2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is a cute and capable little compact crossover SUV that, unfortunately, brings a knife to the gunfight. The 2022 model has hardly received any upgrades and this is no help atoning for the vehicle's shortcomings. Mitsubishi's decision to stick with their range of uninspiring naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines and a cheap-looking interior puts the nail in the coffin for this otherwise capable little cruiser. Starting at $21,445, the Outlander Sport could be an interesting choice for young people who don't need much in terms of creature comforts, but rivals like the Mazda CX-30 are simply far more polished. Our review of the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport demonstrates why this is the case.

Two years ago, the Outlander Sport was updated with a new face which took on a more modern look. We think it looks much better than the rounded design of old. The front of the Outlander Sport received the most work and the angled headlights give it a modern edge. We love the boomerang effect on the grille and fog light bezels. All models come standard with LED low and high beam headlights, taillights, and daytime running lights. Other standard exterior features include body-colored front and rear bumpers, door handles and side mirrors as well as a set of wheel-arch moldings. Side mirrors are heated, there is privacy glass in the rear, and a shark-fin antenna on the roof. SE and GT models get gloss black and satin silver grille accents, and chrome grille garnish. The base variant has 16-inch steel wheels with covers while other trims have 18-inch alloy wheels. The LE comes with black exterior accents and black wheels.

The Outlander Sport is classified as a compact crossover SUV, but compared to vehicles such as the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, it is smaller. Its overall length of 171.9 inches is over ten inches less than the Honda CR-V and over eight inches shorter than the Escape, making it more comparable to the Honda HR-V. The Outlander Sport rolls on the same wheelbase it has used for close on a decade, and measures 105.1 inches. The vehicle sits 64.8 inches tall, and it's 71.3 inches wide. It rides on a 60.6-inch track front and rear. The Outlander Sport weighs between 3,120 and 3,296 pounds, with the average difference between two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive being around 140 lbs.

If you want a vibrant-looking crossover, you'll need to skip the base Outlander S as it only comes in either Labrador Black Pearl or Alloy Silver metallic. The ES adds Mercury Gray metallic, and but no longer gets access to Octane Blue metallic and Oak Brown metallic this year, with these two colors now only becoming available from the LE and up. At ES level though, White Diamond Pearl and Sunshine Orange metallic can be added for $395 each, but Red Diamond will require you to part with $595. If we were the ones doing the buying, we'd get one in Octane Blue.

In previous Mitsubishi Outlander Sport reviews, we derided the underpowered engines and that hasn't changed. Unlike the competition, which has slowly moved on to small-capacity turbocharged engines that provide good low-down torque and a more refined driving experience, the Mitsubishi has been chained to a set of naturally aspirated boat anchors that detract from an otherwise solid package. All models, barring the GT, share a smaller capacity four-cylinder 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that huffs and puffs its way around town, and, while it might offer sufficient pull around the city, it loses steam on the highway and shrinks in at the sight of a long incline when fully loaded. GT models get a bump up in capacity to 2.4-liters which helps the low-down torque and overall refinement, but we'd much rather see a smaller turbocharged engine under the hood. The GT's engine manages an unremarkable 168 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque and, based on independent testing, needs around eight seconds to go from 0-60 mph. Most models are available with either FWD or AWD. However, the base S can only be had with FWD and the range-topping GT only gets AWD.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is offered with two naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines and a single continuously variable transmission. All trims but the top GT share a 2.0-liter MIVEC double-overhead camshaft inline-four-cylinder engine, which produces a paltry 148 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. This engine needs to be pushed hard to get any real reaction, and with peak torque only arriving at around 4,200 rpm, this unit feels unrefined and thrashy. Only the top of the line GT gets the larger 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. This power plant produces a more respectable 168 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque, but also needs to be strung out to get the best performance. The CVT gearbox pulls the Outlander Sport along without much fuss but can get confused at lower speeds. The Honda CR-V and Ford Escape both offer more horsepower and a ton more low-down torque; driving either will make you think twice about getting behind the wheel of the Outlander Sport on a permanent basis.

The car-buying public has become accustomed to small SUVs that drive like traditional sedans - hell, even larger SUVs like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 drive better than older luxury sedans. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, on the other hand, takes a more traditional SUV driving experience. Don't get us wrong; the Sport won't roll over when swerving out of the path of an inattentive driver, but it won't hug the road like some of its more dynamic-handling competitors. Chuck the Sport through a set of twisties and there's noticeable body roll, but it feels planted, especially in AWD guise. Steering is typically light and there's very little steering feedback on offer, a typical trait in this class. We noticed that the suspension can get unsettled over bumpy low-speed roads, but settles once it picks up some speed.

The high-revving naturally-aspirated engines powering the 2022 Outlander Sport need a good stomping to get anywhere, and in turn, have to consume more fuel, so it comes as no surprise that the Sport is thirstier than most of its competitors. The EPA gives an estimated fuel consumption rating of 24/30/27 mpg city/highway/combined for FWD 2.0-liter powered cars, which is the best number you're going to see here, as AWD derivatives see a slight drop to 23/29/26 mpg. Both the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape will manage up to 30 mpg combined. The GT, with its larger capacity engine, will return 23/29/25 mpg in FWD configuration and a similar 23/28/25 mpg with AWD. With a 16.6-gallon fuel tank at the FWD car's disposal, the Outlander Sport will get up to 448 miles on a fillup, while AWD models get a smaller 15.8-gallon fuel tank for a maximum range of between 395 and 411 miles.

There are a few reasons why the 2022 Outlander Sport can cost so much less than its competitors, one of them being the fact that its interior comes across as, well, cheap. There are vast swathes of cheap-looking and -feeling plastic, and it's a shame that the slick exterior redesign wasn't pulled through to the interior. The dash design is truly uninspiring, but does offer a no-nonsense layout that boosts the ergonomics of the space. All 2.0-liter models receive a standard six-way manually adjustable driver's seat and four-way passenger seat with seatback pockets, along with a tilt and a telescopic steering wheel. LE models add heated front seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. SE models get standard illuminating sun visors. The top GT makes an effort to improve the perception of quality with leather seating surfaces.

The Outlander Sport's interior design didn't impress much, and things don't get much better when you start to look at how much passenger space is on offer. Five average-sized adults will be able to fit without much trouble, and getting in and out of the Outlander Sport is made easier by its lifted ride height. Once inside, six-footers will have enough space above their domes up front, but may be less comfortable at the back; the Outlander Sport provides 39.4 inches of headroom in the front, and 37.9 inches in the rear. Legroom is a generous 41.6 inches in the front but shrinks down to a tight 36.3 inches in the back. By comparison, the Honda HR-V has more space for legs and heads at the back. Shoulder room in the Mitsubishi comes in at 56.2/55.5 inches front to back, and the hip room is measured at 52.1/51.6 front/rear.

Dark plastics rule the interior of the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport; it's absolutely everywhere, and ranges from cheap and hard to the touch, to better, more decent, soft-touch materials. All models feature a soft-touch upper instrument panel and door trims, chrome inner door handles, and a gloss-black shift panel. Each trim, besides the range-topping GT, gets fabric seats, which have a quality feel and should stand up to years of abuse. GT models get exclusive combination soft-touch seating materials, and the LE is exclusively available with black fabric seats with red stitching, but still, no leather option is available. These models also have red stitching applied to the shift knob, steering wheel, and parking brake lever. A carbon-style audio panel makes its way onto lower trims but this is replaced with a gloss black/silver accent combination higher up in the range. Despite feeling quite cheap, the interior is put together well, and new owners won't have to worry about any premature rattles.

People buy compact SUVs because they offer similar ride quality to that of a traditional four-door sedan or hatchback, if not better, and can get close to offering the same type of performance and gas mileage, but most importantly, they offer more trunk and cargo space, so to be competitive in this class, you need to make sure that you're offering as much of it as possible. The Outlander Sport, unfortunately, fails to impress in this regard. With the rear 60:40 folding bench in the upright position, it offers 21.7 cubic feet of space; the Honda HR-V offers a larger 24.3 cubes. Once the rear bench is folded flat, the Outlander Sport offers 49.5 cubic feet of total utility space, which pales in comparison to the 58.8 cubes on offer in the HR-V.

Small-item storage isn't great either: a deep center console storage box and seatback pockets are a boon, but there are no door pockets in the rear, and there's no word of an underfloor storage area in the trunk. At least there are bottle holders in the front door pockets, and in the rear-seat center armrest.

In base trim, the feature list looks sparse but fills up as you climb up the trim ladder. All models feature LEDs for the low and high beam headlights, daytime running lights, and tail lights, rain-sensing wipers, a roof spoiler, and rear privacy glass. Inside, all models receive a standard six-way manually adjustable driver's seat, cloth upholstery, a manually tilting/telescoping steering column, a four-way adjustable front passenger seat, automatic climate control, and all but the lower two trims get heated front seats. Tech features that are standard across all trim levels include a rearview camera, cruise control, remote keyless entry, hill-start assist, an immobilizer, and an alarm system. Further up in the lineup, the Outlander Sport comes with fancier equipment like push-button ignition, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The standard infotainment system on the base model isn't going to blow the doors off and neither is the mid-range system, but it does provide you with the bare essentials. The base model has to make do with a seven-inch infotainment display, which looks and feels small and can be challenging to read for those with bad eyesight. The base model gets a single USB port, AM/FM radio, HD Radio, Bluetooth streaming, and steering wheel mounted audio controls. This variant makes do with a complement of just four speakers. Things improve from the LE and up where a larger eight-inch screen is fitted plus both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as two additional rear USB ports. SiriusXM satellite radio also makes an appearance here. If you want six speakers, you'll need to opt for either the SE or GT models.

The Outlander Sport has proven to be quite the reliable steed. The last model to be recalled was the 2019 version, with three issues including a faulty right rear seat belt buckle, a rear seat belt assembly that wasn't assembled correctly, and the use of the wrong rim size label.

The 2021 Outlander Sport had a good 82 out of 100 overall rating from J.D. Power and an 86/100 specific rating for quality and reliability. Mitsubishi offers a class-leading five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which includes a seven-year/100,000-mile anti-corrosion warranty, a generous 10-year/100,000 powertrain warranty, and a five-year roadside assistance plan. Those engines may not be powerful but Mitsubishi clearly believes they'll keep going for quite some time.

Crash-safety reviews on the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport have returned good rather than exceptional results. Compact crossover SUVs such as the Outlander Sport are generally snapped up by young families looking for a practical and spacious way to transport their spawn and spawn-sustaining equipment, so it goes without saying that these cars need to be exceptionally safe. Both the NHTSA and IIHS have put the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport through its paces, and the results look promising. The NHTSA gives the 2022 Outlander Sport an overall four out of five stars on their rating scale. In the IIHS' reviews of the 2021 Outlander Sport, the agency was impressed with the car's structural integrity and occupant protection and gave the Outlander Sport top ratings of Good for four out of five crashworthiness tests, with only the driver-side small overlap front test needing to settle for an Acceptable score.

Mitsubishi improved the Outlander Sport's safety offering last year. Regardless of the trim you go for, it will come with standard forward-collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, and lane departure warning. Other standard items are ABS/EBD braking, active stability control, hill-start assist, a rearview camera, and tire pressure monitoring. There are seven airbags in total and this includes a knee airbag for the driver.

The normal SE and GT get blind-spot warning, lane-change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert, but their respective Special Edition trims do not.

The time of the Outlander Sport has come and gone. Most of its rivals have all moved on to small-capacity turbocharged engines, which not only deliver significantly improved performance over the Outlander Sport's lumbering naturally aspirated engines, but they also offer improved fuel consumption. Despite the latest upgrades, they can't conceal this car's age. It can't match the competition when it comes to interior space or quality, ride and handling, as well as trunk and cargo space. Mitsubishi has taken the risky gamble of cutting corners in order to save money with the idea that a lower asking price will attract more buyers, but for similar money, you could get behind the wheel of super products in the US like the Honda HR-V or Mazda CX-30. The silver lining is that Mitsubishi now has the chance to introduce a brand-new car that can take the fight straight to the top.

There is no doubt that the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport makes some sacrifices to keep pricing low; the somewhat cheap-feeling interior, lackluster engine, and below-average interior space all mean one thing: Mitsubishi can keep the costs down.

The cheapest model is the S which comes in at a wallet-friendly $21,445. It's followed by the ES with an MSRP of $23,445 and the LE at $24,395. The SE goes for $25,695 and a slightly less well-equipped Special Edition is available for the SE for $500 less. The GT is the only model to get the larger engine and AWD as standard and carries a price tag of $28,045; a Special Edition is also available for the GT - again for $500 less. All of these prices exclude a USA destination charge of $1,245.

Models not equipped with AWD can be upgraded to this drivetrain for an additional $1,550. However, the entry-level S isn't compatible with AWD. Similarly-sized rivals like the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-30 start at around the same price point; $21,420 for the Honda and $22,050 for the Mazda. The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport prices climb to a point where it overlaps with larger SUVs like the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage.

Mitsubishi's 2022 Outlander Sport is offered in seven trims: S, ES, LE, SE Special Edition, SE, GT Special Edition, and GT. All trims up to SE use a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine with 148 hp and the GTs use a similar 2.4-liter unit with 168 hp. A continuously variable automatic transmission is common to all. The base S trip is FWD only and the GT is AWD only; the rest can all be had with either option.

The S trim has LEDs for its headlights, daytime running light, and tail lights, runs on 16-inch steel rims with plastic covers, and has a sharkfin antenna, roof spoiler, silver grille accents, and rear privacy glass. Inside, it has cloth upholstery, a six-way manually adjustable driver's seat, automatic climate control, and a manually tilting/telescoping steering wheel. The infotainment system's touchscreen measures seven inches and the system includes HD Radio, Bluetooth, one USB port, and a four-speaker audio system. Standard safety fare includes seven airbags, hill-start assist, stability control, a backup camera, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights with auto high beams, forward-collision mitigation, pedestrian detection, and lane-departure warning.

The ES adds to these features 18-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, and the option to specify AWD, but is otherwise identical to the S.

The LE trim is the only one that gets its 18-inch alloy wheels, grille accents, and side mirrors in black. It also adds features such as heated front seats, black trim with red stitching, and leather on its parking brake, steering wheel, and shift knob. The infotainment is upgraded with an eight-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, and two rear USB ports.

The SE Special Edition gets gloss-black and satin-silver grille accents and turn indicators in its (power-folding) side mirrors, but otherwise looks like the ES on the outside. Inside, it additionally gets illuminated vanity mirrors, soft-touch seating surfaces, fast-key entry with push-button start, and a six-speaker audio system. It loses the leather on the parking-brake lever.

The SE costs only $500 more and adds blind-spot warning, lane-change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.

After SE comes the GT Special Edition trim, which gets the 2.4-liter engine. Additional features include a four-way electrically adjustable driver's seat, leather upholstery, a leather-trimmed parking-brake lever, a black headliner and pillars, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

The GT is identical to the GT Special Edition, except for the addition of blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-change assist, which the Special Edition doesn't have.

On the entry-level S, there aren't any packages but there are a few accessories, like the Chrome Value Package at $525 (adding chrome elements to the exterior), remote engine start for $575, a tonneau cover for $195, and a Carbon Grille for $495. You can also get things like an alloy fuel door ($160), parking sensors ($450), and a spoiler package ($350). These upgrades apply to all models but some higher trims get exclusive packages, like the LE Plus Package on the LE trim, which adds a cargo mat, aluminum/leather shifter knob, and black exterior accents for $495.

The question of which Outlander Sport to buy is a difficult one when you consider the fact that base model cars are stripped of most features and are only a few grand off of some of its much more accomplished competitors. Going for the top of the line GT model also poses some moral issues; paying for a GT means that you purposefully look past the Honda CR-V and the like. We would suggest going with the LE. Not only does it add a few sporty touches to spruce up the otherwise dreary cabin, but it gets a few genuinely useful upgrades like the heated front seats, the larger display screen, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. At $24,395, it remains reasonable value.

A brand-new Ford Escape arrived for the 2020 model year, which puts the decade-old Outlander Sport on a serious back foot to start with. The cheeky little Ford starts at $25,555, placing it around the same price bracket as a mid-range LE Outlander Sport. Powering the Escape is a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine with a cylinder count of just three, yet it produces an impressive 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, completely blowing the Mitsubishi out of the water. The Escape will return 28/34/30 mpg city/highway/combined in its most efficient configuration. Things only go downhill from here: the Escape offers more interior space, and almost double the amount of trunk space, and its interior is miles ahead of the Outlander's dated cabin. Out on the road, the Escape feels more car-like and is dynamically better to drive as well. The Outlander Sport manages to beat out the Escape when it comes to warranty coverage, but that's about it. Buy the Escape.

The Honda CR-V has been a class leader in this segment for well over two decades, and the fifth generation of this highly acclaimed compact crossover SUV keeps that torch burning bright. The CR-V follows the current trend by offering a small capacity turbocharged engine, which in this case, is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-pot, which produces a strong 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque. At its most efficient, the CR-V will return a respectable 28/34/30 mpg city/highway/combined. The CRV is a larger car on the outside, where it stretches out over the Outlander Sport by over ten inches, and that advantage is felt on the inside, where the Honda offers tons more passenger and cargo space. The interior is typically Honda - nothing flashy but put together with the utmost attention to detail. The CR-V is a beautiful thing to drive and will carve corners better than the Mitsubishi. It's the safer vehicle too, even scoring a Top Safety Pick award for 2021 from the IIHS. It's a no-brainer; get the Honda.