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Starting well under $20k for the base model, the Outlander Sport is compact enough for city driving, provides good gas mileage stands out as an overall good deal – especially if you can overlook its weak engine. /Photos courtesy of Mitsubishi North America
Mitsubishi’s Small Fuel Efficient SUV is Aimed at Value Shoppers By Njuguna Kabugi Special to the WI
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“What’s in a name?” This question posed in William Shakespeare’s famous work Romeo and Juliet has seared itself into our psyches, even in situations that do not involve young love and tragedy as happens in Shakespeare’s play. Whether one is a Montague or a Capulet, is involved in a forbidden romance, likes roses or not, we are all quite aware that a name is incredibly important and that we make countless judgments based on our perception of what’s implied in a name. I was reminded of this fact when Mitsubishi, the manufacturer of today’s featured vehicle, delivered the Outlander Sport SUV to my house. Looking out on the driveway, I was sure someone had made a mistake. I had expected a heftier version of the seven-passenger Mitsubishi Outlander SUV that I drove a few years ago. I did not get what I expected. Sure, the vehicle sitting in the driveway had a badge that said Outlander Sport, but it was short and stubby compared to its sibling. The joke was on me as Mitsubishi, an adept student of Shakespeare, demonstrated that irony plots quite well when replayed through mistaken identities and prejudice. This vehicle is neither an outlander – which means a person who comes from a foreign country or someone who does not owe allegiance to your country – because it is made in the USA. It is also disappointing to speed jocks because it’s not even remotely as The Washington Informer
fast as its name suggests. Rather than being speedy and agile, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport feels underpowered and has a loud continuously variable transmission (CVT). It is not that I was remorseful for something else the week I drove this vehicle. No, not at all. My first few days involved driving two teenagers, my son and his buddy, on a college tour of D.C. area universities. The ride from Marymount University in Arlington, to American in upper Northwest with brief stops at Howard and G.W., did not disappoint. There were no complaints about the Outlander Sport from the six foot, four inch 17-year-old who preferred to sit in the back directly behind my son who is about 2 inches shorter. As far as they were concerned, the sitting arrangements in the car were fine, it was the cold lunch served at a “so-called prestigious District” university that charges upward of $55k plus a year and the not so impressive basketball program at the Arlington school that were threatening to be deal breakers. As I drove around the city in the next few days, I became more and more convinced that just because the 2012 Outlander Sport is small does not mean it is necessarily a compromised vehicle. It’s designed for city folk looking for a higher view of the road. At a length of 169.1 inches, the Outlander Sport is really not meant to compete with class leaders like the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape, nor is it any good at off-roading. Mitsubishi’s approach to the Outlander is rather simple: pro-
vide a range of SUVs and crossovers meeting a variety of needs. Whereas the Outlander is a seven-passenger SUV serving larger families who need to carry much stuff, the Outlander Sport sits five and is targeted at first-time buyers who want style with their utility. Because there are so many choices available to the serious shopper looking to buy a vehicle in this class, one ought to consider first what they would want from a compact SUV. If you are tight on cash and can only spend less than $20,000, this car may fit the bill. It offers sleek and distinctive styling, a wide array of welcome standard amenities and an exemplary degree of fuel-efficiency. Powered by a 148 horsepower DOHC 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine equipped with Mitsubishi’s advanced MIVEC variable valvetiming technology, the 2012 Outlander Sport garners an impressive EPA fuel mileage rating of 31 mpg highway. In addition to its highly-efficient powerplant, Mitsubishi offers Bluetooth, USB audio inputs, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, air conditioning, power everything, and Fuse, a Ford Synclike voice-control technology. Safety features include standard all-disc anti-lock brakes, an electronic stability system, traction control, and seven airbags, a driver’s-knee airbag and side curtains for both rows. Price Range: $19,495 - $23,295/ Fuel: Unleaded wi www.washingtoninformer.com