2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

Parents looking for an aggressively sporty, small crossover with the ability to rock out should look no further than the all-new 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. It's probably not the first vehicle that comes to mind when "small crossover" is uttered, but that doesn't mean the Outlander Sport shouldn't be considered. It's sportier than most, and as I implied, it's got a killer stereo.

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The 2011 Outlander Sport is more dude-like than your average small crossover. Its trapezoidal grille matches that of its Lancer Evolution sibling and looks more on the lean-mean-driving-machine side than some of its daisy-picking competition. It looks shark-like, and its 148-horsepower inline-four-cylinder is peppy enough for everyday driving and can be pushed to be aggressive. Also, the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters kept me feeling race-inspired. My one hang up was the continuously variable automatic transmission. I'm trying to love CVTs, but the constant high-pitched revs in the Outlander Sport make it difficult. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on the base Outlander Sport ES.

Regardless, the Outlander Sport is a distinctive standout in a market segment with growing appeal and interesting models. My test car, an Outlander Sport SE with all-wheel drive, cost $25,575. The base front-wheel drive model starts at $18,495.

EXTERIOR

The Outlander Sport has a sleek look. There's a little overbite on the grille, and narrow headlights that make it look menacing. Any parent driving it would look sporty in the carpool lane.

Parental concerns are few in the Outlander Sport. The doors are easy to open for everyone except smaller kids. Young ones also might have difficulty climbing into the car, but older kids should be able to jump in without any problems. The liftgate is not too heavy or too high. It's just right, Goldilocks!

The cargo area is large enough for a grocery run, but not a double stroller. In the backseat, there's a pass-through to the cargo area, which is handy if you want your kids to bust into the Oreos before you get home from the grocery store. Be careful not to obscure the massive speakers back there with boring parent stuff, otherwise your groove will not be completely on.

The Outlander Sport has a 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. My all-wheel-drive test car gets an EPA-estimated 24/29 mpg city/highway; for better gas mileage, the front-wheel-drive model with a CVT gets 25/31 mpg. In addition, you can use regular unleaded gas in the Outlander Sport and avoid taking out a second mortgage to pay for it.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Good Times

INTERIOR

The Outlander Sport's interior is simple but not plain. There are enough chrome- and metal-looking accents to keep the interior from being boring.

The climate controls are in the form of easy-to-decipher knobs, and the stereo system is straightforward, which I appreciated even though it looks dated with its dot-matrix display. Between that and the Rockford Fosgate logo, I felt like I was back in 1988. Those were good times, but an update wouldn't hurt, either.