THE AUTO PAGE
By
John Heilig
- MODEL: 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2.4 SEL AWD
- ENGINE: 2.4-liter four
- TRANSMISSION: CVT
- HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 168 hp @ 6,000 rpm/167 lb.-ft. @ 4,100 rpm
- WHEELBASE: 105.1 in.
- LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 171.5 x 71.3 x 64.8 in
- TIRES: P225/55R18
- ECONOMY: 23 mpg city/28 mpg highway/15.8 mpg test
- FUEL TANK: 15.8 gal.
- CURB WEIGHT: 3,285 lbs. #/HP: 19.6
- TOWING CAPACITY:
- COMPETITIVE CLASS: Jeep Compass, Subaru Outback, GMC Terrain, Toyota RAV4
- STICKER: $29,110 (includes $940 delivery, $2,275 options)
- BOTTOM LINE: The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is a perfectly serviceable small SUV. It just lacks the Wow factor.
-
The small sport utility segment is one of the more crowded
among the various market groups. Therefore, in order to stand out, a vehicle
has to have what I call the Wow factor. This is some feature that makes the
individual vehicle stand out from the crowd.
For example, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is a nice small
SUV. It has a 2.4-liter engine delivering 168 horsepower and a decent
pounds-per-horsepower rating of less than 20, which doesn’t put it in the
performance car segment, but doesn’t mean it’s a slug, either.
The engine tends to be buzzy at all speeds, though. It
isn’t an offensive fuzziness, but it’s still there. I was disappointed with our
test economy of 15.5 mpg, far below the EPA estimated 25 mpg overall. I’m
willing to attribute this to the time of year of our test drive (winter) and
numerous short trips versus longer ones.
The Outlander Sport offers a firm ride without the benefit
of good handling. Let’s face it, the vehicle is a sport utility and not the
kind of vehicle you buy for its handling prowess. The suspension is a fairly
conventional McPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear.
While I decry then lack of Wow, the Outlander Sport does
have its own redeeming qualities. Since our test vehicle wasn’t equipped with
SiriusXM, my prime choice of entertainment, we had to resort to Bluetooth
streaming from my phone. Audio quality was good when I could get the radio to
listen to my phone. However, the phone connection to the 7-inch infotainment
screen was good. The screen offered a GPS map function, but there was
apparently no navigation function.
Front seats are comfortable and heated, which is an asset
in cold weather. Rear seat legroom is tight with passengers’ knees butting up
to the rear of the front seats. There’s good rear visibility. Between the rear
seats is a fold-down armrest with a pair of cupholders. However, there is no
room in the rear doors for water bottles as there is in the front doors.
At the base of the center stack are two USB outlets, heated
seat controls, the traction control switch and a 12-volt outlet.
The main center console is small, but inside it has a shelf
plus a 12-volt outlet. The cargo area is good size at 21.7 cubic feet with
the rear seat backs up. This expands to a functional 49.5 cubic feet with the
seat backs down.
The Outlander Sport has a very good heater that not only
kept us warm, it did a good job of defrosting the windshield. I like the
three-knob HVAC controls - one for temperature, one for fan speed and one for
air flow direction.
Our Outlander Sport was equipped with 4-wheel drive. The
button to shift into 4WD is located on the console ahead of the shifter. It’s a
good location and it’s clearly marked.
Dimensionally, the Outlander Sport fits in with the
competition. In fact, since I get to drive a variety of small SUVs, there were
times I forgot exactly which vehicle I was driving.
Overall, the Outlander Sport is a nice vehicle that fits
well into its segment. Sadly, I failed to find the Wow factor.
(c) 2018 The Auto Page
Syndicate
No comments:
Post a Comment