It was somewhere between the little man wearing a sombrero relieving
himself on a Saguaro cactus and the cow in the road who we narrowly
missed (more later) that I realized we were in a different country.
Baja California, Mexico is a very unique place, though areas (such as
lovely Cabo San Lucas) manage to offer most of the same conveniences of
the U.S of A. I thought it fitting then that Mitsubishi invited us down
there to drive the new Outlander Sport. A vehicle that much like Baja
California, isn't radically different, but offers an experience that is
completely its own.
The compact crossover market is
still rather small. I find the segment
a compelling solution for people who want the functionality and
versatility of an SUV or hatchback, with the comfort and fuel economy
of a sedan. They also tend to be rather fun to drive, so I won't
complain. The Outlander Sport is a new offering from Mitsubishi,
looking quite a bit like the full-size Outlander that had some of its
back end lobbed off. It's actually smaller than it looks, which isn't
really a bad thing in this case.
The best part of vehicles as of late has been interior accoutrements,
and the Outlander Sport doesn't disappoint. The interior has a
noticeably sporty feeling, with deep recessed gauges, a thick steering
wheel, and swept-back dash. It's spacious with plenty of front
head room, and a perfectly comfortable rear seat. Leg room was tight
behind the front seats, but it was by no means cramped, and you could
easily tote yourself and three buddies on a mountain bike trip. There'd
even be room for the bikes on top and all of your gear in the back. The
rear seats effortlessly fold flat for when you need to accommodate your
weekend project or a Costco run. I quite liked the usefulness of such a
small vehicle.