This post is made possible through a partnership with the kind folks at Mitsubishi Motors, who provided us with a vehicle to test drive for a week. You can follow the conversation on social media with the hashtag #DriveMitsubishi.
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It’s been a few years, but the Outlander Sport’s big brother, Outlander (minus the Sport) was one of the first vehicles we were able to test drive for this blog. I was impressed with Mitsubishi’s value, as you can get a lot of car for not a lot of money. With another vacation to Southern California scheduled, I needed some wheels for a short road trip between San Diego and Los Angeles. Fortunately, the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was up to the challenge.
Specs
MSRP (as tested): $25,210
MPG Estimate: 23 city – 29 highway
Engine: 2.0L MIVEC SOHC 16-valve, 4 cylnders
Power: 148 hp @ 6000 rpm | 145 ft-lbs. @ 4200 rpm
Transmission: CVT
Color: Alloy Silver Metallic
Click here for more info about the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
Comfort
As with any vehicle that is part of a journey to Los Angeles, you want something comfortable, ‘cause your gonna be in the car for a while. The nearly “3 hour drive” from San Diego was more accurately described as 2 hours from San Diego to LA and another hour trotting along in LA traffic.
Look, I’m a seat snob. I’m old and grumpy now and just thinking about three hours in a car makes my back ache. It’s simple: I like my car seats to feel like a recliner. Seriously, I will regularly take naps in my daily driver at during worktime lunches.
Are the seats in the Outlander the most comfortable? No, but you’re also not paying $50K for an Outlander Sport. definitelyately weren’t uncomfortable and for a $25k CUV, they did the job just fine.
Accoutrements
My favorite feature of the Outlander was the inclusion of the Apple Car Play—Seriously, why isn’t this mandatory in all cars? Write your senators.
If you’re into road trips and you like to rely on GPS, this is a clutch feature you’ll love. No more squinting at your phone for directions, as everything is displayed on the vehicle’s larger screen.
I’m also an audiophile and listen to millions of hours of podcasts, audio books on audible, and music on Spotify, so it’s also great to have those within an easier reach as well.
Looks
Over the years, Mitsubishis haven’t been known for their smashing good looks. Except for maybe the 90-2000’s era Eclipses, Mitsubishi seemed to be happy not to stand out. But I think they’ve done a great job with the exterior of the Outlander Sport. It looks sporty. It looks fun. It looks ready for anything.
It also has cool black wheels (another feature I wish more cars shared).
Cargo
No vehicle post would be complete without a picture of luggage in the back.
Although I was traveling solo, you can get an idea of what the Outlander Sport can hold. Two checked bags and then some would fit in the rear without issue.
Performance
What I really enjoyed about the Outlander Sport was that it had the feel of a car, but the benefits of an SUV. It was nimble, easily parkable, and visibilty was good all around. It was also nice to have the lift of sitting a bit higher up than a sedan.
Gas mileage average roughly 27 MPG, which falls in line with Mitsubishi’s estimates.
You can never have too much power, so I’m known for advocating a turbo charger in every vehicle (which will be my main platform for my 2020 Presidential campaign). The Outlander Sport could use a few extra HP for merging onto highways, but got the job done for city driving. Especially since you rarely exceed 15 MPH in LA.
Since I was in sunny California, there was no need for the all wheel drive (or “All Wheel Control” aka AWC as Mitsubishi calls it). However, for a crosserv near the $20K mark, I would give this a strong look for folks in heavy snow states.
Pics from the Drive
Classic San Diego Palm Trees. View from my Friendbnb (bed and burgers).
It doesn’t look like it, but this is a secret beach.
View from my Silverlake Airbnb: Welcome to Los Angeles.
Take a hike.
Overall
All in all, what the Outlander Sport does best is its ability to hide great value behind a sexy exterior. With an MSRP around $25K, you could easily get that down closer to $20K with incentives and shrewd negotiating. Additionally, you can’t forget about the 10-year / 100k-mile powertrain warranty and 5-year / 60k-mile new vehicle limited warranty. It’s nice to know won’t need to worry about costly repairs during ownership.
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Disclaimer: As noted at the top of this post, we were provided a vehicle by Mitsubishi to test drive for approximately one week. We were not provided any monetary compensation and all opinions expressed here are our own.