2005 Mitsubishi Outlander: Most Improved Crossover award

I only had enough time to put about 50 miles on the Outlander, but that was enough to convince me that Mitsubishi has done a great job working out the bugs. A friend owns an '03 Outlander and his experience echoes what I found in my first review: A nice package that needed more power and a bigger options list. The top-of-the-line Outlander Limited I just drove certainly addresses the power issue; a fresh injection of horsepower boosts acceleration into V6 territory, but mileage (21 city/25 highway) is still good for an SUV. At the entry level, there's now a manual transmission. And the Limited offers up lots of goodies, including a 6-CD/MP3 changer and leather seats, for a remarkably reasonable $25,774. I complained about the steering back in '03, but I didn't have a problem with the way the '05 held the road. It's nice to see that the Outlander is now living up to it's potential. If you're in the market for a wagon/SUV crossover, check this one out. -- Aaron Gold