2022 Mitsubishi Outlander vs 2021 Honda Passport

The 2021 Honda Passport was essentially a shortened version of the Pilot, featuring two rows of seats instead of three. This similarity was evident in its design, both externally and internally. The Passport’s dashboard layout was visually identical to that of the Pilot, including Honda’s awkward “button shifter” design for the automatic transmission. Despite these corporate design choices, the Passport boasted a spacious interior with high-quality materials throughout.

Trim levels for the 2021 Passport included Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. The entry-level Sport came with features like 20-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, push-button start, and tri-zone climate control. The EX-L added leather upholstery, a power moonroof, and a power rear liftgate. The Touring trim included front-and-rear parking sensors, a hands-free liftgate, and a WiFi hotspot. The top-tier Elite trim offered heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and wireless device charging.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander featured bold front styling with the automaker’s “Dynamic Shield” grille and lighting concept, presenting a balanced and appealing design from front to rear. Mitsubishi offered the Outlander in ES, SE, SE Launch Edition, SEL, and SEL Launch Edition trims, all with handsome 20-inch wheels as standard or optional equipment. Prices ranged from $25,795 to $35,345, with AWD available for an additional $1,800.

The test vehicle had SEL trim, AWD, White Diamond paint, and the Touring option package, bringing the total price to $39,475. The Touring Package luxuriously outfitted the Outlander SEL with premium semi-aniline leather, a heated steering wheel, a head-up display (HUD), a premium sound system, and rear-window sunshades. The interior design adhered to minimalism, with black and aluminum accents, though some interior plastics reminded of its compact crossover segment.

The 2021 Honda Passport came standard with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. It offered standard FWD or optional AWD. The V6 provided strong acceleration, and the automatic transmission managed power well. The engine's stop-start system could be abrupt, but it had a switch to cancel it. The Passport’s ride was a blend of comfort and refined handling, with 8.1 inches of ground clearance and AWD models featuring Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes. FWD Passports could tow up to 3,500 pounds, while AWD models could tow up to 5,000 pounds.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander was equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT. It offered FWD as standard, with Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) AWD system as an option. The Outlander had paddle shifters for manual control over the CVT’s eight stepped ratios, but they did not deliver much driving satisfaction. Drivers could choose from Eco, Normal, Tarmac, Gravel, Snow, and Mud driving modes. The Outlander felt most responsive in lower-speed urban environments, but its performance was lacking on freeways and during passing maneuvers. The steering felt vague and disconnected, and the suspension was too firm over minor pavement anomalies. The Outlander returned 24.9 mpg on the testing route, below the EPA’s rating of 26 mpg for AWD models.

The 2021 Honda Passport provided 100.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 50.5 cubic feet with the second row in use. An additional 2.5 cubic feet was available in an under-floor storage tray. The EX-L trim featured a power liftgate, while the Touring and Elite trims included a hands-free power liftgate. The upright seating position offered excellent visibility, and the center console had a deep bin and an open cargo tray. Both front and rear seats had deep in-door pockets, and the rear seats offered plenty of headroom and legroom, with the ability to recline and slide.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander excelled in form and function, with roomy and comfortable front seats and deeply padded armrests. The SEL’s driver’s seat had eight-way power adjustment, and both front seats and the steering wheel were heated. Controls were intuitive, and the displays, including the digital instrumentation and HUD, were impressive. However, there was wasted space on and under the center console, resulting in less storage than competitors. The rear seat was generous in space and comfort, with the ability to slide forward and back. The third-row seat was cramped and not suitable for adults, offering only 11.7 cubic feet of cargo space when in use. Folding it down provided 33.5 cubic feet, and maximum cargo capacity was 79.7 cubic feet, or 78.3 cubic feet with the panoramic sunroof.

For 2021, Honda made Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard on the Passport, included with the newly-standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This was an advantage over the three-row Pilot, which required a higher trim for these features. However, the Passport's infotainment system had dated graphics, a confusing menu layout, and a volume dial that felt like an afterthought, lacking a tuning dial.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL with the Touring Package featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display, a large and detailed HUD, and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. It also included a free two-year subscription to Mitsubishi Connect Safeguard and Remote service plans. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, and the test vehicle had a 10-speaker Bose premium audio system. The voice-recognition technology had issues understanding commands while driving, likely due to road noise and tire slap.

The 2021 Honda Passport came well equipped with advanced safety features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front-and-rear parking sensors. The Passport received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and top "Good" scores from the IIHS in most crash tests, with "Acceptable" ratings for headlights, child-seat anchor ease of use, and front crash prevention tech.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander featured Mi-Pilot Assist, a hands-on Level 2 driver-assist system similar to Nissan’s ProPilot Assist. It included forward collision avoidance, safe reversing, lane-keeping assistance, and blind-spot warning. The steering assistance and lane-departure prevention systems were intrusive but manageable with Mi-Pilot Assist active. Crash-test results were unavailable at the time of review.