Compare the2026 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2025 Subaru Forester

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 Forester doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Forester doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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 Forester’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. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and it’s not available on the Base.

Both the Outlander and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems 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 Forester’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

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

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). Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forester.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Outlander has a standard 720-amp battery. The Forester’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The Outlander’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 178) than the Forester’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Outlander’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 30 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 176) than the Forester Wilderness’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

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

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

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

For better traction, the Outlander has larger standard tires than the Forester (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Outlander SE/SEL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (255/45R20 vs. 235/50R19).

The Outlander SE/SEL’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester Sport/Touring’s 50 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 Forester. The Outlander SE/SEL’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Touring.

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 Forester doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outlander’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Forester (106.5 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Outlander is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

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

The Outlander has 14.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Forester (125.5 vs. 110.8).

The Outlander has .2 inches more front shoulder room and .5 inches more rear legroom than the Forester.

The Outlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

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 Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Outlander has standard Pushbutton Start that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring offers a Keyless Access and Start.

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 Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Outlander SE/SEL/Trail’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

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 Forester doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Both the Mitsubishi Outlander and Subaru Forester offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Outlander offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Forester’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

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

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 Forester isn’t in the top three.