The 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander is the only non-luxury compact SUV with standard three-row seating. Plus, it has a nice interior, lots of standard features and tech, and is offered at an affordable price. In fact, the 2026 Outlander is the cheapest three-row crossover on the market today. It fills a unique niche in the compact SUV class with the third row – yes, it’s tight but the Outlander can seat up to seven people.
Base Price: $40,645
As Tested: $47,235
Horsepower: 174
Mileage: 26 mpg city/30 mpg highway/27 mpg combined
Mitsubishi has been improving the Outlander over the past several years. For 2026, the Outlander gets a new powertrain: a new turbocharged mild hybrid engine, as well as new trims and small but noticeable refinements to ride quality and interior technology.
The 2026 Outlander comes in seven main trims: ES, LE, SE, Ralliart, Trail Edition, SEL, and Black Edition. The LE is new, while the Black Edition, Trail Edition, and Ralliart models add trim-specific colors, features, and options. Starting prices range from $29,995 to $43,045. These prices are very competitive in the compact SUV segment.
Front-wheel drive is standard on the ES, LE, SE, SEL, and Black Edition trims and Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system is available. S-AWC is standard on the Ralliart and Trail Edition models.
For 2026, the old 2.5 liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine is replaced with a 1.5- liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a mild hybrid 48-volt charging system. Power output drops slightly to 174 horsepower, but torque jumps to 206 pound-feet, which improves throttle response. The new engine is paired with a continuously variable transmission.
Performance is all about comfort and ease of handling. If you want quick acceleration and excitement, the 2026 Outlander won’t be your first choice. Acceleration can feel pokey so you’ll want to plan ahead when merging and passing at highway speeds, especially with passengers and gear in the vehicle. Steering is light and brakes are responsive, and the Outlander feels planted when cornering. The ride quality is soft and comfortable with the suspension doing a good job of absorbing bumps and rough pavement.
Fuel economy is ok for a compact SUV. EPA ratings for front-wheel drive models are 26 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 28 mpg combined. AWD models are rated at 26 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 27 mpg combined. I got 27 mpg during my week with the SEL trim with AWD with a mix of city and highway driving.
When properly equipped, the 2026 Outlander can tow up to 2,000 pounds.
The cabin is surprisingly nice, especially considering the price point. Mitsubishi has steadily upgraded the interior. Yes, there are hard plastics as you’d expect at this price point, but the design is attractive and modern. Lower trims get cloth upholstery while upper trims have synthetic or real leather seating, soft-touch materials and stitched trim. A 12.3-inch touchscreen with navigation and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard on all trims.
Front seats are comfortable and nicely cushioned. The second-row seats are almost as comfortable and are spacious enough for adults. The third row is the Outlander’s stand-out feature and its limitation. The two-seat third row is cramped with very little legroom and it’s really only suited for smaller kids on shorter trips. Still, the Outlander is the only compact crossover that can accommodate seven passengers, even if only in a pinch.
The infotainment system looks great with its large 12.3-inch touchscreen. Navigation is standard, which is rare at this price point, as are wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The system is easy to use, with logically arranged menus and plenty of physical controls.
The 2026 Mitsubishi comes well-equipped, especially considering the price.
ES – MSRP $29,995 with front-wheel drive or $31,795 with S-AWC. Even the base trim includes features that are often extras in other brands.
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Seven-inch driver multi-information display
- Infotainment system with 12.3-inch touchscreen with navigation
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Yamaha premium eight-speaker audio system
- Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control
- Cloth seating
- Heated Front Seats (S-AWC models only)
- Six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
- Power Lumbar Support for Driver Seat
- LED Interior Lighting
- Auto-dimming Rearview Mirror
- Automatic LED Headlights and Taillights
LE (new for 2026) – MSRP $32,345 with front-wheel drive or $34,145 with S-AWC. This trim offers strong value with all ES standard equipment, plus:
- 20-inch black alloy wheels
- Black headliner and pillars
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
- Synthetic leather seating surfaces
- Smartphone wireless charger
- LED fog lights
- Heated side mirrors
- Front rain-sensing wipers
- Eight-way power adjustable driver seat
- Two rear USB-C ports
- Homelink garage door opener
- Multi-view camera system
- FAST-Key entry system
SE – MSRP $34,345 with FWD or $36,145 with S-AWC. This is the most popular trim. It adds:
- 20-inch two-tone alloy wheels
- Synthetic leather seating
- Heated power folding side mirrors
- Power liftgate with adjustable height
SE with Tech Package – MSRP $37,545 with FWD or $39,345 with S-AWC. This trim includes all SE standard equipment plus:
- Yamaha Ultimate 12-speaker audio system
- Power panoramic sunroof
- 12.3″ digital driver display
Ralliart – MSRP $39,645, only available with S-AWC. This trim has blacked-out trim, unique wheels and sportier styling cues. It includes all SE standard equipment plus:
- RALLIART exterior styling including black hood emblem, spoiler and mudflaps
- Performance themed 20-inch wheels
- Sport interior accents and badging
- Tuned steering and suspension feel
Trail Edition – MSRP $39,645, only available with S-AWC. This trim is suitable for light off-roading and camping with a slightly raised ground clearance. It includes all SE S-AWC standard equipment plus:
- Black alloy 18-inch wheels
- Black roof rails
- All-terrain design accents
- Front wiper de-icer
- Headlight washers
- All-weather floor mats
- All-weather cargo protector
SEL – MSRP $39,045 with FWD or $40,845 with S-AWC. This trim includes all SE standard equipment plus:
- Leather appointed seating surfaces
- ventilated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Aluminum pedals
- Power panoramic sunroof
- 12.3-inch digital driver display
- Reverse auto tilt mirrors
- Silver roof rails
- Three-zone automatic climate control
- Heated rear seats
- Rear door pull-up sunshade
SEL with Premium Package (available on SEL) – MSRP $42,095 with FWD or $43,895 with S-AWC. This trim includes all SE standard equipment plus:
- Yamaha Ultimate 12-speaker audio system
- Head-up display
- Brick brown Semi-Aniline premium leather appointed seating surfaces
- Synthetic leather door insert with quilting in Brick Brown
- Two-tone roof
- Digital rearview mirror with rear camera
- Black spoiler
- Black headliner and pillars
Black Edition – MSRP $43,045 with FWD or $44,845 with S-AWC. This trim includes all SEL with Premium Package standard equipment plus:
- 20-inch black alloy wheels
- Black Semi-Aniline premium leather appointed seating surfaces
- Black Edition badge
- Black outer door handle covers
Standard driver assistance technologies on all trims include
- Forward collision warning
- Forward and reverse automatic emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Pedestrian detection
- Rear parking sensors
- Driver-attention monitoring
- Automatic high-beam headlights
- Rear-seat alert
Available driver assistance technologies include
- Lane-departure warning
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane-centering assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- MI-Pilot Assist (Mitsubishi’s semi-autonomous driving system that uses adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist to maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead)
- Traffic-sign recognition
- Front parking sensors
- Head-up display
- Rear-camera mirror
- Surround-view camera system
Cargo space is ok when the third row is folded and puny with the third row in place. There are only 10.9 cubic feet with the third row up, and that expands to 30.6 cubes when the third row is folded, and 64.3 cubes with the second and third rows folded. The second row has a 40/20/40 split, which means passengers can sit in the outboard seats and the middle space can accommodate long items. A power liftgate is available.
The warranty is industry-leading with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and five-year/60,000-mile limited warranty.
The good:
Good value for the money
Least expensive three-row SUV on the market
Easy to drive
Attractive cabin
User-friendly infotainment system with big 12.3-inch touchscreen
Standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Room for seven in a pinch
Long warranty coverage
The not-so-good:
Leisurely acceleration
Very tight third row
Limited cargo space with three rows in use
Pricing info:
My 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL S-AWC test vehicle starts at $40,845. The White Diamond/Black roof is $995. The Premium Package is $3,050 and includes the Dynamic Sound Yama Ultimate 12-speaker audio system, synthetic leather door insert with quilting in Brick Brown, semi-Aniline leather appointed seating surfaces, 10.8-inch head-up display, digital rearview mirror with rear camera, and unique black spoiler. The grille paint protection film is $135. The tonneau cover is $240. The Welcome Package is $225 and includes a touch-up paint pen in body color, console tray mat, carpet floor mats, and vehicle manuals binder. The destination fee is $1,745, bringing the grand total to $47,235.
Bottom line:
Most shoppers don’t even think of the Mitsubishi Outlander when they’re looking for a compact SUV, and that’s a shame. With its expanded trim levels, attractive cabin, solid tech, third row (albeit cramped), and excellent warranty coverage, the 2026 Outlander is a very good family hauler, especially for those who want a lot of features but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg.
