Hybrid vehicles can be a great option for folks who want an environmentally friendly car, but without having to worry about range. And, when it comes to PHEV SUVs, the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has some impressive specs. Here’s a look at the one area where the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is beating its more expensive competition. 

The 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is in the top five

While the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV may not be a perfect car, it actually holds a few accolades as far as PHEVs go. In fact, according to MotorTrend, the Outlander PHEV is the best-selling PHEV in the world right now. Not only that, but when it comes to fuel economy, it is in the top five as far as hybrid SUVs go. This is thanks to its brand-new 2.4-liter I-4 engine, which is supported by front and rear electric motors that are mounted on the front and rear axles. 

Combined, they produce about 221 hp, according to Car and Driver, and that’s a 31 hp improvement from before. The Outlander PHEV’s battery also got bigger, as it’s now 13.8 kWh instead of 12.0 kWh. That size improvement, along with some smart programming, allows the Outlander PHEV to get about 74 MPGe and have a battery-only range of 24 miles. 

Despite being the fifth most fuel efficient hybrid SUV, the Outlander PHEV only starts at about $37,000 MSRP, according to Car and Driver. As a result of that low price tag and that high fuel economy, the Outlander PHEV beats out a lot of expensive competition.

What cars the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV beat

For example, the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover P400e gets a decent 42 MPGe, but it’s a wildly expensive car compared to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV since it’s a Range Rover after all. MotorTrend said that the Range Rover P400e will start at about $131,000 MSRP.

Another expensive PHEV SUV that the Outlander PHEV beat was the 2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid. It gets about 46 MPGe, but it will also start at about$180,000 MSRP. With that being said, it’s probably not a fair comparison. After all, the Range Rover and the Bentayga’s expensive price tags are because of other factors, other than their hybrid engines. 

However, even non-luxury cars are less fuel-efficient and more expensive than the Outlander PHEV is. For example, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe gets about 49 MPGe, but it will start at about $50,000 MSRP.

Great value for its price

There are countless more examples of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV being more fuel efficient and less expensive than its competition. As such, it’s sufficient to say that the Outlander PHEV simply provides a lot of value for its $37,000 price tag. On top of that, the Outlander only comes with a PHEV powertrain, and as such, customers won’t need to pay a premium to get a PHEV for their Outlander.

Nevertheless, there are two trims available for the Outlander PHEV, and they can make it a fancier car to drive around in. The LE trim starts at about $39,000, and it’ll provide a few creature comfort upgrades. The GT trim starts at about $43,000, and it’ll provide even more upgrades. That said, Car and Driver recommends the standard Outlander PHEV, as it comes with a lot of standard equipment already.

On top of that, since the Outlander is a PHEV, it does qualify for federal EV tax credits. As a result, the Outlander PHEV’s ultimate value is probably very high, as its competition can be several thousand dollars more expensive and yet offer less fuel economy than the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV can.

While it’s far from a perfect plug-in hybrid, you’d be missing out if you didn’t at least consider the 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV over its more expensive competition.