Compare the2026 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2026 Kia Sportage

The Mitsubishi Outlander has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 Sportage doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Sportage doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Forward Collision Mitigation with Pedestrian Detection, the Mitsubishi Outlander is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Kia Sportage, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

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 Sportage’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. Kia charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning on the Sportage.

Both the Outlander and the Sportage have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mitsubishi Outlander is safer than the Sportage:

The Outlander’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Sportage’s (7/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

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). Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sportage.

The Outlander’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 178) than the Sportage’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

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

Regenerative brakes improve the Outlander’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Sportage doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

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 Sportage doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 Sportage doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

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 Sportage are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Outlander SE/SEL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sportage (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R17).

The Outlander ES/Trail’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 Sportage LX/X-Pro Prestige’s standard 65 series tires. The Outlander SE/SEL’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Sportage SX Prestige/X-Line’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Outlander ES/Trail has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sportage LX/X-Pro Prestige. The Outlander SE/SEL’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Sportage SX Prestige/X-Line.

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 Sportage doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Sportage’s (36.7 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander SE/SEL has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sportage (8.4 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Outlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

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

The Outlander has 23.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sportage (125.5 vs. 102).

The Outlander has 1 inch more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sportage.

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

The Outlander SEL offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sportage doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Outlander SE/SEL/Trail’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 Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro’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 Sportage’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Sportage 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 Sportage doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the Outlander and the Sportage 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 Sportage.

The Outlander has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Outlander third among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Sportage isn’t in the top three.