The team at White Bear Mitsubishi is ready to introduce buyers from the Casa Grande area to the 2024 Outlander. As a dealership that has set sales records for this outstanding SUV, we are helping our customers understand the benefits of owning a 2024 Outlander by comparing it to its competition, the Toyota Highlander.

Comparing the 4-cycling engines offered in the Highlander and Outlander, the Toyota model is a 2.4-liter I4 turbo with 265 horsepower, and the Mitsubishi is a 2.5 liter I4 delivering 181 horsepower. The slightly lower horsepower gives the Outlander the advantage when evaluating fuel economy as it beats the Highlander by two miles per gallon in city and highway driving.

The Highlander is marketed as having a capacity of eight, while the Outlander seats only seven in the comparably sized SUV. The takeaway is that passengers in the Highlander have less space and comfort than those in the seven-seat Outlander. Third-row seating in the Highlander is more appropriate for children as the space is minimal. Both SUVs offer three climate zones and power seating. However, the Outlander's eight settings on the power seats exceed the offering of the Highlander.

Both vehicles earned high safety ratings and offer many standard safety features, such as:

• Brake assist
• Blind spot monitor
• Lane-keeping assist
• Backup camera
• An alarm
• Traction and stability control
• Knee airbags and front and rear curtain airbags

An around-view camera and heads-up display are optional features on both as well. But the Outlander has a few more features not included on the Highlander, such as forward collision warning, rear parking sensors, and front and rear side airbags, while the Highlander only offers front side airbags.

While seating for eight is a tight squeeze in the Highlander, the added space can be converted to carry added cargo without much trouble. When these SUVs are at maximum seating, the Highlander includes around five added cubic feet of cargo space over the Outlander. That increases to 17 additional cubic feet when the second row is folded and roughly 20 cubic feet more cargo space than the Outlander when the third row is also folded. While this added space is nice, how often will it be used? It also accounts for the added weight and size of the vehicle, which decreases fuel economy and adds challenges when driving on crowded city streets and locating adequate parking space.

Both the Toyota Highlander and Mitsubishi Outlander are great SUVs that meet the needs for a daily driver that can also handle a road trip with family or friends. But the Outlander will deliver all the features and functions you need for about ten grand less. The base MSRP for the Outlander is $29,840, while the Highlander will set you back $40,515 for a base model.

The question that must be answered is, are you willing to pay one-third more for the added horsepower, additional small seat, and space for one more carry-on bag? And don't forget you will be paying more for fuel as the more costly SUV is also less fuel efficient. The team at Premier Mitsubishi is sure that once you see the 2024 Outlander, you will make the wise financial choice.