Cars.com’s Kelsey Mays was so conflicted about the 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander that he had to stop writing his review midway through and, as he puts it, “reverse course.” The problem? According to Mays, it’s not what’s wrong with the Outlander, which is a strong utilitarian vehicle with plenty to recommend it. The problem is all the little things that other affordable crossovers do better. Read Mays’ full review for a thoughtful explanation.
2009 Mitsubishi Outlander Review
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I tell you one thing guys. The Outlander is actually a nice car. Very useful. I tested lowest trim with convinience package. It had all you need - nothing you don't. Also, you could get it with any piece of electronics imaginable - this what separates Mitsu from other small SUVs. Then, you can get it very cheap, where Honda and Toyota don't even travel. It drives just OK. The cargo configuration is excellent.
The penalty is EPA and interior quality. The dash and the HVAC controls feel so cheap. I was scared they are going to break while on the test drive.
But for the money you will actually pay for it it worth it! Those 2mpg will pull you back $1500 in 10 years but you'll save more not buying CR-V and RAV4.
I test drove one (2008) recently, it was quirky.
The auto a/c wouldn't come on, the test drive was miserably hot.
The flip/fold center seats were a tricky, complicated maneuver, and they were heavy. The folding rearest seats wasn't easy either.
The exterior panels (front and rear bumpers) were different shades of the same color.
The final breaking point was that it had all those fancy gadgets (auto a/c, bluetooth celly, auto door unlock and no key start, etc) but the headlights were manually operated.
The vehicle just didn't click for me. I ended up getting a smaller SUV (Hyundai Tucson) with fewer fancy gadgets. And the headlights go off when I exit the car...
wills
We were measuring for awile: to take the Outlander or wait for Highlander with 4 cyl. Highlander gives more room, more comfort, better feel interior and $6-7 Big ones more too. But in the end, Highlander won with no regrets. The room is incredible, better EPA mileage for a bigger 4 cyl. But we had $25K to pull out. The Outlander with similar config would cost well under $20K
I just needed to know if the doors for outlander could lock by itself while driving