Compare the2024 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2024 Acura RDX

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 Acura RDX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Outlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The RDX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 RDX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Outlander has a standard Rear Automatic Emergency Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The RDX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Outlander’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 RDX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Outlander and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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.

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 RDX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Mitsubishi’s powertrain warranty covers the Outlander 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Acura covers the RDX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the RDX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

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

There are over 21 percent more Mitsubishi dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Outlander’s warranty.

The RDX’s redline is at 7000 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Outlander has a 6000 RPM redline.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mitsubishi vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mitsubishi higher than Acura.

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 Acura 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, Acura is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Outlander gets better mileage than the RDX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Mitsubishi Outlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Outlander has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The RDX doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

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 RDX are solid, not vented.

The Outlander stops much shorter than the RDX:

The Outlander SEL AWC handles at .85 G’s, while the RDX A-Spec pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the RDX’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander ES has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RDX (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Outlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outlander SE/Black Edition/SEL’s minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the RDX (8.4 vs. 8.2 inches).

The Mitsubishi Outlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 400 pounds less than the Acura RDX.

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 RDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

The Outlander has 21.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the RDX (125.5 vs. 104).

The Outlander has 1 inch more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and 3.4 inches more rear hip room than the RDX.

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

The Outlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RDX’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 RDX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

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 RDX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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

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

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

The Mitsubishi Outlander outsold the Acura RDX by 25% during 2023.