2022 Mitsubishi Outlander vs 2023 Honda HR-V

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander presented a bold and distinctive design, characterized by its "Dynamic Shield" grille and lighting concept. This gave the vehicle a striking front appearance, while maintaining a balanced and appealing design from the front wheels to the rear bumper. The Outlander was available in several trims, all featuring handsome 20-inch wheels, and offered a range of prices from $25,795 to $35,345. The SEL trim, equipped with AWD and the Touring Package, boasted luxurious interior features such as premium semi-aniline leather, a heated steering wheel, and a panoramic sunroof, creating an upscale ambiance. Despite some interior plastics reminding occupants of its compact crossover status, the Outlander managed to avoid using obviously inexpensive materials.

In contrast, the 2023 Honda HR-V underwent a significant styling update, resulting in a more sophisticated and modern appearance. The new design featured a lowered beltline and simplified detailing, creating a sleeker look with cleaner lines. The HR-V's interior was thoughtfully designed, with a focus on refinement and quality materials. The EX-L trim, in particular, offered perforated leather seats, dual-zone climate control, and a power moonroof, providing a comfortable and upscale cabin experience. The HR-V's interior space was well-utilized, with a sculptural center console and a metal honeycomb grille that added a premium feel. Despite its fastback look, the HR-V maintained good visibility and offered ample cargo space, making it a practical choice for everyday use.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander was powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that powered the front wheels, with an optional Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) AWD system. Despite the "super" designation, the S-AWC used a brake-induced torque-vectoring system rather than a mechanical one. The Outlander offered various driving modes, including Eco, Normal, Tarmac, Gravel, Snow, and Mud, but the performance was generally underwhelming. The vehicle felt most responsive in lower-speed environments, but struggled with acceleration on highways and during passing maneuvers. The steering was vague and disconnected, and the suspension was too firm, resulting in a brittle ride on anything but smooth pavement. The Outlander returned 24.9 mpg in testing, slightly below the EPA's rating of 26 mpg for AWD models.

The 2023 Honda HR-V featured a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine, delivering 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. This was an improvement over the previous model, but the HR-V still felt underpowered compared to some competitors. The updated CVT included a Step-Shift function to mimic traditional automatic transmission sounds, but paddle shifters were no longer available. The HR-V offered Normal, Snow, and ECON drive modes, with a Sport mode accessible via the shifter. The new suspension setup and widened tracks improved handling, making the HR-V surprisingly fun to drive on winding roads. However, the vehicle remained noisier at higher speeds, and the lack of multiple powertrain options was a drawback compared to rivals like the Kia Seltos and Ford Bronco Sport.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander excelled in form and function, offering roomy and comfortable front seats with heated features and an eight-way power adjustment for the driver. The interior design was clean and intuitive, with impressive digital displays and a stylish electronic transmission shifter. However, the center console lacked storage space, and the third-row seat was cramped, suitable only for children. With the third row in use, cargo space was limited to 11.7 cubic feet, but folding it down increased capacity to 33.5 cubic feet. Maximum cargo volume was 79.7 cubic feet, or 78.3 cubic feet with the panoramic sunroof.

The 2023 Honda HR-V, while compact, offered a well-thought-out interior with a practical center console and ample storage options. The fastback design slightly reduced rear-seat headroom, but the HR-V still provided comfortable seating and a nearly flat cargo floor when the rear seats were folded. Cargo space measured 24.4 cubic feet with the seats up and 55.1 cubic feet with them down, making it one of the largest in its class. The HR-V's passenger volume varied slightly between trims, with the EX-L offering a bit more space. Despite a slight reduction in rear legroom, the front seats provided improved comfort with 41.9 inches of legroom.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL with the Touring Package featured standout technology, including a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display, a large and detailed HUD, and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay. The system also included a two-year subscription to Mitsubishi Connect services and a 10-speaker Bose audio system. However, the voice-recognition technology struggled with accuracy, particularly at higher speeds due to road noise.

The 2023 Honda HR-V's infotainment system was updated with a tablet-style touchscreen, offering physical controls for power and volume. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard across all trims, with wireless versions available on the EX-L. The EX-L also featured a 9-inch display, a wireless charging pad, and an eight-speaker audio system. The HR-V included a 7-inch digital gauge cluster and multiple USB ports, with additional features like Smart Entry and remote start on higher trims.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander came equipped with Mi-Pilot Assist, a hands-on Level 2 driver-assist system similar to Nissan's ProPilot Assist. It included features like forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping assistance, and blind-spot warning. However, the steering assistance was intrusive, and crash-test results were unavailable at the time of review.

The 2023 Honda HR-V made Honda Sensing standard across all trims, offering adaptive cruise control, collision-mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, and more. New features for 2023 included traffic-sign recognition and traffic jam assist. The HR-V's safety systems were generally unobtrusive, and the new single-camera system improved the field of vision. While crash-test results for the 2023 model were pending, the 2022 HR-V received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.