Compare the2024 Chevrolet TraxVS 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
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 Trax are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Trax has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, 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 Sport doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

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

Warranty

There are almost 9 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trax’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Trax has a standard 760-amp battery. The Outlander Sport’s 530-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mitsubishi is rated lower.

Engine

The Trax’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder produces 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (162 vs. 145) than the Outlander Sport’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Trax is faster than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	Trax	Outlander Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	8.5 sec	10.1 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	82.7 MPH	78.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Trax gets better mileage than the Outlander Sport:

			MPG
Trax
	FWD	1.2 turbo 3-cyl.	28 city/32 hwy
Outlander Sport
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Trax’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 Sport doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Trax 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 Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Trax higher (7 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (5). This means the Trax produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Outlander Sport every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Trax	Outlander Sport
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11.6 inches

The Trax stops shorter than the Outlander Sport:

	Trax	Outlander Sport
70 to 0 MPH	180 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Trax has larger standard tires than the Outlander Sport (225/60R17 vs. 215/70R16). The Trax RS’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Outlander Sport (245/45R19 vs. 225/55R18).

The Trax’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Outlander Sport S’ standard 70 series tires. The Trax RS’ optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Outlander Sport ES/LE/SE/SEL’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Trax has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Outlander Sport S. The Trax RS’ optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Outlander Sport ES/LE/SE/SEL.

The Trax 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 Outlander Sport doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Trax’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Outlander Sport (106.3 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Trax is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than on the Outlander Sport.

The Trax ACTIV handles at .84 G’s, while the Outlander Sport SE pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Trax ACTIV executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Outlander Sport SE (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

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

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

Passenger Space

The Trax has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander Sport (99.8 vs. 97.5).

The Trax has .2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 2.4 inches more rear legroom than the Outlander Sport.

Cargo Capacity

The Trax has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Outlander Sport with its rear seat up (25.6 vs. 21.7 cubic feet). The Trax has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Outlander Sport with its rear seat folded (54.1 vs. 49.5 cubic feet).

Towing

The Trax can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Trax can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Outlander Sport can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Trax’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Outlander Sport does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Trax’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Outlander Sport 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 power windows standard on both the Trax and the Outlander Sport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Trax is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Outlander Sport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Trax’s front and rear power windows all 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 Sport’s 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 Trax’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Outlander Sport’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Trax’s standard doors lock when the transmission is engaged. 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. (The power lock’s automatic feature may have to be activated by your dealer.)

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

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

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

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Trax offers an optional Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Trax (except RS) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

The Trax was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024. The Outlander Sport has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Chevrolet Trax outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport by over seven to one during 2023.

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