Source: veamason
“It’s short and squatty.” That is just what my five year-old first said when she took a look at the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC. This four-door crossover SUV arrived at my door in a sharp Mercury Gray with black interior. It did look short and squat, but so what, it is a crossover SUV. The grill has a predatory look to it that always makes me smile and it zips around highways with a speed that surprised me. Here’s why.
Source: Findthebest.com
What I loved about the 2014 Outlander Sport SE was its quiet ride. Even on the highway. While many didn’t give it good marks for handling it can take those suburban parking lot speed bumps with little effort and great cushion. Noticing that my daily jaunts around the strip malls of my town were now more pleasant I decided to take the Outlander on a bumpier terrain. We hit up a dirt road near my house that is a shortcut to a friend’s place. There the potholes and dirt and gravel bumps were still smoothly accepted this was going to be the best feature. It did! That road suddenly became a lot more pleasant to drive upon.
Source: Mitsubishi
Who doesn’t love a standard heated front seat (SE model) with HD radio and rearview camera? The addition of steering wheel hand controls was new for 2014 and welcome. The second row also folds down for a 60/40 split. The narrow feeling inside the car is nice for someone my size too.
What I didn’t like about the Outlander Sport SE was its lack of power. When you hit the accelerator (2.0-liter four-cylinder engine) I would hear a noise that sounded like the car was struggling. Then it would jerk forward and speed would increase a little. It wasn’t an easy transition and I found it frustrating. It’s a smooth ride, not superior handling.
Cargo space (21.7 cubic feet ) is also on the small side. Yes, it totally fit a week’s worth of groceries. I managed to fit, with no squeezing, 12 bags from Target plus a camping chair in the back. That’s what I would expect and more when I pick an SUV. The second row is not roomy. Adults would have to be on the small side, something I have found with Mitsubishi. My three kids had a tight squeeze in that middle row.
In the end, the 2014 Outlander Sport SE AWC is an affordable SUV with good gas mileage (29 mpg highway/24 city) that runs about $25, 895 for the fully loaded package. It’s great for every day driving around town but not short trips in highway traffic situations. Long commutes and drives are where it shines and shows off its fuel economy.
