Compare the2025 Subaru CrosstrekVS 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
Servicing Ease
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 Crosstrek 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Crosstrek Limited/Wilderness has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Crosstrek. But it costs extra on the Outlander Sport.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Crosstrek’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Crosstrek offers available parking sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Crosstrek’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 Sport doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness has standard STARLINK Safety and Security, 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 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 Crosstrek and the Outlander Sport 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Outlander Sport:

	Crosstrek	Outlander Sport
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	1 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	26 cm	28 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	.3/.1 kN	3.43/.93 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.61/.29	.68/.36
Tibia forces R/L	1.9/.9 kN	1.9/1.9 kN

Warranty

The Crosstrek’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Outlander Sport’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Crosstrek’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Crosstrek’s reliability 49 points higher than the Outlander Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated lower.

Engine

The Crosstrek’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 4 more horsepower (152 vs. 148) than the Outlander Sport’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (182 vs. 168) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (178 vs. 167) than the Outlander Sport SEL’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

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

	Crosstrek	Outlander Sport
Zero to 60 MPH	9.1 sec	10.1 sec
Quarter Mile	17 sec	17.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84.8 MPH	78.4 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Crosstrek
	AWD	Sport/Limited 2.5 DOHC flat-4	27 city/33 hwy
		Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/29 hwy
		2.0 DOHC flat-4	27 city/34 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 Crosstrek’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.

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Subaru Crosstrek as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Crosstrek	Outlander Sport
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	11.6 inches

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

The Crosstrek stops much shorter than the Outlander Sport:

	Crosstrek	Outlander Sport
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	137 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Crosstrek has larger tires than the Outlander Sport (225/60R17 vs. 215/70R16).

The Crosstrek’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.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crosstrek has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Outlander Sport S.

Suspension and Handling

The Crosstrek Limited handles at .81 G’s, while the Outlander Sport SE pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Crosstrek Wilderness executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Outlander Sport SE (27.9 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Outlander Sport (8.7 vs. 8.5 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is .8 inch higher than on the Outlander Sport (9.3 vs. 8.5 inches).

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Crosstrek has liquid-filled engine mounts. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Outlander Sport uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Crosstrek 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 Sport doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Crosstrek has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander Sport (100.5 vs. 97.5).

The Crosstrek has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, 3 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, .2 inches more rear legroom and 3.6 inches more rear hip room than the Outlander Sport.

Cargo Capacity

The Crosstrek has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Outlander Sport with its rear seat folded (54.7 vs. 49.5 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Crosstrek has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Outlander Sport has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Outlander Sport. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Mitsubishi. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 2% lower rating, Mitsubishi is ranked 8th.

Ergonomics

The Crosstrek’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 Crosstrek and the Outlander Sport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek’s front power windows 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 Outlander Sport’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Outlander Sport’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Crosstrek’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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Crosstrek 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 help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Crosstrek has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Outlander Sport has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Crosstrek’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 Outlander Sport doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Crosstrek has a standard 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 Subaru Crosstrek offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Crosstrek as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport isn't recommended.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport by almost 11 to one during 2023.

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