ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: The GT trim level was new last year to the Mitsubishi Outlander lineup and returns for the 2011 model year carrying all the same equipment, such as the all-wheel-drive system from the Lancer Evolution, a potent V6 engine and tight handling dynamics. However, there is a nice pricing surprise for crossover shoppers: Mitsubishi lowered the base price of the Outlander GT by almost $1,700 from the previous year. That surely will upset some owners of the 2010 model but provides a pretty good value argument to those currently in the market.
Other than the price, the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is unchanged, and that's OK. From a drive standpoint, the suspension is well-sorted, and the steering is tuned nicely for good response, feedback and weight. The Outlander stays nicely planted around turns, yet the suspension still offers adequate absorption abilities for the rough road conditions so very common around Detroit after a long winter.
Power from the 3.0-liter V6 is strong, with 230 hp on tap, and a slick six-speed automatic gearbox. Magnesium paddle shifters to select gears manually are also here. Surprisingly, manual shift response isn't half-bad for a torque-converter transmission.
There is a noticeable attempt by Mitsubishi to spruce up things some in the cabin. Instead of the acres of hard-plastic surfaces throughout the interior, there are some panels that have been covered in padded vinyl with white accent stitching. The Rockford Fosgate sound system, which is part of the optional Touring package installed on our tester, sounds great, too. However, a little more sound insulation would be appreciated. When you get on the throttle, the V6's raspy engine note seeps into the cabin, and a fair amount of road and wind noise does as well.
