The Garage Blog

The Garage: Your daily dose of automotive news, reviews and motorsports coverage

  • About
  • Archives
  • Contact
    • A word about guest posts

Review: 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

November 14, 2013 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

IMG_2264As a car journalist, I’ve had the benefit of attending the New York Auto Show for the past few years. Obviously, I go during media days, and the car companies really show their swagger. The champagne flows freely at the Bentley booth. Premium import beer and sushi abound at Infiniti, with Sebastian Vettel’s Formula 1 race car in plain sight. New car intros are choreographed shows in themselves, with lighting, deafening techno music that without fail makes my heart beat a few ticks faster. The feeling and experience are intense, and I never grow tired of it. All of this relentless, non-stop action takes place on the main floor of the Jacob Javitt Center in New York City, an easy walk from Times Square.

And then…there is the basement of the Javitt Center. The car companies with deep pockets keep the new cars upstairs, but they will take space downstairs to display to the public the other cars they have on offer. There is no music. No food. No celebrations. No buzz. It is nearly dead silent, a dramatic contrast to the pandemonium going on up above. Instead of auto journos, photographers and auto industry execs elbowing each other, downstairs at the Javitt consists of a handful of car company reps quietly milling about. And it is here where struggling Mitsubishi holds court. It’s actually depressing. It’s akin to attending one of the biggest bashes of the year, but opting instead to just hang out in the mud room and let everyone else have a grand time.

Which brings us to our test car, a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, or in Canada, better known as the RVR. The Garage is no stranger to this car, having tested one when it debuted as a 2011. We walked away less than thrilled, but two years later, it was time to revisit and see if any improvement were made. Since we last reviewed the Outlander Sport, Mitsubishi added additional sound insulation, recalibrated the continuously variable transmission for better response and acceleration, updated the styling front and back, kicked in improved stereo speakers, and finally, some chassis and steering improvements.

The Outlander Sport’s strongest suit is the sheetmetal it is wrapped in. Of all the compact crossovers out there, I would argue the Outlander Sport is one of the best looking out there. It is sporty and distinctive. Our test car was finished in an utterly luxurious Mercury Grey offset by 18″ chrome alloys. I normally detest chrome wheels, but in this application, Mitsubishi opted for a sort of near matte chrome finish, and the look is classy, not crass. Pronounced fender flares, creased hood and forward leaning front fascia lend an all-business, no nonsense look to the Outlander Sport. In a sea of me-too crossovers that have the character and personality of a bowl of oatmeal, the Outlander Sport is a refreshing alternative.

IMG_2272Inside, however, things are not quite as exciting. To be fair, controls are easy to use, and fairly intuitive. But the interior design is rather uninspiring. Black plastic is the main theme here, and it comes off as hard and cheap. The light tan perforated leather seats helped to lighten the mood, but given the daily abuse families subject their cars to, I imagine it will be a struggle to keep such light colored seating surfaces looking clean.

Our Outlander Sport served as our transport to Citi Field in New York City to watch the New York Mets play the Philadelphia Phillies. And this is where the Outlander Sport went all wrong. Before I even left the driveway, the car’s GPS would not recognize the address of Citi Field, one of the most beautiful major League Baseball parks in America. So I entered just the street name, which got us completely lost. The GPS was hopelessly slow in responding to changes, and kept changing its mind on a whim. We finally just whipped out our Android to get to the park. So instead of enjoying a hot dog at the Shake Shack, I was arguing with the Mitsu’s GPS, nevermind the growing frustration of my passengers. Slightly cramped quarters in the back seat and surprisingly limited cargo capacity did not help.

All Outlander Sports get their motivation from a 2.0L four rated at 148hp. A five speed manual is available on the front wheel drive base model only. All other models are equipped with a CVT, which is a real killjoy and really makes me question why Mitsubishi had the nerve to even suggest ‘Sport’ in the name of this car. The Outlander Sport is lethargic in spite of its small size. There is nothing at all sporty about it handling, braking, or steering. In the madness of I-95 from Connecticut to New York, the Outlander Sport was slow when I needed good passing power. The whole car just felt sloppy. To make matters worse, there was a disturbing squeaking sound coming from the rear suspension once I was at highway speed. So much so I pulled over twice to inspect it. With only 3,000 miles on the clock, I honestly had doubts the car would get us home. Thankfully, it did, but suffice it say, this driver and passengers were just glad to be out of the car.

IMG_2267Our test car was the top-spec LE with all-wheel drive. Standard price for this car is $24,895USD. Standard equipment includes the 18″ alloys, aluminum pedals, power driver’s seat, paddle shifters, stop/start engine switch, auto climate control, heated front seats, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Our heavily equipped test car added the LE Premium Package featuring a panoramic glass roof with LED lighting, a nine speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system, auto dimming rear view mirror and a back up camera. Heaping on Navigation, leather interior and destination charges, total MSRP rings in at $30,915. Mitsubishi has a lot of nerve to charge thirty grand for a car with such an anemic engine, cheap interior and lackluster handling.

And that is why I am so frustrated. A crossover that looks this good deserves better. The small crossover market is white hot in terms of sales, but barely simmering in terms of excitement. The Outlander Sport looks the part, but cannot deliver the goods its wrapper suggests. If you want some sport in your compact CUV, the Mazda CX-5 is the benchmark, and it is with deep regret that the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport does not even come close. And that is why Mitsubishi spent the New York Auto Show in the basement last year.

 

 

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailReview: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Default ThumbnailReview: 2013 Mitsubishi Ralliart Default ThumbnailReview: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Default ThumbnailReview: 2012 Nissan Armada Default ThumbnailReview: 2013 Jeep Wrangler

Review: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

November 9, 2011 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

Mitsubishi has received criticism in the past for not offering a complete line of vehicles, but the brand has been working on that front. The latest addition is the Outlander Sport, a new small crossover. Based on its big brother Outlander, the smaller Outlander Sport is a rookie looking to fight in a very hot and highly contested market segment. Does it have the chops to take on all comers? Read on…

The Outlander Sport certainly looks the part. I am a fan of the ‘face’ of Mitsubishi cars, the leaning forward, aggressive mien looks great and seems to work well on the latest Mitsubishi vehicles. From other angles, the Outlander Sport is more anonymous in appearance, but sporty nonetheless. The side sills and rear spoiler separate the Outlander Sport from the herd as well. To sum, the Outlander Sport manages to be sporty and aggressive yet rather cleanly styled.

Unfortunately, that sporty exterior does not translate inside. While the seats were comfortable, controls and gauges simple to use and easy to understand, the interior of the Outlander Sport is simply uninspiring. Apart from a few pieces of silver painted trim, there is nothing to break up the sea of blackness. I was grateful for our test car’s panoramic glass roof, lined with LED lights, as I feared without it the cabin would be a dark and depressing place. The quality of materials was simply average. I loved the meaty steering wheel and sleek metal shift paddles, but Mitsubishi has a long way to go to sell me on the sport being inside the car too.

Which brings us to the drivetrain. All Outlander Sports share a 2.0L four rated at 148hp. A five-speed manual is standard in the base ES model. Drivers can choose between front and all-wheel drive. The top-spec SE, and all-wheel drive Outlander Sports come with a CVT. It’s a combination that offers little in the way of driving excitement. The ride was comfortable, again, never felt very sporty. This was a shock, since the handling of the Outlander GT was one of the aspects that won us over.

The Outlander is available in ES and SE trims. Our test car was an SE with all-wheel drive. Starting with a base price of $22,995USD, the Outlander Sport SE comes standard with 18″ alloys, auto climate control, heated seats, auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, foglights and LED taillights. Our test car included the Premium Package, which added a panoramic sunroof, roof rails, a Rockford Fosgate premium sound system, Sirius satellite radio, and a Navigation Package with rearview camera. Total price of our Outlander Sport came to $27,575, including delivery.

If I seem harsh on the Outlander Sport, I don’t mean to be-it is not a bad car. My problem is the sporty exterior promises more than the car can deliver, so it’s like you are being set up to be let down. The notion of the sporty crossover is gaining momentum. Cars like the Nissan Juke, MINI Countryman, and Kia Sportage give credence to the demand, and given such intense competition, Mitsubishi had to come in with some heavy artillery. While the Outlander Sport may look the part, dynamically it simply does not have what it takes to compete on the same level as these cars.

[nggallery id=429]

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailReview: Lexus CT200h Default ThumbnailReview: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Default ThumbnailReview: 2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo4 Default ThumbnailReview: 2012 Mazda5 Default ThumbnailReview: Kia Optima SX Turbo

Advertisment

Find stuff

Recent Posts

  • Carvana Conundrum
  • Honda Loses Some Funk for 2021
  • Review: 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  • Review: 2020 Lexus LS500 F-Sport
  • Rally Film with Michael Fassbender

NEW Feature: World’s Fastest Car Review

World’s Fastest Car Review: Volvo Drive Me

May 29, 2014 By Gary Grant 1 Comment

World’s Fastest Car Review: Enviro Dad and the VW Touareg TDI

May 26, 2014 By Gary Grant Leave a Comment

World’s Fastest Car Review: 2014 Mazda5

May 8, 2014 By Gary Grant 1 Comment

Copyright © 2021 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in