Steve Siler
8/5/2011
We recently drove two small crossovers that are among their makers’ best and most relevant products of the year. Which is better? Neither, really: they both do provide solid, stylish transportation roughly as well as each other. One is just a little more, uh, noticeable.
 2011 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT
On the Outside
Based on Mitsubishi’s likeable Lancer compact sedan, the Outlander Sport is very manageably sized considering how much stuff you can fit inside. It wears Mitsubishi’s corporate “shark nose” very well, and the stubby rear end represents the sort of kicky design needed in this class to stand out. It’s conservative next to the Juke, but then again, anything short of a Lamborghini is conservative next to a Juke.
On the Inside
Like the outside, the interior of the Outlander Sport is clean and pleasing to the eye. It can be equipped sparsely, if you’re the kind of person that uses his or her car as a get-from-here-to-there device, or very comfortably for those who like to get from Here (bar) home with the boys riding on leather-covered seats, and with Lady Gaga blasting on info-navi-tainment system with 40 gigs of memory and a 710-watt Rockford Fosgate speaker system. A panorama sunroof is also available for sun-seekers that wish they had a convertible but need a crossover.
Under the Skin
Mitsubishi’s proven 148-hp four-cylinder is the only available engine in the Outlander Sport at this point, and most come with an automatic transmission, though the base trim has a manual transmission as standard, which we love. Just wish it offered more options with that trim. All-wheel drive can be ordered in place of standard front drive. Now, 148 ponies is not a lot of power, but there’s also not a lot of mass to move around, so it is adequate. Better yet, it gets 25 mpg in the city, 31 on the highway in 2WD form, 24/29 in with all-wheel drive, which is pretty damn good for anything taller than a Focus.
The Verdict
Mitsubishi is pretty much off the gaydar right now, but it’s still plugging along as a carmaker. In the case of the pet-friendly, friend-friendly and gas-pump-friendly Outlander Sport, which starts under $20K and rises into the mid-to-upper $20K range loaded, it should definitely be on more gay shopping lists.
Estimated Base Price (incl. destination): $19,305
Engine: 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder, 148 hp, 143 lb-ft of torque
Drive Wheels: Front or all
Fuel Economy (City/Hwy): 25/31 mpg (2WD), 24/29 (4WD)
 2011 NISSAN JUKE
On the Outside
Bizarre and unsettling and brazenly unconventional, Nissan’s new Juke may be a lowly compact crossover, but it’s got bigger balls than a Mustang GT. The headlights are the big round things in the middle of the face that look like fog lamps, while the clear-lens barnacles above them that like they should be the headlamps, are merely turn signals and ancillary lights. Ya, weird. The roofline could have been drawn by a third grader just learning perspective, and the fenders look like big metallic balloons. The boomerang taillamps (why not?) are about as natural a fit on the design as any other element. In other words, it’s a total mess and I love it.
On the Inside
Things are (thankfully) somewhat more conventional inside in terms of design, however, unexpectedly upscale in terms of the interface with its center stack controls, which is done via high-res color screens you expect to see only in luxury cars. It’s not quite as roomy-feeling in back as some of its competitors like the Mitsubishi Outback Sport (thank you, sloping roof) but for short trips and/or short people, it should be okay. Six footers are gonna want to park it up front, though.
Under the Skin
The 188-hp turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood has little trouble with the Juke’s waif-like mass, zipping about happily, though easily overwhelming the front wheels in base front-drive models. All-wheel drive both adds grip and reduces the torque steer tug that hampers front-drivers. But with so little weight up top, cornering can be done in a quite spirited should you have the urge (I have that urge all the time). Fuel economy is strong, especially considering it has 40 more horsepower than the Mitsu: 24/31 mpg for manual-transmission FWD models; 27/32 for front-drivers with the continuously variable automatic (CVT); and 25/30 for all-wheel-drive Jukes (auto standard).
The Verdict
Nissan’s littlest crossover might as well be a cross-dresser. It is brave, outrageous, controversial and you can’t take your eyes off of it, trying to figure it out. Alas, like most of the cross-dressers I know, it’s a little “out there” and over the top, but charismatic and the real deal.
Estimated Base Price (incl. destination): $20,330
Engine: 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, 188 hp, 177 lb-ft of torque
Drive Wheels: Front or all
Fuel Economy (City/Hwy): 24/31 mpg (2WD, manual), 27/32 mpg (2WD, auto), 25/30 mpg (4WD)
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