Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Can Slash Your Gas Bill 

Thanks for the review! -- I bought my 2023 Outlander PHEV (SEL Premium) 4 months ago - local dealer (Columbus, Ohio - USA) had 7 Outlander PHEVs on the lot. They now have 11 on the lot with great sales deals. I got mine for $1,200 UNDER MSRP and the dealer gave me $31,500 for my 2018 Acura TLX -- I paid $18,000 plus tax for the Outlander. I have driven 4,356 miles - have used 32 gallons of gas total. I am plugging it in every night for my daily commute and weekend errands. I have taken 2 road trips of 300 miles round trip each; got 37 “mpg” using “Normal” hybrid mode for these trips. It feels "luxurious" inside -- premium leather, panoramic roof, 360 camera, power folding side mirrors, heated steering wheel, heated front AND rear seats, hands-free tailgate, head up display, Bose speakers AND massaging front seats! If I take a longer drive, I will have no "range anxiety." Plus, the Outlander has a 10-YEAR WARRANTY. ONE BIG NOTE: the owner's manual clearly states that the 3rd row is ONLY for people under 5' 3." I do not need a 3rd row, so I "tri-fold" it. This opens up a HUGE, DEEP storage well. And, I can stack duffel bag items on the folded 3rd row! The RAV4 Prime may have better overall mpg, but the 18-month wait and $12,000 "dealer adjustment" are outrageous. One local dealer wanted $65k for loaded Prime with MSRP of $52k. I did not consider Kia or Hyundai brands -- "Kia boys" have stolen 3,000 of them in my area (and assaulted drivers in the process). This is a real issue. Lastly, my home solar panels were installed 2 months ago. I got a level 2 charger in my garage 3 weeks ago. The Outlander PHEV is the PERFECT choice for me in 2023 --- availability, luxury, value and price -- a great vehicle to "step into" electrification!

In Australia, Mitsubishi dealers are still everywhere. Also, our normal power points will charge the outlander in 9 hours because we have 240v.

My wife has had for a couple of months. A great vehicle with excellent comfort and interior size practicality. The range is impacted by weather, drive style, drive location and ability to charge. We drive mainly urban and some highway. We can charge daily. We use the regenerative braking most of the time. We are getting up to 44 miles on a charge. Our combined mpg is 79. Our first fill up was at 1000 miles.

Good to see Mitsubishi getting it's competitive footing again. Would love to see them bring a US Delica. Smallish vans ready for light off-roading and city commutes is what we need

I'm not even a little surprised it's an offroading sleeper. Those of us who spent time overseas on deployment will have had time behind the wheel of all those magnificent Ute's (small block diesel crewcab trucks) we can't have in America. Everyone knows lust for the legendary Hilux, but few Americans get to operate the equally awesome overseas Mitsu Tritons and Nissan Navaras

So far, this is the best review of the PHEV that I have seen (and I watched all of them)!

I just got my brand new, 2023 pearl white exterior, grey leather interior. I'm so in love ... I've never felt this way before about a car!! She is perfect. The innovation pedal is incredible... my dash computer actually says that I'm getting more like 45-50 miles on a full battery charge. I don't even charge it every night. And the interior feels like a straight up luxury car. I don't care for the 3rd row.... it's so tiny that you'd be tempted to stick the kids back there.... but those seats look a death trap if you're in a car accident!! Don't put your kids back there!! The backseat isn't very comfortable for dogs, either.... still working on a solution for that.

Love mine. Two weeks in and very satisfied

Just bought an SE and my buddy is getting this PHEV we're all excited!

your comment regarding frequency and being able to still hear it was hilarious man.

I've been on Hyundai AND KIA waiting list for over 1 year to get my hand on their PHEV, to no avail. I was informed 3 weeks ago that the waiting lists were cancelled...and they were moving out of the PHEV production. Met with Mitsubishi dealer 2 weeks ago. I am getting my 2024 Outlander Phev GT in April. Way to go Mitsubishi...

Super video, Tom. My theory on front-end design of most Japanese cars lately is that they turn on a powerful electromagnet at one end of the garage and dump a tool chest at the other. Wherever stuff lands, that’s the new grill.

I drove the old PHEV for few months and the new one for couple of days. The new one is excellent. They looked at every aspect of the old one and improved it. The drive is impressive.

I looked at one of these 4 years ago and ended up getting a Pacifica Hybrid which is a PHEV minivan. I don't need the AWD, and the van has way more storage and better seating.

Good job on review this model. Thank you Tom @Driven

I would have preferred an option to have no 3rd row, and having more space and/or a good sized spare.

There is a giant plus for hybrids not often recognized - you can make 10 times as many with the same limited resource - Lithium. A hybrid uses a battery about 8-10x smaller than a full EV. You can drive all electric for commutes with a 38 mile all electric range; you could charge that battery with solar if you have 10 solar panels and live in the sun belt. On longer trips a full EV averages 50 mph due to charging; a hybrid averages 70mph.

Thanks Tom, I want badly to like this car. Your review is helping me better understand it. You do win an award in this review at 10:20 - I've never in my life seen so many button blanks! Count 'em FIVE (5)! Wow! I guess there's a load of features on higher trim levels, making me wish they'd sent you the loaded model so I knew what all those missing buttons were for! (Of course without *this* review, I wouldn't have known there were five missing buttons 🙂)

Outlander and X-trail (Rouge) are very popular in Australia 🇦🇺

Great review, excellent vehicle, I own one, and good sense of humor running throughout.

For some reason I thought Mitsubishi left the US market. After watching this vid and a quick google search, I found there are 2 in my location.

This is the first Mitsubishi in a long time that has caught my eye. The styling inside and out are cutting edge and very appealing. I think I would choose this Mitsubishi Outlandeer PHEV over a Tesla Y. Yes I know one is all electric but for the type of driving I do this Mitsubishi would effectively be just that.

Great review! I'm looking at this since the Rav4 Prime is "minimum 24 months" wait list. The Costco TP test is just too funny 😂 Thanks ans take care.

I am 73 so I am within the two comic strips you mentioned in my history. I have to say, Blume county may have been a little over my head… I did find it humorous at times but more times than not. I think I missed it. On the other hand, Calvin and Hobbes was where I lived. I have many collections of Calvin and Hobbes that I am constantly going through as part of my bathroom library material.

The Outlander looks much better in-person, IMO. I love Calvin and Hobbes! One of the best cartoons ever! Thank you Bill Watterson. And thank you Tom, and Martin for the always-excellent videos 👍

Leased one of these and got the EV rebate. The 10 yr warranty too makes this one a hidden gem. Tarmac mode tightens up the handling. But any tips on removing the 3rd row seat?? I want that space back.

Another video with excellent info and analyses, though Outlander front design very controversial, PHEV tech sounds reliable.

Seems like it would be better without the third row 🤔 It seems like the trunk space would benefit and be more flexible

Of only it looked better from the front 😢

Got rid of my Tesla and bought one of these. I still get the benefit of EV without it’s compromises. Hopefully the winter won’t affect the range too badly!

Greetings from Johannesburg, South Africa, 🇿🇦 Tom. 👋🏾 Been enjoying your reviews for a couple of years now. Really enjoy your playful but well informed presentation style. In a sea of very enthusiastic, but often under-informed youngsters, it's great to hear from a gentleman of your particular age, expertise and experience. This has probably been asked ad nauseam... But, what do you do with all that TP after filming? 😂

PHEV can be a game changer since many inner city and close suburb drivers don't drive more than 60-70 KM. I won't use any gas if I go PHEV, but sadly, there is a 3-year plus wait time in Canada.

An oil change yearly will cost you DIY $45-50, air and cabin filter DIY maybe $80. Also the 2.4l engine is Mitsubishi, not the Nissan 2.5l engine in the ICE version. From what I have read too the engine will be forced to run after a certain amount of days not running to keep all the fuel systems and gas fresh.

Bring the Delica! It looks so good and would kill here.

I think Mitsubishi is an underrated company, they seemed to slump out of view for a decade and now they are starting to come out w some affordable cars that are very appealing. Im not sure about their reliability or quality of parts, but in a market of overcomplicated, overpriced cars Mitsubishi has a chance to stand out. I mean look at that interior. I rented an Audi Q5 for a road trip, and I hated it. This Outlander looks just as nice on the inside, has the same basic tech and features, and is probably half the price of a new Audi.

At the moment I'm more à fan of Calvin and Habs, than Calvin & Hobbs, but both have been excellent Tom! Btw, I'm wondering when you'll a 'best of the PHEVs' review video to your lineup. Did I miss it?

We had the 2018 until a few months ago. Keep it charged and you'll save heaps and enjoy it. But as the gas gets old in the tank, she'll burn it off even when you've got a full battery (and the CVT transmission is garbage compared to EV mode) So if all you ever do is commute a short distance, you'll save more buying a cheap, second hand EV and hire for the long ranges.

A front face only a mother could love.

My understanding is that, to ensure the gas (petrol) doesn't get "stale", the PHEV Outlander will run the engine long enough to use at least half a tank of gas (petrol) every 3 months, regardless of what mode you choose to drive it in.

Very goog review❤

Excellent review. Is the CVT the Nissan JATCO unit?

The US dollars is like Monopoly money now. Back in the 80's a fully equipped Montero was under $10K. But then again, the minimum wage was around $3.50 an hour.

The gas engine comes on and adds electricity to the battery and does not drive the front tires in most cases where extra power is needed.

Seems like a nice alternative to me. I probably wouldn’t purchase one just because it’s at least a hundred miles to the nearest dealer. But if I lived near a dealer(and didn’t already own a PHEV) I’d be interested.

Strangely, a CHaDeMO can be found in many rapid charging locations, and so it’s still possible to refill when not near a house plug or want to fill battery on the road. A 7 kWh AC charger would have been a better choice!

I might be asking a totally stupid question. Can the 3rd row of seats in the Outlander PHEV be removed completely from the vehicle to give a larger & deeper storage area ?

nothing beat my Toyota Rav4 prime one tank i got 1270 miles + PHEV

I would really love to see an in depth video about the MiPilot driving assist, there are almost none on YT that show it for more than a minute or two and I'd love to see a real world test. Very close to pulling the trigger on this car but that would be cool to see.

The biggest thing for me is CHAdeMO... but hey the number of times you'll likely use that is very little compared to just sludging the day out and waiting to L2 charge at home overnight.

I think this has it’s niche as a 3 row, AWD PHEV, SUV at a certain price point. However, if the 3rd row is the biggest selling feature I’d look at the Pacifica PHEV as I think it would be nicer being in that third row. I much prefer the looks of the CX 90 phev.

so what about -35c winter days....cant the all electric mode pre-heat the vehicle for me without turning on the gas engine?

Problem is in areas where they force the ethanol garbage that causes damage, if it sits for over a few weeks it starts going bad in your tank risking damage to your vehicle. And the sad thing is ethanol actually causes more environmental damage. All to subsidize a farmer and virtue signal. I've had equipment damaged by it. So your forced to put StabliZ in your tanks. I might add they should add a larger model akin to the Nissan Pathfinder. That size is more practical. I own a new QX60 and it's perfect.

Finding out in 2023 you can go on a tank of petrol for a year. Me: doing that since 2013 in my Volt.

I wanted one until I realized there wasn’t any Mitsubishi dealer nearby.

I LOVE Bloom County!

Is electricity free everywhere except where I live? Did the calculations and with all of the maintenance and transmission fees per KWH it’s questionable if any money is saved over driving with gas. Add in the extra cost of the PHEV and possibly the interest on that amount and it’s a financial loss…and that’s if none of the extra Phev equipment ever needs replacing.

Man iam debating between the kia sportage hybrid and the PHEV and the mitsubishi PHEV😮 i heard mitubishi giving good deals my wife only drives 20 miles round trip about 3 times a week, maybe 50-70 miles the hole week.

I wish they would put the Rogue turbo charged 3 cylinder into the Outlander PHEV

I love Red Rider Came Calling, a Christmas ode to Vashon Island

Does this offer "Vehicle to Home" backup if you power fails? I know that the Chademo chargers were made with this in mind in the Japanese market for many vehicles.

PHEVs won't run on ev battery alone when the defrosters are required or in cool temperatures.. Toyotas, that means 14F and Mitsubushi 5F. And the engines also have to run in summer frequently to recharge the 12v battery running the ac. The 'getting by indefinitely' in ev mode and home charging is not practicaal for most people. But you tube is mostly for entertainmnent so enjoy this.

The HUD looks very small on the vidéo ? Mitsubishi is no longer present in Europe but might come back with this model, hope they do.

Great! This car looks very good! Maybe not the price tag...($46+K) so whatever you do, buying it won't save a penny on your fuel economy. If you can pay it in cash, then it's a bit better, if you loan the money to buy it, you're screwed.

So you would want to run out of battery to use gas at least once a week? Or keep half tank of gas if you charge daily? This is interesting vehicle.

It amazes me that any foreign manufacturers bring EVs or plug ins to the US after the change to federal tax credits. I was in favor of trying to kickstart the push to EVs at US manufacturing facilities, but completely eliminating the credit for imports just seems like a bad idea in terms of our climate goals.

Hello, does this vehicle charge the battery while you drive? also once the battery is low or empty will it automatically transfer to Petrol or a standard hybrid vehicle like Toyota Corolla hybrid? thanks

Hi, I have a 2010 Mitsubishi outlander having gear problem, it make some disturbing sand, slow down speed, after investigation, it was said that the gear box is over heating, I was advised to change gear oil it worked but after a continuous 100klm. on long journey the problem persists until it cooled down before it works normal. What do you suggest. If I must order a new gear box how much to get it to Nigeria, I love my Mitsubishi.

We have used $180 in gas over 8 months. Our old gas vehicle would have used $1200 I. those 8 months. So we.save $1500 per year. As fuel costs go up over the years, we project to save close to $20000 in 10 years. We typically keep vehicles 15 to 20 years so my guess is we will save $30000 to $40000 in total.

Gawrsh! I thought that Hyundai et al had some front ends that resembled the automotive equivalent of a "bad trip" yet Mitsi has taken the proverbial cake with this Outlier, sorry - Outlander PHEV. . Or was it a hash brownie?

which cars are direct competitor to Outlander PHEV?

It sure slashes my bank account.

Chademo because in Japan, Asia and Australia, chademo is the majority plug type. I know.. the could have swapped it to US type in US

Tom, The electric range for commuting is laudable but the 26 mpg average in hybrid mode is lamentable. 🤨

Last year I rented one to drive my daughter back to Aurora I'll from so California . It got 21 mpg which sucked plus the tank very vary small, which the range was extremely short

It’s weird, your license plate, says Tennessee, but the mass on the ground in the vegetation seems like the Pacific Northwest.

Mitsubishi has left Europe unfortunately ! I like their cars and I had a Mitsubishi Sigma from 1992 once. Nice reliable car it was .

I want to know how much to replace the battery when it goes bad and other electrical problems.

If only the bottom grille chrome “wing” veered in to outline the bottom of the grille instead of out into the bumper.

Right!

Problem with all of these is the additional markup over MSRP. I have a PHEV and I have been disappointed by the range. It was supposed to get 21 miles of range but it rarely gets more than 13. Mitsubishi values drop pretty quickly.

How long would it take for this model to make financial sense vs the gas model by offsetting the increased cost by saving money at the pump, assuming you drive 15k miles per year?

Hello, my neighbour has one (we live in Quebec, Canada). He had issues with starting the car in very cold winter mornings ( minus 28 celcius). The car kept telling him to wait for the battery to warm-up😂. The dealer had no solution at the time… finally, they came back with a battery warmer blanket. Seemed to solve the issue. However, a bit of an engineering issue here…

Make it to 100miles on bat, they will fly of the shelfs!

Could be the most profound car they have made that I don't care about. Since it is a Nissan collab anyway. It looks nice though. Ride is nice. But this car is one that makes me throw the Meh switch. But the concept certainly is very nice. Mitsubishi's mission is not what it once was. Kind of shame too but hey! It is the times.

Concept is the best one for the average person..that would be me.

Yes but does it have the hood fluttering issue still?

I wonder if you can remove the third row seat? Seems like it should be possible. I too would rather have a spare.

I'd like a plugin hybrid for 100mi

I mean for $51k I would hope that it comes with all that stuff

All car manufacturers should have been making hybrids and Electric gas generator vehicles over 12 years ago

While i personally like the convenience of an all eletric vehicle, i personally think auto manufacturers should be canceling most EV production for more PHEV production. You can make ~6PHEVs with the same ammount of batteries used by a vehicle like the Tesla model S P100D, or about 20 with the Hummer EV's battery, the fact that 95% of people, will drive a PHEV 95% of the time as if it were an EV, means those batteries are being used more effectively to save people money, and transition away from fossil fuels. Even if you continue to use coal that is vastly more green as a higher percentage of the energy is turned into power at up to 80% but more realisitcally 60-70%, where as a gas engine can only use between 18 and 25%(experimental engines have been able to use 50% but those are currently sub 10HP and cost millions of dollars, conversely, a 2 or more stage phase-change steam turbine system that uses 2 or more different working fluids can be used to reclaim close to 90% of the heat energy from fuels)

Well, at least it's not hideous looking ;)

finally someone made a car 😄

So is the transmission based on a CVT or is it technically a single/dual speed transmission?

For those who are marketing sheep. 1 tank of fuel per year is bad for the fueling system as fuel goes bad with time, gets water in in, loses octane/cetane numbers and can become reason for faster fueling system wear. Petrol should be replaced every 3 months at least if you want to maintain your vehicle. Heck just use the phev as a hybrid on the highway or any road where you drive above 70.

I think this is one of the best looking SUVs we need Mitsubishi to bring back the Endeavor

Can we drive the phev without charging or flat battery?

Still have all the maintenance that you don't have in a full electric

So the first 38 miles is electric? So any long trip is basically all gas? You wouldn’t even pull off the highway to charge because it’s not even worth the time to just get the 38 miles . Am I correct? I love the styling. They have a blacked out edition near me for 32k in gas version.Looks like alot of value for the money

A couple decades late, but better late than never!