- Yamaha audio system comes standard in refreshed 2025 Outlander SUV
- Collaboration marks Yamaha’s first car audio system in the U.S.
If you’re shopping for a new car, you’ll soon find that, along with all the different makes and models from which to choose, there are now more premium audio systems than ever competing for your dollars. What you might not realize is that there are only a couple of major brands behind all the names that frequently appear on options lists.
Harman, the big kahuna in the business, is parent to a litany of systems you’ve likely heard of (pun intended), and perhaps some you have not. Its brands include JBL, Infinity, Harman Kardon, Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufsen, AKG, and even the Mark Levinson systems found in Lexus vehicles and the Revel ones found in Lincoln models. The other big player is Bose, which has also had decades-long partnerships with numerous car brands.
All this is to say that it’s rare to get a new branded audio system in a car, and when it does happen, it usually comes as a costly option on vehicles in the premium or luxury space. The most notable example of that in recent history is McIntosh partnering with Jeep a few years ago in the Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer models.
Mitsubishi and Yamaha Tie the Knot
It’s rarer still to have not just an audio brand enter the car audio market for the first time, but for it to come to a mainstream model and — if that isn’t enough — to be standard on every model. That’s exactly what has happened with Yamaha and Mitsubishi.
Yamaha is well-regarded for its premium home audio systems and has over 130 years of experience making musical instruments. But it had yet to dip its toe into the car audio market, at least here in North America. That all changes with the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander.
For its 2025 update, the Outlander receives some design tweaks inside and out. But the bigger news for audio enthusiasts like me is the Yamaha system. Or systems, I should say. All 2025 Outlander models come with the 8-speaker Dynamic Sound Yamaha system. Optional is the 12-speaker/1,650-watt Dynamic Sound Yamaha Ultimate.
The Model Tested
For my week testing the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, I had the all-wheel-drive SEL model with the Premium Package that includes the higher-end 12-speaker Yamaha Ultimate setup. With other options such as the Launch Package and the great-looking Moonstone Gray/black roof two-tone color scheme, the as-tested price of this model came to $45,930, including destination fee. If you haven’t shopped for a vehicle in two, three, or 10 years, know that price is still several thousand below today’s average transaction price.
During that week, of course, I drove the Outlander hundreds of miles, but my main focus was evaluating its audio system, rather than its ride quality. You can read about the driving aspect in our expert review, and also see how the Outlander stacks up to other smaller 3-row SUVs in one of our recent comparison tests.
So, How’s It Sound?
If I had to summarize the Outlander’s new Yamaha system in three words, they would be: Pretty darn good.
To expound, this Yamaha audio system sounded every bit as good as — and likely a bit better than — optional Bose systems found in other mainstream competitors. Is it the best I’ve ever heard? No. But again, for a premium audio system in a mainstream car, it’s surprisingly crisp and refined. I think it’s something that will surprise and delight many Outlander buyers. They may have thought they were getting just a value-oriented yet solid SUV with a great warranty. Yet, when they turn the volume dial to the right, their ears will be rewarded.
Like anything, I surmise that the better the audio file quality you use, the better the system will sound. When I test car audio systems, I use a thumb drive filled with gigs and gigs of high-quality FLAC files that I have ripped from CDs, plus a few high-res DSD files that I have purchased and downloaded. But try as I might, the Outlander never recognized the thumb drive. Pity.
So, for my testing, I used music files streamed from my iPhone, SiriusXM, and even good ol’ FM radio. Overall, I found the Yamaha system adeptly re-created all the notes without being overblown. It’s a solid, surprisingly good-sounding system. Interestingly, I most enjoyed songs with plenty of piano. I couldn’t help but wonder if the Yamaha system is especially good at reproducing this instrument’s sound, given the company’s history of making fine pianos.
Settings Galore
The Outlander’s Yamaha audio system has all the usual adjustments for settings such as subwoofer level, equalizer, and speech-compensated volume, as well as some I’ve never seen before. For example, there’s a setting for rain-compensated volume and even an air conditioner-compensated volume. These adjust the audio output based on rainfall and fan speed, respectively. It didn’t rain during my week of testing, and I didn’t notice much difference with the air conditioner mode set, but it’s neat that it’s there.
Also adjustable is the “sound type,” with the choices being Signature, Lively, Powerful, and Relaxing. To my ear, each essentially changed the EQ settings. After running through them all several times, I defaulted to the default: Signature.
You can also change the listening position by selecting All, Driver, Passenger, Front, or Rear. I chose All because I’m a giver.
So the Mitsubishi Outlander’s Yamaha gets a PDG (pretty darn good) rating from me, whose ears have had the privilege of listening to music reproduced by some of the world’s finest audio and home systems over the years, and whose own discretionary income is spent regularly on high-end headphones and an ever-expanding SACD (Super Audio CD) collection.
That leads to perhaps the best thing about this new collaboration: You don’t have to check an options box on the Outlander to get a quality Yamaha audio system.
