If the Mitsubishi Outlander was just a plug-in hybrid SUV, that would be good enough to make this vehicle a strong contender for Portland-area drivers. It's got enough battery to cover the vast majority of daily commutes on electricity alone, and it gets decent fuel economy when running on gas. But the Outlander PHEV is much more than just a hybrid — it's an effective all-weather driving machine with a sophisticated all-wheel drive system and a luxury interior.
I recently spent a week driving the Outlander around town, and then went to a snow and ice driving experience with Mitsubishi to put the Outlander through a series of exercises designed to highlight the SUV's capabilities.
Around town in normal driving, the Outlander showed off its day-to-day utility. First, on a full battery you can drive about 38 miles entirely on electric power, and you can recharge the batteries on a normal 120-volt household circuit overnight. The average Oregonian drives about 30 miles a day, including commute and normal activities, so it's easy to do the vast majority of your driving and never use a drop of expensive gasoline. However, the 420-mile total electric-and-gas range of the Outlander allows you to undertake a long road trip any time you need to.
Driving on electric power, the Outlander is quiet and quick, and you can enjoy the heated leather seats and steering wheel, the 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, and features like the wireless charging pad. Our test vehicle had the SEL Premium package, so the 10.8-inch head-up display and Bose sound system were also enjoyable.
There's seating for seven people if you have the third-row seat in use — though honestly it's pretty tight in the back row. The SEL Premium package also includes massaging seats in the front row, which is really nice on the evening commute.
That was all great, but it was getting out on the ice that really got us digging deeper into the technology that makes the Outlander a special SUV. Sure, there's a long list of advanced driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control to follow prevailing speeds, collision mitigation, rear automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping, automatic high beams, and so on. But beneath all that is a sophisticated stability and traction system.
Mitsubishi calls their version of all-wheel drive "Super All-Wheel Control," but the basic idea is that all four wheels get power as needed. In the plug-in hybrid, the front wheels are driven by an electric motor with help as needed from the 2.4-liter gasoline engine. In the rear, power is provided by a second electric motor. Combined with sensors throughout the vehicle, the Outlander uses its driveline and brakes to give you confident traction so that you honestly barely notice that there's extremely limited traction.
Part of that confident handling is due to the tires. We were running on Yokohama's newest winter tires, indicated by the "three-peak mountain and snowflake" symbol on the sidewall. Any serious winter driving, like a trip to the snow park or just venturing out during our recent ice storm, should be done on proper winter tires. But with those installed, that's only part of the solution. The Outlander includes several driver-selectable modes that change the way the vehicle makes decisions about traction. We dialed up snow and ice mode, which reduces the amount of torque sent to the wheels and helps the vehicle find grip on the slippery ice or snow.
Using the various modes, we put the Outlander through a course that simulates emergency braking, avoidance maneuvers, and acceleration. You'll notice a little less muscle, but vastly more finesse from the vehicle on frozen surfaces. I got out to take photos, but honestly there were no spectacular rooster tails of snow or sideways vehicles because the Outlander keeps itself under control. When your family is riding in winter weather, that's just what you want.
Underneath it all, there's a lot going on. We learned about how the Mitsubishi chassis engineers calculate wheel slip and how to modulate power to each wheel to keep the SUV under perfect control. It's fun to learn and know about that work, but from the perspective of the SUV buyer, you just want to be sure that the vehicle is going to get you to your destination safely. All of the sophistication and complexity become perfectly transparent. All the driver of an Outlander will say is, "Getting through the storm wasn't so bad. My Mitsubishi just drove right through it like nothing was happening."
Before I close, I'll note that the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is covered by a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty, and that includes the batteries and the electric motor components, so you can buy this SUV with confidence that you won't have any large surprise repair bills in the normal life of the vehicle. Mitsubishi also takes care of your first three oil changes and tire rotations free of charge.
Our winter weather is mostly done for this year, but before next winter rolls in, you should really make time to stop by your nearby Mitsubishi dealer and take a ride in the Outlander PHEV. With the fuel savings you can expect, the deal might be too good to pass up.
2024 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV SEL S-AWC
Base price: $46,295
Price as tested: $51,835
Type: Compact crossover SUV
Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with plug-in hybrid electric motor (248 hp, 332 lbs-ft)
Transmission: Direct drive
EPA estimated mileage: 26 mpg combined
EPA estimated electric range: 38 miles
Overall length: 185.4 inches
Curb weight: 4,300 pounds
Final assembly: Okazaki, Japan
Most Popular
Comments / 0