2025 Mitsubishi Outlander

Is the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander a Good SUV?

"The Outlander distinguishes itself with head-turning style and a standard third-row seat, but this Nissan Rogue-based crossover lacks that model's newer turbocharged three-cylinder engine, making do with a non-turbo four that gets worse fuel economy. If you really need that third-row seat, there's something to be said for the Outlander, but otherwise we'd advise moving on."—Ranked #15 out of 15 Compact SUVs

"Three rows on a budget is the name of the Outlander's game. You actually can't get three rows in the Outlander's Nissan platform-mate, the Rogue, which is partly why the Outlander continues to enjoy a loyal following. There aren't really any other ways in which this Mitsubishi stands out, but three-row seating for cheap? Yeah, it's got that."—Ranked #3 out of 3 Compact 3-Row SUVs

Which 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Should I Buy?

MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.

1. 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander 2.5 Front-Wheel Drive

• Base Price: $29,645
• MPG Combined: 27
• Drive Type: Front-wheel drive
• Engine: 2.5-liter inline-4
• Aspiration: Naturally aspirated
• Transmission: CVT
• Horsepower: 181 
• Torque: 181 lb⁠-⁠ft
• Weight: 3,593 lbs
• Length: 185.8 in
• Towing Capacity: 2,000 lbs

Equipped with a third seating row as standard, the base front-drive Outlander goes big on value for the whole family. However, both acceleration and fuel economy are underwhelming — the Outlander's Nissan Rogue platform-mate reserves its more fuel-efficient turbocharged engine for itself — and although Mitsubishi calls the transmission an "8-speed CVT," you can forget about the "8-speed" part. It's a CVT.

2. 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander 2.5 S-AWC (All-Wheel Drive)

• Base Price: $31,445
• MPG Combined: 26
• Drive Type: All-wheel drive
• Engine: 2.5-liter inline-4
• Aspiration: Naturally aspirated
• Transmission: CVT
• Horsepower: 181 
• Torque: 181 lb⁠-⁠ft
• 0-60: 8.2 sec
• Weight: 3,803 lbs
• Length: 185.8 in
• Towing Capacity: 2,000 lbs

We'd advise against Mitsubishi's S-AWC all-wheel-drive system unless you live in a very slippery place. Why? Its added weight doesn't help the Outlander's acceleration, and help is definitely needed. Car and Driver only managed to spur the Outlander S-AWC to 86 mph by the quarter-mile mark. That's pretty slow, folks.

3. 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

• Base Price: $40,445
• MPG Combined: 26
• EV Range: 38 mi
• Drive Type: All-wheel drive
• Engine: 2.4-liter inline-4
• Aspiration: Naturally aspirated
• Transmission: CVT
• Horsepower: 248 
• Torque: 332 lb⁠-⁠ft
• 0-60: 6.6 sec
• Weight: 4,607 lbs
• Length: 185.4 in
• Towing Capacity: 2,000 lbs

The headline news for the Outlander PHEV is 38 miles of electric range, which is enough to electrify your around-town driving and keep you away from the gas station for weeks at a time. Also, the 0-60 sprint is much quicker here than in the non-hybrid Outlander, so it probably won't matter for most folks that the Outlander PHEV is nearly 900 pounds heavier than the regular one. And yes, you bet it comes standard with three rows of seats, just like the regular Outlander. The more you contemplate the Outlander PHEV, the more competitive you realize it is.