Mitsubishi's Outstanding Outlander

In the market for a small, well-priced, sporty crossover? Mitsubishi's Outlander may be just what you're looking for

by Thane Peterson

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Quickness; safety; available seven-passenger seating; Consumer Reports recommendation

The Bad: Cabin noise on the highway; limited luggage space with third-row seats up

The Bottom Line: A strong rival to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V

Reader Reviews

• View Slide Show

Up Front

If you're thinking of downsizing from a big SUV to a smaller one, there are now so many choices on the market it's difficult to list them all, let alone choose one. But don't overlook Mitsubishi Motors' (MMTOF.PK) new Outlander, which hit the market last year as a totally redesigned 2007 model. It's a quick, relatively sporty crossover vehicle with available four-wheel drive and a rudimentary third-row seat that gives it excellent carpooling potential. For 2008 Mitsubishi has added an inexpensive entry-level model with better fuel efficiency than the 2007 model.

The Outlander now comes in four trim levels. The new entry-level model is the ES, which is powered by a 2.4-liter, 168-hp, four-cylinder engine coupled with a continuously variable automatic transmission. It's rated to get 20 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway. It's also quite inexpensive, starting at $20,665 with front-wheel drive and $22,025 with all-wheel drive, yet comes standard with full-power accessories, a six-CD sound system, 16-inch wheels, air conditioning, and cruise control.

If performance and a bit more luxury are priorities, you have two choices: the Outlander LS or XLS, both powered by a 3.0-liter, 220-hp V6 coupled with a six-speed automatic. They're quick, with a sporty feel to them. The trade-off is that their mileage rating drops to 17/25 with front-wheel drive, and to 17/24 with all-wheel drive.

The LS starts at $23,185 with front-wheel drive and $24,545 with all-wheel drive, and it includes such upgrades as a leather-wrapped steering wheel mounted with audio controls, a keyless ignition, privacy glass, alloy wheels, and roof rails. (The ES can be upgraded to include most features on the LS by adding an $820 Convenience package.)

The top-of-the-line XLS starts at $24,425 with front-wheel drive and $25,785 with all-wheel drive. It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, second-row seats that slide back and forth, and a third-row seat that increases maximum seating to seven people. Just keep in mind that the cramped, bench-style third-row seat is suitable mainly for children. There's also a Special Edition (SE) version of the Outlander powered by the smaller engine but equipped with the upscale features of the XLS. It starts at $23,905 with front-wheel drive and $25,265 with all-wheel drive.

In any of these formats, the Outlander is a very good-looking vehicle that stands out from most other small crossovers on the market. The 2007 redesign added four inches to the vehicle's length, creating space for the third row of seats and making the Outlander a direct competitor with Toyota's (TM) RAV4 (BusinessWeek.com, 3/15/06). The redesign also gave the Outlander sleek, European styling. I particularly like the front end, with its curved lines and color-keyed grille.

The 2008 Outlander is recommended by Consumer Reports, which terms its first-year reliability "outstanding." It also earned the top crash-test ratings, five stars, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in all but one category—rollover risk—for which it received four stars. It comes standard with a full complement of safety features, including traction and stability control and side-curtain airbags that extend all the way back if you go with the third-row seat.

All those attributes have made the Outlander a hit with consumers. Mitsubishi's overall U.S. sales rose 8.8%, to 128,993, last year. The Outlander was a big contributor to that success: Its sales doubled to 23,285. However, with the auto market slumping generally, Outlander sales fell 8.5%, to 2,013 during the first two months of 2008.

Behind the Wheel

One of the big appeals of the Outlander is how much fun it is to drive. There's a manual shifting function on the V6-powered versions that allows you to redline the engine while doing the shifting yourself. You can even get the Outlander XLS with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.