Comparison of Mitsubishi Outlander and Freelander 2

Mitsubishi has a good track record in the SUV market and Land Rover has built its brand on SUVs, so how does the new Mitsubishi Outlander compare to the Land Rover Freelander 2?

The Outlander has seven seats compared to the Freelander’s five, but the third row of seats or “bench” in the Outlander is only suitable for children, as legroom is limited and has been criticized as uncomfortable. Both compact SUVs have 60/40 split rear seats, but which has more room? The Outlander has three rows of seats in a 2-3-2 configuration and offers 220 liters of space with all 7 seats up, 541 liters with just five seats up and 1691 liters with all but the front seats folded down. The Freelander 2 has a maximum capacity of 1,670 with all the rear seats folded down and 755 with the seats up. Both have impressive top capacities, but the Freelander offers more usable space when all five seats are up. A 7-seat Freelander is expected sometime this year, which should add further versatility to the range.

The Freelander 2 is touted as the cleanest Land Rover ever built, with the new eD4 2.2 diesel engine with start-stop technology producing 158 g/km of CO2 and 47.2 mpg. This is for the 2WD version though, the 4 wheel drive model gets 45.6 mpg and 165 g/km. The Outlander isn’t far off those numbers, the 2.2-litre diesel engine emitting 169 g/km of CO2 and offering 43.5 mpg. The Outlander’s new diesel engine is also more powerful than the Freelander’s, producing 174bhp versus the Freelander 2.2 diesel’s 150bhp.

The Freelander has been criticized in the past for being unreliable and poorly built, but the new Freelander 2 has been said to feel really solid and handles as well as you’d expect off-road, tackling even the toughest situations with ease. , but it’s just as competent on the road. The Outlander also apparently handles very well and is especially agile for a 4×4 thanks to the firm suspension.

So how do you compare price wise? The entry-level Freelander S model starts from £21,995, while the top-end Freelander 2 HSE will set you back £32,995.00. The Mitsubishi Outlander costs from £22,099 for 4WD models and from £23,349 for 2WD versions, with the GX4 starting at £28,599.

Both look very beefy, but the Land Rover has the upper hand, even with the recent styling update the Outlander is still pretty ‘bland’. So far I’m not sure if I’ll visit my local Mitsubishi dealer in Somerset or go to my local Land Rover dealer as both have their pros and cons.