Mitsubishi’s Outlander SUV adds standard fare to the 2006 safety landscape with front seat-mounted side impact airbags and antilock brakes with electronic brake distribution. Mitsubishi Outlander – available in two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive – also puts a focus on NVH treatments, like a large intake resonator to reduce engine noise, and liquid-filled engine mounts to reduce engine vibration. The 2006 model year also nets some styling revisions, like a front grille insert and the Outlander SE version getting a silver tone lower side door bar. Outlander – with a coefficient of drag of 0.43 – employs a front independent suspension and a rear independent multi-link design to provide extra stability over varying terrain. The SUV’s 2.4-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine provides 160 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 162 pounds-feet of peak torque at 4000 rpm. The Outlander’s rear cargo area, which includes a lift-up stow place with dividers under the carpeted floor, is an extremely useful feature. Across the board, the vehicle hits all the right notes: the ride is fine, leg/shoulder/headroom for driver and passengers is quite sufficient, and the interior appointments – from gauges to center stack to analog clock – are presented in a crisp, clean way. One source of disappointment, though, is the vehicle’s AM radio reception. It’s horrible and basically non-existent, which may or may not be attributed to the SUV’s flip-up/fold-down antenna. Outlander in 2WD version with four-speed automatic overdrive transmission collects fuel economy numbers of 21 city/26 highway. Outlander is available in LS, SE and Limited versions in 2WD or fulltime all wheel drive. MSRP of the four-door, 2WD Outlander – powered by 4-cylinder engine – is $21,999.