Yahoo Autos 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Review: A Flexible but Focused SUV With Outstanding AWD
Mitsubishi is, by its own admission, not a “destination” brand. It’s where you end up when Honda dealers won’t budge on markups, and the Kia dealer won’t relent on 84-month financing. But does that mean the 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL S-AWC is a sad last resort for compact SUV buyers? Not on your life.
The Mitsubishi Outlander is an unconventional crossover, but it’s one that’ll satisfy you if you’re looking for more capability than most compact crossovers offer. It has the most hauling capability, superb all-wheel drive, and a class-exclusive third row. That flexibility will cost you, though, because the Outlander is pricey and gets poor gas mileage. It has styling only a mother could love, I had problems connecting my phone to its infotainment, and that third row is only useful on occasion.
For better or worse, the Mitsubishi Outlander is an SUV that makes you ask whether it’s right for you, rather than pretending to be everything to everyone. In a market of increasingly unfocused SUVs, I say that’s a good thing.
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL S-AWC Specs
Base price (SEL as tested): $30,740 ($39,865)
Powertrain: 2.5-liter four-cylinder | continuously variable automatic transmission | all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 181 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 181 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm
Seating capacity: 5 to 7
Curb weight: 3,803 pounds
Towing capacity: 2,000 pounds
Cargo volume: 33.5 cubic feet behind second row | 78.3 cubic feet behind first row
EPA fuel economy: 24 mpg city | 30 highway | 26 combined (27 observed)
Quick take: The Outlander is tough to beat if you need outstanding AWD and more space and seating than compact SUVs typically offer.
Score: 8/10
The Basics
It may only be a compact crossover, but the Outlander is the biggest, most expensive model in Mitsubishi’s lineup. It’s the only one in its class you could call a 2.5-row, with a folding third row that lets it seat up to seven. The Outlander is based on the same platform as the Nissan Rogue and shares its wheelbase and some interior parts, but it’s still its own, distinct vehicle with a completely distinct powertrain.
Under the hood is a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder from the Nissan Altima, which sends its power through a continuously variable automatic transmission. Power is split across all wheels by Mitsubishi’s crown jewel S-AWC, the performance all-wheel drive system repurposed from the acclaimed Lancer Evolution X. There’s also a plug-in hybrid version, but we’re focusing on the gas-only version for now—even if they share many of the same strengths and weaknesses.
One of those faults is its design. The front end is pinched up too high: the proportions aren’t satisfying. Its overhangs are a bit too long, though the subtler rear end gets off easier, even though it has some BMW iX to it.
Inside, again; there are too many textures for the design to come together. It’s cheapened by a combination of metal and shiny-coated plastics that evoke the 2000s, and not in a way we’ll be nostalgic for in five years. Build quality and materials, on the other hand, don’t have the same problem; this SEL had tons of semi-aniline leather, some of it quilted, which I loved running my hand over.
Driving the Mitsubishi Outlander
Like the pricier PHEV, the regular Outlander has confidence-inspiring driving dynamics and road manners. Its steering is agile but has a rewarding weight, the suspension doesn’t roll excessively, and the S-AWC AWD once again proved its mettle in bad conditions. The Outlander charged past less intrepid drivers in a heavy storm on a mountain pass en route to a beach, where it remained poised as I swerved back and forth trying to upset it. It had the right driving mode for each situation, and they made appreciable differences—not something you can say about every SUV.
The driving assistance tech proved competent and reduced the burden of the long highway cruise to the coast and back. I favored it due to finding the on-center steering sensitive, while the throttle was also touchier than I normally like. While the Outlander makes enough power to pass slower drivers, it’s still sluggish owing to its weak engine and high weight. Visibility was also average for a modern car, which is to say not great.
From the passenger’s perspective, the seats are alright and ride quality untaxing. Road and wind noise are average, while interior space is strong in the first and second rows, but not so much in the third. I grew up with this exact style of seat in my family’s Mitsubishi Expo; they’re identical in that they’re really only for kids. The roof was too low for me to be comfortable back there, and my feet pushed the second row up so far that it wouldn’t be suitable for adults either. I repeat: Kids only.
