2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE, Our Wine Country Companion

We took a trip through the heart of California’s wine country with the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE recently, it was hard to give back!  The color is stunning and I giggle a little because my last 5 review vehicles have been a shade of red.  No problem, our family car is red, we like it!  We took turns driving and found that we each loved something unique about the ride!

HE SAYS
Our rally red Outlander looked great against the tawny brown hills and verdant rows of grapes lining the back roads and byways of Sonoma and Napa Counties.

A very agile and responsive car, the Outlander was a pleasure to drive and the CVT & manual transmission even has a pair of paddle shifters located behind the steering wheel. While the CVT maximizes the performance and fuel economy for normal driving tasks I found it exhilarating using the paddle shifters and allowing the engine to flex its muscle on some lonely country roads.

The fuel-efficient MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve Timing Electronic Control) engine had more than enough pep for me and the advertised 31 mpg was appreciated after realizing what our trip would have required multiple stops at the gas station. We decided to spend the time saved with a few extra wine tastings. The weather was typical California so we had no challenging conditions to test the Outlander’s all-wheel control but I certainly appreciated the FAST key passive entry system that lets you unlock the car and drive away without removing the key from your pocket or searching the wife’s purse.

SHE SAYS
The Bluetooth, USB port, and GPS functionality were handy to have while touring parts unknown.  I’m not saying all women get lost, but I tend to find myself in a bind and being “connected” is a must.  When we were approaching the Napa Valley we hit traffic and I had to be somewhere soon.  The communication system helped us navigate and avoid the problem area and gave us an alternate route.  Genius, it’s like having a really bright person in the car with you at all times…(I mean in addition to you honey)!  The The interior of the Outlander is certainly comfortable and functional with plenty of cargo room in the rear for luggage etc.  The kids weren’t with us on our trip, but as a mom, there are the little things you come to love in a car and the arm rest/cup holders is one of them.  So many times have we found a deteriorating cup in the door cup holder that’s leaked and is the source of the foul smell we noticed.  This way, you have a functional arm rest with the drinks in plain site that won’t get overlooked.

A panoramic glass roof allows a spectacular view of the stars for all passengers.

Stunning at night, not to mention romantic, the parallel lights on either side of the sunroof have 3 levels of brightness and were lovely cruising options with the 710 watt Rockford Fosgate audio system playing soft rock.The Outlander Sport SE was a sport on our trip.  It was fun to drive, did well on gas and on the pocketbook and is something we’d recommend you try out when you’re shopping for your next vehicle!

The car was offered for review purposes, opinions solely our own.