Seating 5 people in comfort isn’t always as easy as it sounds. The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport does that, gets you where you need to go in all-weather conditions, and all for under $30,000. Lets see how the review goes.
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is an all-wheel drive crossover that is powered by a 2.0L DOHC MIVEC Engine. The engine has adequate power for the size of this crossover. You won’t win any races, but you won’t get left in the slow lane on the highway. Average fuel economy for this combination is 26 MPG with city being 24 and highway being 29. This combination is slightly above the national average. This gives you and estimated fuel cost of $2,050 per year. You have controls to choose between 2WD/4WD/4WD lock. There is also a light for Eco friendly driving to let you know when you are being the best for the environment. The Outlander rolls on 18″ Alloy wheels with all season tires.
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is made not only for function but also for looks. The front fascia of the Outlander has a very similar look to other Mitsubishi’s. The front grille is also trimmed in chrome, as are the fog lights. On the sides you will notice both color matched door handles and mirrors. On the roof you have black roof rails that help hide the Panoramic sun roof from view on the sides of the car. On the underside of the sun roof, there are a strip of LED lights on either side that you can illuminate to give a vice indirect lighting effect to the car at night. The sunroof also has a sliding cover on the inside for those times when the sun is just too bright.
Mitsubishi has given the Outlander Sport keyless entry with a panic alarm. The doors feature a quick entry button that you can unlock your doors without needing to get your keys out. Once inside the vehicle, you have a push button start.
Safety is a big feature with Mitsubishi. The Outlander sport tested comes with Advanced Dual Front Airbags and Seat Mounted Side Air Bags for the driver and passenger. For the driver there are Knee Airbags to keep you from hurting your upper legs with the dash. Mitsubishi has also placed Side Curtain Airbags to protect all occupants in the event of a side impact crash or rollover. To keep you young children safe they have also implemented the LATCH system. For airbags, the car is very well equipped and keeps you safe in case of an unforseen accident.
If you are moving, the Outlander Sport also has some great safety features. First are the all-wheel disc brakes with ABS to keep your car straight in you in control during heavy breaking in inclement conditions. There is also an implementation of Electronic Brakeforce Distribution to make sure all of your breaks are working evenly to keep your car from pulling to one side or the other. Tire Pressure Monitoring is also added on to let you know when your tires are going low, not only as a safety measure, but to also give you the best possible fuel mileage.
To help you see at night, the Outlander has Wide Range HID Headlamps that give you a very wide light distribution to help you see both in front of you and the sides of the roadway. There are also fog lights to help with the front lighting. To help people know you are stopping, the rear has LED Tail Light that are brighter than the standard halogen bulbs. For safety at intersections, there are side turn indicators to let people on your side see which direction you may be turning.
For the small stature of the Outlander Sport, theres is plenty of interior room. The back seats can comfortably sit children and most adults. The rear seats are covered in fabric and are 60/40 split folding with an arm rest with 2 cup holders that fold down in the middle. This gives you extra space to place long items without having to fold a seat down and loose passenger space. All 3 rear seats have their own headrests.
Front seats are bucket seats and covered in the same material that the back seats are. Front seat both have their own seat heaters that have 2 settings. The switch for the seat heaters are on the inside of the seat making it difficult to reach sometimes. The seats, while not uncomfortable could have some softer padding as during long trips, you need to adjust a few time due to the foam in the seats.
The drivers area is full of luxury with leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The steering wheel also contains cruise control and audio controls. There is also paddles for shifting in sport mode. The instrument cluster is high contrast to give you an easy view at all times. The center of the cluster features a screen with changeable information to give you a heads up view of what you want to know about your car.
HVAC for the Outlander features Automatic climate control that keeps your car at a constant temperature, not more moving the knobs between hot and cold to keep a set level in your car. The heater has ducts that run to the back along the floor to keep the rear passengers feet nice and warm on those cold days after sledding. The air conditioning features a micron filter to give you nice clean air when you stuck in traffic.
The sound system is made by Rockford Fosgate. The head unit features a 6 disc in dash CD changer with touch screen and navigation. It also features a 40GB Hard Drive built-in that you can store your music in. The stereo has 710 WATTS of power that surround you in music. There is also a 10 inch Rockford Fosgate Subwoofer built into the rear of the car. For backing up, the screen also has a back up camera option. Other features are MP3 Player, and SiriusXM Sarellite radio with 3 months of free service.
Overall the ride comfort was acceptable and the amount of space on the inside of the smaller crossover was welcomed. With a capable 4 WD system and room for the family with provisions in the back for a day trip, this could be your next family vehicle. Head over to your local Mitsubishi Dealer to check out this and all the other great vehicles they offer.
