Mitsubishi Outlander: 2013 Mitsubishi ASX Review
The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was introduced for the 2011 model year, and despite a harsh review here on Cars.com, it's sold well. Though it shares the Outlander name, the Sport is smaller than the regular Outlander, which has been around since 2003.
Last year, I warned shoppers to avoid the Outlander Sport because of its maddeningly loud yet underpowered engine and a troublesome continuously variable automatic transmission.
For 2012, Mitsubishi said it addressed these two issues specifically and delivered me a test unit to evaluate against its predecessor. Unfortunately, the test car came with a manual transmission, not the CVT that Mitsubishi updated. I could focus only on the engine, so that's what this review addresses.
Thanks to its revisions, the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is slightly improved, but it's still not at the level of many competitors.
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Performance
For a compact crossover, 148 horsepower isn't a lot. Competitors like the
Hyundai Tucson, at 165 hp, and the Nissan Rogue, at 170 hp, offer more confident
passing power and better acceleration fro
Interior & Cargo
Despite being 4 inches shorter overall than the Tucson and a surprising 14
inches shorter than the Rogue, the Outlander Sport's passenger volume is
plentiful: 98 cubic feet versus 102 and 98 cubic
Safety
The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport earned top scores of Good in the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety's front- and side-impact crash tests. It hasn't
been tested for rear impact or roof strength
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Rear fog lamp switch
The rear fog lamp can be operated when the headlamps or front fog lamps (if so
equipped) turn on.
Push the switch to turn on the gear fog lamp, and push the switch again to turn
it off. The indication lamp in the instrument cluster will illuminate while the
rear fog lamp is on.
NOTE
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Redesigned Front Suspension
The MacPherson strut front suspension is similar in layout to the previous
Lancer's, but all-new, with a sharpened focus on enhancing rigidity while
reducing weight and lowering the roll center. Slightly longer suspension travel
(10 mm) enhances road holding even on rough roads, and road shock
