2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Review

The Eclipse Cross is the middle child in Mitsubishi's SUV lineup, it's larger than the Outlander Sport and smaller than the three-row Outlander. It's also a middle child in other ways. Its tweener size and somewhat high starting price puts the Eclipse Cross in between the extra-small and small SUV segments, allowing it to compete against both smaller SUVs like the Volkswagen Taos and Kia Seltos and larger ones like the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5.

The Mitsubishi was refreshed for the 2022 model year with new exterior styling, an updated infotainment system and retuned suspension. Therefore, the Eclipse Cross didn't see many changes for 2023. The most notable is the addition of all-wheel drive as standard equipment on all trim levels. LED headlights and foglights also join the list of standard features. Mitsubishi also axed the SE Special Edition and SEL Special Edition trims, their features now fall under the SE and SEL trims, respectively.   

Even with last year's updates and the addition of standard all-wheel drive, the Eclipse Cross falls behind most of its rivals, including the smaller, more affordable ones. It doesn't drive well and it's at the bottom of the list when it comes to fuel economy. It also has subpar tech, tight rear seats and cheap interior materials. On the upside, the Mitsubishi is comfortable, offers long warranty coverage and delivers decent around-town power.

However, those positives are overshadowed by its starting price, which is higher than for one of its smaller competitors and almost as much as one of its larger rivals. And in most cases, those rivals are far superior SUVs. If you're considering the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, we recommend checking out one of its many higher-performing competitors first.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is offered in four trim levels: ES, LE, SE and SEL. Power comes from a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (152 horsepower, 184 lb-ft of torque) that's connected to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). All trim levels come equipped with all-wheel drive. Feature highlights include: