Starting at
Starting at
11 | Touch Screen Size (inches) | 8 |
54.1 | Cargo Capacity (cu.ft.) | 49.5 |
6-Speed Automatic | Transmission | CVT |
Subcompact SUVs have become a staple in America’s automotive landscape, with their higher driving positions and more spacious cabins heightening their appeal. Automakers like Chevrolet capitalize on this appeal and prove you can enjoy the benefits of driving an SUV without the gas-guzzling tendencies or sluggish performance, making subcompact models incredibly efficient and fun to drive because of their smaller footprints. These characteristics are apparent when comparing the 2024 Chevy Trax vs 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, but one SUV undoubtedly gains the advantage.
The 2024 Outlander Sport looks good on paper with its trim and multi-engine lineup, but that comes at a significant cost compared to the value Chevrolet offers with the 2024 Trax. The Outlander Sport starts at $23,695 in 2024, which gives you the bare minimum in its entry-level trim. For Mitsubishi, the bare minimum is a surprisingly sparse cabin with a small infotainment system and fewer conveniences. Fortunately, Chevrolet takes a different approach, with the 2024 Trax LS packed with value and modern technologies at a far more affordable price of $20,400.[a]
The Chevy Trax’s value-oriented price tag gives it an obvious advantage, but there’s far more to the Trax’s reputation than its starting MSRP. Experts across the industry agree about the Trax’s packaging, with Car and Driver giving it a 10 out of 10 rating, a coveted honor that’s earned and not haphazardly awarded. In contrast, the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander doesn’t fare as well, earning a four out of 10 rating because of its lackluster design, mediocre performance, and higher price tag.
What else differentiates these two subcompact SUVs? How does Chevrolet deliver the complete package with the 2024 Trax when Mitsubishi misses the mark? We’re here with a closer look at the rivalry that slates the 2024 Chevy Trax vs the 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
At first glance, the Outlander Sport seems to gain the advantage with its extensive lineup that caters to various driving, style, and performance needs. However, Mitsubishi misses the mark and ignores one crucial factor–the importance of offering tangible value. How so? The 2024 Outlander Sport is more expensive than the value it provides, with the SUV’s starting price of $23,695 compared to the more affordable and better-valued 2024 Trax at $20,400.[a]
The entry-level Outlander Sport S boasts the bare minimum despite its higher starting price. Its basic features include front rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control, and LED low and high-beam headlights. Alternatively, Chevrolet offers more value with the 2024 Trax, with the model equipped with advanced features like wireless smartphone integration, the Chevy Safety Assist suite, and active noise cancellation to deliver a smooth and tranquil ride.
The Outlander Sport’s high starting price means the SUV only gets more expensive as you climb the lineup, with the top-tier SEL running just north of $28,000. While the trim is luxurious, it pales compared to the Trax’s top-tier ACTIV and 2RS trims, which are nearly $5,000 cheaper and far better equipped. These models not only look the part of top-tier trims with their exclusive wheels, badging, and accents, but they also have distinct personalities.
Chevrolet takes this approach across the Trax’s lineup in 2024, from the entry-level LS and 1RS to the LT, 2RS, and ACTIV. Each trim has a unique personality with specific design elements and technologies that differentiate it. Most notably, Chevrolet doesn’t force drivers to compromise their wants and needs in the SUV for the sake of their budget, keeping the Trax’s cost modest even on top-tier trims with every feature and amenity imaginable. The 2024 Trax gains an undeniable advantage and keeps more of your hard-earned money where it should be–in your wallet.
As subcompact SUVs, the 2024 Chevy Trax and 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport are comparable in size and performance. However, the Trax has apparent advantages over the Outlander Sport when you look at its recent growth spurt in 2024, which makes it more accommodating to passengers and cargo without compromising its footprint, efficiency, or handling. The details showcase as much, from the standard powerplants and EPA-estimated fuel economies to the cabin’s dimensions.
The 2024 Outlander Sport and 2024 Trax have similar footprints, with the Outlander Sport boasting a 105.1-inch wheelbase compared to the Trax’s wheelbase at 106.3 inches. The Trax stretches nearly seven inches longer at 178.6 inches, but the Outlander Sport sits over three inches taller at 64.8 inches. However, Chevrolet’s efforts to expand the Trax for 2024 mean the subcompact SUV boasts more room for passengers and cargo than its Mitsubishi rival.
With Chevrolet stretching the Trax 11 inches longer and two inches wider in 2024, the Trax has more head and legroom across the first and second rows. This additional space gives your second-row passengers far more room to stretch out, with the Trax offering 38.7 inches of legroom in the second row compared to the Outlander Sport’s mere 36.3 inches. Luckily, this growth also translates to a 12% increase in cargo capacity, which gives the Trax and its 54.1 cu.ft. of cargo space an advantage over the much smaller Outlander Sport and its 49.5 cu.ft. of space.
These capacities mark a significant difference between the 2024 Trax and the 2024 Outlander Sport, especially the functionality and versatility of the cabins. Performance is also a defining element, with the Outlander Sport guzzling more fuel despite its continuously variable transmission and multi-engine lineup. Even with the more efficient standard powerplant, the Outlander Sport averages 24 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway. In contrast, the larger and more accommodating Trax modestly sips fuel, averaging 28 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway, giving you the best of both worlds–the spaciousness of an SUV and sedan-like efficiency.
As 2024 models, the Trax and Outlander Sport are well-equipped with connectivity, safety, and driver-assist features. Chevrolet and Mitsubishi recognize the importance of keeping drivers connected and informed, abiding by the industry-wide standards that require every model to have specific safety features. These features include everything from the high-strength steel used to build the Trax and Outlander Sport to the airbags strategically placed throughout the cabin. So, how do the models differ?
Chevrolet does a far better job of equipping the 2024 Trax with advanced connectivity and driver-assist technologies without sending the SUV’s price mile-high. Alternatively, Mitsubishi asks drivers to pay a premium for the bare minimum or spend a small fortune on what Chevrolet considers a standard feature. For example, the 2024 Outlander Sport comes with a 7-inch touchscreen display, but the Trax’s standard display is an inch larger. While you can easily spend more on the Outlander Sport with an 8-inch display, Chevrolet adds more value and recognizes the need for more intuitive technology by equipping higher-tier Trax trims with an expansive 11-inch infotainment system. The difference is remarkable, especially considering the Trax’s price tag.
Beyond the display size, the 2024 Trax has another significant advantage over the 2024 Outlander Sport because Chevrolet includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard across the lineup. The intuitive technology complements a host of available upgrades, including the wireless smartphone charger and integrated WiFi hotspot. For the Outlander Sport, enjoying wireless smartphone integration means paying more. Unfortunately, the same is true when it comes to driver-assist features.
The 2024 Outlander Sport doesn’t offer comparable driver-assist technologies on its base model, giving the 2024 Trax another opportunity to shine. Mitsubishi forces drivers to upgrade beyond the entry-level trim to enjoy tools like Forward Collision Mitigation with Pedestrian Detection and Lane Departure Warning. Chevrolet doesn’t force drivers to spend more but outfits every Trax with the Chevy Safety Suite. This suite includes Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, a Forward Collision Alert, a Following Distance Indicator, IntelliBeam automatic high-beam control, and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning. You can also enjoy the perks of the SUV’s standard rear vision camera and optional upgrades like Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert.