Improved Outlander SUV gets 2022 off to a good start

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- For car devotees, the year changes right about now.  My 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL 2.5 S-AWC tester gets the year off on the right foot -- a redesigned crossover sport-utility vehicle that has won praise from auto-reviewing colleagues across the board.

In its recent "Ultimate Car Rankings" edition, Motor Trend magazine gushed " ... we cannot overstate just how much of an improvement -- inside and out -- the redesigned Outlander is compared to the outgoing SUV."

I second that.  Sporty good looks on the outside, a spacious and highly functional interior and an extensive list of customer-pleasing standard features are the norm for the 2022 model year.

The front end tweaks turn heads, with large, multi-function headlights perfectly placed in front and wrapping around to the sides.  Other eyes are drawn to the sculpted wheels, which appear to be a hatchets on the fly -- a very cool look.

Inside, passengers in the first two rows of seats will be pleased to find more room to spread out -- length-wise and width-wise.  The third row of seats does not cramp the interior cabin as those are kids-size.

I was blown away by the numerous comfort, convenience and safety perks, all standard.  They are too numerous to list here, but the short list of luxury-level features included heated front and rear seats, leather all-around, multiple-function voice-recognition controls and three-zone climate control.

A full suite of standard communication/entertainment technologies, driver-assist features and state-of-the-art safety equipment had me feeling spoiled and secure.

My ride was dressed up with another $3,000 in extras, including a primo Bose sound system with 10 speakers. But even with all that and a $1,195 destination/handling charge, the bottom line on the sticker came to a very reasonable $37,995.

In a nutshell, Mitsubishi threw everything into the Outlander stew and kept the price within range of many household budgets.

On the fly, the Outlander was smooth and responsive.  Steering was index finger-thumb easy.  For the adventurous, all-season motorist, there are seven driving modes to choose from, including ECO, GRAVEL, MUD and SNOW.

Power comes from a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine rated at 181 horsepower.  Frankly, the power plant felt stronger than those numbers would indicate.

Fuel mileage is good at 24 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

Overall, this seriously reworked Outlander deserves a look from motorists pondering the ocean of crossover SUVs on the market.  Based on this Outlander, 2022 promises to be a very good year.