Just got back from the 2010 Arizona auto show in downtown Phoenix. Unfortunately the only Outlander there was a SE model. I spoke to the factory rep and he said that only the ES and SE models were available at this time for the show. Too bad as I was hoping to see a GT model.

By the way, the Outlander has taken its share of criticism for what critics have called the cheap hard plastic in the interior. After looking at well over 150 vehicles at the show, I saw a lot of them that had sticker prices as much, or more, than the Outlander that also had the hard plastic on the doors and dash. This included the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain, most Dodge and Jeep models, and even some Buick models.

 

I already saw the Outlander GT model at my local dealership and it looks pretty cool. But I still can't decide whether I like the new front design :S One thing that kind of intrigues me is how come Mitsubishi didn't make the roof rails standard on the GT models. IMO roof rails make this car look better (standard on SE/XLS).

As far as interiors are concerned, I also never understood why Outlander reeived such a negative press for it considering that at its price range it is definitely not the worst interior out there. Hard plastics are used whether, as you mentioned, its a CR-V/Rav4/Forester and I actually like the Outlanders minimalistic dash layout better, it may not look as pretty (doesn't have as many buttons) as CR-Vs but it is more functional (easier to reach/figure out during driving), plus little things such as the dual glove box make the Outlander more functional on the inside. Exterior-wise I always though it is a much better looking car than CR-V/Rav4/Forester, I guess everyone has different tastes/opinions but from the reviews I have read it would seem that Outlanders interior is really bad but in reality it is definitely not any worse than the competition.

 

The Outlander had by far the most glove box storage of all the vehicles we saw. Also don't forget the center glove box on top of the dash. I like the dash as its simple and all the controls are within easy reach. The dash on a lot of vehicles we saw yesterday looked too busy.