The 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a plug-in hybrid SUV that people always forget. However, after a week behind the wheel, it turned out to be oddly memorable – though not necessarily for all the reasons Mitsubishi might expect. The aggressive pricing and loaded spec sheet goes against some questionable hardware and design decisions, making this one of the more special hybrids out there.
The range starts at $36,295 (plus $1,195 destinations) for the Outlander PHEV SEL, and the SUV is eligible for federal tax incentives of up to $6,587. Mitsubishi's closest competitor, the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, starts at $39,425 including destination, though it is eligible for up to a $7,500 federal tax incentive.
Mitsubishi doesn't run standard features, at least. You can cover the 8-inch infotainment with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and there are leather seats with front row heating, dual-zone climate control, multiple USB ports at the front and rear, and an electric tailgate. On the safety front, this entry-level SEL trim gets forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and blind spot warning with lane change assistance and rear traffic warning. Adaptive browsing control is an option.
The Outlander PHEV is well equipped, but doesn't feel very cohesive. The cabin design is haphazard, with different kinds of buttons, creaky plastic, and disjointed color schemes. Some design decisions are just weird, like the transmission shifter that resembles a robotic codpiece, and others are even uglier, like the underwhelming infotainment system.
It displays drab graphics and poor grammatical dialogue messages, and that's not the only head-scratcher. Something about the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is like going through the glass of Alice into a parallel universe: The Outlander PHEV has the features you'd expect, but delivers them in a weird way. The power tailgate, for example, is actually plain but with a powered arm that effectively pulls it down for you, as if Mitsubishi had an easier time installing a (slow) robot.
The same goes for the drivetrain, which has its own complexities. For the 2021 model year, Mitsubishi replaced the new 2.4-liter gasoline engine – replacing the old 2.0-liter engine, which was actually less efficient than this larger model – and added a slightly larger battery for use with the twin electric motors. The result is electric all-wheel drive and a 24-mile EPA electric range.
Generally, the gas engine acts as a range extender, independent of the wheels themselves. Hit the gas pedal and you're snoring with electric power, at least to begin with; becomes too demanding and the gas comes in, with an unpleasant grinding sound. Push really hard, meanwhile, and the Outlander PHEV's petrol engine can actually drive the wheels right away, with excess power being channeled to the battery.
Mitsubishi handles all of that on its own, but you get control of how the battery is used. Press the “EV” button and the Outlander PHEV will try to use its own power for as long as possible; hit the “Save Charge” button and it will retain the current charging state for you to use later. Press that button again, and the SUV will actively try to recharge the battery with the petrol engine, although that's not a very efficient use of fuel.
The 24-mile electric range isn't particularly impressive, though plug-in hybrid SUVs are relatively rare. The EPA says the Outlander PHEV is capable of a combined 74 MPGe, although you'll only see 26 mpg from the petrol engine alone once the battery runs out. It's hard to get too excited about that, when the Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid is rated for its 42-mile electric range, 94 MPGe combined, and 38 mpg from its petrol engine alone. Toyota also has a higher tow rating: 2,500 pounds, compared to the Outlander PHEV's 1,500 pounds.
Both are five seats: if you want seven seats in your Outlander, you'll have to sacrifice the hybrid drivetrain. The 30.4 cu-ft trunk is slightly smaller than the Toyota, but at 66.6 cu-ft with the second row flat, the edges are just slightly ahead of the RAV4 Prime. Mitsubishi does give you a lot of control over regenerative braking: the paddle shifters step through five levels of aggression, though I'd like maximum regen to be more enthusiastic.
However, in general, the Outlander PHEV drives well. There are five driving modes – Normal, Sport, Gravel, Snow and S-AWC Eco – and how much power you get overall depends on which hybrid mode the SUV uses. These twin electric motors have 174 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque, but when the gas engine drives the front wheels you get more sep.
