Gillman Mitsubishi of San Antonio
16040 I 35 North San Antonio, TX 78154Sales: (888) 573-1012
- Service: (888) 575-1381
2010 Mitsubishi Outlander
Total makeover produces unmistakable family face. edited by Sam Moses
Walk Around
The big news is that the new 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander has been welcomed into the family with the Mitsubishi nose. Mitsubishi calls a jet fighter front grille, and yeah you can see it. Others call it a fish face, and yep, there's the grouper. Whatever. We think it looks good. It pushes the limits of how much in-your-face we can stand, but pushing the limits is what good design does. The inward-leaning angular headlamps complement the Outlander's face. In the most popular Outlander SE model, there's a body-colored stripe through the cavernous black mouth of the GT. On the Outlander GT it's blacked-out, giving that jet fighter look.
It was the 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor SUV that started the big edgy fender flares thing. It's hard to tell if the Overland tones it down or it's just that we're used to them now. Its wheelwell flares don't look so big, as the edges have been nicely smoothened. The seven-spoke wheels on our GT could have been worse but have missed an opportunity. Not sure if the chrome side sill extensions could have been worse.
There are character lines above those side sills, more like a long dent in the doors about 8 inches above the rocker panels. Thank you for body-colored door handles, says the Outlander, as it clings to stylishness.
The chrome trim around the windows is odd, discontinued, detracting from any flow to the lines, but turning the third window from a trapezoid into an upside-down triangle. The rest of the window panels and the B-pillar and C-pillar are blacked out.
There's lots of glass from the rear, and no roof spoiler, just a nice wedge that holds the brake light. Your standard wide chrome strip, with your non-standard Mitsubishi emblem. The jeweled clear LED taillamps look grayish. There's a twin pipe coming out one side, in the V6 models.
Interior
2010 Mitsubishi Outlander
We'll get the compact third-row seat out of the way first, it won't take long. It's tiny and flips up out of a hole. Figure two kids no older than 9, and not for long. When Mitsubishi says luxury seven-passenger, it's a stretch.
The five-seat Outlander ES and Outlander SE models offer storage space under the cargo floor, in that space that the third-row seat folds into. They also offer nearly 3 inches more legroom in the rear seat, a good 39.6 inches, thanks to not having that compact third-row seat.
The standard 60/40 rear seat is fold-and-tumble. You pull the nylon loop and stand back, as the seatback flops down and carries the seat bottom on its roll, up against the front seatbacks for extra cargo room, an impressive total of 72.6 cubic feet. It takes some muscle to flop them back, especially the 60 side, maybe more muscle than some otherwise above-average kids might have. On the XLS and GT, the rear seats slide 3.3 inches, and that's useful.
Two big cubby holes in the way back, and nice door pockets with bottle holders in the rear. Only one standard seatback pocket (driver side optional), but standard heating/air conditioning ducts in the rear.
In back, there's the usual liftgate but then a 10-inch-tall tailgate that lowers and flattens the entry; it's great for loading groceries because the stretch into the cargo area isn't far. This flap fold tailgate, as it's called, is strong, it'll support a 440-pound golf bag. Or 10 44-pound watermelons. Or two 220-pound football fans at a tailgate party.
The doors sound light, we won't say tinny, but we will say less solid than many others. Maybe it's because the roof is aluminum, lowering the center of gravity. Headroom and rear visibility are both very good. Well, rear visibility is covered by two odd headrests shaped like platypus bills rising from the third-row seat when it's raised.
On the full-tilt Outlander GT, especially with optional navigation on a big screen and perforated leather, you've got a very stylish interior. Between the clean speedometer and tachometer there are some colored digital gauges, and a three-instrument package just forward of the shift lever. The aluminum pedals seem to be trying too hard, with their exclusive cutout design.
We put quite a few rough miles on our Outlander in one day, and the interior was pretty much flawless, not just the comfort of the great seats, but the function of the panel. The dashboard is broad and bold, stitched synthetic leather, with a center split that swoops with the suggestion of a gullwing. It looks nice.
