Mitsubishi Outlander 2005: The Weekly Driver Review

The 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander is the least expensive of the Japanese manufacturer’s three sports utility vehicles. It’s compact, nicely designed and offers more standard features than many SUVs nearly twice the price.But the Outlander faces a tough challenge. In a popular category that includes best-buy choices like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester, the Outlander doesn’t offer any outstanding qualities that could sway potential buyers.My test drive for the week was the new all-wheel drive limited edition Outlander. It joins the previous LX and XLS models and features an impressive list of upgrades from previous models.All Outlanders offer a 4-cyclinder, 160-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine. With its standard automatic transmission, the vehicle performs adequately in city driving. But it lacks acceleration for highway journeys, and it struggles on long inclines, even with only two adult front-seat passengers.Steering and handling are adequate and the automatic transmission shifts smoothly. Mitsubishi’s all-wheel drive system is a plus and it’s reminiscent of the AWD feature Subaru first offered. The Outlander limited edition includes 17-inch alloy wheels and four-wheel independent suspension. But such features don’t ease the tough go over city street speed bumps, even at slow speeds.In several other basic areas

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