Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
19 -25 City / 25 -31 HWY
Horsepower
148 -230
Seats
5 -7
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Casie D
My thoughts on the 2012 Mitsubishi outlander.
Great mpg, comfortable. Sleek design with 3 rows of seating but does not feel like the old school station wagon. Fun to drive in the city, road trips and somewhat off road. We love to take road trips. Easy to maintenance. The only change I would make is having room for a spare tire instead of a Donut or emergency tire.
accountCircle Dusty H
It is safe and reliable safety should be the number one thing
I like it because it is 4 wheel drive and has lots of nice electronics. The vehicle is a safe and reliable car. It has a third row seating so it has plenty of room for kids. There are no complaints I have.
accountCircle Ben K
The car tailored to anybody with great gas economy.
The 2012 Mitsubishi outlander is a marvelous car. Speaking to comfort, it is a vehicle tailored to fit people of any size. I am 6'4' and the previous owner of the vehicle was 6'8'. Both of us fit in the car easily. It has very few problems: none of a significant nature that come to mind. Performance-wise, I have never owned a car with such marvelous gas economy. I can always rely on it to get me where I want to go, which is good, as I do a fair bit of driving. It has many features I appreciate. Something in particular that is very nice is very large side mirrors. I have never doubted visibility or safety, as I can always see what is nearby. Overall, I would rate this car as a very fine choice.
accountCircle Cherry C
My car is very Reliable and drives well. It is great looking
I like its reliability. It is comfortable. It is economical
accountCircle Lauren F
Reliable and perfect size.
My Mitsubishi has been incredibly reliable. 8 years of ownership and it has never broken down. The gas mileage is great. Roughly 25 miles per gallon on local driving and closer to 28 miles per gallon on highway. Plenty of room in the back for hauling groceries, luggage, etc. Comfortable and easier to drive. Small enough to fit almost anywhere and big enough for 4.
accountCircle Jennifer U
Proud owner of a 2012 Mitsubishi outlander sport se.
I haven't had any issues with my vehicle. It's great on gas, runs well, has a great sound system with a panoramic roof, all electronic features, can be driven in 2 or 4 wheel drive and has a hatchback and plenty of room for storage. It also has heated seats and can fit 5 people even though back seat room can be a little limited.
accountCircle Clarissa G
Mitsubishi outlander sport se in 2012 in white.
The motor is not top of the line, it's not a fast vehicle but I love the space, the design and even the color. It's been with me for over 6 years and has not given me any trouble. If I ever need to update my voice I would choose the same make and model, maybe just a newer version.
accountCircle Lynda M
Good car if you do not mind small.
It is a great little car. It is not very speedy. It does not have a lot of trunk space. But you can fill it with a weeks worth of groceries. It is very economical on gas $50 fills the tank and lasts for 2 weeks driving surface streets. Maintaining it is very easy. Oil changes are inexpensive.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Gary
High dollar repair cost
Spacious interior and good layout. Excellent ride for the money. Problem was : catylitic converter went out. $2,000 dollars to replace. Transmission went out $8,000 dollars to replace. Only 101,000 miles. Salvage yard sale. Transmission cost more than Blue book value
accountCircle Ashley S
It's cheap and easy to maintain but slow to drive.
It's cheap to maintain. It's good on gas. It's a manual transmission but it's very slow
accountCircle Lindy M
Basic SUV, great on gas and spacious.
It is very spacious and great on gas. There is a lot of space in the back and the seats fold down to create more. I have cloth seats and they are easy to clean. No aux or Bluetooth though and this is the biggest downfall of the car. As a 2012 model I would have expected it to come more equipped technology.
accountCircle Nadia A
Mitsubishi sports car review.
I like my car. I got it used with 130,000 miles. I like the way it feels when I drive it but I do not like that it jerks sometimes while driving it. I wish the dashboard was a bit more modern but it is an older version so I understand why it is the way it is. The body of the car is nice. I wished the interior was leather.
accountCircle Lora R
Outlander sport is overall great car.
The Bluetooth does not work unless phone is plugged in. The car is not as roomy as I wish it was. I do love the gas mileage and overall look of the car. Later models had better basic features. I would buy this vehicle again if a little bigger. Wish I had a sunroof.
accountCircle Craig K
The car is an SUV so it is a pretty good size and can fit at least 8 people.
We have had a few problems with our car such as battery and engine problems and air conditioning problems mostly because it does not work. We have had situations where our battery dies and we are in the middle of the road in the city and we are stuck.
accountCircle Sarah P
Decent but could use improvement
Good, smooth ride. Having some structural and mechanical problems, but it is older. Needs to have a dome light over the back seat. Needs a key lock for manually entry (should the need arise) in more than just the drivers door. Decent space available for small suv. Would be nice to have a pouch on backside of both from seats for kids to put books in on both sides.
accountCircle Carla L
High mileage with low performance.
I have a Mitsubishi outlander sport. It has 156,000 miles on it right now and at this point I can say that the performance is very weak. The pick up is very rough and slow. I feel that the exhaust system could be created better so we can get up to at least 200,000 miles with good performance. I like the body of it and interior design. Mine is a 2012 so I really like that is has Bluetooth features.

Mitsubishi Outlander Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
ES Sport
148 HP 27 MPG 5 Seats
car
ES
168 HP 25 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE Sport
148 HP 25 MPG 5 Seats
car
SE
168 HP 24 MPG 7 Seats
car
GT
230 HP 21 MPG 7 Seats
Photos may not match model

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Owner Reviews

4.16
93 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 43%
4 stars 32%
3 stars 23%
2 stars 2%
1 star 0%
accountCircle Caroline L on June 25, 2021
A great all weather vehicle!
I love my car! It is the perfect size for me and the dogs, and great for long trips. We take it between NC and oh, and it is a very comfortable ride. The four wheel drive is great for flooding situations, and she’s got no problem driving on the beach! Equally awesome in snow!
accountCircle Selena B on June 22, 2021
I really do love the seat warmers.
I like the car, but I wouldn't say that it is my favorite. It is nice a spacious which comes in handy when you are moving large objects around. However, I do not enjoy the interior. It makes me feel uncomfy. But I do like the heated seats. I use those all of the time, even in the summer.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Carla P.

Stylish, great gas mileage, roomy, great stereo system, backup camera, large lighted sunroof.. Small engine, have had trouble with the wipers coming on when it is not raining had it repaired and it still does it.

likeFilled Lauren F.

Very economical, gets great gas mileage. About 25-17 mpg. Handles great in the snow and rain. Super reliable - has never let me sit! Very comfortable and easy to drive. Lots of space in the rear for storage. Sporty and fun!

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Carla P.

I have had trouble three times with the wipers, they come on when it is not raining. Had it repaired several times and it still does it. Small engine so it lacks get up and go. Spare tire is hard to get too.

dislikeFilled Lauren F.

It can be a little slow to take off. With the 4 cylinder engine it is not super powerful. This is what gives it the great gas mileage but you do trade it off and lose some power. Must be careful when pulling out and make sure you have enough distance for accelerating.

Ranks #16 Compact SUV by Owners

The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander has an average owner rating of 4.17 out of 5 which ranks it #16 of 23 other Compact SUVs.

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4.67
2
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4.52
16
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4.16

Ranks #2 Compact SUV by Fuel Economy

The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander has a combined MPG of 32 which ranks it #2 of 23 other Compact SUVs.

1
Tie
car
32 MPG
1
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32 MPG
2
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31 MPG
2
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31 MPG

Is The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander A Good Car?

Yes and no. Was great for the first 5 yrs then the engine went in, the catalytic converter the warning lights come on for things that are not even defective but I have always loved the model its... Read More
Marie N.
Yes, it’s a very good vehicle and has nice gas mileage. It’s has a lot of road noise though and it can get loud at times.
John I.

How Reliable Is The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander?

Yes. The engine for one. Then the warning lights always going off for one reason or another. Radio not great.
Marie N.
It’s been reliable but it’s also starting to have the service engine light on a lot for things like spark plugs. I think most of it is just general upkeep through
Nikki G.

Is The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander A Good Value?

It was 160,000 used. Good price at the time. It was about 21, 000 brand new I think. For how it ran the first few years it was well worth the money I have to say.
Marie N.
Roughly 8000 and it’s a good car for the price. I think with it being stick shift it could have gone down a little bit In price
Jesse W.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander have a timing belt or chain?

Answer: The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander uses a timing chain. Timing chains are housed within the engine and receive lubrication from engine oil and can last a long time, while timing belts are located outside of the...

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander: What is the towing capacity including torque, payload, and tongue weight?

Answer: The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander has a towing capacity of 1,500 to 3,500Lbs, which is the amount of weight that can be pulled behind the vehicle. It has a torque of 167 to 215 lb-ft, which is the amount of turning...

2012 Mitsubishi Outlander: What is the oil type and capacity?

Answer: The 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander came standard with a 2.4L 4Cylinder engine but You also had the option to upgrade to a larger 3.0L V6 engine. The 2.4L models will have an oil capacity of 4.5 US quarts and require...

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety