There are lots of things I like about the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE, but the CVT would be a deal-breaker. I like the looks, which steal some cues from the Lancer Evolution—a good idea. The car has a nice aggressive look to it, and as little crossovers go, I would rank this, looks-wise, near the very top.
The interior is comfortable, and I like the rim lighting around the headliner. Nice little touch.
The navigation screen is nice and big and the sound system rocks. Just open up the hatch to look at the size of the sub-woofer—it's a big one.
The 148 hp four-cylinder is anemic, hampered more so by the CVT. Interestingly, the thing has nice, big, steering column-mounted paddle shifters. So they somehow built in some steps into the CVT, which would, to my non-engineering sense, seem to defeat the purpose. This thing would be a blast with 60 more horses, 60 more lb-ft and a decent transmission.
They stole some of the looks from the Lancer Evolution, but they should have also taken the powertrain.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: OK, I'll start with what I didn't like about the Outlander Sport. The Outlander Sport isn't sporty at all. There's only 148 hp from the four-banger, which you would think could push the 3,200-pound ute around, but it doesn't. Like Roger says, the CVT dispatches with any notion of this being sporty or quick off the line.
I haven't said this about a new car in a long time, but it was annoyingly slow. To get any sort of momentum going, you have to push the throttle about three-quarters of the way down, and even then it gets winded. Using the paddle shifters increases the fun-to-drive quotient by about one point out of 100. Without the torque converter lockup feel, it just seems useless.
I drove this car with a manual transmission earlier this year and I thought it wasn't half bad for a small people carrier. The locking differential alone puts it above some other cute utes out there.
The steering isn't terrible, but it doesn't feel very connected. I know this car is for cruising and light off-road duty so I'll give them a pass, although they did make the Evolution.
The interior was adequate for the price. I loved the giant sunroof and accent lights above. In fact, I had no problems with the seats, controls or the look, besides the radio. I couldn't use it to save my life. Trying to navigate through the iPod menu takes both eyes and hands off the wheel. I couldn't find the back button, if there is one, and several times I had to start my menu navigation over when pushing the wrong button. It doesn't seem to remember the last track you played like most cars do today and it doesn't clearly indicate when you've exhausted the track list and the A's come back around.
Now onto the good stuff about the Outlander Sport. The sheetmetal is sharp. I like the Evo front end and the size and style look right to me. I'd say it competes with the Volkswagen Tiguan and Mazda CX-5, both good-looking cars in their own right. Unfortunately, for the Outlander Sport, both of those offerings are more fun to drive.
If you like the looks, and need more space than a sedan, go with manual and find something sporty for the weekends.
NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is an OK option among crossovers. It looks sharp, even rakish with the Evolution cues, and offers all-wheel drive, among a number of attractive features for a reasonable price.
The powertrain is the biggest negative, however, as this four-banger whines and wheezes in loud dramatic fashion. I found myself bumping up against the 6,000-rpm redline during acceleration onto the expressway, and the CVT is not my gearbox of choice. There's plenty of weight for the steering, though, and the elevated road view and controlled body are positives. I flung this thing into a few corners, and it responded well for the segment.
The interior is loud and the materials are mediocre, making for an average setting in the cabin. The seats and electronic interfaces are pluses. Decent around town ute. Wouldn't be my first choice, though.
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE 2012
Base Price: $24,105
As-Tested Price: $28,155
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter I4; AWD, continuously variable transmission
Output: 148 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 145 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,265 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 25/24.6 mpg
Options: Premium package including panoramic glass roof, LED illumination, black roof rails, 710-watt Rockford-Fosgate punch premium sound system with nine speakers, 10-inch subwoofer, six-disc CD/MP3 in-dash head unit, SiriusXM satellite radio with three months service, auto-dimming rearview mirror, rear camera system ($2,050); navigation including 40-GB HDD navigation with music server, real-time traffic, rear camera monitor ($2,000)
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121114/carreviews/121119937#ixzz2CJqgBduS
