Out-Maneuvering In The 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0 GT S-AWC

The 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0 GT S-AWC was provided through DriveShop for review purposes only. All opinions are my own and are honest.

First Impressions! You Know What They Say….

“Oh! That’s a nice car!” These are the words that jumped out of my throat the instant my eyes connected with the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0 GT S-AWC. This mid-size crossover’s first impression on me was a genuinely appealing one. Decked out in a quartz brown exterior it definitely looked damn good parked in front of our house.

It had just arrived courtesy of DriveShop and the rep was eager to give me my first official tour. I knew very little about all that the well-equipped 2017 Outlander had in store. Little did I know that over the next 7 days we’d put all of what this SUV had in store to full use. Grinning, I walked down our home’s pathway towards the curb eager to get my introduction.

A Look Inside

“Ok, so what do we have here?”, I thought as I looked over the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander’s interior from the driver’s seat. My quick scan spotted more than a few quality features that I liked. A heated steering wheel along with heated front seats. Three rows of leather seating to accommodate 7 passengers. Each seat in the second row can slide forward or backwards to adjust for leg room. A Sunroof. SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Drive Modes & Music

The rep chimed in and pointed out that the 7-inch touch screen display comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The premium audio system is a Rockford-Fosgate 9-speaker monster that pumps out 710 watts. He made sure to mention that the Outlander GT 3.0 S-AWC only takes Premium gasoline. He also highlighted the 4 driving modes that can be adjusted at the push of a button: Eco, Normal, All-Wheel Control ECO, Snow. The last mode would definitely come in handy because the new year’s first winter storm was about to hit the Tri-State.

Smile For The Camera

And here’s something I hadn’t seen before. The reverse camera not only gives a view of what is behind you, but it also gives a 360-degree overhead view of the entire car as you maneuver into a parking space. The multi-view system has cameras attached to the bottom of the side mirrors. These additional cameras offer an accurate look of the Outlander in relation to your surroundings as viewed from above. It’s like you are looking down from the sky as you pull in closer to the curb or center yourself in between the lines of a parking space. It’s an optional feature, but it is impressive and definitely worth having.

“Ok, so what do we have here?”, turned into “So this is a Mitsubishi?!?! Niiiice!” The 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0 GT S-AWC was pristine. It arrived at our house with barely 800 miles on the odometer. Key in hand, there was only one thing left to do….

Let’s Ride

Kim and I had a brand new car. We had tickets to a stand-up comedy show. We had a babysitter lined up. Friday night! Date night! We’re all set. Times Square here we come. Let’s ride. Cutting through New York City rush hour traffic on our way to Caroline’s On Broadway was not stressful at all. The Outlander rides smoothly and its V6 engine gives good acceleration even in Eco driving mode.

Besides, why stress? We were about to see D. L. Hughley headline. Kim and I knew we were in for a hilarious evening and D. L. didn’t disappoint. The jokes were witty, rapid-fire, and current. Afterwards, we stopped in Times Square for a photo opp with the Outlander 3.0 GT under Broadway’s bright lights.

Winter Is Coming!

A Winterfell Nor’easter

We woke up the next morning to a scene out of Game of Thrones. Outside looked like we were living beyond the wall. (I’m a late comer to G.O.T. Just started watching over the holiday and I couldn’t resist the reference.) It snowed from early Saturday morning all the way into the next day. Our neighborhood was blanketed. We had gotten the city and highway driving out of the way the day before. Time to throw the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0 GT S-AWC into Snow mode and see how it handles.

Snow Mode

Snow or no snow I still had to head out for groceries. But not even a throwback to Winterfell phased this crossover. Heated seats on high. Heated steering wheel on. I set the Outlander into Snow driving mode and set off for the market. The snowfall was still heavy. I felt safe though the entire time behind the wheel. I didn’t have one hiccup with how the Outlander in its snow driving mode handled the slick road conditions.

The Stay-Out-Of-Harm’s-Way Gadget

One more of the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0 GT S-AW’s features helped me in the face of the drastically reduced visibility. I called it the stay-out-of-harm’s-way gage. Mitsubishi officially calls it Forward Collision Mitigation. In a nutshell, it’s a warning system that helps you to avoid piling into the rear fender of the car in front of you.

You select the “cushion” you want the Outlander to monitor as you trail the cars in front of you. If the distance between you and the other vehicles creeps into your selected “safe zone” then you’ll get an alert. It definitely came in handy. I witnessed several cars in front of me slide as they struggled to maintain their grip in the foul winter weather. The Outlander’s alert kicked in each time to mitigate a forward collision and keep me out of harm’s way.

Final Impression

The lease on the mid-size SUV we currently drive expires in the fall. This experience with the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander 3.0 GT S-AWC gave Kim and me a legitimate option to consider as we begin to look at what’s on the market.