Flash Drive: 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander

All-New Flagship Crossover

Welcome to the reimagined, all-new 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander for what should be a contender in the hot compact crossover segment. With a new exterior and interior that includes a third-row seat, the 2022 Outlander just may be what finally gets the public’s attention to the Mitsubishi brand.

Clean Fleet Report recently put about 100 miles on a 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL Touring, spending most of our brief seat time on Southern California freeways. We got a feel for the ride comfort, handling and performance, all the things this crossover will need to be a hit with families. This Flash Drive is a first look review that will be followed by a longer and more in-depth Road Test review at a later time.

The New Exterior

The all-new 2022 Outlander is far more contemporary that the outgoing model. No longer is the shape tall and narrow but, as Mitsubishi says, the exterior was made “to express strength and driving confidence.” The front end has three dominant features with the Dynamic Shield grille, the bold spelling-out of O-U-T-L-A-N-D-E-R and the large, square enclosures housing the LED headlights, fog lights, daytime running lights and turn signals. The nose is rounded and sleek, leading to a lightly sculpted hood.

The flat roof, with silver roof rails and a power panoramic sunroof, extends to a spoiler that shades the power (key FOB or foot-activated) lift gate, which separates the LED tail lights that wrap the rear fenders. The use of chrome can be a bit much some times, but Mitsubishi has done a good job of keeping the shiny stuff to a tasteful minimum. The polished aluminum wheels with black inserts complemented the strong lines of the side panels.

Modern Interior

There are three basic trim levels for the 2022 Outlander: ES, SE and SEL, and two special editions of the SE Launch and SEL Launch. Clean Fleet Report drove the highly optioned Outlander SEL with the Touring package. I’m trying not to look back too much to the last generation Outlander, but the interior design, especially the dash and cockpit, are hugely improved. The 2022 Outlander has grown by 2.0 inches in width and 1.5 inches in height, which allowed the dash to be elongated in a way that it amplifies the cabin spaciousness.

The 12.3-inch digital gauge display was easy to read and understand, and the impressively large 10.8-inch head-up display provided the important information to keep the driver’s eyes on the road. Interior noise levels were very low.

New for 2022 is a 9.0-inch color touchscreen with embedded navigation. The upgraded 10-speaker Bose premium audio system, which thankfully had volume and channel knobs, included AM/FM HD radio, SiriusXM and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Connectivity included USB-A and C ports, Bluetooth and 12-volt power outlets.

The 2022 Outlander is classified as a seven-passenger compact crossover, so finding a third-row seat in the far back is unique, but it comes with a caveat. That third row should be for an emergency–or for the very small of stature. Up front the Outlander treats its occupants very nicely. The quilted leather seating was supportive and was heated and eight-way power adjustable (with lumbar and memory) for the driver, and heated, power four-way seat for the passenger. The second-row seats were also heated. The second row passengers get air vents, side window pull-up shades, privacy glass, reading lamps, and USB-A and C ports. The heated leather steering wheel had paddle shifters and radio and telephone controls.

The second row is highly configurable by splitting 40/20/40, and includes a long item pass-through. With an easy pull of a lever in the rear cargo area, the second row folds flat to provide 79.7 inches of cargo space, which is impressive for a compact crossover.

Power and Drivability

Across all trims, the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. The eight-speed sport mode continuously variable transmission (CVT), with paddle shifters, drove the front wheels, with all-wheel drive available on any trim level for an additional $1,800. There is a console-mounted wheel where the driver can select drive modes of Eco, Tarmac (Mitsubishi for Sport), Normal, Gravel and Snow. If you opted for AWD, there is also a Mud mode. Each mode affects shift points, throttle response and traction control.

The engine and transmission combination was smooth and had sufficient power for most driving needs, but it is not fast. A CVT by its nature is not a performance transmission, so the paddle shifters helped a bit by holding the CVT in a power band for more pull. The EPA rates fuel economy at 24 mpg city/30 highway/26 combined. In our brief 100-mile run we averaged 27.7 mpg. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience using the dash gauge computer. Your numbers may differ.

Driving Experience: On the Road

Clean Fleet Report’s Outlander was shod with 255/45 all-season tires on 20-inch alloy wheels. Coming in at 3,803 pounds, the ride was smooth with a good confident drive quality. There was moderate body roll on the hardest of corners, but lifting off the accelerator remedied that quickly. The electric power steering was neutral-to-a-bit-light on the road, but was perfect in-town for parking and maneuvering at slow speeds. Stopping was straight and true with no fading from the four-wheel ventilated discs, ABS system, with electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, active yaw stability control and traction control.

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SE and SEL trims are equipped with Mitsubishi’s Mi-Pilot driver assist that comes with adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist. This is not a self-driving system, but when you release your hands from the steering wheel, the system will keep the Outlander between the lines, and bring it to a complete stop if necessary. Please of this system before taking your hands off the wheel.

Safety and Convenience

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is highly equipped with standard safety equipment. The details are here. Among them are active and passive advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that include front, side, curtain and knee airbags, lane change assist, forward collision mitigation, pedestrian detection, blind spot and lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert and park assist sensors.

The Outlander comes with a two-year introductory subscription to Mitsubishi Connect, giving owners a telematic system that connects them to a call center for emergencies (certain emergencies are reported automatically).

Additional convenience features include wireless phone charging, push button engine start, floor mats, headlight washers, rain sensing windshield wipers, multi-view camera system, tilt and telescopic steering column, power-folding (with memory), heated side mirrors, a tire pressure monitoring system, hill start assist and three-zone automatic climate control with micron air filtration.

Pricing and Warranties

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander comes in five trims with front-wheel drive standard. Add $1,800 to these prices for all-wheel drive. Prices are MSRP and include the $1,195 destination and handling charge.

ES                        $26,990

SE                         $30,040

SEL                       $31,945

SE Launch             $31,190

SEL Launch           $36,540

The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander comes with these warranties:

• Powertrain – 10 years/100,000 miles
• Basic – Five years/60,000 miles    
• Anti-Corrosion – Seven years/100,000 miles
• Roadside Assistance – Five years/Unlimited miles

Observations: 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi has a winner on their hands with the all-new 2022 Outlander. But will the public add it to their shopping consideration list? Smart shoppers will if they want a compact crossover with a massive amount of cargo space with the seats folded flat, standard driver safety technology, the ability to put a couple of the little ones in the far back third row, and one of the best warranties.

The styling is modern, the interior materials and fit-and-finish are as good as anything in this category, and the fuel economy, while not high, is acceptable. Oh, but if fuel economy is your thing, Mitsubishi has teased a plug-in hybrid version of the 2022 Outlander is on the not-so-far-off horizon (replacing the current 2021 PHEV model).

Have you ever considered a Mitsubishi? Have you ever been in one of its remodeled dealerships? Apparently many people have been lately, as sales results for March 2021 saw an increase of 59 percent compared with March 2020. This is the best sales month for Mitsubishi in nearly two years. So get over to your local dealer and see the latest they have to offer.

We also just drove the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, a more stylish, but slightly smaller two-row compact crossover.  

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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by Mitsubishi.

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Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.