I was provided with a 2015 Mistubishi Outlander Sport to test drive to facilitate this review. The opinions in this post are 100% mine. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
A couple of years ago we had the opportunity to test drive the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Things change over the course of a model year, so we were excited to check out the newer 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and see what’s new. I have to say, I liked it even more this time around. Here are some of my favorite features.
Capacity Without Bulk
This is my favorite feature for sure. There’s plenty of capacity in this car with ample leg room and trunk space. I was hauling a ton of stuff to sell at a consignment sale the week we had the car, and easily fit all by boxes and baskets in the trunk and backseats.
Even though there’s plenty of cargo space for your groceries or kids’ soccer gear, this car is a smaller SUV so it’s not bulky to drive. It really handles much more like a car than an SUV. I loved driving it for this reason.
And because it’s a bit smaller than the regular Mitsubishi Outlander (you can read our review of that one here), it’s also at a lower price point. So you can get that capacity to hold all your stuff without driving a huge vehicle that costs a lot. That’s the sweet spot!
Style and Luxury
I love the look of the car from the outside. It’s not boxy at all and has nice lines and curves. That Rally Red color is pretty sweet too, isn’t it?
The car’s interior makes you feel like you’re in a luxury vehicle too. This model that we tested had a Touring Package included (a $4900 upgrade) that features leather seats, the navigation system, a premium sound system, and a panoramic roof.
You can see the interior is spacious for the family. Our family of 4 fit easily in here with all of our stuff that we cart all over the place! The only complaint I have about the seats themselves are that the seat belts are too close together. This isn’t even noticeable UNLESS you’re trying to buckle a kid into a booster seat and the seat is wider than the space between the seat belt and the buckle. My son learned to scoot his seat way over to the right, buckle the seat belt on the left, then re-center his seat.
The screen on the dash allows you to easily use the navigation system, change media inputs and radio stations, and view what’s behind you in the rear view camera. I have really come to love a review camera as an added safety feature.
One of my favorite little treats in this car are the heated seats! Can I just tell you how nice it is to have a warm seat when it’s freezing outside? You can see the buttons for both the driver’s and passenger’s sides right there underneath the temperature controls.
Another really cool feature of this vehicle is that is has a HUGE panoramic moon roof. Very cool view out there from both the front and back seats, and it’s lined with little lights that make it fun at night. I only wish that this roof would actually open. It’s more for visual appeal that it is for any kind of functionality and I’m not sure why that is.
Handling and Performance
Last time we tested the Outlander Sport I wasn’t thrilled with the transmission. This car has a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) which means it doesn’t shift gears one at a time. It didn’t seem to have much pick up when we drove last year’s model.
I don’t know if they’ve improved on this technology or what, but I honestly didn’t notice that at all with the 2015. It accelerated well, no lag, and didn’t feel heavy at all when applying the brake. We really loved the way this car handled overall.
If you’re in the market for a new SUV and want something a little smaller than a full-size, but still something with good power and capacity, definitely check out the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Prices on this car start at only $19,595.
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