Thank you to Drive STI for allowing me to drive this vehicle. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
While my family and I were in Florida last week, we had the opportunity to drive the brand new 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander SE to get us around town. When the valet brought it up during pick up at the airport, I thought the shiny Cosmic Blue exterior was totally me and I couldn’t wait to jump in and give a spin.
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander SE
Since having children, I’ve always been an SUV or minivan mom and I’m okay with that. With three children you need more room than a car can provide and I’ve driven and owned many different brands. When my husband and I are purchasing a new vehicle, we think about price, safety, and comfort. I spend a great deal of time in the vehicle acting as a chauffeur for my children, so it’s imperative that the vehicle we buy has great safety ratings and provides comfort for all passengers.
The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander SE has enough seating for seven passengers, which is great for my family of five, but I think it would be difficult to get seven passengers in the vehicle comfortably. In fact, it was difficult for the five of us when we had the third row seating folded down to store our luggage. My youngest still uses a booster seat so we had my 6 year old, 8 year old and 11 year old all in the second row. It was difficult getting everyone into a seat belt, and once we did, the child in the middle looked so uncomfortable and squished. Once we were able to get our luggage out of the back, we utilized the third row seating and everyone was much happier. However, the space in the third row is extremely limited and the only person who fit back there comfortably was my 6 year old.
There is definitely much more room in the second row. And if you don’t need to utilize the third row for seating, the cargo space is exceptional. We were able to fit 5 large suitcases, 3 backpacks, and a smaller bag with no issues.
The SE model comes standard with a combination of leather and fabric seating surface. The driver and passenger seats can be adjusted manually, the second row can slide and recline, and the third row does have a flat fold-down feature. It also comes standard with — wait for it — heated front seats, y’all! And yes, I used them in October…in Florida.
The dark interior is such a lifesaver when you have children. This particular model had a black interior, and although hot in the summer, it does a great job masking all the dirt and grime little ones can leave behind.
The 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander SE also comes standard with a leather wrapped steering wheel and leather wrapped shift knob. It features a 6.1″ touch panel display audio system with FUSE Hands-free Link System with Bluetooth technology. The display is also used as a rearview camera.
It’s been years since I drove a vehicle with a 4-cyclinder engine, and while it did give me some trouble when I needed to accelerate quickly upon entering the freeway, I’m a fan of the 27 miles per gallon. It’s much better than my 18 miles per gallon on my personal SUV.
Because the Mitsubishi Outlander SE is a larger vehicle, I was surprised to see that there were no back seat air vents. At times it was difficult to get the vehicle cooled quick enough. It would make a huge difference to have a couple in the back for rear passengers.
Overall, I think the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander SE is a nice vehicle. While missing some of the comforts I may take for granted, it is about half of the cost of my current vehicle. With a MSRP of about $25,000, it definitely offers style at an affordable price.
Raijean says
It’s so spacious.. I wouldn’t mind taking the Mitsubishi Outlander for a spin.
nicole @nicky_olea says
Ohhhh, that sounds like a nice ride for the price!
Mama to 5 BLessings says
Looks great, nice and roomy. I love the extra seat in the way back.
Kasandria Reasoner says
That is a share vehicle! It’s been awhile since I’ve test drove a Mitsubishi. I need to check it out. Great review!
Kimberly Grabinski says
Wow I love the price! I think having the third row is nice if you do have a couple of extra kids to cart around. It gives you the option even if it is a bit tight.
Janell Poulette says
I love the optional 3rd row. I will keep this in mind for our next vehicle.
Dede says
I’ve been a minivan mom for 6 years. We tried to downsize to a sedan but NO — doesn’t work for me. Now, the Outlander would be a good compromise!
Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting says
Love all that room in there!
{Erica}EverythingMomandBaby says
Cosmic Blue looks stunning! We are need of something like this as a family of 5. I’ve reviewed the Hyundai Sante Fe XL and this sounds quite comparable. I’ll def. check them out!
Crystal Green says
This looks like a totally amazing vehicle! I would LOVE to own it. You had me sold with the third row seating and how beautiful it is too boot.
Lynsey @MoscatoMom says
That is a beautiful vehicle. Mitsubishi puts out such amazing cars.
Icar says
Both our cars are Mitsubishi, one an Endeavor and one an Eclipse. WE love Mitsubishi and its comfortable and nice interior! The Outlander is something to watch out for!
Rachel says
Wow! Such a pretty car! 🙂
Virginia @thatbaldchick says
Oh, what a beautiful vehicle. It must have been so fun to tool around town in it!
Ellen That Chic Mom says
That is a great second car for a bigger family I think because you can all fit in pinch if need be.
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
I love all of the space and features! I’ve never seen the inside of the Outlander before, but it looks so luxurious!
HilLesha says
That is a beaut of a vehicle!
Ty says
Wow, that’s one snazzy looking ride!
Kathleen says
What a gorgeous and sleek ride. It actually had three rows of seats, so it could work for our family. Most SUV’s we find are not big enough.
Michelle says
Whew that third row doesn’t offer much in the way of leg room! It’s a nice car, but I think I will stick to my boring mini van lol
Vanessa: thequeenofswag says
It really was a great car. I loved test driving it around LA.
Colleen says
Looks like a b eautiful car and nice and spacious.
Donna says
I love the 3rd row seating can be cargo space when you don’t need the extra seating. I need that because most of the time we would never need an extra row of seating, but there are a few times here and there we do and it would be nice to have it.
Liz Mays says
That is such a nice looking vehicle. I have a soft spot for Mitsubishi since we bought a Montero before SUV’s had even hit the mainstream and we loved that thing!
Emily says
I have a 2008 Mitsubishi and love it. If we add a third child we will likely have to upgrade to something bigger with them all still being in carseats/booster. But it’s been a great car for us! That blue color is awesome!
Andrea Kruse says
Wow. For a family of 5 that would be ideal… enough room for us and our luggage, or room for a friend or two. We definitely need a bigger car.
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
We only have two rows in our Rogue. I wish I had gotten something a tad bigger.
Jenn says
That’s a dark blue, looks roomy though. Heated seats are a pretty nice feature.
Elizabeth Ferree says
You had me sold once you mentioned the MPG you get. WOw! I have an SUV and mine is your 18 too, while I love your little car it wouldn’t be big enough with 3 teens and two young kids. I do love the features.
Not So Average Mama says
Wow, there is a ton of room in there!!! Love it!
Rebecca Orr says
What a beauty! I am in love with the gas mileage…especially for an SUV. I am surprised at how little room you had in the third row. But for my family, all the cargo space would quickly overshadow that! I am also surprised that this is a 4 cylinder! Most SUV’s I see are 6 or 8. So I can see why it would be a gas saver. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
rachel says
What a great looking ride! I am always amazed at the new gadgets and technology they put in these vehicles. 🙂
Jennifer @ Mom Spotted says
That is a gorgeous ride! I love all the space! I’m glad it has the heated seats too because that is now a huge must for me! I don’t think I could go back to cold leather again! lol
Tammy says
We drove the 2014 in spring and had two teenagers in the third row of seats – definitely a cramped space. We really liked the lane assist feature on it.
Crystal says
That sounds like a nice feature. The one I drove didn’t have that feature.
Angela says
I love the spaciousness of this vehicle. It would be perfect for my camping trips.
Theresa @ Faith and Family Reviews says
We reviewed the 2013 version and liked it pretty well, but we did not use it for travel. Just for around town. We loved the color we had. Sounds like you had your challenges with the 2015, but it looks like a nice ride!
Marcie W. says
I really enjoy looking at smaller crossover SUVs since they are comparable to my own Kia Sorento. We actually fit our three children in the second row comfortably, but I would still adore having a third row (which we do not have in our model) for friends and guests. Love the color of the Outlander you drove as well.