2007 Mitsubishi Outlander

The Good :)  Good exterior styling. Roomy interior cabin. Comfortable seats. Wonderful navigation system and keyless start. 

The Bad :(  Driving feel could be improved. Lightweight feeling lends to poor driving dynamics at high speeds.

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            The all new 2007 Outlander sets a new direction for Mitsubishi and will most likely determine if the company can survive in the competitive American market.  The company has faced a rough few years with massive losses and a outdated product line.  Furthermore, many dealers closed shop rather than continue bleeding red ink.  We recently tested the all new Outlander which offered some hope for the fledging car company.  The Outlander is fresh and newly designed with a host of technologies not found in other vehicles in its class.  For the environmentally conscious, the 2007 Outlander is the first PZEV SUV with a V6 engine.  This means lower emissions and cleaner air for us all. 

            Three trim levels are offered in the Outlander, the ES, LS and XLS.  The XLS is this highest line model with an optional electronically controlled four wheel drive system, which Mitsubishi calls AWC for All-Wheel Control.  The aluminum roof on the Outlander allows for a more aggressive body design and creates a lower center of gravity for better handling.  The XLS model also includes attractively styled 18 inch wheels and tires.

            High tech features such as the standard keyless entry system allow you to start the vehicle without a key.  However, the credit card sized device is somewhat thick to keep in your wallet.  Locking and unlocking is done by way of a small button on the door grab handle up front.  Xenon lights are also available which is a great option for better night visibility.   Although they are far better than standard halogen bulbs, we still found them to be of mediocre quality compared to other systems found in German vehicles.

            Interior styling is nicely done with a wide and roomy cabin.  It would be good to have automatic dimming rear view mirrors in this price range and buttons that light up on the door at night.  There are loads of storage areas inside from the dash-top compartment to the glove box and the upper glove box.  We did miss not having front passenger seat height adjustment, which we think is mandatory if you intend to sell to a diverse group of buyers.  Also lacking was power front seats.  Even in 1990, our Nissan Maxima had dual front powered seats with height adjustment.

            Built into the large simple-to-use seven inch touch screen on the center dash are all the major control functions.  Items like the navigation and audio systems, satellite radio controls, calendar, vehicle maintenance information, climate control display and hard drive contents can all be accessed effortlessly.  It's like having one of those airline in-flight entertainment systems, but instead in your car. This is perhaps the best and most intuitive system we have ever used.

The Outlander also features one of the best navigation systems we have ever tested.  It features a hard disc drive for storing all the maps and data, so no more CD's or DVD's to mess around with.  Routes are calculated faster and rerouting is instantaneous.  The computer like NAV system can also store music digitally and even copy songs from your CD to the hard drive for faster listening. 

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            The Rockford Fosgate sound system is powerful and features a large bass speaker in the trunk.  However, we did not find the sound quality to be very good at all.   Hands free cell phone capability using Bluetooth is also built into the Outlander with controls on the steering wheel and in the 7- inch command center.  Voice recognition was very good and everything worked well.  Also great is the standard 115V electrical outlet built into the center armrest up front.  Finally, we can use standard home chargers in the car and not worry about buying extra car accessories for all those devices we have. 

            The rear seat is comfortable and is easy to fold with a spring loaded mechanism which flips the seat fully down.  The rear seats also slide 3.15 inches 60/40 for more flexibility.  The third row of seats, if you can call them that, are folded into the floor compartment and are not truly made for anything but a pet.  They are about 6-inches off the floor when upright and so your legs tend to be in your face. 

            The driving habits of the Outlander are precise and controlled.  Steering is sharp and what you would expect.  The Outlander feels a bit light on its feet and that detracts from cornering ability and confidence.  Shifting can be done by the two paddles mounted behind the steering wheel for a sports car like feel.  The paddles do make the Outlander feel more sporty and fun.  What is missing is the feeling of solidity and a transmission that is smooth at delivering power off the line. 

            Advanced dual front airbags and front side air bags as well as curtain airbags for head protection are all included.  A tire pressure monitoring system as well as daytime running fog lamps give you more security and safety.  Electronic brake force distribution and ABS are also standard as well as traction control. 

            Mitsubishi offers a 10 year or 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.  and a 5-year or 60,000 mile basic warranty.  Roadside assistance is also included with this plan. 

            On our test car the MSRP starts off at $25,010 for the XLS 4-wheel drive version of the Outlander.  Optional are items like the Luxury package which includes the Xenon HID headlamps, heated front seats, leather seating surfaces and a power drivers seat for $1,600.  The XLS Sun and Sound package includes the 650 watt Rockford Fosgate premium sound system with the 10 inch subwoofer, digital signal processor, Sirius satellite radio, auxiliary stereo input jack and power glass sunroof all for $1,580.  the Hard Disc Drive Navigation system and Digital Music Server with single CD/DVD capability cost $1800.  This brings our total to $30,615 with the $625 destination fee.  All parts originate from Japan and the window sticker shows a fuel economy rating of 19 miles per gallon in the city and 22 miles per gallon on the highway. 

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            For a vehicle that features some great technology at a low price, the all new 2007 Outlander cannot be beat.  Styling is sharp, similar to an Acura MDX, and the intuitive touch screen command system makes up for any shortcomings in performance and handling.  Visit www.mitsubishicars.com  for more information.

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