2007 Mitsubishi Outlander

2007 Mitsubishi Outlander 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
First Drive Review

The latest Outlander is critical to Mitsubishi, because the past few years have been a disaster for the brand in the U.S. Freewheeling lending practices looked like a good idea at one time, until poorly qualified buyers reneged on their loans and the company burned up huge piles of cash as a result. Add that to a lackluster model lineup, and U.S. sales are about a third of what they were five years ago. A Mitsubishi executive recently suggested that if the Outlander and other new vehicles don't start selling better, the company may be forced to abandon the U.S. market.

Thus, the 2007 Outlander enters the burgeoning crossover-SUV market on a mission. Like virtually every second-generation vehicle (the first Outlander debuted in 2002), this one has grown, being more of a mid-size SUV than a compact one, with available seating for seven. Although it's based on the upcoming 2008 Lancer's compact platform, the use of large wheels and tires — most models have 18-inchers — helps belie its econocar roots.

Mitsubishi certainly got it right with the vehicle's styling. Pronounced fenders and crisp lines make it one of the most distinctive SUVs around. It looks so good that it creates a bit of a problem for the mid-size Mitsubishi Endeavor SUV, which isn't that much bigger than the Outlander, is far less stylish, and isn't available with a third-row seat. There's only one engine for U.S.-bound Outlanders: a 3.0-liter V-6 that produces 220 horsepower and 204 pound-feet of torque. It's a smooth-enough engine, but it lacks midrange muscle compared with the optional V-6s in the Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Santa Fe, and it feels barely adequate for a vehicle that weighs 3800 pounds in all-wheel-drive form. A six-speed manumatic transmission with optional paddle shifters can be mated to front- or four-wheel drive, and stability control is standard.

A novel aluminum roof saves 11 pounds where it counts the most for handling — up high — but the Outlander is still fundamentally weighty. Despite a stiff suspension for an SUV, which mitigates wallow and roll, it understeers and gets lost in quick transitions when you push hard. The optional all-wheel drive with an electronically controlled clutch helps by sending power to the rear axle before the front is overpowered, but you quickly discover that this isn't the Lancer Evolution of SUVs.

The Outlander's cabin has plenty of room for four six-footers. It doesn't quite match the RAV4 for material quality, but it blows the Toyota away with gadgets galore. Mitsubishi claims the headliner acts as an odor fighter, an assertion we'll test when we drive an Outlander to the land of Taco Bell. More tangible available gadgets include hard-disk-based navigation (faster than a DVD- or CD-based system); a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo with hard-disk music storage and satellite radio; keyless ignition; a nine-inch rear video screen; and voice-activated Bluetooth cell-phone connectivity.