2026 Mitsubishi Outlander

The Mitsubishi Outlander has the distinction of having the lowest starting price of any 3-row SUV in America. For families who can benefit from the extra seating and want a new vehicle with a good warranty that won’t break the bank, the Outlander is a must-test-drive. It gets a new mild hybrid engine for 2026, and a new trim lineup includes the return of the sporty Ralliart trim. Meanwhile, standard tech features include wireless smartphone connectivity and a Yamaha audio system. That’s bang-for-the-buck that’s hard to beat in this class.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize SUVs, including the Mitsubishi Outlander.

The 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander gets a new turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with Mitsubishi’s first mild hybrid system. It has a little less horsepower and a little more torque than the outgoing engine, which was bigger but not turbocharged. The 2026 model also introduces the LE, Ralliart, and Black Edition trims and discontinues the Platinum Edition.

The Mitsubishi Outlander is America’s most affordable new vehicle with 3-row seating. Other examples on the more affordable side of 3-row SUVs include the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe.

Before buying an Outlander, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Mitsubishi Outlander resale value is at the bottom of its segment. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander is powered by a 177-horsepower 4-cylinder engine matched with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). On paper, its performance is about on par with the base engine of the Kia Sorento, but a much stronger turbo engine is optional in the Sorento and standard in the Hyundai Santa Fe.

While we haven’t driven the Outlander with its new engine yet, we can say that we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the refinement of the ride quality in this generation. A plush suspension and muted cabin noise almost made us forget that the Outlander is one of the least expensive cars in its class.

Fuel Economy

Official fuel economy ratings for the 2026 Outlander with its new mild hybrid engine are forthcoming. The same engine without the mild hybrid system powers the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, which gets up to 25 city/28 highway/26 combined mpg. That’s close to the fuel economy rating of the base engine in the Kia Sorento.

The plug-in hybrid version of the Mitsubishi Outlander (reviewed separately) has an all-electric range of up to 38 miles and returns 26 combined mpg with a depleted battery.

We’re pleased to report that the Outlander 3-row SUV’s interior is uncluttered and made of high-quality materials. Pricier versions can be almost luxurious, offering semi-aniline leather with diamond-patterned stitching for the seats and door panels.

The good news for families who can benefit from extra seats is that the Mitsubishi Outlander has standard 3-row seating for up to seven. The bad news is that the third row is tiny, and will only fit small children. There are only 18.7 inches of third-row legroom, considerably less than the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe, which have about 30 inches of legroom in the way back.

However, if you’ll have the third row folded down most of the time, the Outlander has a decent-sized cargo hold with 30.6 cubic feet of room. There’s 10.9 cubic feet of room behind the third row and a generous 64.3 cubic feet when all rear seats are folded down. Again, its closest rivals from Kia and Hyundai have more cargo room by virtue of being larger vehicles.

The current Outlander SUV has more presence and attitude than its predecessor. In the past, that third row might have been the main reason for choosing an Outlander. Nowadays, the design might also have some sway. The sporty Ralliart and rugged Trail Edition models add some nice visual variety to the model range.

All-wheel drive
Mitsubishi calls it Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC), but most of us tend to know it as all-wheel drive, providing the usual extra confidence during bad weather. It has selectable modes of Tarmac, Gravel, Snow, Normal, Eco, and Mud. The difference between Tarmac and Normal is that the former is like a Sport setting.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
We all expect phone integration to be standard in new vehicles these days. It is in the 2026 Outlander, and it works wirelessly in every trim.

Standard Yamaha audio
Premium sound is usually reserved for upper trims, but in 2026, every Outlander comes with a Yamaha audio system. The standard system is an 8-speaker setup, while the more powerful Yamaha Ultimate 12-speaker system is optional.

Powered tailgate
A power-operated tailgate (with adjustable opening heights) is simply a great convenience feature, which becomes standard in the SE.

12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
This configurable driver information display becomes available in the SE’s Tech package. It can show the usual things like road and engine speeds, plus navigation directions.

Head-up display
Taking driver-oriented tech further, the head-up display projects information into the windshield, reducing those fractions of seconds spent not looking at the road. It’s optional on the SEL model and standard in the top two trims.

The new engine in the 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander is a mild hybrid 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, rated at 177 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. That’s a little less horsepower and a little more torque than the outgoing, non-turbo engine.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

The Mitsubishi Outlander has a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Only Kia and Hyundai cover their cars for as long. But, perhaps not coincidentally, this car’s major competitors are mostly Kia and Hyundai models, namely the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe.

The 2026 Outlander also includes a complimentary 2-year/30,000-mile scheduled maintenance plan. But we encourage shoppers not to overrate that perk — there isn’t much maintenance in the first two years of car ownership. It covers a maximum of three oil changes, three tire rotations, and one cabin filter.

Safety

The Mitsubishi Outlander has earned a 4-Star overall safety rating (out of a possible five stars) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for front-wheel-drive models and a 5-Star rating for all-wheel-drive variants. In testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it gets the top “Good” rating in every crash-worthiness criterion.