Used 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV Consumer Reviews
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Reliable, family oriented, fun
chrisgr1, 02/24/2012
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
57 of 60 people found this review helpful
Excelent SUV, handling, room space, cargo space. AWC is really impresive. Cheap plastics insight. Emphasis on Utility
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander GT
ron84, 12/21/2012
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander GT 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl 6A)
24 of 25 people found this review helpful
Just bought my son his second Mitsubishi Outlander (2012 Outlander GT AWD). We bought him a 2007 Outlander LS 5 years ago and it has been bullett proof. No issues at all. We bought the 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander GT 2 months ago and thus far I have been very impressed. Although it is the same generation as his 2007 it has numerous improvements and has not dissapointed thus far. The 2007 had a slight hesitation when taking off but the 2012 does not have the same hesitation and is very smooth on takeoff. It is rated 10 HP higher than the 2007 and like the 2007 is very quick (and economical). Very fun to drive.
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander for sale near you
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Nothing fancy, but a serious bang for your buck!
Mike M, 10/28/2015
updated 10/31/2017
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
47 of 51 people found this review helpful
I have owned this vehicle for 4 years now, and have 88,000 TROUBLE FREE miles. Never a day in the shop (outside of regular service intervals, oil changes, etc). It is loud on the highway, the cabin is far from quiet. It now has an exhaust leak somewhere, making it a little louder. But the structural integrity is good. It steers well, not sloppy, and offers excellent visibility. The ability to switch between 2WD, intelligent AWD, or full time 4 wheel drive is very nice, and the transition between each is seamless (so far, I like this AWD even better than my old Subaru and Audi A4 Quattro). Yes, its underpowered and is not going to rocket you anywhere (0-60, quarter mile, etc). I used to get back and forth between Buffalo and Cleveland in the winter just fine (while others are careening off the road, I am going highway speeds with the Rockford Fosgate punched up high). The cabin is comfortable, the cargo space is very good, and the feature bundle is pretty fair. The windows are no longer aligned perfectly going up and down, but they work just fine. The technology is simple, not great, but all the comforts and conveniences you need. Its not a remarkable vehicle, its just a TREMENDOUS value - safe, reliable, roomy, great MPG, and low cost of ownership. Still no signs of rust!
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So many better cars
K, 07/11/2018
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
25 of 29 people found this review helpful
Took my Outlander to several several shops to get multiple opinions after the transmission started slipping. The going consensus is that the type of transmission this car has, a CVT, isn't possible to just fix. I have been told that this year in particular was one of the first years that this type of transmission was built so it's very problematic and buggy. My car is at 116k miles. The manual says to change the transmission oil at 120k. Aside from this issue, before the problems started there were many things I wished I'd noticed. The back seat folds down strangely where the seats fold up rather than down. If you're a camper like me and appreciate having the option to sleep in your car, you won't be able to do that in this car. I'm 5'4 and had to curl up my pegs to fit. Also, this car doesn't do hills very well, you can hear it really working. And add using the air conditioning, it really slows down the car. The best thing about it is the sound system, roof rack and back up camera. I wouldn't recommend buying this car though. Regular shops don't appear to work on these much and dealerships aren't that common.
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Came back for another one
gski02, 05/01/2012
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
This is my second Outlander. The first was an XLS and I loved it. This time I decided I wanted to go with the MIVEC 4 cyl for even better gas mileage. Very suprised by the responsiveness of the 4 with the CVT. Don't miss the 6 cyl! It has everything I wanted in it, handles well, very nice sound system. Plenty of features and a great warranty. Hoping to have the same kind of reliability I had with the first one. Zero issues! My parents even got one!
Great Value, Great Vehicle!
qoheleth, 04/01/2014
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
I bought this Outlander SE AWD as a 2012 leftover. The price was $21,300, a great price for a SUV with AWD, bluetooth, and lots of nice features. Absolutely nothing has gone wrong or missed a beat in the first 15,000 miles. It has been fun to drive, reliable and relatively economical.
Best vehicle I've owned
Kenmore63, 05/27/2021
updated 09/13/2021
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander GT 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl 6A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
I purchased this car in the summer of 2013. It was a used rental unit with around 30,000kms (18,000 miles, roughly). I now have 185,000kms (115,000 miles, roughly). This is easily the best vehicle I've owned. Interior: Good - The seats are comfortable, and the heated seats are an absolute blessing. Everything is well laid out and easy to understand. There is a lot of hard plastic, but it doesn't feel cheap. The second row seats have lots of room for adults. They slide back and forth, and recline for added comfort. Bad - The fabric on the seats is comfortable, but is a dog hair magnet. The driver's side cup holder is in the perfect position while driving, however the position lends itself to hitting it with your knee while getting into and out of the vehicle. Mine is currently broken. The 3rd row seat would work in a pinch, but to be honest, I never use it and I would much rather have a cargo area in its place. I wish the second row seats folded flat. As comfortable as the driver's seat is, it gets a little tiring on long road trips. Exterior: The pig nose on the front is something you either love or hate. In my case I love it. The 2 part tailgate is awesome and very handy. The LED taillights are a nice feature. Handling/Ride: The 3.0 and the 6 speed auto are a really good match. I'm sure there are faster vehicles out there, but it doesn't take away from the fun of pushing the go button. It makes me smile every time and never gets old. There's some body roll if you push it in the corners, but hey it's an SUV, what do you expect. I find on less than ideal traction situations (gravel, wet, etc) it can get a little squirrely if you have it in 2WD. With it in AWD there are no issues. The AWD system is flawless and has never left me stuck in the mud or snow. Driving this vehicle is deep snow is an absolute blast. Overall, this vehicle is fun to drive in any and all conditions. Maintenance/Reliability: Items fixed: - Fluid/filter changes - Brake pads and rotors - Both lower ball joints and outer tie rod ends - Half dozen light bulbs - Timing belt (including water pump)(expensive but necessary) - Spark plugs - Battery - Annual rust proofing (road are well seasoned here) Items outstanding: - The muffler has developed a couple holes (probably fix this year) - The headlight lenses have begun to fog over (normal for a vehicle this old, will likely fix this year) - The paint, for the most part, has held up well, however, the leading edge of the dog legs (where rear wheel arches meet door) seem to be very prone to stone chips. I touch them up twice a year to keep the bare metal sealed. Other gripes: I only have one other gripe: There is very limited aftermarket selection. IE: If you wanted to do performance/suspension/body upgrades, there is not a lot out there in the market. Not a big deal for me, but for some people it may be a deal breaker. Conclusion: Overall it has been a very good, enjoyable and reliable vehicle. It has far exceeded my expectations and I would not hesitate to recommend or purchase another Mitsubishi again. Update: I've recently replaced my Mitsubishi Outlander. To be clear, I had zero issues with the vehicle and still loved it, but a family member was in need of a reliable car and did not have a lot of $$$ to work with. I sold them my Mitsubishi for what I would have gotten on trade and purchased something new. It's worth noting that I did NOT replace it with a Mitsubishi. The reasoning had nothing to do with the brand itself so much as it did with limited selection due to COVID and the current model (2022) being first model year. Overall, I was very happy with the vehicle. I got 190,000kms of relatively trouble free use. I have no doubt that my family member who is currently driving it will get 10 more years out of it.
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Nice in some areas, but with important shortcomings
kgl1, 08/17/2013
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
15 of 17 people found this review helpful
We have leased 2 Mitsubishi Outlanders 2012- a full size 7 seater (4cyl) and Sport model. Both have 4wd systems. The value is very good, that was by far the best lease deal on any suv we could find, and they also gave us the best deal on our trade-ins we could find anywhere. We liked the overall appearance, features and the test drive experience of both cars. the fact that in one of them there are 7 seats, and it is a full 4wd makes it already quite unique. Everything is good and fun about these cars, but 3 important areas: fuel economy is way below the advertised, especially in the city. Cheap, easily stainable/scratchable plastic used. CVT transmission is noisy and slow to react.
Decent Value
jaydoh, 05/12/2013
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Compared lots of other models (Mazda CX-5, Buick Encore, Kia Sorrento and Sport age, more). This one won on price, warrantee (over Mazda, Buick, and other 3/36 warranties), and room/versatility/fuel economy for the price. They were all good, but this was lowest priced and came with a lot of room, flexibility and deceng mpg. Only real complaint is build quality. Kinda cheaply built. But overall, very nice so far.
2012 Outlander GT
eoddeputy1, 04/20/2012
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander GT 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 6A)
17 of 20 people found this review helpful
Overall this is a good SUV. The exterior design is very appealing. The interior is more like a sports car cockpit. Everything is at the driver's fingertips. The MIVEC 3.0 performs very well and responds good when needed. The fuel economy seems very good for a V6.
Pretty solid
ohiodoug, 07/28/2014
updated 01/30/2017
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander ES 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
13 of 15 people found this review helpful
I bought this car at the very end of 2012 after my previous car was totaled and I had to make a decision pretty quick. I really hadn't thought of a CUV, but this was advertised right at 19K as a leftover 2012. I really liked to storage and room in the front and rear, and the ride seemed comfortable. Overall a much better value than just a sedan for someone who needs to haul stuff from time to time. So far (19 months in) the reliability has been excellent. No problems at all! Fuel economy is about as advertised 23/28, with better city mileage than that under some circumstances. However, if your highway speeds get up much above 70mph, the economy seems to drop off sharply.
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CVT sucks
germanwolf41, 09/05/2013
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
23 of 32 people found this review helpful
My CVT transmission seized at 137,500 miles. NO mention to change the fluid in the owners manual, just check fluid every 30k miles. Mitsubishi also fails to tell you they expect you to have the MIVEC motor valves to be adjusted every 30k miles (a $400-ish job) Due to limited Mitsubishi dealers I'd advise against buying any Mitsubishi. Also, the CVT fluid is $19.50 per quart, 6qt roughly to change fluid once. The ONLY place you can get the Diaqueen J4 tranny fluid IS at Mitsubishi. NOT worth the hassle. Odd size for the 18" wheels, hard to find & expensive to replace tires. Only 4 choices
Best family CUB
Chris Leeson, 02/18/2017
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
I've owned my 2012 Outlander since, well, 2012, and everyone in the family loves the car! It's super easy to drive, has highest safety ratings, comfortable to ride in, and has required absolutely no repairs.
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I actually drive the vehicle
R, 03/24/2023
2012 Mitsubishi Outlander GT 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I have driven a Mitsubishi Outlander for years and travel in my job. The vehicle has been great to drive and comes with all the bells and whistles you want in a suv. It’s not a fancy drive and isn’t as nice looking as many suvs but it does the job. That’s what I want. I have over 300000 Kms on it and only now it’s having some problems. I also like the fact you can switch it out and in to 4wd. It’s hard on gas with the 4wd but I only use it in the winter with Ivey or snowy conditions.
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