Mitsubishi Outlander review

Joel Helmes has filed this Mitsubishi Outlander review.

The VR-X is the top of the range Outlander and it’s packed full of fun and luxury inclusions.

A little bit like last week’s review of the ASX however there were a few issues with the Mitsubishi Outlander which disappointed.

Mostly the negatives surround the V6 petrol engine and the six speed automatic transmission.

The three litre engine delivers a very healthy 169kW and 291Nm and when you plant your foot there is some serious acceleration.

Once again however, just like the ASX’s four cylinder petrol engine, there is a real hesitancy down low and while not as pronounced as it’s little brother I can’t help but feel the Outlander should have felt a little crisper.

I believe both engines are hampered by the automatic transmission; another criticism of the auto is that it takes an eternity to engage drive or reverse.

We can pretty much wrap up the negatives on the Mitsubishi Outlander with another engine complaint and that’s the fuel economy – the official figures are a combined 10.4 litre per 100, this is spot on – I averaged about 9 litre per 100 on the highway and about 13 litres per 100 in the city.

To the good stuff now and there certainly are plenty of positives.

I just love the interior of this vehicle, the seats are extremely comfortable, and the dash is well laid out, easy to use and functional.

Everything feels nice and tight and good quality materials have been used throughout the cabin of the Outlander.

There’s plenty of leg room front and back, rear seat passengers are kept entertained with a roof mounted DVD player, the movie by the way comes up on the main dashboard control panel when the vehicle’s stationary – a nice plus when sitting in traffic.

The boot space is enormous but I’m still scratching my head about the giant sub-woofer located in the cargo area, it looks as though someone has customised the car and may be a bit of a turn off for those who are perhaps over 25 and a little more conservative.

The ride is much better than the ASX, I think the low profile tires again diminish the ride but overall it’s quite pleasant and holds the road nicely when pushed into a corner.

The external styling is terrific.

So in summing up the Mitsubishi Outlander is a well-designed, well-built and enjoyable car but with the disappointing engine and transmission and a price tag of $51,990 I would be checking out some of the competition particularly the Kia Sportage Platinum.