Overview & Reviews

The Mitsubishi Outlander has been with us for the better part of a decade, and for the most part, never really managed to challenge the more established SUVs in its class. When Mitsubishi announced the Outlander Sport model -- a smaller version with the promise of more athletic performance -- it seemed like a concept that could possibly gain a foothold. Sadly, that was not the case. The "Sport" badge was quickly dismissed as disingenuous, as this smaller Outlander suffered from a weak engine and lazy handling. Styling was at least intriguing, as it picked up cues from the sporty Lancer Evolution, but the standard Outlander also looks similar and foregoes much of what plagues the Outlander Sport.

As it stands, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is sporty only in name and appearance. Furthermore, it comes up short in cargo capacity when compared to competitors. For these reasons, we struggle to recommend it over nearly any other compact SUV, let alone the top-ranked Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. Our suggestion is to check out everything else first.

Current Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is offered in two trim levels: the base ES and SE. Both models are powered by a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4 engine. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the ES, while a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is available as an option and is standard on the SE. Front-wheel drive is standard, with a three-mode all-wheel-drive system available only on the SE.

Notable Outlander ES standard features include remote keyless entry, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cloth upholstery, Mitsubishi's Fuse voice-activation system and auxiliary audio/USB input jacks. Stepping up to the SE adds 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic xenon headlights, foglights, automatic climate control, keyless ignition/entry, a second-row armrest with center pass-through, upgraded upholstery and a six-speaker stereo. Heated front seats are only offered with SE AWD models. Some of the SE features are available on the ES as options.

An optional Exterior Sport package adds cosmetic and aerodynamic exterior elements and an aluminum fuel door, while the Interior package (available with automatic transmissions only) adds piano-black interior trim and an aluminum shift knob. Other add-ons include interior mood lighting, exterior protection (scuff plates, mud guards and bumper guards) and cargo solutions. Additionally, SE AWD models are eligible for a hard-drive-based navigation system, a rearview camera, an auxiliary video input jack and the Premium package (includes a panoramic sunroof, roof rails and a Rockford Fosgate audio system).

Among competing compact SUVs, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is ranked below nearly every alternative. Despite the "Sport" moniker, engine power is barely adequate, resulting in a class-average 8.8 seconds with the manual transmission, while the CVT is considerably slower. Handling is also a bit of a disappointment, as it exhibits a healthy dose of body roll in the turns. Braking performance is similarly lacking when compared to other SUVs in this class, as is cargo capacity. The Outlander Sport does manage to provide a smooth, quiet ride and offers styling that sets it apart from the rest, but its drawbacks far outweigh the positives.

Used Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Models
The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport debuted for 2011. Mitsubishi adjusted the optional CVT the next year for improved acceleration and response, though we've found the differences to be negligible.

User Reviews:

• 

  Loose manufacturing - 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By Need new car - January 1 - 1:51 pm

  Resale terrible. Only 15500 miles and not even worth $11G’s. A-post cover was loose, transmission recall for programming, driver door window came loose, ESP was acting up. Getting in back seat is tight. Do like rear parking sensors. Original tires not good in snow. Put Goodyear Assurances on much better. Interior post drive frost build up is terrible, have to scrape inside if in a hurry. Purchased after Suzuki left US. Traded from a Grand Vitara. Trying to ride out the resale devalue until I trade up. Great dealer maintenance!!!!!

• 

  If you live with snow, stay away - 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By Jesse - November 19 - 11:27 am

  I live in Minnesota, and we get a lot of snow usually. So I thought an all wheel drive would be a great choice for my commute vehicle. Well, when it snows Im in fear of driving this car. It has the factory Nexen tires Im familiar with. They are known to be cheap summer tires people put on custom after market rims for summer driving. They claim to be all season with light snow rating, could not be anymore inaccurate. I will be buying new tires before our next winter to see it it helps. But coming from the factory, this car scares me driving in any kind of snow. Even if its only a few inches. It reminds me of my younger years trying to drive a car on bald tires in snow. Even in all wheel drive it does not handle or stop with 2 inches of snow. Aside from that, once the brakes locked up on me after driving through a snow 6 inch snow bank. I couldnt have been going more than 5mph and the brakes did not function and left me sliding 2 car lengths before I stopped. I had no control, luckily I was in a parking lot. I am very lucky the one winter I drove this vehicle we seen a very low amount of snowfall and I have another vehicle to use. Besides all of the awful unsafe winter use of this vehicle, its not bad. It had one recall repair already for potential stalling when hitting the accelerator, which mine never did. Another problem I had multiple times was with long road trips and using cruise control. It would just stop working completely. When I would hit traffic or non passable cars and turn off the cruise control a few times within a short time it would stop working until I was done driving and had the car parked for awhile. The acceleration is the worst of any car I have ever owned in my life. It is so slow from a dead stop that I will not pull out in traffic unless the next upcoming car is 2 or 3 football fields away. Once on the road acceleration is ok. Summer driving is good. On average tank of gas I will average 26-28mpg with 80% highway. Every single fill up I hand dial to see. Winter driving averages 22-25 with 70% city driving. Overall would I buy this vehicle know all that? That is a BIG NO. After a year of ownership I looked into trading it in and it depreciated A LOT . Easily worth 25% less than when I bought it. If I bought a new pickup truck I would see 25% drop until it was paid off. This is not a safe winter vehicle, maybe new tires will help, but Im not sure about the brake issue with snow.

• 

  Reliable, but uninspiring - 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By darkcoupon - November 11 - 5:22 am

  This car has been very reliable. I bought mine in fall of 2011 and, apart from regular maintenance, this car hasnt seen any time back at the dealership. The rest of the car, though, is rather unimpressive. Despite the sporty exterior, the underpowered engine makes this car beyond boring to drive and inspires no confidence when needed. The poor engine would almost be forgivable if the car achieved the advertised gas mileage, but after nearly 3 years of ownership I still average around 20mpg City and 25mpg Highway. This is mostly due to the fact that the pedal needs to be on the floor most of the time to keep up with traffic. Mitsu would have been much better off including their 2.4L engine.