2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Review

The updated 2025 Outlander is frugal and comfortable, but a better engine is on the horizon.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Sep 18, 2025 | 8 min read

Benjamin Hunting

Sometimes automakers make puzzling decisions. Take the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, an affordable and attractive compact crossover SUV featuring numerous updates and an all-new, more rugged Trail Edition model. Unfortunately, nothing changed under the hood. Yet. That's happening next year, when the Outlander will get a new turbocharged engine.

Why is this so perplexing? Effectively, with the freshened 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, the company has created a one-year-only version of the SUV that sends the message "maybe you should wait" to anyone visiting the automaker's showrooms.

However, if you absolutely need a new vehicle now, and it must be this Mitsubishi, there are some good reasons to get a 2025 Outlander. In addition to the new Trail Edition, this year's modifications include revised styling, an improved interior, an updated infotainment interface, a new Yamaha audio system, and a reworked suspension. Additionally, the Outlander is arguably the only model in its class to offer a third-row seat, though in some cases that may be as much a con as a pro.

Benjamin Hunting

About the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander

Three 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander versions are available. This review pertains to the standard gas-powered Outlander, not the Outlander PHEV, which features a plug-in hybrid electric powertrain with a 38-mile electric-only driving range (after that, the gasoline engine fires up to continue your journey). There is also the Outlander Sport, a completely different and smaller model unrelated to this Outlander.

Mitsubishi offers the gas-only three-row Outlander in five trim levels: ES, SE, SEL, Trail Edition, and Platinum Edition. The ES, SE, and SEL offer a choice between front-wheel drive and Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC), Mitsubishi's name for its all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. The Trail Edition and Platinum Edition include S-AWC. Prices range from the low $30,000s to the mid-$40,000s, including the destination charge for shipping the SUV to a dealership from the Okazaki, Japan, assembly plant.

For this Outlander review, I drove a Canadian-market GT Premium S-AWC, which is a direct match for the U.S.-market SEL 2.5 S-AWC trim level with the SEL Premium Package installed. The test vehicle's optional Moonstone Gray and Black paint (new for 2025) and other options brought the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $46,135, including the $1,595 destination charge. Mitsubishi provided the vehicle for this Outlander review.

Benjamin Hunting

The Outlander Buffs Its Exterior

The 2025 Outlander's design changes aren't radical, but they add some visual heft to the front bumper and grille. Although the SUV's huge headlight carve-outs remain a focal point, longtime Mitsubishi fans will spot the Outlander's new taillights, and there is also a pair of fresh wheel designs to help set it apart from the previous model year.

Interior updates focus on improving practicality up front, with larger cupholders, a spacious wireless phone-charging cubby (which accommodated my oversized slab of a smartphone without issue), and more room in the center console. The vehicle's 12.3-inch infotainment screen simplifies its physical controls to a single dial and a row of buttons. I appreciated the set of hard controls for the climate-system panel.

My Outlander featured Brick Brown leather upholstery with diamond quilting, creating a classy overall look. I have no complaints about front-seat comfort, and the second-row seats are equally accommodating for taller riders, even with a panoramic sunroof installed.

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Unfortunately, the third-row seat is cramped, difficult to access, and — even with the second-row bench moved forward — offers minimal legroom. In a pinch, you can fit kids into the Outlander's way-way-back. Tiny kids. But you'll likely have difficulty installing any kind of child-safety seat there, as there's almost no room to elbow your way in.

That third row also negatively affects cargo space, which is a nearly nonexistent 10.9 cubic-feet when it's upright and in use. You can fold it flat to carry more cargo, but there's so little room for it that you must remove the surprisingly tall headrests and tuck them into a storage compartment carved into the floor of the cargo area.

Perform that task, and the resulting 30.6 cu-ft behind the second row trails comparable SUVs, such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. With the second and third rows out of the picture, cargo space climbs to a healthier 64.3 cu-ft, but it's still not class-leading. It's worth noting that the Outlander shares its platform with the Nissan Rogue, which has two rows of seating. As a result, the Nissan has more cargo room than the Mitsubishi.

Benjamin Hunting

Middle-of-the-Road ADAS for the 2025 Outlander

Mitsubishi equips the Outlander with numerous advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) designed to prevent collisions while also assuming some of the burden of driving long distances or in heavy traffic. For example, nearly all trim levels include MI-Pilot Assist, which equips the SUV with adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, traffic-jam assist, and more.

The traffic-jam-assist system includes stop-and-go functionality, although you must manually prompt it forward using the steering wheel buttons or accelerator after the Outlander has been sitting still for a few seconds. At speed, the lane-centering-assist system wandered a bit but generally worked just fine, provided the curves weren't too sharp. On tighter bends, the vehicle's steering assist couldn't react quickly enough. Overall, I think MI-Pilot Assist is pretty basic tech.

There is an unusual Outlander feature to mention. I live off a dirt road, and each time I arrived home, the SUV audibly warned me that I was approaching an unpaved area. This was a first for me.

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Even with fewer dials than before, the Outlander's updated infotainment system remains relatively easy to use. I quickly connected my phone to use the wireless Android Auto functionality without issue, and the menus were fast to load. (Wireless Apple CarPlay is also standard.) As expected, the voice commands worked well when using the phone-mirroring platforms. Mitsubishi has also partnered with Yamaha to provide an all-new sound system in some Outlanders, and it sounded just fine to my ears.

From a user-interface perspective, I'd have been happier if the settings for various infotainment features were accessible on a single screen, rather than each having its own mini-menu accessed via an icon on the top right. Additionally, there's a design disconnect between the infotainment screen and the digital instrumentation, both visually and in terms of ease of use. I did appreciate the test vehicle's easy-to-read head-up display, though.

Benjamin Hunting

The Outlander's Engine Update Might Be Worth the Wait

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine generating 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is standard, and, as mentioned above, my test vehicle came equipped with S-AWC AWD.

Despite its stylish looks and comfortable cabin, the Outlander falls short when it's time to drive. Its modestly powered engine simply isn't up to the task of motivating its nearly 3,700 pounds of curb weight, and its sluggish acceleration only worsens once you load the Outlander with passengers and cargo.

The CVT's behavior doesn't help. Whether I gently rolled onto the accelerator or stabbed it hard, the engine revs would rapidly climb without the Outlander's speed increasing proportionally. That gave the impression of being trapped inside a slowly rolling beehive. All that buzz-buzz-buzzing to little effect made me reluctant to try passing maneuvers on the two-lane roads near my home.

Benjamin Hunting

While I think the Outlander feels decidedly less refined and a step or two behind other compact SUVs in a straight line, the powertrain is not a total deal-breaker. The fuel economy is respectable, and I averaged 30 mpg in combined city and highway driving. That observed figure surpasses its EPA-estimated rating of 26 mpg.

Unfortunately, the Outlander's new suspension tuning is overly soft, to the point where a passenger of mine commented on its body wallow when cornering and nose-dive when braking. There's also too much wiggle from the rear end over bumpy asphalt as the Outlander tries to keep its composure. These traits make for a disconnected, almost nautical feel when driving, especially on rougher stretches of pavement.

Benjamin Hunting

Is the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander a Good SUV?

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander isn't one of the highest ranked SUVs in its segment. That said, if you're attracted to its styling and interior, the 2025 model's engine makes a strong case for waiting an extra year for its upcoming turbocharged engine replacement. But even if you hold off for the turbo, you'll still need to tolerate the soft ride, mushy handling, and basic technology.

Unless you absolutely need the Outlander's impractical third-row seat, this Mitsubishi struggles to compete not only with its arguably more appealing platform-mate, the Nissan Rogue, but also the segment sales leaders (Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4) and several other rivals in the compact crossover SUV class.

Benjamin Hunting

Nearly two decades into his career as an automotive journalist, Benjamin has had his hands greasy, his hair blown back, and his heart broken by more than one project car. In addition to his work at Capital One, he has contributed features and reviews to Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Hagerty, Driving Line, Inside Hook, Super Street, European Car, Roadkill Magazine, Motor 1, The Drive, the Toronto Star, the National Post, Business Insider, NAPA, Autoblog, Automotive News Canada, and AutoGuide. He is also cohost of the Unnamed Automotive Podcast and cocreator of the Code 45 and Dead Air graphic novels. In his spare time, he's a friend to vinyl and enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days.