Summer Family Adventures in the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT

It's summertime and the livin' is easy! Especially when you have the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT  to drive and get around town in. Even though it's summer and we don't have the schedule of school and after school activities, we are still busy, busy, busy! So I was excited for the chance to test drive the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT for the week and try out all the great features it has to offer.

The kids were super excited when the Outlander was delivered and it was just in time for the Fourth of July holiday week. They thought it was super cool how the Diamond White Pearl exterior matched perfectly with our red, white, and blue motif for church that Sunday. I loved the heated, power side-view mirrors, power glass sunroof, and 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels.

The power side-view mirrors are probably my favorite exterior feature of the 2018 Outlander. When you unlock the car, they fold out, and when you lock the car they fold in. This means no more dings and scratches on your side-view mirrors from other parked car doors or shopping carts trying to squeeze by in the parking lot. Now, because it's the middle of summer, I didn't need to use the heated feature on the side-view mirrors. But I know that it would really come in handy on frosty winter mornings here in Orange County.

We drove the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT down to Carlsbad to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony on the new LEGO City: Deep Sea Adventure Submarine ride at LEGOLAND and I appreciated all the safety features that kept us safe on our adventure. The Adaptive Cruise Control uses radar technology to help you maintain a safe driving distance from the vehicle in front of you. 

The Forward Collision Mitigation uses both laser radar and camera technology to determine  if a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is imminent. It warns you with both audible and visual signals and, if necessary, automatically applies moderate to emergency braking to reduce the severity of the collision, or if possible, prevent the collision. 

The Blind Spot Warning and Lane Change Assist alerted me when a vehicle was in my blind spot. That is so helpful when you are traveling on the freeway. And if you try to change lanes while someone is in your blind spot, then you get a three-beep warning to let you know to stay put until the car is gone. The Lane Departure Warning keeps you in your lane using an onboard camera and warns you audibly and visually if you are leaving your lane unintentionally.

Let's talk about the cargo space! The 2018 Outlander GT is a seven passenger vehicle when the third row of seats is up. However, when you need space for stuff and not for people, the Outlander has you covered! It is easy peasy to put the third row of seats down and then you have plenty of space (63.3 cubic feet to be exact) for everything you need for a day at the beach. We had a wagon, two chairs, an umbrella, two boogie boards, beach bag, towels, and puddle jumper in there and it all fit with no problem.

Then we had some quick grocery shopping to do after the beach and the groceries all fit along with all of our beach supplies. The back seat is a 50/50 split, so you can seat a 6th person and still have some extra room for cargo. It came in especially handy when all five us were in the Outlander because all three kids didn't want to sit next to one another on the middle bench. So, we would 50/50 the third row and Isabella would sit back there and the stroller would still fit next to her.

We also love the power glass sunroof with sunshade and tilt feature! It makes trips to the pool for evening swims a lot of fun. It has been really hot here during the day, but the evenings are a great time to open up and enjoy the cooler evening air with the sunroof.

Some of the other features I liked from the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander GT are:

• Multi-view Camera System
• 7" Smart Touchscreen Display
• Rockford Fosgate Sound System
• Leather seats
• Push to Start 
• Remote Power Tailgate

We loved driving around in the 2018 Outlander. It handles well and even though it seats seven, I feel like the exterior design is sleek and doesn't look bulky. It was the perfect size for our family of five and I'd recommend it for a families of 3-6 also.

Holiday Adventures in the 2017 Mitubishi Outlander GT

We love the holidays at our house, but boy does it mean that the activity level picks up and there are so many more things to do and get done. I was so excited to get the chance to test drive the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT during the week of Thanksgiving. There were so many fun and exciting things to do and I needed a car that could keep up with our Thanksgiving week schedule.


As soon as I got the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT I took it out for a night on the town to see Mamma Mia!'s farewell tour at the Segerstrom Center for the Fine Arts. I loved the multi-view camera system! The parking garage can be a tricky place to get in and out of, especially with a larger vehicle. But this advanced system uses multiple cameras around the vehicle to create a composite, bird's eye view of the Outlander. It also has a wide angle view so you can see what is directly behind you. It was so cool! I was like, "How is it doing that?!" I could see all around the vehicle. It is such a great feature I haven't seen in other vehicles.

The next day it was time to do the Thanksgiving dinner shopping! The cargo space was perfect for grabbing all the food we needed and I still had space in the 2nd row for the girls to sit. If JT had been with us and I need to put up the 3rd row of seats, it has a 50/50 split, so I could still put up one seat and leave the other side for our pies, milk, and rolls that we needed for Thanksgiving dinner. I was really impressed with the all the passenger space and cargo space the Outlander has to offer.

On Black Friday we decided to skip any cooking and took the 2017 Outlander to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Again, with the multi-view camera system it was a breeze to park in the tiny little parking lot behind the restaurant. We also used the Android Auto feature to navigate through construction. Since the app pairs with your phone, you can use Google Maps like you know and love on the home screen so you can keep your eyes up and on the road. I did miss the on-board navigation, but I also liked that I was used Google Maps, so it's a give and take with this feature.

We did some Black Friday shopping and I was impressed with how easily the 2nd row folded down so we could put in some big items. Make sure you check out my video review below so you can see just how easily the 2nd row of seats stows when you need that extra cargo space. I also love Rockford Fosgate sound system. It has nine speakers, including a 10-inch dual-voice coil subwoofer with Punch Control that deliversdeep, rich bass and crystal-clear highs. It was my favorite to turn up the punch when the kids weren't in the car and enjoy some amazing bass! You know I'm all about that bass!

We took the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT down to Carlsbad to attend the tree lighting at LEGOLAND and I loved all the safety features that kept us safe on our drive. The Adaptive Cruise Control uses radar technology to help you maintain a safe driving distance from the vehicle in front of you. 

The Forward Collision Mitigation uses both laser radar and camera technology to determine  if a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is imminent. It warns you with both audible and visual signals and, if necessary, automatically applies moderate to emergency braking to reduce the severity of the collision, or if possible, prevent the collision. 

The Blind Spot Warning and Lane Change Assist alerted me when a vehicle is in my blind spot. That is so helpful when you are traveling on the freeway. And if you try to change lanes while someone is in your blind spot, then you get a three-beep warning to let you know to stay put until the car is gone. The Lane Departure Warning keeps you in your lane using an onboard camera and warns you audibly and visually if you are leaving your lane unintentionally.

The home screen was bright and visually appealing and easy to navigate. I thought the interior was beautiful with the leather seating surfaces and the gloss black instrument panel. We enjoyed the heated front seats on chilly mornings and I loved the 8-way power adjustable driver's seat so I could get comfortable when driving. The hands-free Bluetooth technology kept us safe when I had to take a call when driving. And the power liftgate made it easy for the kids to get things out of the back when I dropped them off for school in the morning.

We had a great time with the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT and it is a good size vehicle for our family of five. Since it seats seven passengers, we had some wiggle room for either more cargo or a friend or two to join us on our adventures. One thing I felt was lacking in the 2016 Outlander was the pick-up speed when you hit the gas, that seemed to be addressed in the 2017 Outlander with its 3.0L V6 engine and 224 horsepower.

Check out my YouTube video for more interior shots of the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT and to see how easy it is to stow the 2nd row of seats!

The Top 10 Things I Love About the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander

Disclosure: I was provided a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander by DriveShop for a week for review purposes. All opinions are my own. 

I do a lot of driving around Orange County on a daily basis. With each of the kids in 2-3 activities, my social media events, church activities, playdates with friends and just regularlife, we get around all of Orange County all the time. So, when the experts at DriveShop said they had the perfect vehicle for me to run the family around for a week to test drive andgive my opinions on how well it worked for a family of five.

Well, things got even more excitingwhen my little sister and her two friends decided to come to my house for their graduation trip,so we became a family of eight for the week. And I have to say, 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander rose to the challenge and got us where we needed to go flawlessly and in style!

I'm sharing the TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER, so come along and find out about this great 4-door SUV and why it could be perfect for your family of five (or eight)!

10. Navigation System

I currently use my phone navigation to get wherever I need to go. But then when I'm driving I have to make sure I have my car charger with me, because it drains a lot of battery juice to keep the screen on so I can see where I going. This is all solved with the on-board navigation system. It makes it easy to enter your destination and it speaks the directions out loud through the sound system, so you can be truly hands-free and keep your eyes on the road.

9. Steering Wheel Controls

I really appreciate when all my controls are in one spot and I don't have to fiddle with the dashboard while I'm driving trying to turn up the radio or answer an incoming call. The 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander makes it a breeze to move your thumb a bit to the left or right and have all those controls at your fingertips.

8. Dual temperature control

He's hot, I'm cold, I'm cold, he's hot, you know how it goes with men and women, we're never quite feeling it at the same time. I like the option to choose my temperature, while leaving him the option to turn it up or down if our body temps are in sync I also appreciate the recirculate option to get a little more A/C boost when it is especially warm outside.

7. Looks

Is that shallow? I just think it is a pretty car with a great external design. I know it's a 4-door SUV, but it isn't overly bulky or humongous like some SUVs on the market. It is easily parked like a normal person and I don't fear that I am taking up two parking spaces because of it's shear size. I've never own a white vehicle, but after driving one for a week I would consider purchasing one in the future because it just looks clean and sparkly!

6. The Bass!

It really is all about that bass for me. I love a good loud song, with strong bass that I can blast as I drive down the road and sing a long to. The thump that the 710W Rockford Fosgate Premium Audio Sound System with 9 speakers puts out is AMAZING. I loved thumping down the road with the bass turned up and the windows rolled down and the weird looks I got from teenagers when my bass was better than theirs. That being said, my kids did not love it, especially if one of them was sitting in the third row. She said it shook her and she could feel it in her body, exactly what I was going for, but not exactly her favorite. So when I was alone or just with the toddler, who shares my love all things loud music, then we let it rip!

5. Expandable Trunk Space

Do you need a little or do you need a lot? With a toddler and a stroller an boogie boards, and backpacks for carpool most of the time I needed a lot and I was fantastic to have the option to fold down the third row and have the space I needed to haul around all the things that come with 3 kids in the car.

4. Optional Third Row Seats

Like I said above, things got really exciting that week when my sister and her 2 friends stay with us for the graduation trip. I thought they would be driving themselves around to their various destinations in Orange County, but being from a small town in Utah can make you wary of things like "take the 405 N to the 5 N, to the 55 S", so they asked me to drive them around. Luckily the Outlander has the option of a third row and my 3 kids (with a car seat), plus 3 recent high school graduates, and myself could fit comfortably and get where they needed (or rather wanted) to go.

3. Power Folding Side Mirrors

Where we live I feel like some of the parking spaces are TIGHT and you're parking so close to the person next to you. Or you park perfectly and the next person pulls in while you're in the store and parks right on the line, leaving you little to no room to open your door. So, I love the power folding side mirrors because when you remotely lock the car with the key fob, they fold in, so nobody is taking off your side mirrors in a parking lot or when you're parked on the street. It is a very comforting feature to have!

2. Rearview Camera

I have a back-up camera on my current vehicle, but it is 9 years old and so is the video technology. The rear view camera on the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander is crystal clear! It's like you have 20/20 vision in the back of your head. And I love the line guides. I really miss it. :D

1. SUNROOF!

This may sound silly, but even after all the amazing things about the Outlander, my favorite feature was the sunroof! I've never had one before and I loved opening it up and riding around Orange County. The weather was perfectly perfect during the week and so we had a lot of opportunities to keep it open and enjoy the gorgeous weather. I mean, look at that blue sky! You can't beat it.

A few other things I loved about the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander:

• Lane Warning Departure
• FAST-key passive entry system
• Forward collision mitigation
• Adaptive cruise control
• ECO Mode
• Power windows
• TWO 12 volt outlets
• Hands-free link system with Bluetooth
• LATCH child restraint system

My wishlist for the Outlander is short. I wish it had rear A/C control and I'd love if there was a little more engine power when you hit the gas and want to get going. Other than that, we had a great time with the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander and I would recommend it to my friends with 2-3 children that are looking for a stylish get-around-townor commuter vehicle (gotta love ECO mode!) that has a lot of great features thatmaking being in the car a lot more fun.

If you like a little video tour of the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander, then visit my YouTube Channel and check it out!

What's your favorite Outlander feature?