Used Mitsubishi Outlander 2013-2021 review

The Mitsubishi Outlander was always a quietly successful car, but that is mostly due to the PHEV plug-in hybrid version that was launched in 2014, the year after this standard car first hit the market. Both cars went off sale in 2021.

Not only did that on-trend hybrid model offer low running costs, it was also priced at the same level as the cooking 2.2-litre diesel Outlander once the Government’s plug-in car grant had been factored in, making it particularly attractive to company car drivers.

The standard Outlander has always been a steady seller, though, even if the PHEV version was the one that sold by the bucketload. Both versions of the car were heavily updated in 2015 and in 2019, with later models of the standard Outlander dropping the diesel option.

Indeed the post-2019 facelifted car has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that does without a turbocharger and produces a modest 148bhp, which is channelled to all four wheels via a CVT automatic gearbox. However, despite being a fair bit less powerful and slower than the updated version of the Outlander PHEV, the petrol version can tow 1600kg; that’s 100kg more than the hybrid.

What the PHEV version doesn’t have is the optional third row of seats that was offered with the conventional Outlanders, although as these are cramped and difficult to access that’s perhaps no real hardship. Otherwise, the Outlander is a fairly spacious SUV, with room for five adults and a boot that’s big enough to swallow four bags of golf clubs or a folded baby buggy and a few large cases.

Another thing that makes the Outlander popular with families is its five-star rating in the contemporary Euro NCAP’s crash tests. However, for all the car’s technical advances, the dashboard design and finish is fairly crude, and while Mitsubishi boasted that the Outlander’s platform was based on that of the high-performance Lancer Evolution X saloon, it’s far from a sporty drive.

Nor is it all that quiet, particularly if you go for the older diesel model, which uses a relatively old engine that was offered with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed torque-converter automatic. Tyre and wind noise were also intrusive at motorway speeds, and the ride was firm at low speeds, particularly on the more firmly spring PHEV model.

If that’s a concern, it’s worth noting that facelift Outlanders from 2015 have a significantly smoother ride, though they still aren’t in any way sporty to drive, and benefit from an upgraded interior and a smarter grille among other detail changes. The 2019 onwards versions sharpened up the looks and added new technology inside and out.

If you're interested in finding a used Outlander, or any of the other large SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

You’ll need between £8000 and £10,000 to buy an early Mitsubishi Outlander. Spend between £11,000 and £13,000 on a 2015 or 2016 model, £13,000 and £15,000 on a 2016 or 2017 car and £15,000 to £20,000 on models from 2018 and 2019. Post-facelift cars from 2019 up to the Outlander's withdrawal in 2021 will set you back at least £20,000 to £22,000.

The diesel model’s CO2 emissions of 138g/km output might have been good for its day, but it still means you’ll pay comfortably more than £100 per year for tax. In addition, the diesel’s real-world fuel consumption of 40mpg, if you opt for a car with a manual gearbox, or 35mpg for an automatic, falls behind more modern rivals, in part because the Mitsubishi is only offered with four-wheel drive.

The later petrol-powered Outlander averages only 32.5mpg, according to the latest WLTP figures. It will pay road tax at the current rate if registered after the tax changes of April 2017 came into place. The current rate is £155 a year for the petrol car and £145 a year for the PHEV. Should your Outlander have cost more than £40,000 new it will also attract a luxury car tax currently £335 a year.

The PHEV should in theory be much cheaper to run, although that does depend how you use it. The trick, as with any plug-in hybrid, is to make sure you drive on pure battery power for as much of the time as possible, thus minimising fuel costs. And that most likely means having a dedicated socket at home or work in order make the most of what realistically will be an electric range of about 22 miles.

Where the PHEV makes less sense is on motorway journeys, where carrying around those heavy batteries can drag the economy down as low as 30mpg. However, by combining these two extremes, many owners report average economy of about 60mpg from their PHEVs, which is still impressive for a car of the Outlander’s size.

Servicing costs are higher than average (intervals are every 12 months), with diesels generally costing more to maintain than the later petrols or PHEVs. Either way, if the car is under three years old it will pay to check if it is already covered under a servicing plan from its previous owner.

Although the diesel Mitsubishi Outlander will be a reliable and spacious companion, it’s impossible to ignore that many rivals outperform it in most areas, whether it’s ride comfort, handling, performance, running costs or interior quality. For that reason, the most compelling option as far as used Outlanders go is the plug-in hybrid version, provided you mainly cover short distances and can charge it regularly.

The PHEV was offered in three trim levels. GX3h came with 18in alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth phone connection, power folding wing mirrors and rain-sensing wipers, while GX4h added heated leather seats, satnav, a reversing camera and Xenon headlights.

Higher spec GX4hs and GX5 models were added later in the model’s life and included lane departure warning and a system to warn you if you are about to collide with the vehicle in front.

Our favourite Mitsubishi Outlander: 2.0 GX3h auto

If your wish is to own a spacious SUV that’s economical, comfortable on long journeys and won’t cost a fortune to run, then a Mazda CX-5 of either the first or the second generation is arguably the most compelling of the Outlander’s many rivals. And if you want seven seats then a Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe both offer solid value for money, as well as more space for those in the third row.

However, if it’s the hybrid element of the Mitsubishi that appeals then there’s little other than the smaller Toyota Prius to match it as a used buy.

There’s also the Lexus NX or slightly more expensive RX to consider too. They can also be had with a petrol-electric hybrid system and come stuffed with equipment as standard. Plus, the interior will be made from very high-quality materials that will be a vast step up from the Outlander's, but then so are their prices.

The Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 is a newer rival (launched in 2019) and therefore there won't be as many on the used car forecourts. However, it's smart, sharp and economical, too, with a claimed electric-only range of up to 40 miles.

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If you're interested in finding a used Outlander, or any of the other large SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.