Don’t You Forget About the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander: First Drive Review

Rolling up the last mile on Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Strip in the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, an SEL model equipped with all-wheel drive and a Premium Package, the immortal words of the classic Simple Minds tune reverberated through my head.

Don’t you forget about me.

No, the 1980’s anthem wasn’t playing on the SUV’s new Yamaha-designed stereo. It was purely an inner monologue that encapsulated a day spent driving Mitsubishi’s mildly refreshed SUV. Being tied to an automaker largely seen as a shadow of its former self, I fear the Outlander is too often overlooked. This is a very good vehicle—not perfect, but one that deserves considerably more attention in the impossibly crowded compact SUV segment. 

Let’s mention the elephant in the room right away. Mitsubishi representatives tell us that the company is financially standing on its own two feet. Outlander sales were up 6.5 percent in 2024, part of Mitsubishi’s 25.8 percent year-over-year sales increase. And Nissan’s woes apparently aren’t affecting Mitsubishi, at least for the moment. Yes, the Outlander shares its platform with the Nissan Rogue, but you wouldn’t know it from behind the wheel. Mitsubishi injects its own recipe into the underpinnings to create a driving experience decidedly different—and by that I mean better—than the Rogue.

To that end, all the Outlander’s suspension components are Mitsu-specific. For 2025, they’re also tweaked slightly. The shocks and springs are retuned to reduce the initial bump impact, and the front sway bar is ever-so-slightly smaller. The steering is also retuned to feel a bit tighter at speed. In short, it all works very well. 

Treading over the cracked and cratered streets outside Los Angeles, the Outlander remained calm, collected, and impressively comfortable. Nothing felt harsh, nor were there any unwelcome reverberations through the cockpit. That’s of particular interest considering Mitsubishi designed the SUV to essentially be a rolling speaker box, a neat tidbit I’ll describe later on. 

And it’s exceptionally quiet on the move. Wind noise is minimal even at highway speeds, and the hum from the 20-inch tires is equally subdued. Chalk this up to added sound deadening throughout the Outlander, along with considerable time devoted to improving overall ride quality and handling. There’s a decidedly upscale vibe happening here—something you don’t expect from an SUV with a $31,140 starting price.

Perhaps even more impressive is that Mitsubishi didn’t sacrifice handling for plush comfort. With the driving mode set to Tarmac, the Outlander stays level through the twists and turns on streets north of town. Some credit for that goes to Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system, which can manage power not just between front and rear axles, but side-to-side for more or less yaw in corners. That alone doesn’t account for the minimal body roll or reassuring steering feel, however. Results may vary on the front-wheel-drive models, but all should have balanced characteristics. Well done, Mitsubishi engineers.

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Pros: Outstanding Ride & Handling, Quiet, Uptown Vibe At Downtown Price

Technically, this is a refreshed model, but even if you look closely, you’ll struggle to see the changes. At the front, the new grille eliminates the vents and textured styling elements for a smoother look. It’s also attached to the fascia instead of the hood. Further down, there are minor differences in the colors on the lower portion of the bumper. 

At the back, you’ll find redesigned taillights that adopt a T motif. New wheel designs are available, with all but ES trims getting 20-inchers standard. A new exterior color called Moonstone Gray Metallic wraps up the exterior refresh. Fortunately, the Outlander’s styling was good to start with, so no harm, no foul.

Changes are more recognizable inside. I’m referring to the new 12.3-inch center touchscreen positioned neatly on the dash, a notable improvement from the previous 9.0-inch display. The center console is also revised to better use available space, and then we get to the snazzy speaker covers with Yamaha branding on them.

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Believe it or not, the 2025 Outlander is the first vehicle ever offered in North America with a Yamaha-designed stereo system. Mitsubishi and Yamaha engineers collaborated on the design, which goes far beyond the electronics. The doors on the Outlander were strengthened to reduce vibration, and service holes were filled to ensure sound only came out of the places it was designed for. Speaker grilles incorporate traditional Japanese geometric shapes, which allegedly helps disperse the sound in a favorable way. 

The good news?  You don’t have to get the most expensive trim to enjoy it. Yamaha’s stereo is standard on all 2025 Outlanders, though it is offered in two versions. The basic setup has eight speakers, while the premium version gets 12 and more wattage to drive them. There are also a plethora of sound settings to choose from, and there are automatic adjustments depending on vehicle speed, wiper settings, and climate fan speed. Yamaha engineers tell us it’s not just volume-specific either. The sound will compensate in various registers to help driver and passengers hear everything clearly, rainstorm be damned. 

Spoiler alert, the stereo sounds good. But I think the bigger takeaway here is the prep work that went into making it sound good. The added sound deadening and stiffer doors all play into the Outlander’s impressive driving attributes. There’s nary a shudder or a rattle to be heard, even over tough terrain. At speed, it’s as silent as you want it to be. This is a very relaxing place to be during heavy traffic… again, a shocker considering its low MSRP.

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Cons: Desperately Needs More Power, Third-Row Is A Torture Chamber

However, stepping on the throttle reveals why the price is low. The Outlander’s powertrain is unchanged for 2025, despite being sorely in need of an update here. The 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder makes 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, and it goes to the ground through a CVT that simulates eight gear changes. With just the driver and a single passenger inside, it’s barely adequate for merging onto busy highways.

I shudder to think how the performance will drop with five or even seven people on board, should you find two unlucky individuals to sit in the barely-there third row. Standing a mere 5 foot 6 inches, I literally could not fit without tilting my head down and even then, my knees were in the way. Mitsubishi lists third-row headroom at 34.5 inches and legroom at just 18.7 inches. So the Outlander, though technically brandishing a back seat, is still not practical as a seven-seater unless two of them are small children.

That could be for the best, considering the absence of power. From a dead stop on one of LA’s more hilly roads, I floored the throttle and watched in dismay as the Outlander eventually reached 20 mph, at which point the engine RPM finally began to pull the SUV along with a bit more authority. I’m usually a proponent of CVTs, but this is an instance where a geared automatic would make a world of difference. Ideally, 25 extra horsepower with eight actual speeds would be all that’s needed here. At a minimum, get rid of the CVT. This SUV needs big help on the low end of the rev range.

Photo by: Mitsubishi

Photo by: Mitsubishi

As for other issues, I encountered only a few. The Outlander’s native navigation system uses Tom Tom supported by Google, and it’s merely adequate at finding its way without very specific directions. Better seat adjustments would be nice, especially on the higher-spec trims. But the addition of ventilated seats—a first for the Outlander—is nice. There’s a bit of a delay in executing voice commands, but alas, that’s more common than not throughout the auto industry.

I will say this—Mitsubishi gives the Outlander heated seats, 18-inch wheels, the Yamaha stereo, the 12.3-inch display, and a 10-year/100,000 powertrain warranty all standard. Those features alone make up for the minor annoyances I experienced during my trip, save for the underpowered engine.

The 2025 Outlander PHEV and a new off-road-themed Outlander Trail Edition will make an official debut later this year. I suspect, however, that most buyers will find the standard version entirely exceeds their expectations… so long as they remember that Mitsubishi still exists. If the company keeps building cars this good, it should exist for many years to come. 

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