2019 Honda HR-V vs. 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Both the HR-V and the Outlander Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes and lane departure warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda HR-V is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda HR-V is safer than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The HR-V’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Outlander Sport’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the HR-V’s warranty.

The engine in the HR-V has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Outlander Sport have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 23rd in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 26th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 26th.

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda HR-V is faster than the Outlander Sport ES/SE 2.0 DOHC 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the HR-V gets better fuel mileage than the Outlander Sport:

The Honda HR-V comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Outlander Sport.

The HR-V stops much shorter than the Outlander Sport:

The HR-V has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The HR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Outlander Sport SE 4WD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The HR-V EX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Outlander Sport SE 4WD (27.8 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

The Honda HR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 200 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.

The HR-V Sport/EX/EX-L/Touring uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The HR-V has 2.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Outlander Sport (100.1 vs. 97.5).

The HR-V has .1 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and 3 inches more rear legroom than the Outlander Sport.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the HR-V’s rear seats recline. The Outlander Sport’s rear seats don’t recline.

The HR-V has a much larger cargo area with its rear seat up than the Outlander Sport with its rear seat up (24.3 vs. 21.7 cubic feet). The HR-V has a much larger cargo area with its rear seat folded than the Outlander Sport with its rear seat folded (58.8 vs. 49.5 cubic feet).

The Outlander Sport’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The HR-V’s standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights. (The power lock’s automatic feature may have to be activated by your dealer.)

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the HR-V has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Outlander Sport only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the HR-V’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Outlander Sport’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the HR-V has standard extendable sun visors. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the HR-V EX/EX-L/Touring has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Outlander Sport doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Insurance will cost less for the HR-V owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the HR-V will cost $495 to $2015 less than the Outlander Sport over a five-year period.

The HR-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the HR-V will retain 47.71% to 48.19% of its original price after five years, while the Outlander Sport only retains 42.4% to 43.19%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the HR-V is less expensive to operate than the Outlander Sport because it costs $45 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the HR-V than the Outlander Sport, including $206 less for a water pump, $64 less for a muffler, $15 less for front brake pads, $202 less for fuel injection, $222 less for a fuel pump, $63 less for front struts, $76 less for a timing belt/chain and $378 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda HR-V will be $3579 to $3778 less than for the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda HR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Honda HR-V outsold the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport by over two to one during the 2018 model year.