CAR REVIEW: IT’S AN ‘A’ FOR 2016 OUTLANDER DESIGNERS.

Are you shopping for affordable crossovers and not finding what you’re looking for? The 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander may not be a household name, but it does give you a lot of unexpected features for the money, and there’s even an optional V6 engine for extra power. Let’s take a look at everything it has to offer. The 2016 Outlander gets revised exterior styling that includes standard alloy wheels, new front and rear bumper, LED running lights and taillights, and exclusive standard LED headlights for the GT. There’s also a revised navigation interface and more user-friendly folding process for the second-row seat. Finally, a new midgrade SEL trim level debuts.

Performance & mpg

The 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander is offered with two available engines. The ES, SE and SEL get a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 166 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque that is paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). ES models are front-wheel-drive only, while the SE and SEL can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive. In Edmunds performance testing, an all-wheel-drive SEL accelerated to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds, a slower time than many rivals.

Go with the GT and you’ll get a 3.0-liter V6 that produces 224 hp and 215 lb-ft of torque. A conventional six-speed automatic (with shift paddles) and all-wheel drive are standard. In Edmunds performance testing, an Outlander GT went from zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds, which is average for a crossover of this type with an upgraded engine.

EPA fuel-economy estimates for the 2016 Outlander are average for this class, starting at 27 mpg combined (25 city/31 highway) with the four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive and dropping to 26 mpg combined (24/29) with all-wheel drive. The V6-powered GT returns 23 mpg combined (20/27).

With the four-cylinder engine, towing capacity is limited to 1,500 pounds, but the V6-powered GT can handle a more useful 3,500 pounds.

Safety

Standard safety features on the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, hill-start assist, a driver knee airbag, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags for the first and second rows.

Optional electronic safety features include lane-departure warning and a forward collision mitigation system. The latter can sense an impending frontal collision, alert the driver and, if the driver fails to react, apply the brakes to reduce the severity of an impact.

During Edmunds brake testing, an all-wheel-drive 2016 Outlander SEL came to a stop in 121 feet, a respectable result. A 2016 Outlander GT also stopped in 121 feet.

In government crash testing, the Outlander with all-wheel drive earned a top five-star rating for overall crash protection, with four stars for total frontal-impact protection and five stars for side-impact protection. Front-drive Outlanders have the same front and side ratings, but one less star for overall protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave all Outlanders the best possible rating of “Good” in the small-overlap frontal offset, moderate-overlap frontal offset, side-impact and roof strength tests. Its seat/head restraint design was rated “Good” for whiplash protection in rear impacts. It’s also worth noting that with optional equipment, the Outlander earned an “Advanced” rating for front crash prevention.

Driving

Acceleration with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder won’t stir your soul. If you’re driving in town, you’ll likely find its performance adequate, but there’s not much power left at highway speeds for passing or merging. Moreover, the four-cylinder’s mandatory CVT keeps the engine groaning at high rpm during acceleration, which can be grating for driver and passengers alike. The V6 certainly sounds better in general, and its conventional six-speed automatic moves progressively through the gears in a familiar fashion. Still, 224 hp isn’t a particularly generous helping for a modern V6.