2014 Mitsubishi Outlander First Drive

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2014 Mitsubishi Outlander First Drive

The redesigned 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander is a significant improvement, but is it enough to compete with the segment-leading crossover SUVs?

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dfelix70

Not sure what it is, but the "styling" of this thing just irritates me, both interior and exterior. It seems almost clear that Mitsu is on the brink of bankruptcy and had no funding for truly creative design elements. Why anyone would choose this over its direct competition escapes me.

bricknord

The front and rear overhangs look too extreme to me. As if the wheels are pushed inward to the center of the vehicle. Odd.

emajor

A lukewarm refresh on an already stale model that eliminates the decent exterior styling and offers a plug-in hybrid that no one was asking for, while leaving the uncompetitive gas powertrains unimproved. The Outlander didn't sell poorly because it lacked a hybrid or adaptive cruise control. Mitsubishi would have better spent its engineering capital making a vehicle that could compete on traits other than gimmicky safety technology. No wonder Mitsubishi is failing in this country.
So it handles well. So does a CX5. Buy that instead.

hank39

IMO, this redesign won't be more appealing to the masses. I think it's less sporty and appealing. And get rid of those conehead third row headrests already.

frank908

We'll add this to the most unimaginative SUV category that's currently only occupied by the Subaru Tribeca, which at least has the excuse of being a old design that fills a spot in their lineup.

Was Mitsubishi's design studios anywhere near Fukushima by any chance?

bankerdanny

Once upon a time Mitsubishi was innovative. They introduced a large displacement (2.6l) balance shafted 4 cyl in the late 70's. They offered a small displacement turbo-4 hot hatch in the mid-80's. In 1990 you could get an AWD Turbo Eclipse GSX. Where did that company go and how can we get them back?

Except for the Evo, Mitsu doesn't make anything that would interest me.

500rwhp

Wow, is that ugly. It's like they morphed a grand cherokee and Dodge Durango into one ugly b@st@rd of a design.

ed124c

Without any pricing it is hard to determine if this will help Mitsu's sales in the US. However... first you have to get a buyer to get into the showroom. And then you have to get those buyers to forget about how horrible it looks and take it for a drive. When they get back from the drive (during which the buyers need to be satisfied with what they are seeing) they need to get out of the car and look at it again. It is then they realize that "This is a Mitsubishi, and a homely one at that" and then they will walk away. The ads that Mitsu apparently is going to have for this car are going to have to mesmerize potential buyers. Unfortunately, Mitsu hasn't enough vehicles to make it in the US. And the ones they have are behind the times-- including this 2014 Outlander. The bottom line: I, and I think most of the people in the US, would not be caught comatose in a Mitsubishi.

stovt001_

So if the Outlander has been refreshed, will the IL long term fleet be getting 2 or 3 Outlanders this year?

redrage

I don't know whether to "meh" or *sigh*

tim_boo

That thing is ugly!!! Sorry but a sliding tilting middle seat isn't going to attract many buyers even if they can get past the looks. Go back to the drawing board with better styling and some powertain options that will bring in the buyers.

garrym

Not impressed with the exterior redo, the interior has some appeal to me. I'm growing tired of grey or black interiors.

All the automakers need to throw more colour into the interiors of their vehicles.

Not sure Mitsubishi is going to survive many more years in North America if they don't offer more dramatic styling in all their vehicles. And this was the company that brought us the Evo.

jpnpower

I seriously don't see what's up. this car may be a bit boring, but Mitsubishi is still a very powerful and capable car company. It makes some very nice cars that lead the class. In fact, I think that their lineup is the best in years. Innovation did not stop, seriously. What the Hell is happening. Just..... ooops... wrong country! (WTF is Mitsubishi USA?)

psychogun

13 comments and not one indicative of even the slightest amount of objective pragmatism. I agree that the styling is disappointing, however bland does sell. Just ask a number of women which design they prefer the 2014 or the 2013.

The car is some 225 lbs lighter, the engines are more fuel efficient yet make almost the same amount of power as before.

BTW, the 4-cylinder is new and not a carry-over as stated in the article. It also happens to be the world's first SOHC engine with a variable valve-train that can independently and continuously adjust timing and lift.

The 5-seat version sold elsewhere actually has more cargo room than the current generation vehicle.

The PHEV version is already on sale in Japan and reached 30,000 units within just a few weeks. It is also the the world's first parallel/serial plug-in hybrid CUV. Prices in Japan range from (a currency converted) US$35k to US$45k.

All of the above can be done with just a few basic searches, or looking at reviews of the car from Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and Germany. It's called critical thinking and doing your own research.

darthbimmer

I'm surprised at the weak powertrains being offered with this vehicle. The 4 cylinder seems way too weak for a vehicle this size and weight, and the V6 seems more like a base engine option. For those who say, "Women buyers don't care about performance"-- that's true (as a generalization) when we're talking about 400hp V8s. The women I know definitely do care about performance when an underpowered engine creates concerns about comfort and safety. "I'm scared every time I get on the highway because I can't accelerate in time," says my sister about a cheap used car she can't afford to replace. "And the buzzy engine is so loud at 60mph that I can't talk to my daughter without yelling."

emajor

psychogun,
You didn't give a single reason why this Outlander outcompetes any of its rivals. No one here wants a plug-in hybrid. And what difference does it make how advanced you think the 4 cylinder engine is when it performs like this: "We found the base engine and CVT appropriate for city driving, but inadequate on the highway. Reaching freeway speeds required prolonged use of wide-open throttle, which is accompanied by a bovine drone from under the hood." V6 ain't much better: "The V6 is the obvious choice for highway duty, though its power delivery wasn't all that impressive either." This vehicle segment is all about being objective and pragmatic. And this Mitsubishi doesn't stand out using that criteria. No visceral appeal, either. So what's left?

transpower

I'm looking forward to the PHEV. As for cargo capacity, a reviewer in England said that the cargo area was larger, not smaller, than before; obviously 73 cubic feet is better than 63 cubic feet--so if the 63 cubic feet figure is true, that's a disappointment. I'd probably replace the stock tires with Nokian WRG2 SUVs.

psychogun

@emajor - my apologies, it would seem that my comment was insufficiently succinct. The purpose of my post was never to extol any supposed superior virtues of the Outlander. Rather, I was attempting to make (apparently rather poorly) the following points:

openeyes1

Yet another vehicle for obese American families, this SUV will offer horrible fuel economy and sloppy handling, but as long as the doors open really wide, wide reared consumers will love it!

transpower

In disagreement with other posts, I have to say that I do like the new style, and visibility looks to be excellent. As for the PHEV, I would like to get an inductive charging unit for less than $500. If I have to pay a lot more for such, than that would dampen my enthusiasm.

transpower

Here's some bad news about the hybrid batteries catching fire:

http://green.autoblog.com/2013/03/29/mitsubishi-halts-production-of-i-miev-outlander-phev-after-two/#continued

rfred

I'm okay with the new iteration. Sure, it's a bit bland to look at, but it's the total package I'm interested in. And, admittedly, the new style is growing on me. The new interior design is decent. It also looks better in reality than it does in these photos. That said, I would not buy it with the 2.4 litre engine, but only with the 3.0. More to the point, I'm quite eagerly looking forward to the release (in Canada) of the PHEV version. A purported 125 to 150 mpg equivalent together with all wheel drive and the proportions of an SUV has my attention. I also like the 10 year power-train warranty, and the typical zero percent financing one gets up here.

More to the point, my interest in the newest version stems from my experience with my current vehicle, a 2009 Outlander XLS (with the 6 cylinder). It's a great vehicle, and compares very favourably with the 4 Subarus, 1 Toyota Highlander, and 1 Honda Accord we've owned over the past 12 or so years. In fact, I replaced the Highlander with the Outlander, and like the Mitsu much better (Highlander was nice, drove well, but was very expensive to maintain, managed to have at least one major repair per year, such as an $1800 heater replacement, and was rather lousy in the snow). So, far, my Outlander has had only one thing break in 84,000 kms (minor, and under warranty) whereas our 2007 Subaru Impreza (with fewer miles on it) has had three recalls, has a permanently loose and rattle-y heat shield, costs a bomb to service, and needs a special oil treatment lest the head gaskets leak. So, when the 2009 Outlander needs replacing, I'll buy another Outlander, even if a bit bland. It's a decent vehicle.

sbukosky

Believe me when I say that Mitsubishi is not on the brink of Bankruptcy. The company is HUGE with many more products than cars. But they do seem to be styling challenged. The 2014 is a good improvement however. Because I am somewhat associated with Mitsubishi Electric, I'd like to own an Outlander but when I replace my 2002 Subaru Forester it will likely be with another Forester or Outback. The Subaru is the best quality vehicle that I've ever owned and I don't want to divorce a winner for the unknown.