Mitsubishi outlander sport 2011

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In its ongoing struggle for relevance—and maybe a sale or two—Mitsubishi is adopting a family approach to its models. Each nameplate will be offered in more than one variant, the Lancer line providing an excellent example of this strategy. It extends from mild—the basic Lancer DE sedan, starting at $15,535—to wild—the 291-hp Lancer Evolution X, an all-wheel-drive street tiger starting at almost $35,000. Mitsubishi is now taking this approach with the Outlander, introducing a smaller, two-row sibling, the Outlander Sport.

More Than a Badge Job—and Less

Although the Sport shares its structure, Evo-inspired front-end styling, and 105.1-inch wheelbase with the standard Outlander, it’s not the same vehicle with a different badge. It shares no sheetmetal with the regular Outlander, is significantly smaller in all its exterior dimensions, and boasts superior aerodynamics. The Sport ditches the Outlander’s optional third-row seat and eliminates the fore-and-aft adjustability of the second row.

More than 14 inches come out of the Outlander’s overall length—14.6, to be exact—for a new shadow 169.1 inches long. Width has been trimmed 1.2 inches, to 69.7; and the roofline is 1.9 inches lower, at 64.2. As you might expect, substantially reduced dimensions pay off at the scales. Expect the Sport’s curb weight to be about 3100 to 3300 pounds, or roughly 400 fewer pounds than a similarly equipped Outlander’s.

Thrifty Sport

With a much lighter vehicle, you might also expect increased performance, but there’s a caveat. Unlike the standard Outlander, there’s no V-6 engine option here. The standard (and only) engine is Mitsubishi’s all-aluminum 16-valve, 2.0-liter inline-four, mated to a five-speed manual transmission or a CVT with paddle shifters that allow the driver the illusion of six speeds. The engine is rated for 148 hp and 145 lb-ft feet of torque (143 and 143 in vehicles sold in California), and Mitsubishi anticipates an EPA highway fuel-economy rating of 31 mpg.

Even with the Sport’s lower curb weight, 148 hp is not enough to generate anything approximating face-distorting acceleration. The Sport is a little quicker with the slick-shifting five-speed, but if you want four driven wheels, you’ll find yourself manipulating the CVT’s paddle shifters, as Mitsubishi offers no manual option with all-wheel drive. This is not entirely a bad thing. The magnesium shifters are generously sized and fixed to the steering column—rather than twirling with the wheel—which makes them easy to find during quick maneuvers. The shift responses can’t match those of a dual-clutch automated manual, but they’re not sluggish, either, and lend a little something to the fun-to-drive quotient.

What’s Your Hurry?

However, in this context, the word “sport” is stretched pretty thin. As with most crossovers, that part of the equation is embodied not by the vehicle but by the stuff you take with you. The Outlander Sport features slightly lower spring rates than the regular Outlander—in deference to its reduced weight—which pays off in smooth ride quality. Although we got little seat time at this preview drive, we left with an impression of decent feel and precision from the electrically boosted power-steering system, relaxed responses, quiet operation, and good traction from the electromechanical all-wheel-drive system—virtues, for sure, but not the kind of attributes we associate with sporty driving.

Dynamics notwithstanding, the Outlander Sport figures to be an attractive buy. All its safety features—stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, and front-side, driver’s-knee, and curtain airbags—are standard equipment. Other standard gear includes air conditioning, a tilting and telescoping steering column, cruise control, power windows, heated power mirrors, power locks with remote locking, and audio controls mounted on a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The Outlander Sport will be available in two trim levels: ES and SE, the former starting at about $19,000, the latter at about $22,000. The ES is front-wheel drive only and can be had with the manual transmission; the SE is available in front- or all-wheel drive and only with the CVT. Maxed out with all the options—a 710-watt, nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system; a panoramic sunroof with mood lighting; the Fuse hands-free media interface (similar to Ford’s Sync); Sirius satellite radio; HID headlamps; and upgraded trim inside and out—Mitsubishi says an Outlander Sport’s Monroney shouldn’t exceed $25,000. That’s an attractive price for an attractive crossover, a combination of virtues that makes the Sport a welcome addition to the Outlander family when it arrives in November.

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The Outlander Sport is a lighter, shorter version of the Outlander crossover vehicle—about a foot shorter but the same in wheelbase, with nearly the same overall width and height. But it looks and drives quite differently—and with its parallel-parking-friendly packaging, it aims at those in the city rather than the suburbs.

Mitsubishi has shed most of the sport-utility cues in the 2011 Outlander Sport, making it look from most angles more like a tall hatch. The blunt, sharklike front end looks just as good here as it does in the Outlander and Lancer family—and it could be mistaken for a serious performance vehicle by those not in the know. From the side, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport gets all-new sheetmetal, with a rising beltline crease that helps keep from looking too slab-sided, but this vehicle is disappointingly bland and ordinary-looking from the rear.

A lot of the heft is gone from the experience, replaced by better responsiveness, and it feels a lot more like the Lancer sedan, which also shares some underpinnings. This is the first Mitsubishi to get electric power steering, but they've managed to tune it to feel almost exactly the same as their excellent hydraulic units. Outlander Sport's 3,100-pound weight and that excellent steering contribute to the light-and-nimble feel, no doubt, and drives a class smaller than most compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, or even the Kia Sportage—but it also doesn't feel as anesthetized as the Scion xD or xB in their standard tune.

Review continues below

That's the good. The 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport comes with either a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) or a five-speed manual gearbox, with a 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine for all versions. And while the stick might be a good choice, the CVT that most come with is a little sluggish and disappointing when you want to tap into all the power. In the city, it's at ease, but on the highway the powertrain feels boomy and overwhelmed (fuel economy isn't impressive on the highway either). Adding to that impression is a whole lot of road noise from inside the cabin. Interior plastics and trim, while they're better than those in the Lancer, are still less than inspiring.

Otherwise there's lots positive to point out in the Outlander Sport's excellent interior packaging. From the inside, it doesn't feel much smaller than smaller compact crossovers, like the Sportage. Front seats feel fairly snug but supportive, and in back there's real space for two adults or three kids. The back seats are split 60/40; there's a nice, low cargo floor, and the larger seatback includes a separate, slightly higher-up trunk pass-through that would be good for multiple sets of skis. Built into the same enclosure is a fold-down, padded armrest with two cupholders built in.

If you can look past the Outlander Sport's boomy interior and just-adequate powertrain performance, the Outlander Sport stands out as quite a deal—especially for the base front-wheel-drive model, at $19,275 including destination. Even loaded SE models with AWD total less than $26k, including premium audio, automatic climate control, heated seats and mirrors, and a panoramic sunroof. In all, if you can overlook the road noise and sluggish powertrain, the Sport is quite a great deal.