Mitsubishi Outlander earns its laurels as PHEV best seller

Beach Wheels

Recently, I had the chance to test drive a Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid Electric compact sport utility vehicle and was instantly reminded why it is the world’s best-selling PHEV.

The funny thing about the Outlander is that its “plain Jane” looks might encourage you to overlook it at first — but that would be a big mistake. Step inside and drive the PHEV Outlander and you’ll see why it’s a world-beater.

Powered by a 2.0-liter gasoline engine that is mated to two electric motors, the Outlander has plenty of oomph when you step on its throttle. My tester, which came in the GT S-AWC Trimline, can be recharged at home overnight in about 8 hours — and less time than that a commercial charging facility.

My Outlander came with heated, powered and fully-adjustable seats.

My tester’s powerplant starts with a 2.0-liter MIVEC four-cylinder gasoline engine that generates 117 horsepower and 137-pound-feet of torque. That is supplemented by two electric motors — one on the front axle producing 80 horsepower and 101-pound-feet of torque, and one in the rear that produces 80 horsepower and 144-pound-feet of torque.

Step inside the spacious cabin and you will be greeted by quilted leather seats front and back. An intuitive 8-inch touchscreen sits in the middle of the main console. Mitsubishi replaced the previous Rockford-Fosgate 9-speaker audio system by one produced by itself under the Power Sound brand name.

My tester offered connectivity with Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto.

While there is a fair amount of plastic in the cabin but my biggest peeve is that there is no volume and tuning knobs to operate the audio system. You might be surprised how annoying this can be.

My tester, which came sitting on beautiful 18-inch steel alloy wheels, offers several drive modes:

• EV Priority Mode which allows you to run on electric power only.

• ECO Mode which reduces gas and electricity usage.

• Battery-Save Mode that reduces the use of electrical assist until you get to an urban area where electric power is more efficient.

• Battery-Charge Mode which will fully recharge the battery during an hour-long open freeway or highway run.

I found the Outlander basically fun to drive — especially in all-electric mode (like all electrics for that matter). There is something about the quick, zippy “torque-iness” of electric motors that you just gotta love.

In terms of mileage, my Outlander got about 25 miles per gallon on gasoline and a little less than 74 mpg on electric alone.

Although the standard Outlander has three rows and seats seven, the PHEV version seats only five adults (comfortably, I might add) and offers 30.4 cubic feet of cargo space.

My tester’s manufacturer’s suggested retail price is about $46,000 and is a good $15,000 over the Outlander’s base model. I think it’s worth it for what you’re getting.

Final thoughts: As the automobile industry turns quickly (and thankfully) to all-electric propulsion, the Outlander PHEV serves as a high-quality happy medium. My suggestion is that you get down to a dealer and test drive an Outlander. You won’t regret your efforts.

Jeff Mitchell is an automobile industry writer and reviewer. Contact him at j.edward.mitchell@gmail.com

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