New Mitsubishi Outlander

New Mitsubishi Outlander

Overview. Mitsubishi has been weathering a sea of woes in the last few years, including corporate scandal, financial problems, a messy divorce from DaimlerChrysler, and poor sales of uncompetitive cars. But if the redesigned 2007 Outlander is any indication, the beleaguered company might be getting itself back on the right track.
The new Outlander is a small SUV built on the underpinnings of the next-generation Lancer sedan. Unlike most vehicles in its class (except the RAV4 and Hyundai Santa Fe), the Outlander offers a third-row seat, raising passenger capacity to seven. Starting prices are about $22,000 for a front-wheel-drive ES. To get AWD, it is necessary to step up to the mid-level LS trim, which costs about $24,000. We bought a top-trim XLS all-wheel drive with an optional navigation system for $30,615. The only available powertrain is a 220-hp, 3.0-liter V6 matched with a six-speed automatic transmission. A four-cylinder engine might be offered later.
Initial impressions. The powertrain feels smooth and punchy, with seamless shifting and plenty of oomph. We measured its dash to 60 mph at 8.3 seconds. A knob lets you switch to front-wheel drive only, presumably to save fuel. It's a plausible idea, but in our tests, fuel economy averaged 19 mpg overall with and without all-wheel-drive engaged. The same knob can also lock the center differential, linking the front and rear wheels for better traction during moderate off-road excursions.
Another upside is that the new Outlander handles much better than its clumsy predecessor. This one shows real agility, with quick, communicative steering and little body lean in turns. A well-calibrated stability-control system helped it remain secure in our at-the-limit track testing. The ride is tolerable but notably stiff--a common trade-off for good handling. Road noise is also pronounced.
The interior is a mixed bag. The door trim and dash have too much cheap-looking hard plastic. The front seats are comfortable and provide support, and the rear seat is quite roomy. The optional third-row seat is tiny enough to be suitable only for pre-teens or younger children. At least it folds conveniently into the floor.
The XLS's audio system is top-notch, and it can import music CDs into its own hard drive, essentially working as a mobile MP3 player. The touch-screen navigation system is quite straight-forward to operate, but it incorporates the audio controls in such a way that making sound adjustments is unintuitive and distracting.
Over all, the Outlander shows real promise in a competitive market segment. It offers versatility and some driving fun in a package that's neither too big nor too small. We'll see how it stacks up in performance against its competitors in the May 2007 issue of Consumer Reports and in April on ConsumerReports.org.
Read the Consumer Reports Cars Blog for regular updates on vehicles CR is currently evaluating.

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