The 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander stands out as the least expensive three-row vehicle on sale in the United States, starting at $29,995 before a $1,745 destination fee. As new vehicle prices continue to rise, the Outlander offers families a lower-cost way to get a vehicle with seating for seven.
The Cheapest Three-Row Vehicle in America
Mitsubishi is currently the only mainstream automaker offering a compact crossover with three rows, giving the Outlander a price advantage of thousands of dollars over its closest three-row rival. The Kia Sorento is the second-cheapest option at $32,390, plus a $1,445 destination fee, although it belongs to a larger size class.
Other manufacturers, including Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen, previously offered three-row compact crossovers but do not currently have one in their lineups.
How Usable Is the Outlander’s Third Row?
The Outlander’s third row comes with a significant compromise: space. The seats fold out in a way that consumes nearly half of the available trunk area, while Mitsubishi quotes just 18.7 inches of legroom for passengers in the back.
That figure is considerably less than the 25.8 inches offered by the already cramped Tesla Model Y’s third row. Despite being more than three inches shorter externally, the Mercedes-Benz GLB also provides more third-row legroom, at 29.1 inches.
With the second row pushed all the way back, the Outlander’s third row is extremely tight for adults. Mitsubishi allows the second row to slide forward, however, making the rearmost seats more tolerable for smaller adults on shorter trips.
The third row is not roomy, but it could still prove useful for owners who only need seven seats once or twice a year rather than paying thousands of dollars for additional seating they rarely use.
Does the Outlander Feel Like a Budget Infiniti?
Mitsubishi occupies an unusual position in the U.S. market, with a lineup that includes the Outlander and Outlander Plug-In Hybrid, the Outlander Sport, the Eclipse Cross and the new Eclipse Sportback, essentially a rebadged Nissan Leaf.
The lineup does not have a clear-cut identity, and the Outlander itself spans a wide range. At its entry point, it is America’s cheapest three-row crossover, while its higher trims feel more premium than the Nissan Rogue with which it shares a platform.
The SEL trim tested is the most well-equipped version aside from some visual elements available on the Black Edition. It starts at $40,845, excluding destination, and includes features typically associated with luxury vehicles such as diamond-quilted leather, heated and ventilated seats, heated rear seats, a power memory driver’s seat, three-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof and a heated steering wheel.
The SEL has one major option: a $3,000 Premium Package. It adds a 12-speaker Yamaha audio system, semi-aniline leather, a head-up display and a digital rearview camera mirror.
The digital mirror is particularly useful because the third row has the largest headrest described in the testing, making it nearly impossible to see through the rear window.
The 2026 Outlander Gets a Mitsubishi Engine
For the 2026 model year, the Outlander moves away from the 2.5-liter Nissan four-cylinder borrowed from the Rogue and adopts a Mitsubishi-sourced engine.
The new 1.5-liter turbo-four is paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and produces 174 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque. Horsepower is down from the previous 181 rating, while torque improves from the previous 181 lb-ft figure.
In testing, the Outlander reached 60 mph in 9.03 seconds. That trails the Nissan Rogue, which completed the same sprint in 8.41 seconds with its 1.5-liter turbo-three engine producing 201 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque.
The Rogue’s VC-Turbo engine was preferred over the Outlander’s four-cylinder during testing, with the assessment that Mitsubishi would have been better served by continuing to use a Nissan engine.
What Comes Next for the Outlander?
Mitsubishi has seven new models planned by 2030 under its Momentum 2030 plan, and the Outlander is expected to be part of that effort.
Nissan has already shown the new Rogue, which is set to arrive in November with a new e-Power hybrid system. The system operates as a series hybrid, with electric motors powering the wheels while the engine works as a generator to charge a small battery.
Nothing has been confirmed, but the system could eventually make its way into the next-generation Outlander. That could allow the Mitsubishi to remain one of the last affordable three-row vehicles in the U.S., while giving the company a much cheaper entry into the hybrid segment than the current Outlander PHEV, which starts at $43,245.
