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I was given the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE S-AWC w/Touring for a week to test drive. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

When you blog you always have be prepared for tech issues. I actually had this review almost completed and my pictures edited when my computer melted down and had to be wiped clean. Talk about a bummer. So I am a little late with my review and if you have been keeping up with me on Facebook you know I had this car after Christmas. So what did I think? And, what did the family think?

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE S-AWC w/Touring Thoughts:

To be honest, personally, I was not totally enamored with this car. It was nice, don’t get me wrong but it felt a little basic to me. I just couldn’t seem to get comfortable in it. The first test drive was spent with me pointing out all the things I didn’t like but as the week went on I found things that I did like and things I loved.

My first love was the fact the middle seat folded down to give you even more cargo space. Did I tell you my Mom and I love to shop? Of course I did and sometimes we need a lot of space. Especially when we hit Walmart. That middle seat folding down really came in handy.

Secondly, the 7 passenger seating. I love that a lot of the new SUV’s are not only a little smaller design wise but also include that 7 seat option. My youngest loves to sit all the way in the back and tune out the rest of us. I do admit sometimes I worry because she is so close to the door and what if someone rear-ends us. But my Dad says the safety features are really good and not to worry so much. Can you tell he is a Dad and not a Mom? Moms ALWAYS worry, even when there is nothing to worry about!

It was fabulous on gas. We used to drive a conversion van around ( until it died about a week and a half ago) and that thing guzzles gas. Having a vehicle that didn’t use a tank of gas in a week was so awesome. We definitely saved quite a bit of money. It also had an eco option which saved gas even more.

It rode really well. I don’t like cars that bump you all over the place or you feel every little bump on the road. The Outlander rode smooth in my opinion. We took it out on the highway to go to dinner and it was a smooth ride. They are working on our roads and sometimes when you get on 95 it gets bumpy but in the Outlander we didn’t feel them and I definitely didn’t bounce.

It also had my beloved butt warmers, which are a huge plus for me. Both the driver side and the passenger side had dual heated seats. We had some really cold weather that week and they came in handy. They didn’t take a lot of time to heat up and it also warmed your back.

I love the one push button start. It is so convenient to get in the car and just push the button. No fumbling for a key or trying to get it in the ignition. Just a quick tip, the keys have to be on you in order to start the car. They can’t be in the house while you are in the car, learned that from experience. We were pre-warming the car and forgot the keys in the house. It would not start. On the upside, no one can steal it

Mitsubishi Outlander SE S-AWC w/Touring Awesome Safety Features:

The Outlander has Forward Collision Mitigation which detects a collision and will automatically apply the brakes. This feature is found mostly on high end and luxury cars, so Outlander is one of the few vehicles that has it on a vehicle that is budget friendly. I thought that was pretty awesome and I can see why they were awarded the ”Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS . It also has Adaptive Cruise Control, so it will sense the vehicle in front and adjust speed automatically, and Lane Departure Warning so it’ll tell you if you start to drift out of your lane. These will come in handy for us parents because how many times do we get distracted by our kids and take our eyes of the road? It may only be for a split second but we know a split second is all you need. Also, think about our teenagers. They really get easily distracted. I swear Dakotah can be talking to me and then something shiny will attract her attention. I sometimes cringe thinking about her having to focus on driving. Having a vehicle with those those safety features would definitely help me not cringe so much.

The 7 inch audio display was really nice and it did have satellite radio. SyriusXM is optional though, so you will need to ask for it if you want it. It had a couple of other nice features that were pretty awesome:

• Voice-Activated, Bluetooth hands free phone system
• Rearview camera system
• Steering wheel mounted cruise control and audio controls
• Power remote tailgate
• Rear seat center armrest with cupholders
• FUSE Hands-free Link System® with USB/iPod® port

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE S-AWC w/Touring Specs:

• 2.4L MVEC SOHC 16-valve Inline 4-cylinder
• 18 x 7.0 aluminum alloy wheels
• Auto-off Halogen headlights
• Side-view mirror-mounted LED turn indicators
• Rear combination tail lights
• Heated side-view mirrors
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and brake assist 4
• Active Stability Control (ASC) 4
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• 7 standard airbags including drivers knee airbag 5
• Advanced dual-stage front airbags with occupant seat position sensors
• Three-point seatbelts and head restraints for all seating positions
• LATCH child-restraint system
• Child safety rear door locks
• Anti-theft security alarm system
• Anti-theft engine immobilizer
• Front pedestrian impact crumple zones

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE S-AWC w/Touring Final Thoughts:

There was nothing wrong with this car, I think my issues were more preference than anything else. It is a great car for a family that wants a cheaper vehicle with some of the bells and whistles. “If Mitsubishi wants to gain market share on Honda and Toyota they need to start thinking outside the box a little bit. For one, we live in a tech age and most kids over the age of 5 have some sort of mobile device. There really needs to be more USB ports and chargers, not just one up front. If a child is in the 7th seat in the back they have no way to charge a device. Secondly, they need to think more luxury in my opinion. This was a tricked out car, it had all the bells and whistles, yet it felt simple, like we had just taken the basic package to save money. It handled gas mileage great, was a smooth drive and had all the safety features I wanted, yet it felt like something was missing.

Additionally, this honestly would be a great first car for a teenager. It has some of the extras they would want, a price range that is affordable and a lot of room for their stuff. My oldest, who just turned 16, really liked it. She thought it was a little basic too but said that basic was what she needed for now. Plus the incredible safety features will assist them on the road. So in all honesty I think it all boils down to what you are looking for. I highly recommend heading out to your nearest Mitsubishi dealer and test driving one for yourself!

The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE S-AWC w/Touring starts at $22, 995 and gets 25/21 MPG.

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