2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the plug-in hybrid version of the company’s Outlander compact SUV.  There aren’t many 3-row plug-in hybrid SUVs, and no others this inexpensive. The Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid comes close but starts near the $50,000 line and has less all-electric range. The Outlander PHEV also carries a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty few competitors can match. Drawbacks? Mitsubishi lacks an extensive dealership network. If you live near a major city the company serves, you’ll have nearby repair options. If you move, though, finding service and parts can be tricky in some places. Resale values are low, largely for the same reason.

We’ve driven several examples of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. The test vehicle seen here is the SEL Premium in Red Diamond with Black Roof, carrying a sticker price of  $52,210 including delivery fee.

Mitsubishi keeps the Outlander PHEV’s design and mechanicals unchanged for 2025, but adds heated front seats to every trim level. SEL trims gain a heated steering wheel and a panoramic sunroof.

The best-selling trim level is the base ES. But we think the SE, a step up, might be a better value. It adds faux leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and adaptive cruise control as part of the MI-PILOT Assist suite.

Before buying a new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. The Outlander PHEV’s resale values lag those of other compact SUVs. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The sophisticated drivetrain of the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV combines a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with two electric motors, one per axle, for a total output of 248 horsepower. Power goes through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). It’s quite satisfying around town, with perkier acceleration than internal-combustion-powered Outlander models (reviewed separately).

That advantage disappears on highways, where the low-end torque of the electric motors can’t help. The CVT is a bit buzzy accelerating to highway speed. But you’ll never feel like you lack the power you need.

The ride is balanced, but not sporty. Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control system goes beyond simpler all-wheel-drive systems, adding some torque vectoring that, in theory, should make the handling a little sportier. It’s not particularly noticeable here. If you want a particularly agile compact SUV, consider alternatives from Mazda. But the Outlander PHEV corners as well as most mainstream choices, and the system adds confidence on slippery roads.

The regenerative braking (which uses braking energy to recharge the battery) can feel a bit squishy at factory settings. But it’s easy to adjust it to your taste with steering-wheel-mounted paddles.

Drive modes include an all-electric setting and the opposite, a “save” setting that preserves the battery for later use.

One negative note: The Outlander PHEV recharges from a charging port called CHAdeMO. Not every public charger has a CHAdeMO cord, and they’re growing more rare. Most owners probably do most of their charging at home. But you’ll find some public chargers don’t work with your Outlander PHEV.

Fuel Economy

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV can travel up to 38 miles on battery power alone. Since most Americans drive less than 38 miles a day, it could serve as an electric vehicle (EV) most days for many people. But it operates as a gas-electric hybrid when that charge is spent. In that mode, it earns just 26 mpg in combined driving — an unimpressive figure for a compact SUV.

Every 2025 Outlander PHEV has three rows of seating, which is rare in the compact SUV class. That fold-away third row is too tight for adults, but useful for parents who might occasionally shuttle extra kids home. Cargo space is tight with it in use, but a more than respectable 30.8 cubic feet when it’s down.

Second-row passengers get plenty of space and their own air vents.

In base ES form, the interior is functional and pleasant. But, as you work your way up the trim ladder, it gets more luxurious than some rivals. No one is going to mistake a Mitsubishi for a Mercedes-Benz. But Mitsubishi adds classy touches like quilting on the leather seats of the SEL, and upscale semi-aniline leather on the SEL Black Edition.

Some more recently redesigned competitors like the Kia Sportage have larger touchscreens, more neatly paired with the driver’s instrument screen. But we found the Outlander PHEV’s interface intuitive, and appreciated dial-based HVAC controls instead of touchscreen menus.

The Outlander PHEV, at 185.4 inches long, is compact but almost large enough to qualify as midsize. Its boxy look cool fool you into thinking it was a truck-like, body-on-frame SUV. It’s not — this is a unibody crossover with the smoother handling that entails. You’ll either love or hate Mitsubishi’s chrome-heavy grille. If you learn toward the latter, the available SEL Black Edition tones down the flash.

Exceptional warranty

Mitsubishi’s 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile warranty are longer than most rivals. Only Kia and Hyundai match it, and no one beats it.

38-mile electric range
The Outlander PHEV is capable of up to 38 miles of all-electric range with a full charge. That makes living with it much like having an EV for daily use and a gas-powered car for road trips.

3-row seating
Every Outlander PHEV comes with three rows of seating. It’s the most affordable plug-in hybrid 3-row SUV. That third row, however, is not large enough to be used regularly. Driving extra kids home from soccer practice in it is fine. Carrying colleagues from work to lunch in it is not.

DC fast charging
Many PHEVs can recharge from a wall outlet, but not from public chargers. Mitsubishi claims it can charge up to 80% in 38 minutes. Its CHAdeMO charging port, however, isn’t compatible with every public charger. Now that most of the auto industry has agreed to converge on Tesla’s port, CHAdeMO plugs may grow rare, leaving you using a bulky adapter to charge in public.

S-AWC with Active Yaw Control
Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control system adds grip in foul weather and uses yaw control to point the car into corners with a little extra verve. It doesn’t turn the Outlander PHEV into a sports car, but it handles more sharply than some competitors.

MI-PILOT Assist
The available MI-PILOT Assist semi-autonomous driving system integrates lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and embedded navigation to lighten the driver’s load in highway driving.

Remote Climate Control Start

With a phone app, you can set the air conditioning or heater to start before you reach your Outlander PHEV.

The Outlander PHEV’s powertrain has nothing in common with the system that powers other Outlander models. It uses a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to two electric motors — one per axle. Power for the electric motors comes from a 20-kW lithium-ion battery pack, which you can recharge from a wall outlet or a public charger with a CHAdeMO plug. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) delivers power to all four wheels via Mitsubishi’s S-AWC all-wheel-drive system.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 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 as long. But, perhaps not coincidentally, this car’s major competitors are mostly Kia and Hyundai models — PHEV versions of the Kia Sportage, Kia Sorento, and Hyundai Tucson. The 2025 Outlander PHEV also includes a complimentary 2-year/30,000-mile scheduled maintenance plan. But we encourage shoppers not to overrate that — 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 Ratings

The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid earned a Top Safety Pick honor from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in 2023. It hasn’t been tested since, but has changed little since then, so the result is still useful for the 2025 model. The federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet crash tested it.