2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Review

Relativity often influences critical opinion. Just as Happy Gilmore could be seen a cinematographic masterpiece compared to, say, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is worlds better than classic automotive stinkers such as the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto. Undoubtedly, the Outlander Sport will safely get you to where you need to go. But compared to its modern competition, this pint-sized Mitsubishi falls short in nearly every category.

We say "nearly" because there are a couple bright spots to the Outlander Sport. The main one is value. It's one of the least expensive crossover SUVs you'll come across, yet Mitsubishi has managed to pack it with most of the features you'll likely want. Mitsubishi's warranty coverage is also better than most, which could further the financial appeal of the Outlander Sport if you plan to own it for a long time.

But for everything else we evaluate vehicles on, the Outlander Sport brings up the rear. It's noisy and slow when accelerating, uncomfortable and harsh-riding over bumps, and not overwhelmingly versatile from a utility standpoint. In general, the Outlander Sport is ineffective at convincing you that you bought anything other than basic transportation.

Like a plucky Happy Gilmore winning a golf tournament to save the day, we'd like to see the plucky Outlander Sport rise to greatness. For now, however, we think you'll be much happier with rival crossovers such as the Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade and Mazda CX-3.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SEL (2.4L inline-4 | CVT automatic | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted, the current Outlander Sport has received only minor revisions. Our findings remain applicable to this year's model.