2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse cross-evaluation: stylish and affordable, but should you buy it?

2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Based on our test drive

Despite some redeeming qualities, the Eclipse Cross is average at best. The interior, although nice looking, provides minimal cargo space. On the road, the Eclipse Cross feels shaky and does little to inspire confidence. If you are looking for a smaller SUV, we recommend shopping around before deciding on the Eclipse Cross.

Exterior Styling

86

Interior Layout

73

Driving Dynamics

57

Connectivity Features

70

Everyday Functionality

80

Pros

Starting MSRP

Exterior Styling

AWD Capability

Cons

Cargo Space

Fuel Economy

Ride and Handling

73

The 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is a compact SUV, which means it automatically has a lot of competition. Despite a rich heritage in Motorsport, Mitsubishi is not exactly a heavyweight in the SUV and crossover arena. In the last few years especially, nearly every other automaker has left Mitsubishi in the dust, having been far more proactive in designing smaller SUVs and crossovers for an eager customer base.

As much as we wanted the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross to be an unexpected gem, that just wasn’t our experience after a week-long drive. With so many smaller SUVs available today, the Eclipse Cross would be nowhere near the top of our list. However, there are redeeming qualities: a reasonable starting MSRP, available all-wheel drive, and a nice list of safety features, to name a few.

Here is our full review of the new Eclipse Cross.

2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: Important Info

What’s New For 2022?

How Much Is The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross?

What Is The Warranty Coverage?

Our Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Press Vehicle

Interior Highlights: Mixed Feelings

Interior Highlights: Dismal Cargo Capacity

Engine & Powertrain

Fuel Economy

FWD vs. AWD

Eclipse Cross vs. Other Small SUVs

Driving The 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Should You Buy The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross?

2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: Important Info

What’s New For 2022?

The Eclipse Cross is stylish and sleek, having received a major exterior redesign for the 2022 model year. With the redesign came an overhaul of the front lighting system. The 2022 Eclipse Cross now has high-mounted LED daytime running lights with integrated turn signal lamps and low-mounted fog lamps. During our week-long drive with the Eclipse Cross, we thought the new design provided excellent nighttime visibility.

As a result of the exterior design, the Eclipse Cross is now five inches longer than before. Heated seats are standard on the LE, SE, and SEL trims, while a new light gray leather option is available for SEL models. The SEL Touring offers heated rear seats with a reclining function (nice for long trips).

How Much Is The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross?

One of the best things about the Eclipse Cross is the modest and affordable starting MSRP. There are six trim levels for the 2022 model year: ES, LE, SE, SE with Panoramic Roof Package, SEL, and the SEL with Touring Package. The starting MSRP for each trim level is listed below (the figures include the $1,195 charge for destination and handling).

ES: $24,590

LE: $25,940

SE: $27,337

SE with Panoramic Roof Package: $28,340

SEL: $28,590

SEL with Touring Package: $30,690

What Is The Warranty Coverage?

Mitsubishi offers an impressive warranty for the Eclipse Cross. All models come with a five-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, a seven-year/100,000-mile anti-corrosion/perforation limited warranty, and a five-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance program. Perhaps most impressive is the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.

If you will be driving more than usual, Mitsubishi does offer extended warranties. This comprehensive guide to Mitsubishi’s warranty will help you make the right decision if you are thinking about buying additional coverage.

Our 2022 Eclipse Cross press vehicle on the campus of Oakland County Community College in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Mitsubishi loaned us an SEL with Touring Package, the top trim level, for a week.

Our Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Press Vehicle

Mitsubishi provided us a nicely-equipped SEL Touring for our test drive. Here is a list of the features we most enjoyed.

Push-button start

Heated steering wheel

Light gray leather seats

Adaptive Cruise Control

Multi-view camera system

Power panoramic sunroof

Heated front and rear seats

Mitsubishi stereo with eight speakers

Blind Spot Warning with Lane Change Assist

Forward Collision Mitigation with Pedestrian Detection

As a bonus, our press vehicle came with Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC), or all-wheel drive. Since we call Michigan home, it’s a feature we would absolutely want if we owned an Eclipse Cross. Front-wheel drive is standard, but S-AWC can be added to any trim level for a reasonable $1,600.

Interior Highlights: Mixed Feelings

The light gray leather seats of the SEL Touring are comfortable enough, and the silver and black contrast throughout the interior is sharp. The driver’s display with the tachometer and speedometer is colorful and bright. Mitsubishi’s infotainment system is fairly intuitive, and scrolling through the media, phone, and other menus is quick and easy. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality are also standard on the SEL Touring.

The main downfall is how sterile the interior seems after a while. Soft-touch surfaces are few and far between in the Eclipse Cross as hard plastics surround the driver and passengers. Although the leather seats are nice, the abundance of hard surfaces detracts from the interior. Indeed, it looks sporty and modern, but it comes at the cost of comfort and refinement. We also noticed the center console and side door pockets offer minimal storage.

Other aspects of the interior feel either dated or dull. For example, the steering wheel looks like it’s from a Mitsubishi vehicle a few gen

erations ago, despite having modern functions (volume, phone, adaptive cruise control) built-in for the driver to access on the go. The climate controls on the lower part of the dashboard have a digital screen with a reddish display that resembles a cheap wristwatch. Likewise, the navigation map graphics appear bland and stale.

Beyond the visuals, we also had trouble with the navigation’s functionality on two different occasions within a few minutes of setting our destination. After providing the initial turn-by-turn directions, the screen would simply freeze. On neither occasion did the navigation reorient itself; we drove to our destination both times with a frozen triangle icon on the map screen.

We felt the interior looked sharp, and the leather seats were comfortable enough. However, throughout our drive, we noticed the interior of the Eclipse Cross could feel sterile and cold. The abundance of hard plastics and lack of soft-touch surfaces ended up being a turn-off for us. We would describe the navigation’s functionality as poor.

Interior Highlights: Dismal Cargo Capacity

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross offers 23.4 cubic feet of cargo space when the second-row seats are upright. Fold them down for a total cargo capacity of 50.1 cubic feet. Unfortunately, these numbers are quite low when compared to other small SUVs.

For example, the Toyota RAV4 offers 37.6 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 69.8 when it’s folded flat. The Honda CR-V offers more yet, with 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 75.8 cubic feet when folded down. Likewise, the Ford Escape, Chevy Equinox, and Hyundai Tucson also surpass the Eclipse Cross by a substantial margin in the cargo capacity department.

Another concern is how the second-row seatbacks come to rest at an upward angle when folded down (shown in the gallery below). Furthermore, since our press vehicle had a panromantic sunroof, the overall headroom was slightly less (which is common in all vehicles with a sunroof – we are not just picking on Mitsubishi here). The loss of headroom combined with the upward angle of the second-row seats when they are folded may make loading and transporting additional items more difficult.

Engine & Powertrain

Under the hood of every 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is a 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder with 152 horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of torque. The engine is lightweight with an aluminum block and cylinder heads, which helps overall fuel efficiency. Likewise, the standard eight-speed CVT automatic should increase fuel mileage.

Fuel Economy

FWD vs. AWD

According to the official spec sheet from Mitsubishi, fuel economy estimates will vary slightly by trim level. However, in a general sense, EPA estimates for the Eclipse Cross with front-wheel drive come in at 25/28 city/highway and 26 combined. By contrast, all-wheel drive models come in at 25/26 city/highway and 25 combined.

Eclipse Cross vs. Other Small SUVs

Like cargo space, the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross falls short when it comes to fuel economy. Compared to the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape, the Eclipse Cross is last in fuel efficiency. Similarly, the Eclipse Cross has difficulty measuring up to the Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5, and Chevy Equinox in fuel economy.

2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross in lightning blue.

Driving The 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi made considerable changes to the suspension for the 2022 model year. This included retuning the shocks and springs and adding larger rear shocks to enhance ride comfort and control. Bounce and rebound tolerances were also addressed to provide a sporty yet comfortable ride. Lastly, the rear suspension cross member is now connected by a double vibration insulator which, according to Mitsubishi, makes the small SUV feel more planted than the prior setup.

Be that as it may – and no matter how hard we tried – we just didn’t feel confident behind the wheel of the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. While traveling out of the Detroit metro on M-10, nearly every bump, bend, and curve seemed to throw the Eclipse Cross off balance. Although Mitsubishi says the Eclipse Cross is planted, we experienced hopping and bobbing more often than we are comfortable with at highway speeds. When trucks and larger vehicles would pass us, we would sometimes feel as if we were being blown around.

Otherwise, the 1.5-liter engine is responsive, and getting up to highway speed was never an issue. With a gentle foot, you should see better fuel economy than what is listed on the window sticker, but as we covered above, fuel mileage is not a strong suit for the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. When driving at slower speeds, the Eclipse Cross is easy to maneuver and steer.

Should You Buy The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross?

Based on our experience, not without shopping around and taking a few other makes and models for a test drive first. When it comes to smaller SUVs and crossovers, manufacturers like Chevy, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Subaru, and Toyota will have better options, especially when taking into account fuel economy and cargo space. Unfortunately, we don’t see any reason after our week-long test drive to put the Eclipse Cross at the top of our list.

However, if you have your heart set on a 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, this free and easy search tool* will show you which dealers in your area are offering the best price and incentives. If you would like to look around for other SUVs, we trust Rydeshopper to point you in the right direction. Rydeshopper is a free and neutral third-party search site* that lets you see dealer inventory and pricing where you live for all sorts of vehicles.

Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association and the Society of Automotive Historians. He serves on the board of directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, is a past president of Detroit Working Writers, and a loyal Detroit Lions fan.

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