It’s been about 25 years since I’ve been in a Mitsubishi. It was a family road trip from Miami to North Carolina in a rental Mirage. When I got the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander, I immediately recalled that unforgettable road trip. My childhood memories also included seeing the Ralliart Lancer WRC car win some of the most grueling rally races. With the Lancer gone, I was wasn’t sure if this Mitsubishi can still have some of that “feel” that many enthusiasts look for and if it is possible in a SUV.

With the exterior being gray, it seemed like the choice you’d get to blend in with other typical SUVs. The front end did make is stand out regardless of color you pick it in. The top “faux lights” attract your attention, but the real headlight are the bigger enclosures below. It is a unique design which reminded me of the bold design cues from Kia/Hyundai/Genesis group. The side body panels had lines that added to an aggressive design.

The biggest surprise came as I opened the door. Inside, the black and saddle tan interior colors brought some visual life to the monotonous exterior. The feel to the synthetic leather was also surprisingly good and even surpassed some premium leathers in other vehicles. Even though this is a 3 row SUV, the Outlander did it correctly. My biggest dislike is having captain’s seats in the second row and thankfully this had a full bench. This allowed the cargo area to be completely blocked from any items rolling from the trunk area. Don’t expect to be able to use the third row for anything other than pets as the legroom is virtually nonexistent.

Under the hood we had the 2.5L inline 4-cylinder engine. It was connected to a CVT that I felt hurt the power delivery from a complete stop. Where the Mitsubishi Outlander excelled was in both the suspension and steering feel. Even though it shares the same platform as the Nissan Rogue, the Outlander’s suspension felt significantly better in any terrain. On smooth roads, the ride had excellent feedback rivaling some sports cars. Take it on unpaved terrain, it absorbed the road and felt extremely stable. The feedback from the steering wheel was also incredible and had me wanting this “feel” in a new Lancer model.

Overall I was impressed with the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander. The biggest takeaway from my week with it, was that it still had that personality that many brands try to formulate in their vehicles. There’s hope to know that the Lancer Evolution spark is still in Mitsubishi models. We just need Mitsubishi to light the flame and release a new Lancer model.