10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Mitsubishi Outlander Maintains Lead Over Ford Explorer, Toyotas

Mitsubishi is wisely taking steps to ensure it keeps the momentum going for its Outlander after its redesign for the 2022 model year. Notably, those steps include offering two years of free maintenance to buyers of the 2024 incarnation of the mid-size SUV, be it in gas-only or plug-in hybrid form. Plus, for those who wish to maintain an elevated lifestyle, the Outlander and Outlander PHEV will both offer expanded upmarket offerings among its trim-level lineup.

Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Ford F-150, Jeep Gladiator Get Shown Up by Nissan Rogue

Irrespective of trim level, however, all 2024 Outlander owners will enjoy scheduled maintenance on the automaker for the first two years or 30,000 miles, including three oil changes, filter replacements and tire rotations, as well as one cabin air filter replacement. As far as upgrades go, the Black Edition — which includes all the requisite inside-and-out blacked-out flourishes you’ll find on these popular packages, as well as 20-inch wheels — expands availability to the PHEV versus just the gas model. The presumably range-topping Platinum Edition, meanwhile, is all-new and is decked out in Black Diamond paint, silver-colored features throughout and a light-gray interior. Pricing has not been announced yet for the new trims, but the gas-only Outlander starts at just over $30,000 and rises through its four trim levels to just under $37,000, while the PHEV’s lineup starts at just under $42,000 at the base and currently tops out at just over $48,000.

For everything we know about the forthcoming 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander and Outlander PHEV on the pricing front, follow the link below to the No. 5 news story of the week on our countdown of most read Cars.com articles.

Also generating interest in the past week has been a pair of federal safety recalls that owners of affected vehicles will want to make note of. One is an expansion of a Toyota recall, now impacting an additional 43,000 vehicles from the 2023 model year on top of 110,000 identified in the original action in July due to a defect that could prevent airbags from deploying in a crash. Affected are the Corolla sedan; Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander and Highlander Hybrid SUVs; and Tacoma pickup truck. In other safety news, more than 238,000 model-year 2020-22 Ford Explorer SUVs are being recalled for an issue with the rear-axle horizontal mounting bolt, which could result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake isn’t applied.

For full details on the Toyota and Ford recalls — including more specifics on the problems, when to expect your official notification from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with instructions on getting the repair made and whom to contact in the meantime for more information — follow the link below to Nos. 7 and 8, respectively, on this week’s countdown.

Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Toyota Grand Highlander, BMW X7 and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:

1. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now

2. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy

3. Pickup Truck Buying Guide: How Much Truck Do You Need? 

4. Electric Cars With the Longest Range

5. 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander, Outlander PHEV: New Platinum Edition, Free Maintenance for 2 Years 

6. Which Electric Cars Are Still Eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit? 

7. Toyota Adds 43,000 Vehicles to Airbag Recall 

8. 238,000-Plus Ford Explorers Recalled for Rollaway Risk 

9. 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Review: Do We Still Need the Regular Highlander? 

10. Is the 2023 BMW X7 a Good SUV? 4 Pros, 3 Cons

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