This year, Mitsubishi has made two changes to the Outlander Sport line. The body of the new Trail Edition has some visible black parts, and the hood has special artwork on it. Mitsubishi has also changed the name of its top-of-the-line GT to the SEL for 2024 so that it fits in better with the names of its other SUVs. All Mitsubishi cars now come with a free two-year repair package.

Pros

• They are designed to fit in with big cities.
• Two years of care that is free but limited.
• The outside looks good.

Cons

• Below-average ability to work.
• In lower grades, there are fewer feature choices.
• Rivals who are much stronger.

The Outlander Sport’s powertrain choices let you pick the one that does the least damage. With 148 horsepower, its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine moves very slowly. While the 2.4-liter engine makes 168 horsepower, it uses less gas and is only offered on the most expensive, top-of-the-line SEL model. The continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) in both engines could be more reliable. With an 8.0-second time to 60 mph, the most current Outlander Sport we tested with the 2.4-liter engine did better than many of its top competitors. It’s safe to get from point A to point B in the Outlander Sport, but it could be more sporty. The small SUV does roll a little when it turns, but it doesn’t look shaky or unstable. The Outlander Sport’s stopping lengths are about average for a car in this class. When you press down on the brake pedal, it gets a little softer at first, then gets harder and responds better.

Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic warning are still not standard on the Outlander Sport, but it does come with some simple technologies that help the driver. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) webpages to learn more about the Outlander Sport’s crash test scores. Some important safety factors are:

• Self-adjusting emergency brakes and forward crash warnings.
• Normal warning for leaving your lane.
• The usual automatic highlights.

The Outlander Sport feels cheap because it has a lot of black plastic and a dull dashboard design, even though some models are much better. There are no leather seats available right now. For extra style, some trims have red stitching on the seats. However, the Mitsubishi car is always going to be cheap, no matter how much it costs. Also, the Outlander Sport has less space in the back seats than cars like the Honda HR-V and Kia Soul. There isn’t much space in the back seat, but it can fit two people. The Outlander Sport has 60/40 split-folding back seats that can be easily folded down to make a flat cargo floor. However, the Mitsubishi has less space for carry-on luggage than some of its competitors. The Outlander Sport has a limited amount of storage space, but the center bench is pretty deep, which is a good thing. The spare tire takes up all the space under the floor in the trunk area, and there are no pockets on the back doors.

The Outlander Sport has lower EPA scores than newer cars in the same class, whether you choose the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine or the optional 2.4-liter engine. It gets 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway with the 2.0-liter engine. The 2.4-liter engine should get 23 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. We drove an all-wheel-drive Outlander Sport with the bigger engine along our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route and got 25 mpg as part of our strict testing method.

The base model has a 7.0-inch touchscreen for entertainment, but all later trim levels have an 8.0-inch touchscreen that works with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. The second one has fewer settings that can be changed and less interesting artwork, but it does have volume and tuning buttons, which we usually like. However, Outlander Sport’s connectivity features need to be updated more.

If you want to save money, the base form of an Outlander Sport is the best choice. You can make this Mitsubishi feel more like a new car by raising the trim level to LE. This will give you more choices. The most interesting of these is the 8.0-inch tablet that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The update also adds black exterior features, red stitching on the seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.