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It sure looks sharp, but the performance is anything but.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
After a brief hiatus and a midcycle refresh, the underachieving 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is back and better than ever. The look has been refined, the performance tweaked and there are new technologies and creature comforts, as well. Unfortunately, “better” still isn’t good enough to stand out in a highly competitive class, and while the Eclipse Cross feels like a fine compact crossover choice, it’s far from the best.
LikeMore comfortable rideUpdated cabin tech for most trim levelsHandsome, angular style
Don’t LikeDisconnected performanceSparsely equipped lower trim levelsUpper tiers lack advanced features
Sharp looks
The exterior aesthetic is the one aspect of the Eclipse Cross that I unreservedly enjoy. Aside from the slightly awkward wheel-to-body ratio that’s endemic of this corner of the CUV class, this is a good-looking vehicle, especially in this example’s Red Diamond tint. (My personal favorite of the available shades is Bronze Metallic, which paints the crossover’s angular musculature in a classier light.)
The front and rear bumpers are new for the 2022 Eclipse Cross, stretching the SUV both physically and visually while retaining an aggressive grille and light combo with Mitsubishi’s signature C-shaped chrome wings. The sloped roofline compromises a bit on rear headroom but creates a handsome and sharp silhouette that works well and stands out among a crowd of bean-shaped crossovers.
The biggest exterior change is the redesigned rear hatch, which ditches that weird light bar that bisected the rear glass in favor of a simpler design. The resculpted rump is a touch more generic, but overall the Eclipse Cross is a better-looking vehicle.
Disconnected performance
Under the hood, you’ll find Mitsubishi’s turbocharged 1.5-liter MIVEC four-cylinder powering the Eclipse Cross. This is the only available engine, and it’s mated to a continuously variable transmission with standard front-wheel drive or optional Super All-Wheel Control all-wheel drive. Output is stated at 152 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, which sounds decent for this class on paper yet somehow feels like less than advertised once the CVT gets into the mix.
The Eclipse Cross’ tail looks less like a Pontiac Aztek thanks to reshaped lights and a simplified hatch.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
My biggest complaint about the Eclipse Cross’ performance is that it feels disconnected. The throttle response is robbed of its bite by a tag team of CVT rubber-bandiness and a touch of turbo lag, which makes the whole SUV feel sluggish when passing or merging. Meanwhile, I’m treated to a wheezy, unpleasant engine sound that, due to the nature of continuously variable ratios, never quite jibes with the acceleration.
Column-mounted paddle shifters are a nice, sporty touch. They feel good to the touch and flick, but the slow response of CVT when changing ratios doesn’t match their tactility. At least they’re mounted in the correct location.
Around town with a light foot, the Eclipse Cross feels fine. When you give the CVT slow, predictable inputs it settles into a nice-enough groove. There’s plenty of power for climbing hills and the fuel economy is midpack for this class. I averaged about 25 mpg during a highway-heavy week of testing, bang-on par with the EPA’s estimated 25 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. Front-drive examples fare a touch better at highway speeds, climbing to 28 mpg here, as well as 26 mpg combined.
2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: Underachievement unlocked
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The steering is vague, which makes the Eclipse feel clumsy on the highway and difficult to keep centered in its lane. The suspension is nicely composed over bumps and potholes and extremely comfortable for longer rides, but you’ll pay for that softness with noticeable body roll, pitch and dive during spirited driving.
Driver aid and cabin tech
The Eclipse Cross’ highway confidence could be improved with some sort of lane-centering tech, but alas you can only get a lane-departure warning system. At the very least, that tech is standard equipment, as is collision mitigation braking with pedestrian detection. Stepping up to the LE trim level adds automatic high beams, while the SE models get blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
My top-spec SEL model has the optional Touring package that rounds out the driver aid suite with full-speed adaptive cruise control and adds high-speed braking to the collision mitigation system. This package also adds a tiny head-up display visor that rises out of the top of the instrument cluster and is really too small to actually be useful.
The pop-up plastic HUD looks cheap and is too small to be of much real use.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
A rearview camera is standard and you can upgrade to a surround-view system on the SEL. The button to activate the front and surround camera feeds is located on the steering wheel, a unique placement that makes the system extremely easy to access when you need it. As a person who obsesses over parking perfectly parallel between the lines, this tiny detail is my favorite part of the Eclipse Cross’ tech suite.
New for the 2022 model year is a new 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the LE trim level and higher. Mitsubishi also ditched its old and awkward touchpad controller in favor of volume and tuning knobs right next to the screen. The SE model further upgrades the cabin tech with onboard navigation featuring What3words destination input.
Despite the new hardware, the infotainment software is still pretty bare-bones. On the bright side, simplicity means it’s also fairly responsive. Plus, the addition of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay means you can fairly easily make up for most tech deficiencies with a smartphone and a high-quality USB cable.
Meanwhile, the entry-level Eclipse Cross ES uses a smaller 7-inch display that lacks the smartphone link necessary for Android Auto or CarPlay connectivity, which is a huge bummer for shoppers lured in by the Eclipse Cross’ low starting price.
The improvements are nice, but the 2022 Eclipse Cross is still a tough sell. The competition is just too good.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Better, but still not enough
The 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross starts at $24,590 — including the $1,195 destination charge — for the front-drive SE, or $25,375 with all-wheel drive. I’d recommend upgrading at least to the LE 2WD ($25,940) to unlock CarPlay and Android Auto. The sweet spot in the lineup is the SE trim. For $27,340, this gets you most of the available driver aid tech, 24 months of access to Mitsubishi Connect telematics, and remote services and keyless entry. Then again, the fact that passive keyless entry/start is still an option in 2021 says a lot about the state of the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.
My all-wheel-drive SEL model costs $34,670 as tested. That’s about $2,000 less than a loaded 2022 Hyundai Tucson Limited, but then again, the Hyundai offers so much more for the money.
Yes, it’s better than before, but in performance, cabin tech, safety systems and amenities the Eclipse Cross still lags far behind in this very competitive small crossover class. It’s fine, but you can definitely do better.
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