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2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Road Test and Review

Benjamin Hunting
by Benjamin Hunting
July 21, 2015
6 min. Reading Time
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport front 3/4 ・  Photo by Benjamin Hunting

2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport front 3/4 ・ Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Invest or perish: it's a credo that automakers ignore at their own peril, particularly in the ultra-competitive compact crossover segment. The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport shows that the Japanese brand, which in recent years has adopted a relatively hands-off development philosophy as applied to its small fleet of US-market vehicles, is starting to make an effort to keep up with the Joneses.

It's baby steps, to be sure, as the Outlander Sport gains a new engine option for 2015 along with some transmission and steering revisions, and a few minor interior touches. However, with a refreshed mid-size Outlander now ready for release, Mitsubishi's one-two crossover punch convinced me it was worth a second look into the pint-sized Outlander Sport - especially considering that it's the company's best-selling vehicle in North America.

1. Style In Spades

I don't think it's a stretch to say that the most appealing aspect of the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is its styling package. The 2.4 GT model that I drove for a week represents the pinnacle of the Outlander Sport line-up, and this was reflected by the LED accent lighting up front and the extra splashes of chrome trim that complemented more aggressive styling than you'd expect to find in an affordable crossover. Mitsubishi's 'corporate nose' goes a long way towards giving the Outlander Sport the attitude needed to stand apart from the visually-similar spectrum of small SUVs vying for the attention of young families, but even from the rear this is a pleasant-looking vehicle with a little more panache than the next few similarly-priced options.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

2. Passenger Compartment A Little Too Plain

Open up any one of the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport's doors and you'll quickly discover that the majority of the design budget was spent on the crossover's sheet metal, rather than its interior. It's not that the Outlander Sport's passenger compartment is awful in any way, but rather that it's clearly been carried over from an earlier time when a sea of black and grey plastic was the best you could expect from a utility-focused ride. Unfortunately for Mitsubishi, you can easily do better in any number of compact crossovers competing directly with the Outlander Sport for entry-level dollars, indicating that the company has some catching-up to do.

Something else that struck me as unusual about the vehicle is the fact that if you want, say, leather seats, you're looking at an options package regardless of how much money you spend - so even the top-tier 2.4 GT gives you cloth upholstery until you pony up some extra cash. In fact, aside from the Outlander Sport's new, larger engine, the 2.4 GT doesn't really give you much in terms of additional equipment, asking you to make the same cost-option choices as the next-step-down SE version of the vehicle.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

3. New Four-Cylinder Engine Adds Much-Needed Power

My tester was equipped with the newest addition to the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport's engine line-up: a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder unit good for 168 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque. Both of these numbers are appreciable upgrades over the entry-level Outlander Sport's 2.0-liter mill, which can only manage 148 horses and 145 lb-ft of twist. Still, when looking at rivals like the Ford Escape and the Kia Sportage, each of which feature available turbocharged four-cylinder choices, the Outlander Sport starts to feel a little under-endowed.

With the larger motor under the hood, the Mitsubishi feels comparable to many of its compact crossover ilk in terms of acceleration and smoothness. A continuously-variable automatic transmission - re-tuned for this year to mimic the stepped effect of a traditional seven-speed automatic - works to keep the engine in the optimal power band for whatever driving situation you might find yourself in (a traditional five-speed manual is available with the base Outlander Sport's 2.0-liter). The all-wheel drive system that's offered nearly across the board with the Outlander Sport isn't a full-time unit, but rather one that feeds power to the front wheels until a loss of traction dictates engaging the rear axles.

I had no complaints about the bigger motor's manners out on the road, although fuel mileage wasn’t quite as stellar as the 26-mpg combined rating given by the EPA for all-wheel drive models like mine, as I saw 20-mpg combined during my week with the vehicle. It's worth noting that the base 2.0-liter engine doesn't really boost efficiency figures despite its smaller size, as it's within one mile per gallon of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder's numbers.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

4. Infotainment Falling Behind The Competition

The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport offers a Rockford Fosgate stereo upgrade along with the availability of an optional navigation system that pairs with a touchscreen infotainment interface. Mounted on the car's center stack, the system's functionality is best described as basic. Car companies like Ford, GM, Nissan, and Chrysler have all created exceptionally-detailed and user-friendly LCD touchscreens and made them available in almost every product they sell, and in the face of this tidal wave of technological prowess the low-end graphics and limited utility of the Mitsubishi system stick out for all the wrong reasons.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport does offer the FUSE voice command interface and hands-free link that will connect your smart phone to the vehicle's communications and stereo system. While it's commendable that FUSE is included even with the base crossover, it doesn't bring anything new to the table that would help Mitsubishi get some traction in a very crowded part of the industry.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

5. Don't Look For Active Safety

Another area where the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport comes up short is active safety. In fact, the compact crossover doesn't provide any features that are comparable to the advanced safety technologies offered by a long list of other small SUVs. What you won't find in the Mitsubishi: blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic braking, or even cross-traffic assistance when reversing. The Outlander Sport keeps things simple with a suite of airbags, traction control, electronic stability control, and hill start assistance…and that's it. Mitigating this lack of gear are strong crash test scores from both the IIHS and the NHTSA. 

I'm not necessarily a huge fan of electronic intervention in the name of safety, but I have to admit that when shopping for a family vehicle, the Outlander Sport doesn't come off very well when compared against other popular crossover choices. That's a big problem of perception for the brand, and another indicator of where Mitsubishi needs to start spending money.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

6. Respectable Interior Room, Tight Hauling Capacity

Given that the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is a compact crossover, I didn't have huge expectations regarding the size of its passenger compartment. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to discover that the second row of accommodations in the Outlander Sport is well suited to hauling children or even teenagers without any complaint. Leg room isn't there in abundance - taller adults will most likely want to arm-wrestle for shotgun - but it's sufficient to keep the Mitsubishi in the conversation for families on the go.

Cargo room isn't quite as generous inside the Outlander Sport. There's roughly 50 cubic feet of total hauling space available inside the SUV, which is about the same as what you'd find in a compact hatchback, and less than half of that is available when the vehicle is fully laden with passengers. It's not so much that the Mitsubishi is especially small in the cargo department - you can still get a lot done with 50 cubes on hand - it's just that so many of its chief competitors are much bigger, especially the Honda CR-V, the Ford Escape, and the Toyota RAV4.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

7. An Average Drive In All Respects

I mentioned earlier that the 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine in the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is quite competent at keeping the crossover motivated in regular driving. The rest of the Outlander Sport's package is somewhat less engaging. There's really nothing to write home about when it comes to piloting the Mitsubishi on your daily rounds, which isn't much of a condemnation in a field where getting the job done in a comfortable and efficient manner is the overriding concern. 

While there are a few SUVs out there that prize driving dynamics as much as they do practicality - such as the Mazda CX-5 - for the most part compact crossovers keep their heads down and hope you don't notice how bored you are by the time you get to your destination. The Outlander Sport counts itself amongst this number, and while it might not be at its best on bumpy roads, the ride it does deliver is far from punishing and will be acceptable to value-seeking shoppers.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

8. Bargain Pricing At The Entry-Level

The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport's one trump card is its bargain pricing, particularly when looking at the base ES model. Yes, you'll have to endure the significantly-slower 2.0-liter motor with the Outlander Sport ES, but if the budget is tight then the crossover's $19,595 window sticker undoubtedly glosses over any perceived liabilities in the engine compartment. Spend an extra $1,700 and you can add the 2.4-liter engine, while just over $3,000 on top of base puts you in the sweet spot of the Mitsubishi's equipment list (albeit still with the 2.0-liter pulling duty), with the SE model's $22,795 MSRP providing the best balance between gear and value (although forcing you to drop back down to the 2.0-liter unit).

Go any higher, however, and the appeal of the Outlander Sport begins to fade, especially when you start looking at other crossovers in the $25k range. Once you're spending that kind of money - or more, given that options packages can further boost the bottom line - the age of the Mitsubishi platform, especially on the safety and technology front, shows through and casts other SUV alternatives in a more appealing light.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

9. Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Affordable entry-level pricing
  • Available all-wheel drive
  • Attractive exterior styling
  • Respectable passenger room

Cons:

  • Dated infotainment technology
  • No active safety features available
  • Entry-level engine lacks power
  • Average cargo space
  • Value starts to dim in higher trim levels
 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting


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