Review
/5
- Pros:
- Smart, modern looks
- Practical, spacious cabin
- Enjoyable to drive
- Cons:
- Fiddly to position and uncomfortable third-row seats
- Not the cheapest car in its class
- Only two airbags on entry-level model
pictured: Mitsubishi Outlander sports utility vehicle 2012 5 door
reviewed by Carbuyer
"Mitsubishi's Outlander is practical, neatly styled and good to drive. It's expensive, though."
At a glance
- The greenest
- 2.2 DI-D GX2 5dr
£23,174 - The cheapest
- 2.2 DI-D GX2 5dr
£23,174 - The fastest
- 2.2 DI-D GX2 5dr
£23,174 - Top of the range
- 2.2 DI-D SST GX4 5dr
£31,544
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The Mitsubishi Outlander is the Japanese firm's contender in the compact 4x4 class. Competing with established rivals like Land Rover's Freelander, unusually, the Outlander benefits from a third row of seats. They’re small, but for those occasions you’ve a couple more children to carry they’re useful. The styling is tidy inside and out, and people carrier-like features such as sliding, easy-fold seats make it a practical choice. The Outlander is now available with front-wheel drive, which improves fuel economy at the expensive of off-road ability, although many Outlanders will never see terrain more challenging than a gravel car park.
Drive
Handles well and diesels are strong
A 2.2-litre diesel is the only engine available, and it's smooth and powerful. The steering in all versions is accurate and quick, the Outlander responding to input at the wheel more like a conventional car than a high-riding off-roader. The six-speed manual transmission is light and easy to use, but the suspension sometimes struggles to smother sharp bumps and ripples in the road surface. A rotary dial allows you to choose 4x4 mode, enabling the Outlander to venture off-road if you need it to.
Comfort
Quiet and comfortable with space for four adults in comfort
The diesel engine is quiet on the move, and the Outlander's cabin is resistant to wind and road noise. Comfort is good for four adults, as the middle rear seat is a bit tight for a fifth. The rearmost third-row seating is a child-only proposition as the seats are flat and quite cramped.
Reliability
Reliable, but entry-level model gets just two airbags
The interior feels well built and sturdy, even if the plastics used look a bit hard and shiny for a car costing so much. Electronic stability control comes as standard on all models, although entry-level GX1 and GX2 models lack the curtain airbags that are standard on higher spec cars. All models come with Isofix child seat mountings too. The Outlander doesn’t feature in the Driver Power Survey, but Mitsubishi has a good reputation for reliability.
Practicality
Plenty of storage and flexibility throughout the cabin
The split tailgate offers brilliant access to a huge boot. A switch in the side panel of the boot quickly folds the second row seats. They slide and recline too, allowing the Outlander to offer more legroom or luggage space as is required. Use the third row seats and the luggage space plummets from 541- to 220 litres. Cabin storage includes a twin-lidded glovebox and a small cubby under the centre armrest. Four large bottle holders in the doors are useful, as is the upper glove box's cooling or warming function on top spec models.
Value for money
Expensive to buy compared to rivals
The Outlander isn’t as cheap to buy as you might expect. That point is underlined by Peugeot and Citroen selling their all but identical alternatives for less. The range-topping Outlander Juro models are particularly expensive, although they do offer a comprehensive specification to justify it. Mid-spec GX3 models make most sense in the range, coming with alloy wheels, a Bluetooth phone connection and cruise control - among others. The GX3 is also the only trim level available with two-wheel drive.
Running costs
Good economy and fixed-price servicing option
There's only one engine, a 2.2-litre diesel which comes with a standard six-speed manual or an automated manual gearbox similar to that found in the Evo X. Road tax costs £155 with the standard transmission or £235 for the automated gearbox, while fuel economy is 44.8mpg and 39.2mpg, depending on gearbox, for four-wheel drive models. The manual-only two-wheel drive does 46.3mpg. As with all Mitsubishis you can buy fixed price servicing to help keep running costs predictable, while insurance should also be competitive.
*Our monthly finance prices are updated on a regular basis, but due to the dynamic nature of the market are not guaranteed accurate. You can always confirm the monthly finance price with FinanceAcar.
