Four-Cylinder Power (Or Lack Thereof)

As mentioned, the Outlander's base powertrain is a letdown. The 168-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder teams with a continuously variable automatic transmission, and the results are uninspiring, to say the least.

The biggest problem with the drivetrain is that acceleration isn't as immediate as you'd expect — or as what you get from the Outlander's competitors. Press the gas pedal when cruising along and you'll get some extra noise, but then it feels like the CVT is slipping and there's no resulting increase in speed. You have to really press down to get appreciable acceleration, and the experience makes the Outlander seem not particularly powerful. By comparison, Nissan's four-cylinder/CVT combination in the Rogue crossover provides much more responsive performance.

The Outlander doesn't have trouble maintaining cruising speeds, but if I were seriously considering one, I'd definitely think hard about spending the extra money for an XLS or GT trim level to get the 230-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission. That combination offers a much better driving experience than the four-cylinder and CVT, though Mitsubishi recommends more expensive premium gas for the V-6. The four-cylinder runs on regular.

The four-cylinder drivetrain also comes up short in the gas mileage battle that's under way in the small-crossover segment. Among non-hybrids, the four-cylinder Chevrolet Equinox is the leader right now, with EPA ratings of up to 22/32 mpg city/highway. By comparison, the four-cylinder Outlander's gas mileage estimates are closer to the bottom of the pack.
Four-Cylinder Crossover Gas Mileage (city/highway, mpg)
All ratings are for automatic-transmission models.

2WD 4WD
2010 Chevrolet Equinox 22/32 20/29
2010 Hyundai Tucson 23/31 21/28
2010 Toyota RAV4 22/28 21/27
2010 Honda CR-V 21/28 21/27
2010 Ford Escape 21/28 20/26
2010 Nissan Rogue 22/27 21/26
2010 Mitsubishi Outlander 21/27 21/25
2010 Subaru Forester -- 20/26
2010 Volkswagen Tiguan 18/24 18/24
Source: fueleconomy.gov