Have I Been Gaslit Into Thinking The Mitsubishi Outlander Is Bad? It’s Actually Good

As a professional (depending on who you ask) automotive journalist and an amateur skeptic, I should be less susceptible to conventional wisdom about cars than the average person. I know better. Do I, though? No one is more susceptible to groupthink than someone in the group, right?

When I got a 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL in my press car rotation, it wasn’t something I was super enthused about, having the typical car writer’s belief that it’s the thing you’re fine getting at the rental counter and nothing more.

That’s the line on Mitsubishi. It’s a company with a mix of ancient pre-Stellantis Franco-German-Japanese platforms and newer, pre-Nissan Renault divorce mediocre Franco-Japanese ones. Don’t buy’em, just rent’em, unless you’re desperately low on funds and the Mitsubishi dealer is the only one that’ll give you credit.

The story is a hard one to argue with, as that’s what Mitsubishi is on paper. It’s been ages since I’ve driven a Mitsubishi and that was the viewpoint that I took with me into driving this one. A viewpoint supported by my peers.

I now believe that view isn’t quite right. This latest Outlander is not the fastest, the best-handling, the most luxurious, or the most efficient three-row SUV on the market. It is the cheapest, though, while also being comfortable and efficient. I also think it’s one of the more interesting-looking SUVs for sale now.

The Basics

Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four w/48-volt mild-hybrid system

Transmission: CVT

Drive: all-wheel drive

Output: 174 horsepower, 206 lb-ft of torque

Fuel Economy: 30 mpg hwy, 26 mpg city, 27 mpg combined

Base Price: $29,995 FWD/$40,845 AWD SEL

Price As-Tested: $47,235 (including $1,745 destination charge)

Why Does This Exist?

It’s easy being cynical. There are entire automotive news websites that seem to now be built on a youthful delusion that says assuming the worst in everything, and everyone is somehow edgier and more valuable than actual insight. If that’s your perspective, then you’ll only see the third row in the otherwise compact crossover-sized Outlander as a cheap marketing ploy.

I’d argue that the third row in about half of the three-row crossovers on the market is also a cheap marketing ploy. Here’s the reality: Most of them are bad! I don’t want to sit in the back row of a Mazda CX-90 or Hyundai Santa Fe. They are, at best, for children or adults you hate.

Is it not more honest, even altruistic, to make a smaller and more affordable vehicle that can have a third row in those rare times when you need a third row? Few of the families I know with three-row crossovers are using that third row all the time and, like normal people, often fold it down to make room for stuff.

Seen that way, the very base model of this, starting at a little over $30,000 delivered, is a great value and a wise use of money. Even my fully featured Outlander SEL with all the options isn’t that bad of a deal. The fact that this now comes with Mitsubishi’s 48-volt mild hybrid system means it’s also remarkably efficient for a cheap car.

How Does It Look?

Mitsubishi is a smaller automaker than it used to be in the United States (though still a force in other markets), and the not-too-big crossover is a strange holdover from when Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi were all uncomfortably the same company. This makes the Outlander, basically, a Nissan Rogue.

I have little in the way of feelings about the appearance of the new Nissan Rogue, which is mildly attractive in a forgettable sort of way. The Outlander, at least with the two-tone White Diamond body and black roof, stands out in a positive way to me. What can I say? White Diamond cars have always brought me luck.

Maybe it’s the giant white grille and chrome trim? If the French ever made their own version of one of the angels from Neon Genesis Evangelion, it might look like the nose of this car, but not in a bad way. The blacked-out A-pillar also gives the Outlander a kind of cool-guy wrap-around sunglasses look.

It’s not pretty, per se, though not everything has to be pretty. It’s interesting. The way that the black A-pillar flows into the roof and above the D-pillar is also a clever way to add dimensionality to the profile. In solid colors, it does look a bit more Rogue-like. The 20-inch, two-tone, food-processor blade wheels are also fun.

This used to be the least-interesting class in cars, and it’s now becoming the most-interesting, aesthetically.

What’s It Like On The Inside?

While the exterior is trying to do a lot with a little, the interior is sort of doing the opposite. It’s just a sensibly attractive car that isn’t overwhelmed by too many shapes or textures. While the quilted leather isn’t exactly made with soft bull hides like on a Rolls-Royce, the seats are big and soft.

Yeah, it’s a Rogue underneath, and it has its share of meh plastics, but there isn’t too much piano black, and everything just sort of works. As always, real dials and buttons are appreciated. The steering wheel is comfortable and, on a cold day, heated up nicely. As did the seats. The infotainment is basically indecipherable from the comparable era Nissan infotainment system, which is also fine by me. It’s not something worth reinventing.

As Thomas pointed out when he drove a similar vehicle last year, the Yamaha sound system is something Mitsubishi is proud of showing off. I mostly listen to podcasts, so it didn’t overwhelm me with sonic clarity. When I did listen to music, it seemed clear enough.

There’s a little more luxury in a Telluride, better ergonomics in a Grand Highlander, and more style in a Santa Fe. Whether or not that’s enough to justify the price increase is a personal question.

Ok, But Is The Third-Row Good?

The Outlander’s greatest trick is that it is something that’s sized more like my CR-V yet offers a third row. This is an emergency third-row. As much as I like the car, I don’t want to give you the false notion that you should sit back there. Whereas the front seats are big and plush, the rear seats feel like they get thinner and smaller with each row.

How much legroom is there? If you push the second row forward, you can squeeze the calves of an undersized 1st grader through there. Getting my adult frame into the rear involved embracing everything I learned from yoga, and it was still like stuffing an entire tuna into a single Bumblebee can.

The seats themselves have an odd design, with these super narrow and tall headrests that make it look like you’re about to sit in the lap of one of the Separatist Droid Army robot soldiers from the Star Wars: Attack of The Clones prequel. It’s functional, mostly.

When writing about an older version of the Outlander, my old pal Ezra Dyer made a great point:

They’re a marvel of engineering, the Outlander’s third-row seats. Looking at the rear cargo area, you wouldn’t expect to find seats nestled under the floor. It seems like there’s no room. But Mitsubishi must employ engineers from the former East German resistance, people who once stuffed defectors into the false fender wall of a Trabant for a trip across the border. Because there is a two-up seat under there, complete with headrests that look like Star Wars clones and padding that is somehow an improvement over the lightly reinforced cardboard chairs of my 2007.

Damn, he had the same Star Wars reference in mind, but he incorrectly identified them as clone soldiers. I’m not sure if it’s more or less embarrassing to get that wrong. The point is well-taken, however, that anyone who owns an Outlander gets a giant storage area most of the time, and these neat little quasi-useful seats some of the time.

It snowed enough to go sledding when I had the Outlander, and I managed to fit all our sleds and tubes (inflated!) with plenty of room to spare for fellow children.

How Does It Drive?

The biggest news for the new Outlander is that the old 2.5-liter four-banger has been tossed for a newer, smaller, turbocharged 1.5-liter mill tied to a mild hybrid system. The engine itself is derived from the same 4B40 engine found in the Eclipse Cross, called the 4B40 Version 2 in this application. What’s strange is that there are almost no engine photos or cutaways of this new version online or in Mitsubishi’s materials.

Here’s the best I can do:

This engine doesn’t provide more power, but the addition of the mild hybrid system is a great upgrade. Basically, a 48-volt lithium-ion battery pack now sits under the rear cargo area and powers the belt-starter generator (BSG), which replaces a conventional alternator. This isn’t a full-hybrid system, but it does have a few advantages. The starter motor is still there for initial startup, but the annoyance of using it for start/stop is now replaced by the BSG. The BSG can also provide limited power during initial acceleration and while at highway speeds. Mitsubishi says this should reduce consumption and add longevity.

In practice, I barely noticed anything was happening other than an initial adjustment period to the unexpectedly abrupt engine-off period when slowing down. This is something that I hope Mitsubishi can dial in a little better over time, but for now, it’s worth it for the increased fuel economy. This is also mated to a CVT, which should complicate matters, but the CVT here is tuned fairly well.

I had the AWD version with Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC), which performed well in low-grip situations. Because it was a press car and I’m an autojournalist, I immediately sought out as many piles of ice and snow as I could find. There was minimal slip, even on the Nexen all-season tires.

Does It Fulfill Its Purpose?

This is still a big, heavy crossover that can hold a theoretical seven humans for something like $31,000 when sparsely equipped. For that amount of change, you get a car that’ll get 30 mpg on the highway and 27 mpg combined. Even the fanciest, highest trim version of this is under the $50,000 average transaction price barrier, and my sense is that there are deals to be had. The sweet spot is probably the LE 1.5T S-AWC, which has most of the stuff you want on the model I had, minus the two-tone roof, for about $35k.

By comparison, a gas-powered two-row Honda CR-V in FWD trim is $34K out the door if you’re lucky. The cheapest Grand Highlander, which does have a useful third row, is about $44k if you can get someone to sell you a base Grand Highlander. A FWD Santa Fe is, maybe, $35K and gets 29 mpg on the highway and a comparatively bad 24 mpg combined.

There isn’t anything that offers three rows this cheaply, which is a big deal for some people. I don’t think any other compact crossover’s entry-level non-hybrid motor offers close to the same efficiency. Because of where the Outlander is positioned, you can basically get three rows, AWD, and decent fuel economy for the price of a two-row, FWD midsize crossover from a different Japanese or South Korean automaker.

That’s the purpose of this car. To exist in a space where no one has wanted to go, probably because no other brand would want to cannibalize its own sales. Mitsubishi doesn’t have a super popular two-row to compete with and, arguably, doesn’t have a lot of popular cars in general. It’s a brand that barely exists, but that doesn’t make it bad. It isn’t bad. It’s probably better than you thought. It’s certainly better than I thought.

Plus, with the seats down, it’ll transport approximately 384,000 calories worth of Girl Scout Cookies.

All photos Matt Hardigree unless otherwise noted.