Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Cruiser vs Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Exceed vs Nissan X-Trail e-Power Ti-L 2023 comparison review

I don’t want you to freak out with these prices. See, the three SUVs we compared all sit at the top of their model ranges, so they cost a lot.

If money is tight, the secret is to opt for the entry-grade hybrid versions, for thousands of dollars less.

Righto, with that said, let me introduce you to the Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed Tourer Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, which lists for $70,990, the Nissan X-Trail Ti-L e-power (we had the latest 2023 version) which lists for $57,190, and the RAV4 Hybrid, which in the Cruiser grade and front-wheel drive lists for $49,700. 

The RAV4 and Outlander we tested were 2022 models, but the prices I have given you here are for the 2023 versions.

Coming standard on all three SUVs are LED headlights and running lights, roof rails and alloy wheels, privacy glass, a sunroof and a proximity key.  

Inside they all have leather seats, wireless phone charging, built-in sat nav, and media systems with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

The Outlander and X-Trail have 12.3-inch displays, they also have head-up displays for speed and navigation, and a 12.3-inch driver display.

The RAV4 also has a 12.3-inch driver display, and a 10.5-inch media display, which is a larger screen than the one on our test car because it was added to the new 2023 model.

The front seats in the RAV4 are heated and ventilated, and while the X-Trail and Outlander don’t have ventilated seats they have front and second row seat heating.

In the 2023 update the Outlander was given heated rear seating, along with a heated steering wheel.

The RAV4 has dual-zone climate control, while the Outlander and X-Trail have three-zone systems.

The equipment level for all three cars is good, but it’s hard to go past the X-Trail for value.   

I have lived with all of these SUVs with my small family of four and can testify they all offer impressive practicality, but there are some differences in the way each offers space and storage.

The Outlander we tested was a seven seater, while the RAV4 and X-Trail were five seaters.

That said, the third row seats in the Outlander won’t accommodate adults comfortably, but are handy if you suddenly need to taxi an extra couple of children home.

As for second-row leg and headroom, the RAV4 wins here with the X-Trail and Outlander feeling as though their seats are too high and offering less space.

Car companies call this ‘theatre seating' and it’s very good for children and their outward visibility, but for tall apes like me it's like sitting on a perch.

The X-Trail stands out for its cabin storage with large door pockets, a floating centre console with a large stowage area underneath plus the widest opening rear doors I think I’ve ever seen.

As a parent with two small children, those wide opening doors make life so much easier when it comes to putting them into their car seats and taking them out again.

The Outlander is also remarkably practical with pull up sun shades for the rear windows, directional vents, climate control in the second row and two standard power points with a combined 1500W output to power appliances when camping.

As for the boots, the Outlander has a 478-litre cargo capacity with the third row folded flat,  the X-Trail is about 100 litres bigger at 575 litres, but the RAV4 tops the lot at 580 litres. 

It’s a trap to assume all hybrids are the same. If you do fall for this assumption you run the risk of buying a hybrid that’s useless for fuel efficiency or impractical for you to own. 

I’m happy to say you are safe with any of these three hybrids, but beware the Outlander will need to be recharged with a cable either at a public fast charger or through a regular household power point in your garage or in my case in my driveway. 

So let’s start with the Outlander. As I said, this is a plug-in hybrid, the only one in our comparison, you might see this SUV referred to as the Outlander PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle).

Under the Outlanders bonnet is a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

The Outlander PHEV has two electric motors - one at the front making 80kW of power and one at the rear producing 100kW. This gives the Outlander PHEV its all-wheel drive ability.

There’s also a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which makes 98kW/195Nm. The maximum combined output of the Outlander’s hybrid system is 185kW/450Nm.

The Outlander PHEV uses an automatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

The X-Trail has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

A 20kW lithium ion battery runs under the Outlander's floor between the front and rear axles and when fully charged offers 84km of pure electric driving range, and will power the motors up to 70km/h.

While the Outlander’s hybrid system will avoid using petrol whenever possible, that engine can drive the front wheels when cruising at high speeds, like on the motorway. While doing this any excess power is used to charge the battery pack. Braking also charges the batteries. 

The RAV4 Hybrid has a much simpler system that combines a 131kW/221Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor making 88kW/202Nm. The combined output of the engine and motor is 160kW. 

The RAV4 Hybrid has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. (Image: Sam Rawlings)

We had the two-wheel drive RAV4 Hybrid which has the one motor but the all-wheel drive has a second motor at the rear.

The RAV4 Hybrid uses a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

A 6.5Ah Nickel Metal Hydride battery is located under the floor near the rear seat and charging is done via the petrol engine or regenerative braking.

It’s a trap to assume all hybrids are the same. (Image: Sam Rawlings)

The latter means when you ease off the accelerator and start braking to slow down, the motor functions as an electrical generator, capturing the kinetic energy and sending it to the battery.

The X-Trail has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine making 106kW/250Nm but its job is to generate electricity, sending DC charge to the 2.1kWh lithium-ion battery and/or AC charge direct to the inverter, which in turn powers two electric motors that turn the wheels.

The front motor has an output of 150kW/350Nm while the rear makes 100kW195Nm. The combined output is 157kW/525Nm.

A hybrid vehicle needs to be fuel efficient - it’s the main reason for buying one. Otherwise what’s the point?

We put extra focus on fuel consumption in this hybrid comparison knowing that along with the performance of the powertrain it’s a deciding factor in which of these SUVs is the best hybrid vehicle.

To test fuel consumption we filled each of the SUVs’ petrol tanks and then drove a set route that was intentionally designed to start at peak hour on a weekday and progress through Sydney’s CBD, then out onto suburban streets, then motorways and finally roads through the bush. The total distance travelled was 140km.

Mitsubishi claims the Outlander will use 1.5L/100km of fuel. (Image: Sam Rawlings)

The loop took three hours and we finished back at the petrol station we started at to fill up again and find out how much fuel each SUV used and from there calculate the consumption.

Toyota says the RAV4 Hybrid front-wheel drive will use 4.7L/100km, we measured 3.7L/100km at the pump after our test.

Nissan says the X-Trail e-power with all-wheel drive will use 6.1L/100km. Well, we came very close to this at 5.9L/100km.

The X-Trail e-power has a fuel efficiency rating of 6.1L/100km. (Image: Sam Rawlings)

Finally Mitsubishi reckons the Outlander will use 1.5L/100km and while this sounds impossible we measured 1.4L/100km at the end of our 140km route.

Of course the Outlander has an advantage - we started with a full charge and that gave us 84km of electric driving range - more than half the total distance of our route.

The catch to the Outlander is you really need to plug it in to charge the battery fully and get the best fuel economy.

Toyota says the RAV4 Hybrid front-wheel drive will use 4.7L/100km. (Image: Sam Rawlings)

My driveway has a regular powerpoint and that’s all I used to plug in the standard cable provided by Mitsubishi.

To charge from 0-100 per cent took just over eight hours which was fine because I did it before going to sleep and in the morning it was full. A fast charger will do it in about 40 minutes.

The X-Trail e-power and RAV4 Hybrid are not plug-in hybrids and there’s no way to charge the batteries other than to drive the cars when it’s done automatically.   

All three SUVs have been awarded the maximum five ANCAP crash safety stars with the RAV4 being tested in 2019, the X-Trail in 2021 and the Outlander in 2022.

All have AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, plus lane keeping assistance and blind spot warning.

All have rear cross-traffic alert but only the Outlander and X-Trail have reverse auto braking for this system, too.

All three SUVs have been awarded the maximum five ANCAP crash safety stars. (Image: Sam Rawlings)

All have front and rear parking sensors, plus reversing cameras. 

The Outlander is the only one of the three that has a centre airbag between the two front seats, while all have front airbags covering the front occupants and curtain airbags covering the first and second rows. 

All of our SUVs tested had space saver spare wheels.