Video: 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander Review: The Cheapest 3-Row SUV?

(upbeat music) The first thing you should know about the 2026 Outlander is that it's powered by an all-new, Mitsubishi-developed, 1 1/2-liter, turbocharged, mile-hybrid, four-cylinder engine. It's a little down on horsepower from the four-cylinder it replaces, but significantly up on torque and has slightly better fuel economy. And it doesn't really move the needle for me. Power delivery isn't as linear as it was previously, the engine on off transitions are not seamless despite the mild hybrid, and the engine can shut off under deceleration before you've come to a complete stop, which made me think that it stalled out entirely. That's not a great feeling. The second thing you should know about the Outlander is actually about the number three. The third row is still here, and I still have very mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, the head restraints are so large that they block most of the rear-view mirror when they're up. And in case you can't tell, really, no one fits back here. Certainly not adults. But, on the other hand, it's a nice-to-have feature in a pinch. And again, you can't find a more affordable three-row SUV than a base Outlander. But here's the thing, this isn't the base Outlander. (car door thudding) It's got an as-tested price at just over $47,000. And at that amount of money, the value proposition disappears very quickly. You start running into three-row alternatives that are a lot better, including nicely-equipped versions of our best family car of 2026, the Hyundai Santa Fe. If you're looking for a budget three-row SUV, the Outlander's hard to beat, but the updates for 2026 aren't really that much better than the 2025. And if your budget is taking you to the price level of this test vehicle, you have a lot better alternatives out there. (upbeat music)