Here's the thing about three-row crossovers: they're getting expensive. Fast. Just look at what's out there: the Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer, Nissan Pathfinder, and Honda Pilot, to name just a few. All are nice but they base at nearly $30,000. To put that into perspective, you can get a soon-to-be discontinued Dodge Grand Caravan minivan for as cheap as $23,500. Heck, even the Dodge Journey (lame and old, we know) begins at $21,000 in change. Isn't there anything else priced well under $30k that comes with three rows?

Yes, the Mitsubishi Outlander. Before you go all 'Mitsubishi killed the Evo and no longer deserves my respect,' bear with us here. We know the Outlander isn't exactly exciting but in our latest unboxing review we discovered that it's one hell of a good bargain.

Although it's not especially powerful with either engine choice, Mitsubishi offers a well-built, three-row crossover with a number of nice options without breaking the bank. Your kids' college accounts are more important than trying to show off your new $30k + crossover to your suburban neighbors. Is the recently updated Mitsubishi Outlander the hidden gem in the mid-size/compact crossover segment, or is it nothing more than a lame attempt by Mitsubishi to, somehow, continue to be relevant in a post-Evo world? Special thanks to Lutes Mitsubishi for allowing us to shoot the car.