If you were to choose between the Mitsubishi Outlander or the Toyota Rav 4 what would you choose? To be honest, I would have picked the Rav 4 but that is because I had not heard of the Outlander, let alone driven one. Yet, last week I sat my butt in a Mitsubishi Outlander and drove it all around the Nashville area, took it off-roading, and shred some rubber along a race track (no lie).
Now, why am I writing this? Outside of the absurd feeling of screeching tires around a racetrack as luggage tossed around the trunk behind the third row of seats of this plug-in hybrid, I write this because I feel the need to let you all know that Mitsubishi stepped up to the plate, dotted their I's, crossed their T's, and has arrived on the scene as a contender.
The Ride
There is nothing worse than getting a vehicle you don't think is capable of getting the job done that you want. Can it handle turns? Can it handle mud? Am I going to get stuck? These are all questions you don't want to be asking yourself as you drive.
Well, as I bounced down a steep and loose shale slope, through a grassy field, and across creek beds, I didn't have to worry. Nor did I worry about rolling this plug-in running out of juice while racing around the track from the battery dying because it uses both fuel and electricity.
The balance between resources also gives this vehicle a range of 420 miles.
Family and Friends Oriented
Yes, you can switch between drive modes to engage and disengage features with fancy names like Super All Wheel Drive or MI-Assists, but what caught my eye was the optional third row in the PHEV Outlander.
This third row, while small, gives you that opportunity to help out a friend, by picking up their kids from practice, who is running late from a meeting. Yeah, it might be small, so I wouldn't put my friend who is 6'7'' in the back for a cross-country road trip, but I certainly would encourage my friends to carpool together for a trip around town so we can all laugh, swap stories, and sing along to whatever the co-pilot is playing.
It Has All The Things... Like a Back Massager and an Onboard Generator
From semi-aniline leather seats to a heated steering wheel to a back massager to an onboard generator (that you can barely hear) this PHEV Outlander packs a punch with gadgets and top-of-the-line specs, yet, the highest trim package doesn't break the bank with an MSRP of $49,995.
Did I say back massager? Stress relief at the push of a button. Yup, you read that right, you can have a back massager calming you down as you are sitting in bumper-to-bumper in traffic or help you escape from the chaotic kids kicking and screaming in the backseats.
Did I say onboard generator? Going camping and want coffee, but don't have a camp stove? Do not worry, because, in the trunk of the Outlander, there is an outlet that can make your morning cup of joe, power your fairy lights around your campsite, and charge all of your things in a pinch.
So, do yourself a favor, scratch down the words "Mitsubishi Outlander" on your shopping list, then put your butt in the driver's seat of an Outlander and screech your tires around the corner on your test drive.
