There are many types of electric vehicles on the market today. Perhaps the easiest to live with is the plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV). Mitsubishi was a pioneer in this type of technology, and the 2024 Outlander PHEV is an updated and improved version of the Outlander PHEV we have long loved. With about 38 miles of all-electric range, it can operate using just electricity during about 95% of the trips most Americans make on a given day. Best of all, when you need to head out on a long trip, it has a 420-mile range while operating as a hybrid-electric vehicle. We’ve tested the Outlander PHEV for a total of many months over the years, and the 2024 is the best one yet.

Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV is an excellent SUV. The electric drive capability satisfied all of our daily driving needs during a recent 10-day test. In addition, when we traveled out of state for vacation with the Outlander PHEV, it was simple and easy to live with. Charging is always easy with plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles, and you never “have to” charge. You always have the option to use it temporarily as a hybrid.

The Outlander PHEV has an interesting layout we quite like. It is a roomy five-passenger vehicle with two added jump seats for children stowed under the cargo space. The original Toyota Highlander had a nearly identical setup and quickly became a much-loved family vehicle because of it. If you sometimes need an extra pair of seats when Granny and Gramps join your family for a dinner out, or if you sometimes need to carpool to soccer practice, the Outlander PHEV has the perfect solution.

The Outlander PHEV has a look that is, shall we say, unique? Up front, we can't understand what the designer had in mind. We don’t know which are headlights and which daytime running lights, and we are not sure why they are so spread out. The rest of the styling may look familiar because Mitsubishi enjoys a partnership with Nissan, and the new Rogue and Outlander are not that different in terms of shape. Let’s just say this vehicle looks great in profile.

Toyota’s RAV4 Prime offers a bit more performance, a smidge more EV range, a spare tire in all trims (U.S. spec only), and its massive dealer network has your back. Pricing compared to the Outlander is very similar, almost to the dollar. The biggest difference between the two is that the RAV4 is a five-passenger SUV, and the Outlander PHEV is a 5+2.

Hyundai makes great green vehicles. Its Santa Fe is a lot like the Outlander but is transitioning to a new generation with dramatic changes for 2024. The 2023 Santa Fe offered compact third-row seating and a spare tire but has a slightly less all-EV range than the Outlander offers. Hyundai also matches the ownership package of a long warranty and includes maintenance that Outlander features. Watch for the new 2024 to see if it returns as a PHEV this calendar year. Kia’s Sorento is similar to the Santa Fe in many ways. Its passenger layout is 2-2-2.

There are three Outlander PHEV trims available for 2024. The base ES starts at $42,190, including the destination and handling fee. The similarly-sounding SE costs a few grand more but adds a few options standard. We tested a top-trim Outlander PHEV SEL with the Premium Package and a few other add-ons. Its price was $51,835. Mitsubishi vehicles come with two years of included maintenance.

The table below shows the most common trim levels and how much they will run you.

The Outlander entered a new generation last year. For 2024, the only real change is the addition of an appearance package. We tested the 2023, and you can find a review of that here.

The Outlander PHEV SEL isn’t a rugged off-road-oriented SUV, nor is it a sporty zippy type. Instead, it is built for the rest of us in the heart of the market who want our SUV to be competent, enjoyable to drive, and relaxed in all situations. Our primary impression of the Outlander PHEV SEL is that it is a smooth operator. This 7-passenger SUV feels refined.

We drove the Outlander PHEV SEL in a wide variety of situations. In suburban daily errand runs, it is ideal. The electric mode has more than ample torque to make driving seem effortless. The motor never works hard, and it is silent. In hybrid mode on the highway, the engine is just like any other in any hybrid. You can hear it work, but it is not in any way unusual. Since the electric drive is so quiet, you tend to notice when the supplementary power comes on, but after a few days with the vehicle, you no longer notice.

The Outlander’s suspension is tuned for comfort, and it delivers a nice, smooth ride. Potholes don’t jar the occupants, and the Outlander doesn’t feel tippy or unbalanced in corners. Brakes are entirely normal. You cannot feel the regenerative braking in action.

There are a lot of performance modes from which you can choose besides EV, Save, and Charge, and Normal Hybrid settings that change the powertrain’s behavior. We used Snow mode and Mud mode and found them to work exceptionally well. The Outlander PHEV had no difficulty pulling itself out of a snowed-in parking spot and was very stable on the snow and ice-covered roads after the plows made a pass. We were thrilled that the wipers were of the “lift-up” style. It is such a helpful design feature for those who have to remove snow off of the car in the cold morning.

We also took the Outlander PHEV off-pavement in New Hampshire for multiple days. On unmaintained muddy dirt roads, the Outlander PHEV was superb. We would not take the Outlander truly “off-road,” but on rough dirt roads, it was more than capable.

During our early winter testing, the Outlander PHEV repeatedly exceeded its EPA-estimated 38 miles of EV range by a few miles when fully charged. We drove it for seven straight days in our normal daily activities and never used any gas. Our Emporia home Level 2 EV charger was the ideal companion to our test PHEV. Charging from empty to full took roughly four or five hours. It was never a hassle. On more than one occasion, we would return home from having been out running errands and would charge a bit more in a given day before heading back out for more driving. If you want to do all of your normal local driving emissions-free, you can easily do so in the Outlander PHEV. On secondary roads driving along at speeds under 45, the EV charge lasts for over an hour.

We also took the Outlander PHEV away from home on a long trip. We knew we would drive for over an hour on the highway, then do some back-road driving, and we expected a lot of exploring on our way up to central Maine. We estimated we would cover as many as 300 miles. If we had been testing a battery-electric vehicle, we would have left it home. We have family we may need to return to on a moment’s notice, and being caught away from home without enough range to get back in a straight shot is not something my wife and I would ever risk.

We charged up and headed out. On our journey, the EV range eventually ran out, and the Outlander PHEV switched to hybrid-electric mode. Upon arriving at our Airbnb rental, we found the owners had equipped the five rental units with a single Level 2 Lectron portable charger to use. What luck! We split the use of it with a Tesla owner, and nearly all of our local driving was again done in EV mode. We topped off before heading back home. During the road trip, we covered 270 miles. 126 miles were completed using EV mode, and 144 were driven in hybrid-electric mode. We kept track of the details and found that the Outlander PHEV returned 34 MPG when it was in hybrid mode. Pretty darn good for a 7-passenger AWD SUV in winter.

The Outlander PHEV has the capability to DC Fast Charge. However, of the multiple state rest areas we stopped at in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, none had fast chargers available. Nor did they have any Tesla Superchargers. That was a real wake-up call for us. This is a great reminder that battery-electric vehicles require pampering and may not work for all types of scenarios without special accommodations.

If you have the ability to charge at home with a Level 2 charger and want a no-fuss EV, the Outlander PHEV is one of many great options.

IIHS tested the new-generation Outlander PHEV, and it earned the Top Safety Pick award. NHTSA has not tested the Outlander. In our testing, we found the active safety systems to be simple to use, and we had no false-positive alarms during our extended test.

Plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles are inherently more reliable than conventional gas-powered vehicles. Common failure items like starter motors and alternators are designed out, and instead use the hybrid drive. The rear AWD drive system requires no center differential or drive shaft from the engine to the rear differential because it is electric. There isn’t a traditional transmission to cause problems. Regenerative braking prolongs brake pad and rotor life.

In the 2023 J.D Power Dependability study, Mitsubishi was one of the highest-ranked brands. Mitsubishi scored higher than Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Honda, and even Hyundai and Toyota!

The top trim of the Outlander PHEV is well-equipped, but the $2,700 Premium Package adds a panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, premium leather seats, massage seats, a head-up display, and premium audio. We would have a hard time ignoring that package if we were shopping.

You may have detected that we are fans of Mitsubishi. One reason for our favorable view of the brand is that it offers an excellent warranty and included maintenance package. Incredibly, since it is part of the hybrid drive, the HVAC system’s main components are covered up to 10 years or 100K miles. The total package is very similar to Hyundai’s.

• Basic: 5 years / 60k miles for first and subsequent owners
• Powertrain: 10 years / 100k miles For first owners
• 2 Years / 30K included maintenance
• PHEV components and battery 10 years / 100K miles
• HVAC components 10 years / 100K miles
• If buying used, consider our list of best extended warranty providers

We loved the prior generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. However, we would suggest that shoppers only consider used Outlanders that still have meaningful time and miles remaining on the hybrid system warranty.

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