The Outlander Sport: A Practical but Unpleasant Package

The Outlander Sport is a truncated hatchback version of the Outlander, which we previously tested and found to be pretty good. However, despite its name, the Outlander Sport does not live up to expectations when it comes to sporty handling. The steering is vague and doesn't provide much feedback, which can lead to body roll that builds quickly on curvy back roads. This lack of handling is a significant disappointment, especially since the Outlander is one of the best-handling small Chevys available.

Furthermore, don't expect great acceleration from the 2-liter four-cylinder engine. The car feels sluggish, and while the continuously variable transmission (CVT) works hard to get the most out of it, it returns decent fuel economy that's okay for a four-wheel drive car but not what you'd typically expect from this type of vehicle. The CVT does exacerbate engine noise, holding the revs high in an attempt to get as much power out of the small engine as possible, which creates a significant amount of engine noise. This will likely be annoying on road trips.

Another aspect that will bug some drivers is the ride quality. The Outlander Sport has a stiff and choppy ride, which is not what most cars are smooth on the highway but not so much in this vehicle. The car's design seems to have prioritized comfort over handling, resulting in an unpleasant driving experience. Additionally, visibility can be a concern due to thick windshield pillars at the base and a small rear window that obstructs some of the view through head restraints.

However, it's worth noting that the Outlander Sport is still a practical package. Getting into the front seat is easy, thanks to big doors and seats that are comfortable to slide into. Once inside, there's plenty of room all around, with a tilt-and-telescope steering wheel that most drivers can find a good position on. The front seats are well-padded but may become uncomfortable on long trips for some drivers.

The controls in the Outlander Sport are generally simple and easy to use, although radio controls are mounted up high, and big knobs are available for climate control adjustments. One thing to note is that seat heater controls can be difficult to find and are hidden down by the buckle of the seatbelt. The dashboard itself is padded but falls short of being luxurious.

Getting into the backseat isn't quite as easy as getting into the front, thanks to a smaller door opening. However, headroom and legroom are still decent in this area. Unfortunately, there's less foot room than drivers might prefer, which can be due to the location of the mounts for the front seats. One positive aspect is that the Outlander Sport has a well-shaped cargo area, despite being smaller compared to its larger counterpart, the Outlander.

Another significant drawback to owning an Outlander Sport is its price. To get all-wheel drive, you need to opt for a loaded version with features like heated seats and xenon headlights. This makes the car more expensive than its larger sibling, not to mention competing models in the market that offer better performance and handling at similar prices.

Overall, while the Outlander Sport has its practical benefits, it's ultimately a package that prioritizes functionality over driving pleasure.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe mr. BG Outlander sports a truncated hatchback version of their Outlander small should be when we previously tested it we thought the Outlander was pretty good what do we think of the Outlander Sport despite the name Outlander Sport sporty handling is not part of the equation here the steering it's vague it doesn't give you much feedback body roll builds pretty quickly a speeds increase on curvy back roads and all this is rather a disappointment because the Outlander is one of the best handling small Chevy's you can buy definitely not the case for the Outlander Sport even with the word sport in the name don't expect great acceleration either performance from the 2-liter four-cylinder it's just adequate the car feels rather sluggish now there's a continuously variable transmission or CVT here it works pretty hard to get the most out of can out of a small powertrain it returns decent fuel economy okay for a four-wheel drive car but you'd expect better than something this smell but the cbt does do though this exacerbates engine noise it holds the revs high trying to get the most I can out of this small engine that creates a whole lot of engine noise those high noise levels are going to be annoying on road trips another thing that will bug you is the ride it's stiff it's choppy most car smooth out in the highway but not so much the Outlander there's lots of quick short motions just not that comfortable visibility is decent to the front and sides with good glass area however this windshield pillars pretty thick at the base and the rear window is small and those head restraints they block some of the view so the Outlander Sport well it's not that great to drive but this is a practical package first off it's really easy to get into the front the doors are big the seats that are really easy height just to slide in once you're inside you'll find there's plenty of room all around there's a tilt and telescope steering wheel most drivers could find a good position although tall drivers wanted more seat adjustment the front seats there rather firmly padded and I can get a little old on a long trip most of the controls are pretty simple radio controls are up high you have big knobs for the climate controls one thing though the seat heater controls they're really hard to find they're hidden down by the buckle for the seat belt the dashboard is padded but it still Falls quite a bit short of being luxurious in here it's tired of getting into the backseat the door isn't quite as big once you're back here you'll find this decent Headroom decent legroom the problem's foot room where your feet want to go that's where the mounts are for the front seats the Outlander Sport has a much smaller cargo area than the cavernous Outlander regardless there's a decent amount of room back here and it's well shaped one more problem the Outlander sports price in order to get all-wheel drive you need to get a loaded version get you stuff like those heated seats and xenon headlights but also makes this car more expensive than the bigger better Outlander not to mention a whole bunch of better competition on all the Outlander Sport it's a practical package but it's just not that pleasant to drive youthe mr. BG Outlander sports a truncated hatchback version of their Outlander small should be when we previously tested it we thought the Outlander was pretty good what do we think of the Outlander Sport despite the name Outlander Sport sporty handling is not part of the equation here the steering it's vague it doesn't give you much feedback body roll builds pretty quickly a speeds increase on curvy back roads and all this is rather a disappointment because the Outlander is one of the best handling small Chevy's you can buy definitely not the case for the Outlander Sport even with the word sport in the name don't expect great acceleration either performance from the 2-liter four-cylinder it's just adequate the car feels rather sluggish now there's a continuously variable transmission or CVT here it works pretty hard to get the most out of can out of a small powertrain it returns decent fuel economy okay for a four-wheel drive car but you'd expect better than something this smell but the cbt does do though this exacerbates engine noise it holds the revs high trying to get the most I can out of this small engine that creates a whole lot of engine noise those high noise levels are going to be annoying on road trips another thing that will bug you is the ride it's stiff it's choppy most car smooth out in the highway but not so much the Outlander there's lots of quick short motions just not that comfortable visibility is decent to the front and sides with good glass area however this windshield pillars pretty thick at the base and the rear window is small and those head restraints they block some of the view so the Outlander Sport well it's not that great to drive but this is a practical package first off it's really easy to get into the front the doors are big the seats that are really easy height just to slide in once you're inside you'll find there's plenty of room all around there's a tilt and telescope steering wheel most drivers could find a good position although tall drivers wanted more seat adjustment the front seats there rather firmly padded and I can get a little old on a long trip most of the controls are pretty simple radio controls are up high you have big knobs for the climate controls one thing though the seat heater controls they're really hard to find they're hidden down by the buckle for the seat belt the dashboard is padded but it still Falls quite a bit short of being luxurious in here it's tired of getting into the backseat the door isn't quite as big once you're back here you'll find this decent Headroom decent legroom the problem's foot room where your feet want to go that's where the mounts are for the front seats the Outlander Sport has a much smaller cargo area than the cavernous Outlander regardless there's a decent amount of room back here and it's well shaped one more problem the Outlander sports price in order to get all-wheel drive you need to get a loaded version get you stuff like those heated seats and xenon headlights but also makes this car more expensive than the bigger better Outlander not to mention a whole bunch of better competition on all the Outlander Sport it's a practical package but it's just not that pleasant to drive you\n"