Its underpowered, same as the 4 cyl option for the Outlander we have in Canada...

I bought it, but its terribly underpowered. Go with the V6

 

Saw an Outlander Sport at the dealership about a week ago. Front seats legroom and comfort are pretty much identical to the Outlander so no problems there.

The problem is in the back. Back seats have less legroom than the Outlander and the cargo area behind back seats is much smaller compared to the Outlander.

Also saw a 2011 Outlander SE. The interior was more dressed up and looked similar to an Outlander GT interior. Don't know if the fancier interior was an option for the SE, or if it's standard on the SE.

 

I recently purchesed a black 2011 outlander sport se. So far I am enjoying the vehicle. While it may not be fast, it seems to handle the corners as good as anyone could ask for a small suv. The price for the vehicle seems like a steal to me. It rides great, sounds great and feels great. There seems to be hardly any roll while turning hard. The premium sound package sounds amazing. The doors are insulated to keep from rattling and also makes for a more crisp sound system. The headlights are amazing, they light up everything! Rain sensing windshield wipers work great! The paddle shifters give it a nice touch, they come in handy while trying to slow down hill. The hill assist is awesome. I was in San Francisco this past weekend and it really came in handy. So far the only thing I wish they had done differently was increased the horsepower. However, I am not interested in driving fast with this vehicle, I got it for the saftey of my family and for the versitle luxury/ruggedness of the vehicle. I feel like the vehicle can handle anything I throw at it. Mountain travel made easy!

 

I very much agree with cjbellott! There are so many strong selling points for the 2011 Outlander Sport (dominant exterior, high MPG, price, 7 airbags, nice interior, heated seats, decent handling), and I am really trying to sell myself on this vehicle, but it does lack horsepower. I was especially excited to test drive a car with paddle shifters (having driven stick for the last 20 years), and cannot even explain the disappointment when I realized that they were only good for downshifting. Does anyone know of ways to significantly increase the horsepower of a 2011 2.0L I4 MIVEC (without voiding the warranty)??? And I've noticed that the gearing ratios on the Outlander Sport's CVT transmission are much different (lower) than most... does this affect acceleration???

 

Honestly Dubwig, If you are looking for speed this is def. not the vehicle you want to go with lol. As far as increasing horsepower... not gonna happen without voiding the warranty. I think the best you could do is put on a cold air. Course you gotta find one for the vehicle first. I can't seem to find any parts for this thing cause it is too new. Not that I need anything, I just wanted to put clear tail lights on it. Again, I love it so far, no complaints, but thats because I didn't expect it to be fast. Not to say that it's the slowest on the road by any means though. It goes fast enough for an suv. If you have any questions about it feel free to ask me. I will give you honest answers, unlike a dealer lol.

 

You could use a Lancer turbo kit...its the same engine. However, that will void the warranty.

 

There are rumors that Mitsubishi will eventually offer a Ralliart version of Outlander Sport next year (237 HP, same engine as currently found in Lancer Ralliart). Also, I am wondering when will Mitsu offer direct injection in gasoline engines on US market. To me Outlander Sport is an interesting vehicle, Mitsubishi did a very nice job on it considering the price point.

The interior materials are of higher quality than whats found on the current Lancer/Outlanders, the front end execution on Outlander Sport is a lot better than on 2010-UP Outlanders (it actually looks like it belongs there instead of a hack job), then there is electric power steering, regenerative braking, plastic polymer front fenders (good for shopping malls/shopping carts), hill start assist, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, standard FUSE, its just a bunch of little details that make this a very interesting package. This car even in the most basic configuration offers a lot of stuff. Even the steering wheel and shift **** are covered in leather on the base ES model. Again, details.

And the CVT transmission with paddle shifters is not the same as the dual clutch transmission with paddle shifters that is found on Lancer Ralliart/Evo, CVT is still (more or less) an automatic transmission, its more about fuel economy than performance, and thats another thing, Outlander Sport can achieve 30MPG highway without even using direct injection which rather shows how much optimization Mitsu engineers did on the car.

 

Mitsu was the inventor of direct fuel injection (once popular GDI), but despite being a pioneer in this field they dropped it so far.

Direct injection, now used mostly with tiny but turbocharged engines (like VW's 1.4 liter 140HP TSFI one) is for crowded Europe, constantly being choked with their crazy taxes for engine displacement.

Why stick with extra-tender, extremely sensitive to fuel chemistry direct injection engines if you can enjoy a real multi-liter power?

IMHO 230HP V6 6B31 engine is the best choice for Outlander line.

Long live V6!

 

Hmmm, I don't think you are aware of what Hyundai/Kia and Ford are doing with Direct Injection and Turbo. Hyundai offers the new Sonata with a base 2.4l engine rated at 200HP and 35 MPG highway, then there is the 2.0l turbo rated at 270HP and also rated over 30 MPG highway (the turbo version will be available in Kia Sportage next year), and then there is Ford with Ecoboost (turbo+direct injection) ranging from small displacements up to 3.5l V6 that gets over 360HP and gets a very good MPG considering the amount of power it generates. So why not add a direct injection to the current 2.4l Outlander and get it to 180-190HP or the V6 to 240-250 range while also improving MPG.

 

I was looking for a car (namely Subaru Impreza), but I am a Truck lover and didn't feel right in the Low (Ground clearance and seating position) so I decided to try the RVR and I loved it!

For sure I was not impressed by the Power, but the CVT transmission compensate a lot the lack of power and delivers almost the same acceleration as the Impreza with a lot more comfort (Driver and passengers). I live in the city and since most of time we are stuck in traffic, I can't even use the power I've got.

I really love the full glass top and the very nice look (Inside and out)!
And with the recent snow storm I can tell you that the AWC is Absolutely AMAZING!!! Nobody get's passed me (I also have Continental Studded tires). Lots of fun for winter driving!

I would like 6" more of space at the back, but it's like a hatchback car with a higher ground clearance. One thing thow, try to get a Lighting Kit, because the rear seats are very dark at night (not dome light with the glass roof).