2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Initial Drive Review: It’s a Japanese Saab
Last month, Mitsubishi garnered attention for reportedly showing little interest in joining the now-canceled merger between Nissan and Honda. Upon hearing this, I was taken aback. While I commend their audacity, it's perplexing that Mitsubishi Motors—a lesser-known manufacturer relying on parts from other mid-tier automakers and seemingly always on the verge of leaving the U.S. market—would turn down such an opportunity.
Fast forward a month, and I'm behind the wheel of the updated 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander. From my perspective… I understand why. It seems these guys are managing quite well.
**Mitsubishi**
**The Basics**
On paper and in terms of pricing, the Mitsubishi Outlander is categorized as a compact crossover that competes with models like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, but in reality, it is slightly larger and distinguishes itself by offering a third row of seats. Yes, it can accommodate seven passengers.
This fourth-generation model, built on the platform of the Nissan Rogue, was introduced in 2021 but receives a refresh for 2025. The exterior updates are subtle: new wheel designs, refinements to the upper section of the front grille, altered front and rear lower fascias, and taillights reminiscent of the BMW X5. Inside, the center cupholders have been repositioned for easier access, the armrest cubby has been enlarged, the wireless charger has been redesigned, and the touchscreen infotainment system has expanded from nine inches to 12.3 inches.
**Mitsubishi**
There are also more features than before. Both front seats can now be ventilated, there's a frameless digital rearview mirror, touch-sensitive dome lights, and aluminum pedals. Standard equipment includes the large touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors with automatic emergency braking, and the digital mirror.
Entering the Mitsubishi Outlander is pleasantly surprising. The dashboard design is sleek and sophisticated, the leather in this SEL trim is richer than anticipated, the speaker grilles appear to have been sourced from an entry-level luxury vehicle, and overall material and build quality is commendable for the category. If you were to cover the badges, this could easily be mistaken for an Infiniti cabin from not too long ago. Furthermore, there are plenty of physical buttons and knobs—just the right amount—and they are intuitively placed and operate as expected. I appreciate that.
**Mitsubishi**
All seats are comfortably accommodating, and the second row offers ample space with 39.9 inches of legroom—just an inch shy of the highly regarded CR-V but significantly more than the RAV4. The third row, on the other hand, is undeniably cramped; as a five-foot-eight adult, I can't sit upright comfortably back there. However, it's worth noting that many of the Outlander's direct competitors do not offer a third row at all, not even optionally. Keep the third row folded most of the time and primarily use this vehicle as a five-seater with two extra deployable seats for emergencies and young children.
What isn't small are the sun visors, which are notably large—almost comically so.
**Mitsubishi**
**Bikes AND Pianos?**
The feature that Mitsubishi is most enthusiastic about, however, is the new Yamaha sound system in the 2025 Outlander. Interestingly, this is the first car in the North American market to feature an audio system developed by Yamaha. It appears this isn’t merely a marketing gimmick; significant effort has been invested in enhancing the Outlander's audio performance.
Yamaha's in-house “Sound Meisters” have calibrated it to reproduce sound that closely aligns with the artist's intent, and the hardware is said to draw from its premium $15,000 Zylon-diaphragm NS-5000 bookshelf speakers. Yamaha has even contributed to reinforcing the doors to reduce vibrations and optimize acoustics. The system adapts to speed as most modern car audio systems do, but it takes this a step further by compensating for rain (activated by the high wiper setting) and air conditioning noise as well.
**Mitsubishi**
To my untrained ears, the Outlander’s 12-speaker, 1,650-watt Yamaha Ultimate sound system delivers a level of bass and clarity often found in luxury vehicles. The top-tier setup is optional, but even the standard eight speakers are from Yamaha.
It's important to note that there is no active noise-canceling feature, although a Yamaha Sound Meister seemed open to the idea when I mentioned it. Regardless, while the Outlander may not isolate road and wind noise like a Lexus, the noise levels aren't excessively loud either.
**Driving Experience**
A plush interior and impressive sound system would only matter so much if the updated Outlander didn’t perform well on the road, but fortunately, it excels in that aspect too. The steering
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2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Initial Drive Review: It’s a Japanese Saab
The often underappreciated Outlander takes questionable components from a larger brand and transforms them into something quietly impressive. Does that sound familiar?