When I was told I would get to test drive the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE for a week, I was stoked. This vehicle seats 7, and since I have 4 kids and a tall hubby, we were totally ready to ditch our minivan for a week and try the Outlander on for size! We had our full week of spring break to see how the features of the Mitsubishi Outlander stacked up to the needs of our family of 6.
My favorite feature of this SUV is that it drives like a car while still hauling around the whole fam! I really miss that feel and have been looking for minivan alternatives. The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE fits the bill well while providing better fuel economy and a safe ride! It gets 25 miles per gallon city and 31 highway. How great is that? This is already a money-saver without even looking at any other features!
Speaking of features, the Outlander is loaded with awesome standards. For our family, we used 6 of the 7 available seats. I put my 2 kids in car seats in the 2nd row for easy buckling and access. This left my 2 older kids (one in a booster) to be placed in the 3rd row. Due to our carseats being installed, the big kids weren’t able to fold down the 40/60 second row to easily crawl to the back. They just hopped over the 2nd row seats to get into the back and had no problem with that. For families without so many car seats, getting in and out of the 3rd row would be convenient, particularly since you can fold down the small or the large part of the second row seating to get to the back.
(This is what I mean by the 40/60 second row – one side folds down over 2 seats and the other side folds down over one. Alternatively, you could always push both sides down to create more room if your passengers just really insisted on sitting in the third row, but didn’t need to use the second.)
During our week with the Outlander SE, we:
- Visited a pizza buffet
- Went to 2 park playdates
- Drove to the gym for a Zumba workout
- Tried a new frozen custard place
- Hit up the grocery store
- and drove around JUST to drive around and enjoy the ride.
You can compare the different Outlander trims available to see how they are different. No matter which one you go with, they all come standard with a HUGE assortment of features that are sure to make life easier, like the Continously Variable Transmission (CVT), passenger seating for 7, 6-way adjustable driver’s seat and 4-way adjustable front passenger seat, and the 60/40 split fold-down rear seats with independent slide and reclining adjustments (2nd row). Not only that, but all trims have the 50/50 3rd-row flat fold-down feature, automatic climate control, remote hood and fuel door release lever, and power windows, locks, and side-view mirrors.
For the safety patrol folks (ahem, parents or anyone with a BRAIN!), you’ll be happy to know that the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander is equipped with a 7 airbag safety system! There are also three-point seatbelts and head restraints for all seating positions. Also, each Outlander has a top of the line Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and brake assist.
As dorky as it is, we were super impressed with the CD player, which we had to sort of look to find. It is hidden behind the 6.1-inch touchscreen display w/ rearview camera. We had a lot of fun playing with this! 🙂
Our Outlander also had a sunroof, which was awesome during the days because the weather was gorgeous. Next time I buy a vehicle, I need to make sure we have one! It’s such a nice way to add some fresh air and some natural light into the vehicle. I could see using it VERY frequently on long trips to change things up a bit!
We loved the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE!
I enjoyed saving money on gas while driving a vehicle that felt more like a car. I’ve been a minivan mom for 2 years now, so the change was REFRESHING. I sort of wanted to hide the Outlander and forget to give it back at the end of my spring break week with it! 🙂