Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: £19,999 to £27,999
Good-looking, a decent drive, a useful and user-friendly family vehicle.
Not a hardcore off-roader, nor a high-image status symbol.
A very viable, and even quite sensible, alternative to the traditional estate car that can also go off-road.
The Outlander rides well, its suspension coping with rough and unsurfaced roads, and it tackles corners with a minimum of body roll or wallowing.
Occupants sit more upright than in a saloon or estate, but have plenty of headroom; the rear-seat passengers are well served, though the optional third row seats are only for kids or occasional users. Mitsubishi describes the Outlander as a '5+2' rather than seven-seater, which is a realistic and accurate description.
Brownie points for the well thought-out load bay: the tailgate can open in two sections, with a lower fold-out ledge, giving a low, flat and wide loading area - or a comfy place to sit when you're enjoying the great outdoors. The rearmost seats fold flat in a one-touch operation, giving a total cargo potential of 1691 litres; more than enough for an Ikea trip or a car boot sale.
The lack of side airbags apart, entry-level Equippe models are generally well-specified. Standard kit includes keyless entry, a CD/MP3 player, air conditioning, central locking, front and rear electric windows and electric mirrors, plus 16" steel wheels.
Warrior models add 18" alloys, chrome exterior trim, tinted glass, Bluetooth phone kit, silver roof rails, cruise control and front fog lamps; leather seats are optional.
Elegance versions have leather upholstery as standard, sat nav, a sunroof, a chrome scuff plate and a powerful Rockford Fosgate audio system - though this does not, unfortunately, have an input facility for iPods or similar music devices.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mitsubishi Outlander
wrote on 12 01 2008
wrote on 04 06 2007
wrote on 03 02 2007