2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Review

　　

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　In some key ways, the 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV should appeal to car shoppers. For one, you get a lot of standard features that include DC fast charging and a generous list of advanced safety tech. There's also about 22 miles of electric-only propulsion, which could make your gas station visits far less frequent. And the Outlander has more off-road capabilities than you might expect.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV SEL 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded and $0.17 per kWh for electricity in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$124/mo  for Outlander PHEV SEL

　　Outlander PHEV SEL

　　SEL 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD) (Most Popular) - $36,295 MSRPGT 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric plug-in hybrid DD) - $41,695 MSRP

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　Avg. Midsize SUV

　　Unfortunately, that pretty much covers the nice things we can say about it. The Outlander PHEV is dreadfully slow to accelerate, and the gasoline engine sounds horrible when it's called upon. From the inside, the ride quality is unsettling and busy, and there's a noticeable amount of road and wind noise on the highway. Unlike the standard Outlander, this PHEV model loses the third row of seats to the battery pack. Even though there are a lot of features, they're not particularly easy to use, and overall build quality leaves much to be desired.

　　For these reasons, we suggest checking out the competition before committing to the 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Those rivals tend to have far more positives than negatives.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Below Average

　　6.5

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

6.5/10

　　How does the Outlander PHEV drive? When it comes to drivability and performance, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has two bright spots. It is the most capable off-roader in the class, and the transitions between electric and internal combustion propulsion are smooth.

　　Unfortunately, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. It takes 9.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is slow for any vehicle, and the gasoline engine sounds harsh and strained when activated. On-road steering is vague and requires constant corrections. And handling does little to instill confidence since the SUV is plagued by excessive body roll and sensitivity to midcorner bumps.

　　

Comfort

7.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Outlander PHEV? We give the Outlander points for the comfortable front seats and the many customization options for the climate control, but those bright spots are dimmed by a few drawbacks. The ride quality is compromised by the suspension's inability to smooth over sharp impacts and noticeable bounces over undulations. At least when the vehicle is in electric mode at low speeds, the cabin remains quiet. That all ends when the gas engine kicks in, emitting a harsh and intrusive buzz.

　　

Interior

7.0/10

　　How’s the interior? The Outlander PHEV is pleasantly roomy for four passengers, but squeezing a fifth in the back seat will be tight. It also offers good outward visibility, and it's easy to enter and exit thanks to tall door openings and doors that aren't very long. Unfortunately, the cabin feels cheaply built, the controls can be hard to locate, and taller drivers will find the driving position awkward.

　　

Technology

6.5/10

　　How’s the tech? Technophiles and early adopters may want to steer clear of the Outlander since its best tech attributes are limited to Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a pair of high-output household power outlets. There is no map-based navigation. Instead, you get some rather useless GPS coordinates, which means you'll likely be receiving directions from your phone.

　　The native voice recognition system is deeply frustrating because it frequently misunderstands commands. And the adaptive cruise control can react violently when the traffic speed changes suddenly.

　　

Storage

7.0/10

　　How’s the storage? On paper, the Outlander's 30.4-cubic-foot cargo space is generous, but in practice, it's not nearly as usable as that figure suggests. The cargo floor is narrow due to the sizable intrusions from the rear wheelwells. But the rear seats do fold flat, offering up to 66.6 cubic feet of space, which is a decent amount for this type of SUV. The liftover height is low to ease the loading of bulky objects.

　　The door pockets, bins and glovebox are all large, but there aren't many of the handy little cubbies that we've come to expect for phones or other small items. The car-seat anchor points are placed at an unusually steep angle, making them harder to access, but the high rear seat means less bending over to situate kids.

　　

Fuel Economy

7.0/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The EPA says you can go about 22 miles on all-electric power, which is an average distance for a plug-in hybrid. Once the electrons run out, however, the Outlander PHEV is rated to get just 25 mpg in combined driving. That's worse than most other non-hybrid small SUVs. We got 29 mpg in our limited testing; it's better but still not great.

　　

Value

6.5/10

　　Is the Outlander PHEV a good value? A solid warranty and the ease of DC fast charging are fine touches, but this Mitsubishi is a $40,000-plus vehicle that feels cheaply built. We noticed some surprising lapses in quality, such as rattles and creaks from the cabin and rippling in the formed metal along the edges of the doors.

　　There's a lot of hard plastic and vinyl around the cabin, adding to the chintzy, lightweight feeling of the Outlander. Even when taking into account the premium inherent to buying a PHEV, it's expensive. At least there's enough charge to cover an average commute, even in traffic.

　　

Wildcard

5.0/10

　　We like the concept of the Outlander PHEV. But if you're not keeping it charged all the time, you're not reaping many benefits. And in that case, you're better off with a standard SUV. The dreary driving experience and low-buck interior sap whatever's left of the cool factor associated with driving a green-oriented vehicle.

　　

Which Outlander PHEV does zzdcar recommend?

Now that you can get almost all available advanced safety features in the base model as standard equipment, we suggest checking out the Outlander PHEV in SEL trim. With this change, it's more difficult to justify the GT trim's price premium.

　　

2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV models

The 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a five-passenger plug-in hybrid SUV offered in two trim levels: SEL and GT. Both are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (117 horsepower) joined by two 60-kilowatt electric motors at each axle. The combination gives the Outlander PHEV all-wheel drive, and the total system output is rated at 190 hp. Electrical power is stored in a 12-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

　　Standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, foglights, heated side mirrors, automatic wipers, a power liftgate, keyless entry, push-button start, leather upholstery, power-adjustable heated front seats, 60/40-split folding and reclining rear seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, voice controls, Bluetooth, a six-speaker sound system, an 8-inch touchscreen display, three USB ports, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. Driver safety aids include forward collision alert with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high beams.

　　Stepping up to the GT adds LED headlights, a sunroof, a heated steering wheel, a multiview camera, dual AC power outlets (replacing the rear USB ports), adaptive cruise control, and an upgraded sound system. To that, the new GT Premium Interior package can be added and includes premium leather upholstery and a few black interior treatments.

　　There are a handful of optional accessories available including mud guards, chrome side mirror covers, rear parking assist sensors, cargo nets, and a Towing package with a tow hitch and a trailer-prepped wiring harness.

　　

2020 Outlander PHEV Highlights

Trim: SELGTSEL

　　

Base MSRP	$36,295
EV Tax Credits & Rebates	$4,400
Engine Type	Plug-in hybrid
EPA Electric Range	22 miles
Combined MPGe (Electric + Gas)	74 MPGeMPGe is the official metric that the EPA uses to measure the efficiency of alternative-fuel (including electric) vehicles. Just like regular MPG shows how far a car will travel on one gallon of gas, MPGe shows how far a vehicle will drive on 33.7kWh of electricity - the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. Combined MPGe is the combined total of 45% city MPGe + 55% highway MPGe.
Cost to Drive	$124/month
Total Charging Time (240V)	3.5 hours
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	30.4 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles