Mitsubishi Outlander

The Mitsubishi Outlander is a compact sport utility vehicle or CUV. The higher trim lines with a third seat seats seven.


History

The Mitsubishi Outlander first came out in 2003, replacing the Mitsubishi Montero in the company lineup. The first generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander had three trim lines, ES, LS, and XLS, as well as the V6 engine. In 2005, they added a Limited trim line that was later eliminated. The second generation of the Mitsubishi Outlander came out in 2007. In 2008, Mitsubishi created the SE trim line with a four cylinder engine. The next year, it got rid of the LS trim line. In 2015, the Mitsubishi Outlander had a design “refresh” that did not count as a whole new generation of car. The XLS trim line was dropped in 2012, when the third generation of Mitsubishi Outlander came out.

Design

The Mitsubishi Outlander is built on the Mitsubishi GS platform. The Mitsubishi Outlander shares that platform with the Dodge Caliber.
The standard Mitsubishi Outlander is two wheel drive; four wheel drive is available at extra cost. The Mitsubishi Outlander is available with a 6 speed automatic transmission and CVT (continuously variable transmission). There are two engine options, a 166 horsepower 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine and a 224 horsepower 3.0 liter V6.
The base configuration or trim line of the Mitsubishi Outlander is called the ES. The ES trim line has cruise control, air conditioning, lane departure warning system, forward collision warning system, and an auxiliary audio jack. The next trim line is the SE. The SE configuration adds keyless entry, a sliding second row seat, a third row seat (albeit cramped except for kids), and better upholstery. The next highest trim line for the Outlander is the GT. The GT trim line has the 224 horsepower 3.0 liter V6 standard. The GT trim line comes with automatic climate control, xenon headlights, and automatic wipers.
The “Touring” package adds a navigation system, adaptive cruise control, and powered tailgate.

Performance

The Mitsubishi Outlander gets 25 miles per gallon in the city and 31 miles per gallon on the highway.
In 2015 crash tests, the Mitsubishi Outlander received a score of good in every category by the IIHS. That model year also received a rating as one of the most affordable three row vehicles by Kelly Blue Book.
The Mitsubishi Outlander has lower resale values than many of its rivals. Mitsubishi also has a smaller dealer network and service network than many of its competitors.


Price

The base model of the Mitsubishi Outlander, the ES, cost roughly $23,200 new in 2015. Adding four wheel drive adds two thousand dollars to the price.
The SE trim line is $24,200 new in 2015. The GT trim line cost about $28,000 new in 2015. Adding the “Touring” package and other features result in a new 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander costing $35,000.

Rivals

Rivals to the Mitsubishi Outlander include the Subaru Forester, Ford Escape, Toyota Rav4, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue, GMC Acadia, and Kia Sorento. The larger Dodge Journey is cheaper.

Trivia


The Mitsubishi Outlander was first called the Mitsubishi Airtrek in Japan.
In 2013, a hybrid model of the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV, was released, selling about 20,000 units in 2014. That made it the third best selling plug in vehicle after the Tesla S and Nissan Leaf.