What is the best year for a Mitsubishi Outlander?

The 2025 Outlander (13 complaints, 8/10 safety, 2 severe) is the cleanest year in the model's history. The 2023-2025 window represents the settled third generation. Avoid 2015 (231 complaints) and 2022 (206 complaints — new generation launch year). For used buying, 2023 or newer is the safest range.

How much does Mitsubishi Outlander insurance cost?

Outlander insurance averages around $2,676/year — roughly $223/month. This is notably above average for a compact SUV and the highest insurance rate in the compact class, likely reflecting parts availability and repair costs for a lower-volume brand.

Is the Mitsubishi Outlander or Toyota RAV4 cheaper to maintain?

The RAV4 is $90/year cheaper — $429 versus $519 for the Outlander, about $450 in savings over five years. Both carry the same reliability score and major repair probability. The RAV4 holds a clear maintenance cost advantage.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Mitsubishi Outlander?

Major repair probability and reliability are both at class average, and repair frequency is below it. The outsized insurance premium already adds meaningfully to total ownership cost — factor that before adding extended warranty cost. For 2023+ models, warranty coverage isn't strongly warranted.

Is the Toyota RAV4 expensive to maintain?

The RAV4 costs around $429/year to maintain — $92 below the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 26% is also below the class average of 30%, meaning fewer unscheduled shop visits than most rivals. Combined with an 8/10 reliability score and 10% major repair probability, it's one of the most economical compact SUVs to own over time.

What is the best year for a Toyota RAV4?

The 2022 RAV4 is the standout used buy. It marks the first fully settled year of the fifth generation after a turbulent launch window — complaints dropped from 865 in 2019 to just 127 in 2022, with a 10/10 NHTSA safety score and only 13 severe issues. The 2022–2023 range is reliably strong. Be cautious with 2019–2021 models, which carried elevated complaint counts as Toyota worked through early fifth-gen issues.

How much does Toyota RAV4 insurance cost?

RAV4 insurance averages around $1,990/year, or about $166/month — nearly identical to the Honda CR-V and toward the lower end for compact SUVs. The RAV4's broad popularity means insurers price it competitively. Rates vary by trim, location, and driver history, but the RAV4 is consistently an affordable quote across most profiles.

Is the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V cheaper to maintain?

The difference is minimal — the RAV4 averages $429/year versus $407/year for the CR-V, a gap of about $22 annually. Over five years that's roughly $110. Both are class leaders in maintenance cost. The CR-V scores slightly higher on reliability (9 vs. 8), but the RAV4's lower repair frequency (26% vs. 30%) means fewer unscheduled trips to the shop. Either is a sound long-term ownership choice.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Toyota RAV4?

Probably not for most buyers. The RAV4's major repair probability of 10% sits just below the compact segment average, and its 8/10 reliability score reflects a vehicle that holds up well with normal maintenance. If you're purchasing a 2019–2021 model used — which carried above-average complaints during the fifth generation's early years — adding powertrain coverage is a reasonable precaution. For 2022 and newer, the reliability case for an extended warranty is weak.

Mitsubishi Outlander vs Toyota RAV4

Two compact SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Toyota RAV4 to minimise 5-year ownership cost.

Buy the Toyota RAV4 if long-term reliability matters most.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Mitsubishi Outlander	Toyota RAV4
Annual maintenance	$519	$429winner
5-year total cost	$2,595	$2,145winner
Reliability score	8 / 10	8 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	11%	10%winner
Cargo space	—	70.4 cu ft
Starting price (new)	$29,995winner	$34,800
Best years to buy	—	2018, 2021, 2022

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Mitsubishi Outlander	Toyota RAV4
RepairPal score	8 / 10	8 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	278.2	89winner
Years to avoid	2014, 2015, 2016	2012, 2013, 2014
Value retained · 3 yr	72.4%	94.5%winner
Value retained · 5 yr	52.5%	75%winner
Value retained · 7 yr	41.5%	62%winner

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Mitsubishi Outlander	Toyota RAV4
Engine	14.5%winner	15.5%
Electrical	7.6%winner	12.7%
ADAS	10.2%	9.7%winner
Brakes	7.5%	5.8%winner
Suspension	2.7%winner	2.9%
Steering	2.5%winner	3.9%
Fuel system	2.5%winner	7.9%
Tires/Wheels	2.0%winner	2.1%
Glass/Windows	4.2%winner	5.1%
Airbags	9.3%	7.8%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 RAV4
Avg annual premium	$2,676	$1,990winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Mitsubishi Outlander

$519/yr maint · 8 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Toyota RAV4

$429/yr maint · 8 reliability

Full model page

// 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 →