Compare the2024 Mitsubishi Outlander SportVS 2023 Subaru Impreza

Both the Outlander Sport and the Impreza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is safer than the Subaru Impreza:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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

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

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

Mitsubishi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Outlander Sport 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 Impreza.

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.

The Outlander Sport SEL’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 16 more horsepower (168 vs. 152) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (167 vs. 145) than the Impreza’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The Outlander Sport has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Impreza (15.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

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

The Outlander Sport stops shorter than the Impreza:

For better traction, the Outlander Sport has larger standard tires than the Impreza (215/70R16 vs. 205/55R16).

The Outlander Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Outlander Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The Impreza base model’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Outlander Sport 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 Impreza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander Sport’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Impreza’s (34.8 feet vs. 35.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander Sport has a 3.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Impreza (8.5 vs. 5.1 inches), allowing the Outlander Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Outlander Sport is 4.3 inches shorter than the Impreza 5-door, making the Outlander Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Outlander Sport has a larger cargo volume than the Impreza 5-door with its rear seat up (21.7 vs. 20.8 cubic feet).

The Outlander Sport’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Impreza’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

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

The Outlander Sport has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Impreza has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/Sport/Limited.

The Outlander Sport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Impreza Premium/Sport/Limited.

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outlander Sport is less expensive to operate than the Impreza because it costs $218 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Outlander Sport than the Impreza, including $1 less for front brake pads, $39 less for a starter, $99 less for front struts and $50 less for a timing belt/chain.