’s, while the Crosstrek Limited pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Outlander SEL AWC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Crosstrek Limited (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Outlander has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Crosstrek can only carry 5.

The Outlander has 24.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Crosstrek (125.5 vs. 100.9).

The Outlander has .8 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Crosstrek.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Outlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Crosstrek’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Outlander	Crosstrek
Third Seat Folded	33.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	20.8 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	79.7 cubic feet	55.3 cubic feet

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Outlander’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Outlander SE/Black Edition/SEL’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

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

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Outlander uses the Active 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Outlander SEL, 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Outlander SEL’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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Outlander 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Outlander’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Crosstrek has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Outlander 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 Crosstrek’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Outlander ES’ 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 Crosstrek’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Outlander SE/Black Edition/SEL’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

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

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 S-AWC has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Outlander has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Crosstrek has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/Sport/Limited.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Outlander to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Outlander SEL 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 Crosstrek’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Outlander and the Crosstrek offer available heated front seats. The Outlander SEL also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Crosstrek.

On extremely cold winter days, the Outlander SEL’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Outlander’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Outlander and the Crosstrek offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Outlander has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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

Model Availability

The Outlander is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

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

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