From the logbook: Mitsubishi Outlander

Conventional wisdom says that when gas prices rise, car buyers start thinking small. Small vehicles, that is. The redesigned 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander, recently tested in the May issue of Consumer Reports, in one of several smaller SUVs hoping to grab the attention of buyers looking for something larger than a bread box but smaller than a Greyhound bus. While much improved over the previous model, the new Outlander is not quite as well rounded as the best in this competitive class, such as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Subaru Forester.

Here's a look into its logbook for candid CR engineers' comments to provide more insight into where it shined and where it still needs some polish:

"The ride is too stiff and jiggly for me."

"Pretty good handling with low roll and quick steering."

"Powertrain is wonderful - smooth, punchy with quick and responsive 6-speed automatic and a nice sound."

"The [transmission] paddle shifters work well but are always active, so they can easily be nudged by accident."

"Spins wheels easily in front-wheel drive in the wet. Why not just have a mode that is on-demand AWD and leave it at that?"

"The 'Mitsubishi Multi Communication System' is a mess to use: no volume or tune knobs; an unintuitive radio scan button; tiny on-screen lettering; glare (too much); brightness (too little)..."

"Front seatbacks are hard...like a board."

"Very well hidden seat heater switch."

"Doors sound tinny and take a slam to fully shut."

"Interior trim is really cheap, with loads of hard plastics with misaligned panels."

"The flat, hard rear seats make child seat installation difficult, as you can't push the seat down into the cushion to get it tight."

"The third-row seat is tiny but nice to have."

"Good-looking vehicle overall. Nnice size with sporty pretense, but a stiff ride and elevated road noise detracts some."

"I think both the Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Santa Fe are better"

"Drives better than Mitsubishi's sport coupe--the Eclipse."

So while the Outlander impressed in some ways, it still fell a bit short. Still, it scored a respectable seventh overall out of the 18 small SUVs we've tested. The only thing missing is at least an average reliability score from our survey data for a CR recommendation; the Outlander was too new when our last survey went out. Check back in a few months to find out what our subscribers are telling us about how it's holding up.

--Mike Quincy