Mitsubishi Outlander vs. Honda CR-V

The Mitsubishi Outlander and Honda CR-V are two top-rated compact SUVs. Both offer roomy cabins, lots of standard and available tech features, and efficient powertrains. Mitsubishi completely redesigned the Outlander for 2022, and it has a new exterior look, upgraded features in the cabin, and comes standard with a third-row seat. The CR-V carries over from 2021 with just a few updates. Take a look at a comparison between the Mitsubishi Outlander and the CR-V to see why the Outlander comes out on top.

The Cabin Space

SUVs are all about hauling people and cargo, and when you need space, the Mitsubishi Outlander has more than the CR-V. Not only is the cabin more spacious, it has three rows of seats and room for up to seven people. The CR-V has two rows and room for five. If you need extra cargo room in the Outlander,  you can easily fold down both back rows to open up the cargo area to 78.3 cubic feet, or you can just fold down the third row and use the 33.5 cubic feet of storage space.

The CR-V has 39.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 75.8 cubic feet of cargo space if you fold down the rear seats.

The Trim Options

if you’re looking for options, the Outlander offers more trim levels. You have six to choose from with the Mitsubishi, while the CR-V only comes in five trims. The entry-level Outlander comes well-equipped with standard features such as LED headlights, push-button ignition, and 18-inch wheels. Just a step up from the base to the SE gets you a hands-free liftgate, heated front seats, simulated leather upholstery, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat. The higher-end Outlander trims also have extra such as driver’s seat memory settings, leather upholstery, and heated rear seats.

Choosing the Outlander SEL with the Touring Package gets you upgraded leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, and a convenient rear sunshade.

The base CR-V is the LX. It has automatic climate control and 17-inch wheels. The mid-level EX comes with heated front seats, tinted rear windows, a sunroof, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and dual-zone automatic climate control, but you have to move up a couple of trims to the higher-end EX-L to get a power liftgate, dual-zone automatic climate control, and leather upholstery. It takes another step up to the top-level Touring model for LED headlights, and this trim also has roof rails and comes standard with all-wheel drive.

The Power

Power for the 2022 Outlander comes from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine that puts out 181 horsepower and generates 181 pound-feet of torque. This SUV can tow up to 2,000 pounds when equipped. The CR-V also has a four-cylinder engine. It gets 190 horsepower but only delivers 179 pound-feet of torque. When equipped with the available tow package, the CR-V can pull up to 1,500, which is significantly less than the Outlander.

Most of the Outlander trims come with front-wheel drive, with Mitsubishi’s Super-All Wheel Control system available as an option. The SEL Launch Edition is the only model to come standard with the all-wheel-drive system, and all trims use a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Most CR-V trims also come standard with front-wheel drive and offer all-wheel drive as an option. The top-level Touring is the only model to come standard with all-wheel drive.

The Technology

The Outlander gives you plenty of technology, even at the base level. The entry-level ES has an 8-inch touch screen, a wireless version of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-speaker stereo system. The SE trim is a step up from the base, but it upgrades to a 9-inch touch screen and adds wireless charging, integrated navigation, and USB ports for the rear seat passengers. With the 2022 Outlander, the driver gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in the SEL trim and up, and there’s a 10-speaker Bose stereo system available with the Touring Package for the SEL trim.

The CR-V offers a variety of technology, but it can’t meet the Outlander’s tech features. The base has a four-speaker stereo system, but you have to step up to the Special Edition trim to get a 7-inch touch screen, satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. If you want wireless charging, you have to bump up to the Touring trim with the CR-V, and this high-end trim also comes with navigation.

Safety Features

Both the  2022 Outlander and the 2022 CR-V come with an extensive list of standard safety systems. With either SUV, you’ll get forward collision warning and automatic braking. The Outlander takes it a step further by making a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert standard, and even the base trim has rear parking sensors and a driver attention warning system.

Just a step up to the Outlander SE gets you a 360-degree surround-view camera system, front parking sensors, and the Mi-PIlot Assist system. This is a partially automated driving system. It uses adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist to help keep the SUV a set distance from the car in front and within the driving lane. The Outlander also adds a head-up display to the SEL with the Touring Package.

The CR-V makes automatic high beam headlights standard for all trims as part of the Honda Sensing suite, and this group of standard safety systems also has adaptive cruise control. You have to move up to the mid-level EX trim to get the blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert. The CR-V does not have an automated driving system.

In a side-by-side comparison of the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Honda CR-V, the Mitsubishi comes out on top. Both offer capable engines and lots of tech and safety features, but you’ll get more with the entry-level Mitsubishi than with the entry-level Honda. Stop by Performance Mitsubishi to find out more about this SUV and take it out for a test drive. You can see all its features and experience the power and performance for yourself.

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