Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: A Mid Size SUV for City Driving

Disclosure: I was given a car for the weekend from Drive Shop in exchange for an honest review. No further compensation will be given.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is a great city SUV, with its mid-size and sleek look it will turn heads. During a recent trip to Orlando I was able to test out the all new 2016 Outlander Sport 2.4 GT thanks to Drive Shop. This sporty mid-size SUV has enough get up and go for the everyday driver and not so much that a first time driver would feel it is too much power. I have a new driver in the house and would feel very comfortable with her driving the Outlander.

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

I was only city and highway driving in the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and got 25 MPG, yes in a SUV! I didn’t hold back either, once I hit the highway I threw it in sport mode and opened her up. For a small car she’s got a little power under that hood with a four-cylinder engine and rated at 168 HP. I did find the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport to be a little noisy when in manual mode. The steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters were a little confusing to me, mainly because I have never used them before. After a second in the parking lot I easily figured them out. Bring back the stick shift!

One thing I love is that there are virtually no blind spots in this car; this makes for easy city driving where there are cars on every side of you. It’s compact size for an SUV makes whipping in and out of parking spaces pretty simple. I drive a full-sized SUV; sometimes I get a workout because I have to park far away from an entrance. Not the case in the Outlander Sport.

Exterior

The exterior of the Mitsubishi Outlander is sleek and stylish. With its chrome molding , two-tone alloy wheels and power folding side mirrors you will be the talk of the parking lot. My favorite feature was the front end; it wasn’t the usual boxy SUV look.

Safety

The Outlander Sport comes with standard stability control, anti-lock brakes and seven airbags (front, front-side, driver-knee and full-length side-curtain). It also has hill-start assist as standard.

Interior

With its leather and chrome trim this sleek interior was a favorite of mine. I wouldn’t say black leather is my favorite choice for color because of the heat it traps, but that’s really just a personal opinion. If you live in a cold climate it does offer heated front seats. The front seat was quite roomy; and the molded seats wrap around and make you feel a little safer.

Thanks to such features as soft-touch plastics on the dashboard, the Outlander Sport is quite nice inside. The driver’s seat is somewhere between a hatch back and a full size SUV. Being a little higher up is a benefit when it comes to a mid-size car. The touch screen radio makes for a little less fumbling around with the buttons and more eyes on the road.

The hooded rev counter and speedometer feature crisp white backlighting and numerals that are easily read at a glance. The ergonomics are generally good, including both the manual and automatic climate controls.

The back seat was a pleasant surprise. Despite this crossover’s compact dimensions, I comfortably fit an adult back there and she wasn’t squished. Cargo space is not a high point, however, measuring 21.7 cu ft. behind the back seat and topping out at 49.5 cu ft. with the rear seats folded down. Not ideal for a family of four, especially if you are a road tripping family. I would love this if I was single (or coupled) in the city; it screams let’s go to the flea markets and fill the car with treasure.

Standard Features and Pricing

The 2.4 GT ($26,845) also adds a panoramic sunroof, ambient LED lighting and a 9-speaker/710-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system (which includes a subwoofer that cuts cargo space behind the rear seats).

This is a softly sprung crossover designed for urban duty. The available all-wheel-drive system is a useful feature for snowy climates but will not transform the Outlander Sport into a real SUV by any means.

For a bargain priced SUV this is a great car.

Do you have the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport? What is your favorite feature?