Maybe it’s the seventh cup of coffee kicking in, or the lack of sleep over the last several days, but I’m starting to see a lot of myself in Mitsubishi’s Outlander Sport. Not because I’m thin on the outside. Or a hot mess sometimes on the inside. But because the Outlander Sport epitomizes, to me, a car that would do well to get out of its own way. Must be the lack of sleep talking here.
But I mean it. After all, the Outlander Sport is Mitsubishi’s best-selling car here stateside. That may not portend well for the flagging brand here in the states, but it’s for good reason. Sales of the Outlander jumped 70 percent in April over last year.
That’s due, in part, to its appeal to consumers’ wallets looking for an entry compact crossover. The Outlander Sport starts at $23,295 for all-wheel drive, which undercuts competition by hundreds — if not thousands — when comparably equipped.
For that money, as standard, the Outlander Sport is equipped with a frugal four-cylinder engine that may be lacking in overall might, but returns with comparably good fuel economy. That mill, which produces 148 horsepower, returns 24/29 in city/highway mileage that slots the Outlander Sport neatly into the top half of its class for compact, all-wheel drive crossovers. Mitsubishi also saves mpg’s by using all-electric assisted steering, a clutched alternator and other tricks to bump up the Outlander’s miserly fuel consumption, but the effect is nearly negligible on the inside.
Although its bigger brother, the Outlander, can be equipped with an optional third-row seat, the Outlander Sport hits the Goldilocks quotient just right with a fair mix of passenger and cargo space. I appreciated the space and interior materials in the Outlander Sport, notably every surface you have to touch. Our tester’s leather wrapped steering wheel was a nice grip, and while Mitsubishi’s navigation unit might not be the user-friendliest, it was at least predictable. Hey, that sounds a lot like me.
Driving the Outlander Sport is an exercise in nearly universal daily commute. That is to say, the crossover blends into traffic and the background too. Road noise isn’t overly dramatic, but to say that the Outlander Sport is a sense deprivation chamber like its rivals Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4 wouldn’t be quite right. Mitsubishi’s thriftiness comes through in interior materials and the feeling when you close the door, but it’s not enough to annoy. Like the drone from most Joe Walsh songs, they’re just around and you don’t notice them too much.
This year’s big difference is the recalibration of a continuously variable transmission in the Outlander Sport. The single gear system that’s popular in most cars is worthwhile here, namely because it fades into the background. The new system seemingly reduces the amount of lag between stomping on the gas and actually getting up and going in the car. Granted, at 148 horsepower and at more than 3,000 lbs. that’s a big ask from the transmission to motivate that lump to go faster, but it’s noticeable over last year and decidedly better. In mountain passing, the CVT makes use of what it’s got, but if you’re not in a hurry to get there, it’s better to ask the CVT to return better mileage than to haul buns up the hill faster.
But it’s in the chassis, shared with the Lancer, that the Outlander Sport makes its way into my good graces. I like driving the Sport, and although it’s not very sporty (it just doesn’t have the power) it’s solid and predictable for a compact crossover.
I’ll explain that last part: Most compact utes are constructed on the same frames as compact cars nowadays. Simply adding height to a compact car isn’t the best idea in most cases; those utes become too top heavy and flop around. It’s like giving your best friend a piggyback ride. You might be solid on two feet, but add mass and I’m guessing you won’t turn into an Olympic sprinter.
The Outlander Sport does well to mitigate that by starting with a very good chassis to begin with. The result for the Outlander Sport is a firm ride without a lot of sway. Although it’s price point is likely to draw most buyers onto the lot for the Outlander Sport, the ride and grip is likely to seal the deal for many. You don’t have to look far past the interior materials to get to the good stuff, and that’s what makes the Outlander Sport a good idea for first-time buyers. I wish I could say the same for myself.
Aaron Cole is managing editor of the Aurora Sentinel. He’s driven hundreds of cars, but only briefly. He knows he’s wrong, he’d just rather hear it from you. Reach him at acole@aurorasentinel.com.