2025 Mitsubishi Outlander First Drive Review

Many small changes add up to make a big difference.

Mitsubishi’s bestselling Outlander SUV has been on sale in its current fourth-gen form since 2022, and 2025 marks the arrival of its mid-cycle refresh.

Mechanically, the Outlander is mostly unchanged, but Mitsubishi is throwing a slew of cosmetic updates at it, including exterior and interior styling updates, and a banging Yamaha audio system that was designed especially for the Outlander. AutoGuide recently traveled to Los Angeles to sample the 2025 Outlander, and here’s what we learned.

What’s New For 2025

The changes Mitsubishi is rolling out for the 2025 Outlander are numerous, but the new audio partnership with Yamaha really stands out. The Outlander is the first vehicle sold in North America to be outfitted from the factory with Yamaha audio, and both 12 and 8-speaker systems were designed specifically for the Outlander. Every 2025 model comes with standard Yamaha audio.

Other changes include new front grille and bumper designs, revised rear taillights, new 18 and 20-inch wheel designs, a bigger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a revised center console. A new exterior finish, Moonstone Gray Metallic, is also available.

Mechanical changes are more modest, but the ’25 Outlander has re-tuned steering, updated suspension tuning and improved sound deadening, a byproduct of Yamaha’s work on the new audio systems, which we’ll get into further down.

Exterior Style

Up front, the 2025 Outlander features subtle changes to Mitsubishi’s “dynamic shield” face, including a restyled grille, which is designed to look smoother and more integrated into the car’s appearance. It’s also fixed to the car’s front end and no longer lifts with the hood.

Speaking of, the hood and front fenders and now made of steel to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), and ride quality. The switch to steel also produces tighter tolerances during manufacturing for a more precise fit and finish, according to Mitsubishi. Lighting changes include updated LED headlights and taillights. The latter features a smoked lens and an element that is full LED. All 2025 Outlander models are now standard with full LED lighting, inside and out.

Wheel designs in both 18 and 20 inches are all new, with some being painted and some having a machine-finished appearance depending on trim level. Finally, Moonstone Gray Metallic, a bluish-gray shade has been added to the 2025 Outlander color palette.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy

Under the hood, the 2025 Outlander carries forward with no changes. All models are powered by a 2.5-liter twin-cam, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that produces 181 horsepower and 181 foot-pounds of torque. Married to the four-banger is a continuously variable transmission, which comes with an eight-speed sport mode.

For the U.S., the Outlander is available in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive on all grades. In Canada, it’s all-wheel drive across the board, or Super-All Wheel Control, in Mitsubishi parlance.

While it might not be the car of choice to tackle twisty canyon roads near L.A., the 2.5-liter four delivers adequate, if not particularly exciting performance, as it hustles the Outlander along. Paddle shifters and six driving modes stand ready for whatever driving conditions one might face, but there’s no sport mode setting and we can see why – this SUV is designed with practicality, not performance, in mind. That said, for the sort of everyday driving situations most owners encounter, the 2.5 is up to the task.

Fuel economy figures for the U.S. had not been released at time of writing, but the 30 / 24 city / highway MPG rating for AWC-equipped models 2024 should carry over. Front-wheel drive models are rated at 31 / 24.

For Canada, the 2025 Outlander is rated at 9.7 L /100 km in the city and 7.7 on the highway.

Ride Quality and Comfort

One of the biggest gains we noticed during the L.A. drive is how quiet the Outlander’s cabin has become. This is one of the quietest gas-powered SUVs we’ve tested, and it’s due in large measure to Mitsubishi’s partnership with Yamaha.

During the development of the audio systems, sound deadening was added to 18 different areas of the Outlander’s structure. Among those impacted are rear quarter trim, door panel, b-pillar trim, a-pillar trim, air conditioning duct, carpet, center console, transmission tunnel, and cowl side trim.

It would be inaccurate to say all enhancements are due to the presence of Yamaha sound systems, but to create a better audio soundstage, the Japanese musical instrument maker helped hush the Outlander’s cabin.

The result is a cabin that is 0.5 decibels quieter for road noise and has a six-decibel sound isolation reduction overall. It is quite noticeable on the road, and we think it fits nicely with the ’25 Outlander’s overall driving character, which feels refined and smooth riding. The steering feels responsive for an SUV, and handling is secure.

Interior Style and Quality

Cabin changes for the ’25 Outlander are headlined by a center console redesign, new colors, and new seat materials. The former comes with bigger cupholders that have been moved to the right of the gear selector, along with a redesigned cell phone charge pad that can accommodate more phone sizes. The cupholders sit at different angles and can hold two cups up to 43.9 ounces in size at the same time, and the center console box has been enlarged from 0.1 to 0.14 cubic feet.

New color options include Brick Brown finished in semi-aniline leather with diamond-pattern stitching that extends into the door panels. Other changes of note include an available digital rearview mirror and ventilated front seats, with the latter being a first for a Mitsubishi vehicle.

Taken together, these changes, along with the enhanced tech offering give the Outlander a more upmarket, premium feel it didn’t have previously. It is especially noticeable on upper-level trims such as the SEL grade tester we drove.

Tech and Safety

The Yamaha audio systems are worthy of their own separate stories given how advanced and sophisticated they are, but we’ll try to be brief here. The 12-speaker Dynamic Sound Yamaha Ultimate we experienced in our SEL tester, which includes a subwoofer and 1,650 watts of power, sounds incredible, regardless of musical choice. Yamaha has left no stone unturned in its attempt to deliver a private concert hall experience and it shows.

Yamaha engineers delivered loads of sound deadening to keep road noise out, and dynamic sound in, and went so far as to develop a new inner door skin. This process essentially turned the Outlander’s doors into sealed speaker boxes so buzzing, rattling, and other ambient noise is minimized to improve audio performance. We sampled a variety of SiriusXM channels, from rock to pop, and the system sounded magnificent. The 12-speaker comes standard on upper-level trims, such as SEL, while an eight-speaker Dynamic Sound Yamaha Premium system comes standard on lower-end trims.

Other tech enhancements include a new 12.3-inch HD multimedia touchscreen that features wireless Apple CarPlay and, for the first time in Outlander, wireless Android Auto. A 12.3-inch digital driver display instrument cluster and head-up display are also available.

Among the 2025 Outlander’s standard safety kit is an updated high-strength steel structure, and front center airbag.

Value Dollars and Sense

American pricing for the 2025 Outlander starts at $29,645 for the front-wheel drive ES model, while the top-level SEL with Premium Package starts at $40,045, or $41,845 with Super-All Wheel Control. Of note, the MSRP for the ES has increased by $1,250 over the same 2024 model, while the SEL is up by $5,100 for the Super-All Wheel Control option.

Mitsubishi Canada has released complete pricing for its six-grade Outlander lineup, with the base ES S-AWC trim starting at $35,298, with the range-topping GT Premium S-AWC checking in at $47,498. These prices represent increases of $1,000 and $2,600, respectively, over their 2024 counterparts.

Final Thoughts: 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander might not appear much different from the car it replaces on the surface, but upon closer inspection, there’s a lot going on here.

From styling and content updates to the addition of Yamaha audio systems, the Outlander should pleasantly surprise those who don’t view it as a premium option. And while it remains a mass-market SUV at its core, it is much more premium than it was, especially at the upper end. Bottom line, these changes could portend a more dynamic Mitsubishi in the years ahead, and that is an intriguing prospect.

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