Driving solo I never had any problems with speed and acceleration. The four-cylinder Outlander won't blast off the line to win any drag races (opt for the V-6 GT if that's your thing), but unlike some vehicles it can get up to highway speed and maintain it without much whining. Voehringer, who had five passengers with him, agreed, and suspects any complaints stem from the transmission. "Reports of it being less than sporting may be unfair. It seems to be more a result of the CVT than the engine. Once at cruising speed the Mitsu shuttled us at 75-80 mph without sounding or feeling overworked, and even allowed for effortless passing when needed," Voehringer said.

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander front three quarter

Average fuel economy was 24.0 mpg, yielding 320-350 miles per tank. That meant I was filling up every seven to 10 days -- an acceptable frequency for a commute of 50 miles per day.

The interior is comfortable and easy to settle into. The driver's seat had enough bounce, cushion, and legroom to keep me comfortable after long hours in the cockpit. Most everything I needed was easily accessible and well-laid-out. After some time, I completely relied upon the steering wheel controls to adjust the volume, radio tuning, and track selection. On the entertainment display the buttons for changing the volume on the previous Outlander were replaced with a trusty volume knob. Hallelujah.

For passengers other than the co-pilot, the backseat can easily handle three across, provided you're not transporting a football team. For regular and slightly larger than regular-size humans it's a comfortable ride. The third row, however, is probably best used for kids or your contortionist friends. It can seat two adults, but they need to sit at an angle. Not recommended for trips longer than 20 minutes.

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Some of the technology let me down quite a bit. Using an iPod via USB cable just did not work; the on-screen display for Bluetooth streaming generally froze after a song or two—the music played, but the interface was frozen. Occasionally the guidelines for the backup camera did not appear. Minor problems, sure, but as a consumer I want the little things to operate correctly. Aside from the glitchy tech, nothing broke and nothing wore out.

About midway through the loan we swapped the OE Toyo A24 tires for a set of Nexen N'PRIZ RH7 to see if the larger Outlander was missing out on anything. Our assessment: The two tires are evenly matched, delivering comparable levels of ride comfort and surefooted handling. That said, per TireRack.com, the Nexen ($124) is not only a bargain compared with the Toyo ($247), but also boasts a higher treadwear rating (440 versus 300).

I took the Outlander into the shop for three routine service checkups, which cost a total of $371.15.

So after a year and more than 24,000 miles, I'm ready for a new vehicle -- and that's easily the best judge of whether a vehicle wowed me or not. The small technology annoyances would have really made my blood boil if I purchased this Outlander new, and, while its power was enough for me, I'd be leery of suggesting a friend drop $32,720 on the Mitsubishi. Still, this Outlander did a lot to clean up its name, and for that it was a productive loan.

More on our long-term2014 Mitsubishi OutlanderSE S-AWC:

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Our Car
SERVICE LIFE	24,052 mi
BASE PRICE	$26,620
OPTIONS	SE Touring Package ($6100: adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, navigation, leather, powered liftgate)
PRICE AS TESTED	$32,720
AVG ECON/CO2	24.0 mpg / 0.81 lb/mi
PROBLEM AREAS	None
MAINTENANCE COST	$371.15 (2-change oil, inspection; 1-rotate tires)
NORMAL-WEAR COST	$0
3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE*	$15,706
RECALLS	None

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE S-AWC
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT	Front-engine, AWD
ENGINE TYPE	I-4, aluminum block/head
VALVETRAIN	SOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT	144.0 cu in/2360 cc
COMPRESSION RATIO	10.5:1
POWER (SAE NET)	166 hp @ 6000 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET)	162 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm
REDLINE	6500 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER	21.3 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION	Cont. variable auto
AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO	6.47:1/2.55:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR	Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO	16.7:1
TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK	3.3
BRAKES, F;R	11.6-in vented disc; 11.9-in disc, ABS
WHEELS	7.0 x 18-in, cast aluminum
TIRES	225/55R18 97H M+S Toyo A24
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE	105.1 in
TRACK, F/R	60.6/60.6 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	183.3 x 70.9 x 66.1 in
GROUND CLEARANCE	8.5 in
APPRCH/DEPART ANGLE	22.0/21.0 deg
TURNING CIRCLE	34.8 ft
CURB WEIGHT	3538 lb
WEIGHT DIST., F/R	55/45%
TOWING CAPACITY	1500 lb
SEATING CAPACITY	7
HEADROOM, F/M/R	39.9/37.2/35.7 in
LEGROOM, F/M/R	40.9/37.3/28.2 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R	56.4/56.1/50.6 in
CARGO VOLUME BEH F/M/R	63.3/34.2/10.3 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30	3.2 sec
0-40	4.8
0-50	6.7
0-60	9.1
0-70	12.0
0-80	15.8
0-90	20.5
PASSING, 45-65 MPH	4.7
QUARTER MILE	17.0 sec @ 82.6 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	116 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.80 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	28.0 sec @ 0.61 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH	2000 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE	$26,620
PRICE AS TESTED	$32,720
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL	Yes/yes
AIRBAGS	Dual front, front side, f/m/r curtain, driver knee
BASIC WARRANTY	5 yrs/60,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY	10 yrs/100,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE	5 yrs/unlimited miles
FUEL CAPACITY	15.8 gal
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON	24/29/26 mpg
ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY	140/116 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.75 lb/mile
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB	24/27/25 mpg
RECOMMENDED FUEL	Unleaded regular

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