First Glance
The Outlander is a good looking little SUV, with organic shapes and nice curves that make it appear bigger than its size. It's more in the Subaru Forester school of design than the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V, both of which try to look more functional than attractive. The Outlander has a pronounced snout with the Mitsubishi three-diamond logo and a simple grille. Its large headlights sit at the corners eating a chunk of the hood and a chunk of the fender, setting up a theme of intersecting body lines. A heavy-duty looking roof rack adorns the top of the Outlander. Add a $223 Sport Rack Kit, and you can then add on various and sundry kayak racks, bicycle and snowboard carriers to make your SUV live up to its "U." The Outlander is a perfectly civilized-looking vehicle, not a rugged individualist like the Xterra.The Outlander's rear hatch swings up, offering good head clearance for loading and a nice, low load floor. The rear cargo compartment is kind of small, as the rear seat angle and the angle of the rear hatch conspire to pinch on the space. A flimsy vinyl cargo cover is included to keep your packages private. The Outlander flunked my dog test – I couldn't convince my dog that the cargo area was a good place for canine travel.
In the Driver's Seat
Bizarre design marks the Outlander's dash. Though simple to the point of near starkness, a mix of shapes and textures look like a styling exercise gone awry. There's a long horizontal carbon-fiber-look insert with a couple of round air conditioning vents and a round aluminum clock at the center of the dash. In the center stack, a big rectangular flush-mount radio sits atop parts-bin climate controls. Over the steering wheel, deep set white-faced gauges are set beneath plastic eyebrows. There's nothing wrong with any particular element – the materials are high quality, the build is good – it just doesn't work as a coherent dashboard.
The steering wheel is leather-covered and adjustable for tilt. Flimsy stalks house the switches for the cruise control, turn signals and wipers – a frequent target of complaint on Mitsubishis. An interior can be ruined by inattention to detail.
On the Road
The Outlander has just enough power to work – 160 hp/162 lb-ft of torque. Any less, and it would struggle on inclines. I wouldn't want to tow a trailer, even a small one, or carry heavy loads. For light duty around-town work, the Outlander's 2.4 Liter 4 cylinder engine is fine, just fine. Handling is nothing to write home about, either. With its front wheel drive setup, the Outlander is a little skittish over rain grooves and doesn't inspire much confidence during hard cornering. There's a good deal of body roll, and the engine lets you know when you're asking too much with increased volume and a labored sound. My Outlander came with a 4-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift control and a clutchless manual shift option. I never felt in sync with the transmission in either auto or manual mode.Ride quality is okay, not too soft, not too harsh. The Outlander is very noisy on the road. Tire noise and road noise travel directly into the cabin, and you have to raise your voice to have a conversation when you're on the highway. You can tell when you open and close the doors that there's not a whole lot of insulation – the doors feel flimsy and underweight for their size. I wouldn't want to take a long trip in the Outlander.
Journey's End
Mitsubishi's problems have been well-publicized – some reports have the company at the brink of extinction. Mitsubishi's lineup has some very strong cars. The Lancer and the Eclipse are both fun cars with a lot to offer. I wish more of the merits of the Mitsubishi line had turned up in the Outlander, and fewer demerits – tinny doors, mismatched dashes and buzzy engine. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the next Outlander – maybe it will help me to feel more at home.
