The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL.

Mitsubishi, for better or worse has had a tendency to be an also-ran in the auto industry. They hope the new Mitsubishi Outlander SEL will change that. (Shhh! It’s kinda good and we think it has a chance.) Read this latest Napleton News review to learn more about it.

What is the Mitsubishi Outlander SEL?

The 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL is a three-row, seven-passenger SUV that borrows from the Nissan Rogue platform. What, you say? That’s right, the Mitsu shares its best parts with its corporate cousin, the Nissan Rogue. And that’s not a bad thing, either. First, there’s the economy of scale that enables a larger company to acquire parts and technology that a smaller company may not have access to. And then there is the ability to share engineering. All this results in a surprisingly competent SUV that features quality inside and out

What motivates the Outlander?

The Outlander lineup includes two engines. Since ours is the non-hybrid variant, it has a 181-horsepower 2.5-liter inline-four-cylinder engine making 181 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. The gearbox has probably been lifted from Nissan’s parts bin as it’s the continuously-variable-transmission (CVT), meaning that it doesn’t actually “switch” gears as much as it moves several pulleys depending on the power needed to achieve a certain feed.

For those interested in hybrid motivation, there’s the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). It features a more powerful 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine making 248 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. It too is matched to a CVT and then paired with two electric motors making for all-wheel drive.

Mitsubishi backs its products up with a 5-year/60,000 mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000 drivetrain warranty. On top of that is five years of roadside assistance and two-years of complimentary scheduled maintenance.

How does the Outlander look?

In the past, we have described some Mitsubishi designs as having Japanese sci-fi or even Anime-style appearances. The 2025 Outlander SEL has been revised along the lower edges of the front and rear fascias. Daylight running lights still occupy a high position on the front of the vehicle. Just below sit the main headlights that appear from some angles as last-minute additions. They work, but are awkward looking. They remind me of cars we used to draw in school when we were supposed to be paying attention to our teachers.

The rest of the Outlander is quite handsome, thanks to the shared resources from the Nissan and Mitsubishi design studios. These designers have brought in a black roofline element to further define the overall appearance of the vehicle.

Inside the Outlander SEL. What’s it like?

What a difference a few years makes. The interior of the 2025 Outlander has been drastically improved over that of the lowly previous generations. Ours featured tan semi-Aniline leather with diamond pleating. Gone are the low-grade plastics. In its place is a high grade of soft-touch material that pushes the brand into a higher segment overall. Our model included a 12.3-inch driver’s digital display cluster with head-up display and a 12.3-inch central console display. New for 2025, a Yamaha audio system is now in the mix, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The last time we saw a Yamaha system was in our living room, back when vinyl was spinning around on the Technics turntable. I knew I should have held on to those albums. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

The second row offers seating for three with plenty of legroom thanks to the split seat’s ability to slide back and forth. The third row is best for the shorties or pets. Full-size adults need not apply.

Behind the wheel of the Mitsubishi Outlander SEL.

Once we were behind the wheel, we actually forgot this was a Mitsubishi. Hushed tones were the order of the day while driving normally. Handling was well-sorted with confidence-inspiring grip through turns and curves. Power was, how shall we say this, a bit wanting, because the engine seems to want to deliver more than 181 horsepower but is just not up to the task. Blame that on the Nissan 2.5-liter four-banger or the CVT transmission.

Although long proven by Nissan, we still consider it the weakest link in the powertrain connection on this SUV. This new Outlander just begs for more power. We hope that eventually it gets it. It’s the only thing holding this otherwise well-executed vehicle back from playing in the big time.

2025 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL Specifications