Many small changes add up to make a big difference.Mitsubishi’s bestselling Outlander SUV has been on sale in its current fourth-gen form since 2022, and 2025 marks the arrival of its mid-cycle refresh.

While it's not exciting to drive, Mitsubishi's compact SUV has one of the nicer interiors in its class and is among the least expensive three-row SUVs you can buy.

We asked for more power, and we got it—in the stereo. Our first drive of the updated-for-2025 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV has us wondering if Mitsubishi has become as cynical as we are about the dreaded midcycle refresh.

For those anticipating significant mechanical updates to the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander or hoping those changes would extend to the Outlander PHEV, the answer is a resounding no. The latest updates apply exclusively to the gas-powered Outlander and are largely cosmetic.

Rolling up the last mile on Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Strip in the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander, an SEL model equipped with all-wheel drive and a Premium Package, the immortal words of the classic Simple Minds tune reverberated through my head.

We head to L.A. to put Mitsubishi's refreshed all-wheel drive SUV to the test. But how 'big' where these changes?