2023 head-to-head · Midsize & Large SUV
2023 Ford Explorer vs Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid
MPG, range and what each one really costs you to fuel, from official EPA ratings and recalculated with your own gas and electricity prices.
AWD · 2.4L 4-cyl · Single-speed · 64 MPGe + 26 MPG
The 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid is the cheaper one to run. Driving 15,000 miles a year with $3.10/gal regular gas and 18¢/kWh electricity, it costs about $1,534 a year to fuel (64 MPGe + 26 MPG), versus $1,938 for the 2023 Ford Explorer (24 MPG). That's roughly $403 a year, or about $2,016 over five years.
Your numbers
Change these to match your driving and local prices. Every figure and chart on this page updates.
Fuel cost over 10 years
- Ford Explorer
- Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid
Side by side
| Ford Explorer | Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid | |
|---|---|---|
| $1,938 | Your annual fuel cost | $1,534 |
| 24 MPG | Combined efficiency | 64 MPGe + 26 MPG |
| 21 MPG | City | 67 MPGe / 25 MPG |
| 28 MPG | Highway | 61 MPGe / 27 MPG |
| — | Electricity use (kWh/100 mi) | 52 kWh |
| — | Driving range | 420 mi |
| — | All-electric range | 38 mi |
| 370 g/mi | Tailpipe CO₂ (g/mi) | 115 g/mi |
| 5/10 | EPA fuel economy score | 8/10 |
| 5/10 | EPA greenhouse gas score | 10/10 |
| — | Charge time at 240V | 6.5 hrs |
| Gas | Powertrain | Plug-in hybrid |
| Regular gasoline | Fuel | Regular gas + electricity |
| 2.3L 4-cyl turbo | Engine / motor | 2.4L 4-cyl |
| 10-speed automatic | Transmission | Single-speed |
| RWD | Drivetrain | AWD |
✓ marks the better value. EPA scores run 1–10 (10 is best). Volumes come from the EPA interior volume index and aren't published for every body style.
Ford Explorer vs Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid across model years
- Ford Explorer
- Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid
Annual fuel cost of the most efficient configuration of each model year, at your prices. Click a point to open that year.
How they differ
Among 73 2023 midsize & large SUVs, the Ford Explorer ranks 16th and the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid 10th for lowest fuel cost.
The powertrains differ: the Ford Explorer is a conventional gas model, while the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more fuel-efficient, the 2023 Ford Explorer or the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid?
Measured by cost to drive, the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid. The Ford Explorer is rated 24 MPG combined and the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid 64 MPGe + 26 MPG (EPA, most efficient configuration of each).
How much does it cost to fuel the 2023 Ford Explorer vs. the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid per year?
At 15,000 miles a year with $3.10/gal regular gas and 18¢/kWh electricity, about $1,938 for the Ford Explorer and $1,534 for the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid.
Ford Explorer vs Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid in other years
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