Mitsubishi Outlander vs Toyota Highlander
Two compact SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.
// VERDICT
Our verdict
Buy the Toyota Highlander to minimise 5-year ownership cost.
Buy the Toyota Highlander if long-term reliability matters most.
// COST HEAD TO HEAD
Maintenance and ownership cost
| Mitsubishi Outlander | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance | $519 | $489winner |
| 5-year total cost | $2,595 | $2,445winner |
| Reliability score | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Major repair risk (5yr) | 11%winner | 13% |
| Cargo space | — | — |
| Starting price (new) | $29,995winner | $45,870 |
| Best years to buy | — | — |
// RELIABILITY
Which is more reliable?
| Mitsubishi Outlander | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| RepairPal score | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| NHTSA complaints / 100k | 278.2 | 0winner |
| Years to avoid | 2014, 2015, 2016 | None identified |
| Value retained · 3 yr | 72.4% | 83.6%winner |
| Value retained · 5 yr | 52.5% | 63.7%winner |
| Value retained · 7 yr | 41.5% | 51.5%winner |
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks — and what it costs
| Mitsubishi Outlander | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 14.5% | —winner |
| Electrical | 7.6% | —winner |
| ADAS | 10.2% | —winner |
| Brakes | 7.5% | —winner |
| Suspension | 2.7% | —winner |
| Steering | 2.5% | —winner |
| Fuel system | 2.5% | —winner |
| Tires/Wheels | 2.0% | —winner |
| Glass/Windows | 4.2% | —winner |
| Airbags | 9.3% | —winner |
One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.
// INSURANCE
Which is cheaper to insure?
| Mitsubishi Outlander | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg annual premium | $2,676 | $2,401winner |
// FULL MODEL PAGES
// FAQ
Common questions
The Outlander costs $519/year to maintain — $2 below the compact segment average of $521, an essentially negligible difference. Repair frequency of 26% is below the class average of 30%. Reliability score of 8 and major repair probability of 11% are both at segment averages. Solid average-cost ownership with slightly better repair frequency.
How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →