Mitsubishi has been making automobiles far longer than you realize. Over 100 years, actually, starting with (and I’m not making this up) the Mitsubishi Model A in 1917. It wasn’t until 60 years ago that Mitsubishi first sold a car in the United States, and that was rebadged as the Dodge Colt. It took another eleven years for a Mitsubishi vehicle to be sold in the USA under its own name, the Tredia, Cordia and Starion models. Remember any of those?
Mitsubishi has slowly built up its reputation in the market and when I had the chance to drive the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL 2.5 S-AWC, a mid-size SUV, I was eager to experience the company’s push into the budget luxury category. The Outlander was first introduced back in 2005, so this is the 17th-generation model. There are dozens of mid-size SUVs in the $60K+ category, but how many options are there under $40K for that proverbial family of five plus an occasional friend, load of groceries, or stack of lacrosse gear?
Wondering what “S-AWC” is? It’s “Super All Wheel Control”, an advanced full-time four-wheel drive system developed by Mitsubishi Motors and introduced back in 2007. Just think “AWD” and you’ll know what I mean.
This is the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL 2.5 in Alloy Silver Metallic with a Black interior. It’s a very nice vehicle with lots of luxury and safety additions that make it a solid choice in the category, from a company that’s had over a century to get everything perfect, from mechanical to safety to comfort.
THE 2022 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER DRIVER COCKPIT
Let’s start with the dashboard layout, as that’s the most common thing a driver looks at when they’re not keeping their eye on the road:
The infotainment system screen is what jumps out: It’s a big, bright 9″ display that makes accessing most everything in the vehicle a breeze. Below it is the climate controls, then, tucked behind the shifter, are USB ports and a Qi wireless charging pad. A pretty standard setup for the latest generation of vehicles, actually, including one USB-A and one USB-C port. This model also had Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, including wireless CarPlay. Very helpful!
The shifter itself is a bit odd…
[[ article continues on PlanetDave.com as “Surprising Refinement in the 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL 2.5” ]]