2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Review: Struggle Buster

Design | Consolation | Expertise | Efficiency | Security | Gasoline Financial system | Pricing | FAQ

I’ve fond reminiscences of the Mitsubishi Outlander. I spent hours and hours behind the wheel of the first- and second-generation fashions earlier than my writing profession, once I was delivering press automobiles to lots of the individuals I am lucky sufficient to name colleagues now. I believed then and nonetheless do now that the Outlander, notably the second-gen automotive with the MIVEC V6, third-row seat, and strong tech suite, was extremely underrated.

Mitsubishi was already struggling when that second gen rolled out and its fortunes had been positively bleak when the third-gen automotive hit the market. However this Nissan Rogue-based mannequin? It is a revelation. Wanting the legendary Lancer Evolution, that is the very best automobile Mitsubishi has bought in years. Simply as importantly, the 2022 Outlander would possibly lastly be the automobile to draw crossover clients that forgot concerning the first 3 times Mitsubishi tried to interrupt into this phase.

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• Exterior Coloration: White Diamond
• Inside Coloration: Black And Saddle Tan
• Wheel Dimension: 20 Inches

The Outlander is a superb crossover, but it surely’s not precisely a sexy one. Mitsubishi has threatened squinty headlights and an outsized Schick razor blade grille for years by way of its idea automobiles, and with the Eclipse Cross, the styling lastly got here to move. The Outlander leans into this unlucky pattern too, with slim LED working lamps up excessive and extra substantial headlights beneath it.

Whereas I do not look after the design, the broader public is onboard. All through my week on the helm, I had common conversations with family and friends concerning the Outlander and virtually all of them had been optimistic. Maybe I have to affiliate with a greater class of shopper. However past the questionable face, the remainder of the Outlander is inoffensive.

I like how the two-box profile does not scream “three-row,” with its brief rear overhang, unfussy character traces, and attention-grabbing wheel arches, which combine black off-roadey bits with extra substantial accents within the sheetmetal. The slim horizontal taillights are good too, however the rear bumper and its blatantly false exhausts are lackluster.

However holy hell, this cabin is gorgeous. Diamond stitching on the seats and door panels and a basic black-and-tan combine are so stylish I am keen to miss the switchgear from the Nissan components bin. Furthermore, the fabric high quality is superb – soft-touch plastics in high-traffic areas mingle with padded fake leather-based on the door pockets that is so good I did not understand it was artificial till doing the analysis for this evaluate. Mitsubishi resisted the lazy urge to cowl the middle console in cheap-feeling piano-black trim, opting as an alternative for a textured aluminum-look plastic. The good-looking contact lends a flash of brightness to the subdued cabin.

I’ve just one high quality and materials niggle: The electrical gear lever feels flimsy and tends to jiggle if you happen to transfer it aspect to aspect. It’s an odd misstep that’s additionally current within the Rogue.

• Seating Capability: 7
• Seating Configuration: 2 / 3 / 2
• Cargo Capability: 11.7 / 33.5 Cubic Ft

Look no additional than the Outlander’s customary third row to know what this automotive brings to the compact crossover phase. The choice of seven seats at such a low worth is a promoting level, though it is price declaring that the third row is claustrophobic for anybody beneath 4 ft in top. I would reasonably fly Spirit Airways than endure by the Outlander’s 18.7 inches of third-row legroom, however I can think about loads of in-a-pinch eventualities the place two additional chairs come in useful.

At simply 2.0 inches longer than the associated Rogue, the Outlander’s third row eradicates that automotive’s acceptable cargo quantity. Mitsubishi cites 11.7 cubic ft of area with the third row up, which is actually comfortable. Folding these seats flat expands the cargo maintain to a much more acceptable 33.5 cubes, or 3.0 cubic ft lower than the capacious Rogue. A part of the dimensions distinction might be the Nissan’s Divide-N-Conceal underfloor space for storing, which within the Outlander is taken up by the folded third row.

The entrance chairs use the identical plush padding because the Rogue and make lengthy distances a cinch. I coated practically 400 miles throughout my week with the Outlander and never as soon as did I end a journey sore, uncomfortable, or in want of stretch. The seating place is superb, too, with customary eight-way energy adjustability and a commanding view in all instructions. The center bench is roomy, too. Just like the Rogue, the Outlander has wide-opening doorways and the center seats dwell on sliders with a reclining backrest. I used to be glad to place quite a lot of miles on the Outlander from the motive force’s seat, however I would not hesitate to do the identical as a passenger.

The Outlander’s experience high quality is common for the phase. You will really feel most bumps within the street, however there’s little influence on the general stage of stability, the Outlander responding properly to washboards and different high-frequency imperfections. The wheel/tire bundle on my tester, 20-inch alloys on 45-series tires, is a boon for dealing with. However the trade-off in sound management is not price it, with a good quantity of tire noise and most suspension impacts reaching the cabin.

• Middle Show: 9.0-inch Touchscreen
• Instrument Cluster Show: 12.3-inch
• Wi-fi Apple CarPlay or Android Auto: Sure (CarPlay solely)

Just like the Rogue, the Outlander packs a formidable tech suite on high-level trims. This SEL comes customary with a 9.0-inch touchscreen on the middle stack and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, however the $2,700 SEL Touring bundle additionally provides a ten.8-inch head-up show. You will discover all this similar gear on top-end Rogue fashions, and the software program that powers it’s equivalent right here.

The middle show responds rapidly to inputs (though there are redundant bodily controls and devoted quantity/tuning knobs for the touch-averse), however like within the Nissan Rogue and Pathfinder the place this method additionally lives, the graphics aren’t as crisp or enticing as you may discover elsewhere within the phase. I am assured that is an OS problem, although, as a result of Apple CarPlay (which connects wirelessly) appears to be like a lot prettier.

The digital instrument cluster does not endure from that individual problem, however except for digitizing the speedometer and tachometer, it does not add any performance that you simply will not discover in the usual 7.0-inch productiveness display that resides between a pair of analog gauges. The 12.3-inch unit has the identical association of pages and shows data in an equivalent method.

The top-up show is a pleasant addition, throwing applicable data nearer to the motive force’s line of sight and on a good quantity of actual property as well. However among the many issues the SEL Touring pack provides – semi-aniline leather-based upholstery, quilted door inserts, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, and a 10-speaker Bose audio system – it is a nice-to-have factor reasonably than an necessary one. And if, like me, you put on polarized sun shades, the HUD is ineffective throughout the day. That Bose association, in the meantime, is aggressive, but additionally forgettable in the way in which it pumps out sound. To be trustworthy, that describes most Bose audio programs I’ve heard.

• Engine: 2.5-liter I4
• Output: 181 Horsepower / 181 Pound-Ft
• Transmission: Constantly Variable Transmission

Nissan is dropping the Rogue’s customary 2.5-liter four-cylinder for 2022 and changing it with a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder that is a dramatic enchancment. We hope Mitsubishi follows its company ally, as a result of the 181-hp four-pot does the remainder of the Outlander a disservice.

Oh certain, the ability available is ample for around-town acceleration, however the Mitsu struggles on freeway onramps or when loaded up with individuals and kit. Low-end shove is disappointing, with all 181 pound-feet of torque coming to bear at 3,600 rpm – accessing the Outlander’s peak twist takes endurance that turbochargers beat out of drivers years in the past. On the upside, and just like the Rogue, the Outlander’s four-cylinder works alongside a repeatedly variable transmission that is fairly good. Engagement off the road is snappy and the CVT holds revs solely so long as mandatory, minimizing the presence of the two.5-liter’s wheezy soundtrack.

The Outlander is on the larger and heavier finish of the compact crossover phase, however just like the Rogue, its dealing with is a pleasing shock. The Mitsu is hardly exhilarating, however it’s poised and assured, with predictable physique motions and an general stage of stability when weight transfers ahead, backward, or laterally. The steering, in fact, is sort of numb, doing little to tell the motive force of the street floor. Nonetheless, it feels good transferring from lock to lock, with an applicable weight that makes the Outlander really feel extra substantial than different compact CUVs.

Together with the engine, I had just one different criticism: a spongy brake pedal. The stopping energy accessible from the 13.8-inch entrance discs is a lot for the three,800-pound Outlander, however there’s an excessive amount of pedal journey earlier than the velocity drops. The brakes do chunk in a predictable method, although, so it isn’t a case of “nothing, nothing, nothing, STOP.” I anticipate that is the form of factor that house owners will regulate to after per week or so, but it surely did stand out throughout my time on the helm.

Just like the infotainment, the Outlander carries Nissan’s glorious ProPilot energetic security suite, rebranded right here as Mi-Pilot Help, which I discover enjoyable and intelligent. Gold, er, diamond star to you, Mitsubishi.

Like within the Rogue, Mi-Pilot is customary on most trims and bundles everything of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance’s energetic security tech into one button on the steering wheel. Full-speed adaptive cruise management, entrance and rear computerized emergency braking (with pedestrian detection up entrance), lane-keep help, traffic-sign recognition, and computerized excessive beams are all available to cut back the motive force’s workload.

This stage 2 suite is superb in actual world circumstances, with predictable freeway habits and an inclination to favor light corrections by the steering reasonably than blaring alerts (though, as within the Rogue, the beeps each time Mi-Pilot engages are annoying as hell) on the driver in the event that they stray from a lane. The ACC responds properly to thoughtless motorists leaping in entrance of your rushing Outlander too, with sturdy brake strain. As with ProPilot, Mi-Pilot is one thing you may wish to use each time you hit the freeway.

• Metropolis: 24 MPG
• Freeway: 30 MPG
• Mixed: 26 MPG

The 2022 Outlander and its 2.5-liter four-cylinder return an EPA-estimated 24 miles per gallon metropolis, 30 freeway, and 26 mixed. Solely the four-cylinder Jeep Cherokee, which nets 21 metropolis, 29 freeway, and 24 mixed, reserve it from worst-in-class honors. Here is how different fashions stack up:

Whereas the Outlander’s gas economic system is lackluster on paper, it may stand to see large enhancements if Nissan provides the three-cylinder VC Turbo to Mitsubishi’s engine roster. As for my real-world testing, I think the EPA’s figures for the two.5-liter is likely to be conservative. The Outlander’s on-board pc indicated a 28.6-mpg common over 365.2 miles and at a completely suburban common velocity of 34 mph.

• Base Value: $25,795 + $1,195 Vacation spot
• Trim Base Value: $33,140
• As-Examined Value: $38,590

Costs for the 2022 Outlander begin at $26,990, together with the $1,195 vacation spot cost, for a front-wheel-drive ES mannequin. That makes the Mitsu one of the crucial inexpensive three-rowers in the marketplace. My top-of-the-line tester, the SEL, retails for $33,140 after which provides the $2,700 SEL Touring pack to drive the worth as much as $35,840. All-wheel drive carries an $1,800 premium on all trims, whereas the flashy White Diamond paint calls for $595. With $355 in equipment that you simply should not pay a dealership for, the as-tested worth is $38,590.

Even optioned up, the Outlander compares properly with the competitors. A loaded Toyota RAV4 Restricted eclipses the Mitsu with a $41,220 price ticket, whereas the Hyundai Tucson Restricted and Honda CR-V Restricted (man, automakers have to get extra inventive with these names) demand $37,745 and $37,820, respectively. None of these merchandise comes with a 3rd row, in fact – for that you simply’ll have to look to the Volkswagen Tiguan, although it’s restricted solely to the bottom S and mid-level SE trims. The brand new three-pot Rogue, in the meantime, is available in at $39,257 in Platinum AWD guise. All costs embody the suitable vacation spot prices.

Enticing worth apart, I would not advocate the range-topping SEL trim. And if I did, I would not counsel shopping for the $2,700 Touring pack. The heated steering wheel is good, as are the upgraded upholstery and panoramic sunroof, however the Bose audio system and head-up show are ho-hum options at greatest.

One of the best worth right here is probably going with the Outlander SE, which retains the 9.0-inch show with wi-fi CarPlay and Mi-Pilot however drops some content material to seek out an out-the-door worth of $31,840. You will nonetheless rating flashy 20-inch wheels, a wi-fi cost port, heated entrance chairs, and a proximity key. Alternatively, query if you happen to actually will discover the third-row helpful – if not, the mechanically equivalent Nissan Rogue boasts an even bigger, extra accessible seller community and a very good turbocharged three-cylinder engine (even when its guarantee is inexplicably worse than the Outlander’s 10-year/100,000-mile provide).