This Season's Best Tailgating Cars

Everyone knows we’re huge football fans here at Cars.com. We are an official sponsor of ESPN’s Saturday College Football, we’re just minutes from Soldier Field, and our staff has a long-running fantasy football league (with a certain editor taking the crown repeatedly.)

Tailgating is one of the best parts of going to a football game. You’re wearing your favorite team’s gear, grilling good food, talking to friends and probably throwing around a ball or bean bag.

But what about the cars that need to serve as more than transportation? They have to haul your tailgating gear and often do double duty as a place to sit. Here is our list of the top tailgating machines for the 2011-12 football season.

2012 Honda Ridgeline

There has never been another feature more tailored for tailgating than the watertight trunk under the bed of the Honda Ridgeline (above). Sure, the Ridgeline is an aging platform that hasn’t taken off with the traditional truck buyer, but it is a great tailgater. It can carry five people in comfort, and once you get to the parking lot and open that huge cooler, your neighbors will be struck in awe. Jaws will drop. You’ll be the king of the tailgaters.

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander

With the small-crossover segment already crowded and competitive, the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander simply doesn’t have what it takes to earn Cars.com editor Mike Hanley’s recommendation. Read his full review to find out why the four-cylinder engine makes for an especially poor choice, and why it’s time for Mitsubishi to return to the drawing board if it hopes to compete with vehicles like the Chevy Equinox and Nissan Rogue.

2010 Mitsubishi Outlander Review

2010 Mitsubishi Outlander Video

The 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander comes with either a V-6 or four-cylinder engine, but for Cars.com editor Mike Hanley, the choice is pretty clear. In this video, he explains why the four-cylinder engine option does not help the Outlander’s case and why this forces the Outlander to make up so much ground in other areas.

2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport at the 2010 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Kia Soul, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Rogue
• Looks like: The Outlander's kid brother
• Drivetrain: 148-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder with five-speed manual or CVT; front- or all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Fall

Mitsubishi's new five-seat Outlander Sport is the latest in a growing segment of ultra-small crossovers that includes models like the upcoming Nissan Juke and Mini Cooper Countryman. It's offered with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive and will be available in base ES and upper-level SE trim levels when it hits dealerships in fall.

The design connection between Mitsubishi's larger Outlander crossover and the new Outlander Sport is clearly evident in the front ends of these two models. Both feature Mitsubishi's distinctive trapezoidal grille that's bisected by the bumper, and the slit-like headlights are even a little similar. Overall, the Outlander Sport is about 14 inches shorter than the Outlander. The Outlander Sport's front fenders are made of dent-resistant plastic, and the ES trim level has standard 16-inch wheels and low-rolling-resistance tires, LED taillights and heated side mirrors. The SE trim adds 18-inch alloy rims, fog lamps and high-intensity-discharge headlights.

Outlander Sports come with front bucket seats and a 60/40-split folding backseat with a pass-through to the cargo area. Standard features include air conditioning, cruise control, steering-wheel audio controls, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, USB and auxiliary inputs, and Mitsubishi's Fuse system that features Bluetooth for phone calls and audio streaming. SE trims add automatic climate control, automatic headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers and heated front seats. A Navigation Package and a Premium Package, which includes a panoramic glass roof and a Rockford Fosgate audio system, are optional for SE models.

The Outlander Sport is powered by a 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that teams with a five-speed manual or a continuously variable automatic transmission with paddle shifters that simulate gear changes. The available all-wheel-drive system includes a Lock mode for particularly slippery driving conditions.

Standard safety features include antilock brakes, an electronic stability system, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags and a driver's knee airbag.

Mitsubishi Outlander Prototype GT at 2009 New York Auto Show

• Looks like: Somebody slapped a Lancer grille on the Outlander
• Defining characteristics: That huge Lancer-styled grille
• Ridiculous features: Mitsubishi calling this a prototype when it’s just mild changes to the regular version
• Chance of being mass-produced: It’s very likely this will be a refreshed Outlander next year

We’re a little peeved at Mitsubishi for making a big deal out of the Outlander GT Prototype. You see, this isn’t really a concept car. That’s why they used the word “prototype.” Yet they’re not saying it’ll go on sale for sure, either. They didn’t even add an interesting new power plant like we predicted they would.

Instead, the GT Prototype just gets a revised version of the V-6 featured in the current top trim level, boosting power by 10 hp, to 230 hp, while getting better fuel economy. We were hoping for the turbo four-cylinder featured in the company’s Lancer Ralliart instead.

The new grille looks surprisingly natural affixed to the Outlander SUV. When the company tried the same thing with the Eclipse sports car, it didn’t look quite so seamless. We’d expect to see this look on all the trims of the 2010 Outlander. More photos below.

Mitsubishi Outlander Prototype GT Bound For New York

Next week is the New York auto show, and it’s gearing up to be a busier event than we had imagined. The auto industry is certainly retracting, but this is the last chance of the car-show season to display new wares. That’s why Mitsubishi will show off a version of its Outlander SUV. There are no specifics, but the company says it’ll be more powerful and fuel efficient than the current Outlander’s available 3.0-liter V-6.

We’re going to go out on a limb and guess that besides getting the Lancer’s grille treatment, the SUV will also sport the Ralliart version of that sedan’s 237-horsepower, turbo four-cylinder engine. The 3.0 V-6 in the Outlander puts out 220 hp. Surprisingly, the mileage isn’t that different. The turbo in the Lancer gets 17/25 mpg city/hwy; the V-6 in the Outlander gets 17/23 mpg.

We’ll learn more next week in New York. A few more teaser images are below.

Recall Alert: 39,711 Mitsubishi Lancers and Outlanders

Mitsubishi has issued a recall of 39,711 Lancers and Outlanders from the 2008-09 model years due to a faulty brake-booster check valve, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The brake-booster check valve was built with poor material composition, leaving it vulnerable to sticking when the engine is shut off, NHTSA said. This, in turn, may lead to loss of responsiveness in the brakes and increased stopping distance during slower vehicle maneuvers.

Dealers will replace the valve free of charge. Owners can contact Mitsubishi at 800-222-0037 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.