10 Things To Know Before Buying The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is a compact crossover SUV that has been available in the US market since 2017. Part of the second generation Avatar, this 2022 iteration takes all the quirks and qualities of the 2021 model, while waiting for some subtle upgrades to make it more appealing due to the stiff competition. This launched at a base MSRP of $21,795 Mitsubishi is also one of the cheapest deals in the segment.
The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is available in five trim configurations, and the higher trim levels come with all the bells and whistles in terms of interior, exterior, infotainment, and driver assistance features. A few customization options are offered, and the masculine styling helps it stand out well. Competing against the likes of the Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona and Volkswagen Taos, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
10 Elegant exterior
The exterior design sees no improvements over the outgoing 2021 model, although the Black Edition has been discontinued for 2022. The same quirky front-end design remains on board, with chrome accents, blacked-out elements and well-integrated LED headlights with LED DRLs. The impressive height and width also give the vehicle adequate stance.
The side profile is highlighted by sharp character lines, side mirrors with integrated LED indicators, black roof rails and subtle fender flares. The top-of-the-line GT trim also gets 18-inch alloy wheels. The rear retains the beautifully crafted LED taillights, faux air vents, and black skid plates. The funky color palettes and optional exterior packages are also offered.
9 Impressive warranty coverage
One thing that sets the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport apart from rivals like the Volkswagen Taos and Mazda CX-30 is the warranty coverage. Unlike most of the competition except for the Korean twins, the 2022 Outlander Sport comes with a 5-year or 60,000-mile limited warranty and a 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
This makes the Outlander Sport’s warranty coverage similar to that of the Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul. In the JD Performance Rating, the 2022 Outlander Sport received an excellent overall rating of 82 out of 100. No customer complaints were reported by the NHTSA either. However, it received a recall due to an engine stalling issue.
8th Interior looks a bit bland
Enter the cabin of the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and you will most likely be disappointed by the bland looks and so-so quality of materials. The entire dashboard and door panels are made of hard plastic and nowhere feels quite as premium as on the Mazda CX-30.
The all-black interior color combo makes the cabin look a bit drab compared to the lighter hues of segment competitors, and the gloss black elements on the center console are a fingerprint magnet. However, the red contrast stitching on the seats and the large infotainment screen make it a little more elegant.
7 Loaded with driver assistance technology
Similar to the expiring model years, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2022 comes standard with most of the driver assistance technologies. These include collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and automatic high beam.
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However, you would need to purchase the optional packages for features like blind-spot monitoring and a rear cross-traffic alert system. In terms of crashworthiness rating, the 2022 Outlander Sport received an overall crashworthiness rating of 4 stars in the NHTSA crash test and good ratings in most subsections of the IIHS crash test.
6 Comes with dual touchscreen infotainment systems
The base S trim gets a smaller 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system and all other trim configurations got a larger 8-inch unit. However, both infotainments come with most features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, voice recognition and AUX connectivity.
The larger 8-inch unit also comes standard with SiriusXM radio. However, the interface feels a few years behind the competition. It also lacks the customization options offered by its competitors’ more impressive main units. The audio is managed by a 6 – speaker audio system.
5 Spacious and comfortable cabin
While the interior looks and feels mediocre at best, the same cannot be said of the room. Both the front and rear rows of seats offer more than enough headroom and legroom, making it a comfortable five-seater SUV.
Getting in and out is pretty easy, and the wheelbase and length are also among the best in the segment. Open the trunk and you’re greeted with 21.7 cubic feet of cargo capacity. The rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split method, and you’d be greeted with an even better 49.5 cubic feet of space.
4 Below average fuel consumption
The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport doesn’t redeem itself as the most fuel-efficient offering in the subcompact crossover SUV segment. The base 2.0-liter inline-4 with FWD powertrain punched out 24mpg in the city and 30mpg on the highways. With a fuel capacity of 16.6 gallons, it can cover almost 498 miles on the freeways on a full tank.
If you get the AWD variant with the 2.0-litre engine, fuel efficiency sees a slight drop to 23mpg in the city and 29mpg on the highways. The 2.4-litre inline-4 is the least fuel-efficient of the lot, however, as it can achieve a combined gas mileage of just 25mpg. In comparison, both the Honda HR-V and Subaru Crosstrek offered combined gas mileage of 30mpg.
3 2.0 liter engine offers sluggish acceleration
The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-4 comes standard with all trims except the top-of-the-line GT trim and manages to put out a mediocre 148 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. That engine is paired to a CVT automatic transmission, and the Outlander Sport is available with either FWD or AWD drivetrains.
In comparison, rivals like the Buick Encore, Mazda CX-30, and Subaru Crosstrek scored better horsepower and torque than the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. The 0-60 MPH time of 8.5 seconds and quarter mile time of 16.2 seconds made the difference Outlander Sport is also one of the segment’s slowest.
2 There is a more powerful 2.4 liter engine
If you want the Outlander Sport to be a little more enthusiastic in terms of acceleration, you can opt for the naturally aspirated 2.4-liter inline 4 direct-injected engine with the GT trim. This engine only comes with an AWD drivetrain and manages to hit a lower 0-60 MPH time of 8 seconds.
Even then, the acceleration can’t be called as exciting, as the competitors still proved to be better in terms of full throttle and in-gear acceleration. The Mazda CX-30 managed to complete the 0-60 MPH run in 7.6 seconds, topping the chart.
1 Responsive brakes
The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport retains the same braking hardware from older model years and therefore braking performance remains very similar as well. This compact crossover SUV issued a braking distance of 70-0 MPH from 163 feet, putting it squarely in the middle of the segment.
The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport gets a 4-wheel disc brake setup with 11.6-inch front rotors and 11.9-inch rear rotors. All other braking features such as ventilated rotors, ABS with EBD, automated emergency braking, forward collision monitoring, brake assist and hill start assist are also standard on all trims.