2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Outlander Sport, and includes Mitsubishi Outlander Sport safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Think of the new 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport as a mashup between a Lancer and an Outlander, and you won’t be too far off the mark. By marrying a Lancer powertrain and styling cues to the Outlander’s platform, and chopping more than a foot of length off the bigger Outlander, the five-passenger Outlander Sport is a smaller and more fuel-efficient crossover SUV alternative that offers more interior space and versatility than a Lancer Sportback.

Mitsubishi sells the new Outlander Sport in ES and SE trim levels, the latter split into front- or all-wheel-drive models. Even the base ES models are well equipped, featuring air conditioning, power windows, power heated mirrors, power door locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a tilt/telescopic steering wheel. The stereo system features an auxiliary audio input jack and a CD/MP3 player, and the Outlander Sport comes standard with a USB port and Fuse hands-free cell phone link. Additionally, the Outlander sport features a height-adjustable driver’s seat, floor mats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, a trip computer, an outside temperature indicator, and headlights that turn off automatically. The Outlander Sport ES rides on 16-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, but gets dark tinted rear privacy glass and LED taillights as standard equipment. When you order the ES model with the optional CVT, you also get 16-inch alloy wheels.

Next up is the Outlander Sport SE, which can be quickly identified by its handsome set of 18-inch alloy wheels. The standard manual gearbox is replaced by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) equipped with magnesium alloy paddle shifters on this model, and the SE also gains nicer fabric for the seats, automatic climate control, automatic high-intensity discharge headlights, FastKey keyless entry and one-touch ignition, rain-sensing wipers, and a better sound system. Mitsubishi’s All-Wheel Control system – essentially an on-demand all-wheel-drive system – is available on the SE model, and it comes with heated front seats.

Mitsubishi offers a handful of option packages on the Outlander Sport. Both models can be equipped with a Navigation Package (navigation, real-time traffic reports, 40GB hard-drive with music server), an LED Illumination Package (ambient cabin lighting), an Exterior Sport Package (alloy fuel door, tailgate spoiler, front and rear trim pieces), and a Protection Package (mud guards, scuff plate trim, tailgate protector). Additionally, for the SE model, the Navigation Package includes a reversing camera and there’s also a Premium Package available (panoramic glass roof, 710-watt Rockford Fosgate sound system, satellite radio, CD changer).

Mitsubishi installs the Lancer’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the Outlander Sport’s protruding hood, and it generates 148 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 145 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. If that doesn’t sound like much, it’s not. Unfortunately, this engine is the only one available. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the ES model, and Mitsubishi’s Sportronic CVT is optional. The CVT includes a pair of genuine magnesium alloy paddle shifters for manual control over the engine’s powerband. The CVT is standard on the Outlander Sport SE.

The Outlander Sport is front-wheel drive. The SE can be equipped with Mitsubishi’s All-Wheel Control system, which is basically an all-wheel-drive system that continuously distributes power as needed when the center console selector is in 4WD mode. There’s also a Lock setting for equal power distribution when desirable.

Thanks to electric steering and an Eco indicator that illuminates when the driver is driving in a manner that conserves fuel, the Outlander Sport attempts to maximize gas mileage. The ES model gets 24 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway with the manual transmission. Models with the CVT and front-wheel drive achieve 25 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. If you get the SE with AWD, expect 24 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.

Hill Start Assist is standard on the Outlander Sport, and it holds the SUV still on a hill when the driver switches from the brake pedal to the accelerator. Mitsubishi also installs a brake energy regeneration system that captures energy when the SUV is stopping, and uses it to recharge the battery. Every Outlander Sport is backed up by a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is equipped with a common set of safety features that includes front, side, and side curtain airbags; traction and stability control; and antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. Additionally, the crossover SUV includes a knee airbag for the driver, a brake override system that makes it impossible to accelerate if the brake pedal is depressed, and hill start assist to keep the Outlander Sport from unexpectedly rolling back on hills. If you order a navigation system on the SE AWD model, a reversing camera is included.

For now, the only crash-test data available for this new Mitsu comes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS says the Outlander Sport gets a Good rating in the offset frontal impact test, and a Good rating in the side impact test. No ratings for rear-impact injury prevention or roof crush strength are available. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not performed tests on the Outlander Sport.

Dependability is also a question mark at this point. Consumer Reports makes no predictions as this review is written, and J.D. Power and Associates thinks long-term reliability will prove average, based on the performance of all Mitsubishi models in recent years.

Let’s start with what works. The steering is direct and precise, and the brakes provide consistent, confidence-inspiring performance. The suspension is softly tuned, which means that around town, the Outlander Sport soaks up road irregularities and delivers a smooth ride quality.

Still, we can’t say that we’re fans of the Outlander Sport. Acceleration from its 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is half-hearted at best, unable to invoke any kind of driving enjoyment. Torque is nearly nonexistent and we had to leave ourselves plenty of room to ensure uneventful merging onto freeways. If this lazy powerplant existed solely for the purpose of providing fantastic gas mileage, it might be forgiven. Alas, its EPA-estimated 26 mpg average seems grossly optimistic, as we struggled to achieve a paltry 20.5 mpg during our week with our test vehicle. The Outlander Sport is slow, and it quaffs gas? Kinda hard to forgive.

Thankfully, it’s not like the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport inspires spirited driving. The cushy suspension that comes in handy around town becomes unruly on curvy roads, with plenty of lateral and fore-and-aft body movements to discourage shenanigans. Driving enjoyment is further hampered by the tiny, complicated stereo and navigation system that flouted us almost every time we tried to so something as simple as muting the sound.

We’d like to bookend this driving impression with something positive; we universally loved the panoramic glass roof, even if it didn’t open. That’s something, right?

The idea here is for Mitsubishi to provide crossover SUV buyers with a more fuel-efficient alternative to its larger Outlander and Endeavor SUVs, and at an attractive price point. From this perspective, the Outlander Sport is a success. The question, however, is whether the Evolution-style nose, odd proportions, small cargo area, and limited dealer network will prove to be deal-breakers for consumers.

By Christian Wardlaw and Liz Kim