The Mitsubishi Outlander may be the most overlooked compact SUV in America. It’s an odd sight in some parts of the country, with Mitsubishi dealerships concentrated on the coasts. But its unique virtues, including a foldaway third row and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, make it an intriguing choice for some buyers.
For 2025, it’s getting a mild update.
The 2025 Outlander will start at $31,140 (including a mandatory $1,495 destination charge. Alaska and Hawaii residents should add another $125 for delivery). That’s an increase of $1,065 over the current model.
The added cost helps pay for visual and tech-centered upgrades. This isn’t a new Outlander. It’s what the auto industry calls a midcycle refresh, an update at the halfway point of a model’s production run meant to help it stay competitive with newer rivals.
Mitsubishi gives the 2025 model a revised front fascia with O U T L A N D E R in wide text above the grille. The signature chrome boomerangs that surround the grille are still present. New headlights seem larger than the ones they replace — the opposite of the tactic most car designers have adopted for 2025.
More significant changes come inside, where Mitsubishi has partnered with Yamaha to develop a new sound system. Today’s cars use audio systems from many brand names, but the same conglomerate owns most of them. Yamaha is outside that network, so this marks a genuinely new entry into automotive audio.
To help you focus on its clarity, Mitsubishi has added new sound-deadening material to the cabin. Based on owner feedback, both the wireless phone charging tray and the cupholders have been moved.
Midcycle refreshes typically skip major mechanical changes. However, Mitsubishi says it has recalibrated the Outlander’s steering for a “more precise steering feel, while recalibrated springs, shock absorbers, and stabilizer bars bring greater assurance in driving confidence.” This should address one of our consistent complaints about Outlander models from past years. The handling of the 2024 edition can be a bit truck-like.
Mitsubishi keeps its long powertrain warranty for 2025 and adds two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance. That last offer shouldn’t weigh heavily on shoppers’ minds, as very little scheduled maintenance is necessary in the first two years of car ownership.
These updates don’t yet carry over to the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV). However, the last time Mitsubishi updated the Outlander, it made equivalent changes to the PHEV a year later.
