2010 Mitsubishi Outlander: What's It Like to Live With?
Read the latest updates in our long-term road test of the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander as our editors live with this car for a year.
What do you want to know about?
- Introduction
- Service, Already
- Seismic Activity
- Holiday Weekend
- Heated Seat Report
- You're So Casual
- Not Quick To Shift
- Let's Fix That A/C (Maybe Tomorrow)
- Let's Fix That A/C
- Bluetooth
- Air Conditioning Blows
- The Old Switcheroo
- STOP THAT
- Saving Gas One Stop Sign at a Time
- Gap-Toothed Smile
- Track Tested
- B-Side Fan
- Not Quite a Billion LEDs
- 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander Takes on the Gnarly Seam
- Birthday Beach Cruiser
- I Can't See You
- Nearly a Top Gun
- Two-Piece Tailgate
- Covers Go the Wrong Way
- Our Favorite Caption
- You Write the Caption
- Steering Wheel is Crooked
- Driver's Seat is Loose
- Two Glove Compartments. Cool.
- Into The Fire
- Needs Rev-Matched Downshifts
- The New Front End
- The Forgotten Crossover
- The Interior Makeover
- Audio Review
- The Small SUV Appeal
- Setting The E-Brake First
- Sunvisor Pet Peeve
- Third Row is Rickety
- 9/11
- Keeping It Clean
- Cupholders!
- Psychedelic Bluetooth
- Strut Tower Braces for Everybody
- 3rd Row Still Awful
- The Miles Mount
- Not a Shopping Cart
- Another Touchscreen Downside
- Poor Man's X3
- Illuminated Seat Heaters; Don't Use During Heat Wave
- The Scent of Sport
- Control Freak
- Not Where You Would Expect To Find Chrome
- Seats Need Some Work
- Paddle Shifters Prevent Traffic
- Spring-Loaded 2nd Row
- UltraSonic Alarm
- Adjustable Second Row
- Snakes in the Vent, Mice in the Trunk
- Crazy Wipers
- A Little Nip/Tuck
- Sightlines
- Dynamic Route Guidance
- Get Behind the Virtual Wheel
- Dawn Patrol
- Prototype, SEMA-like
- Lookin' Good
- The Alternate
- Back Road Out of Vegas
- En Francais
- Over the Tioga Pass
- Average Road-Trip Seats
- How well do you know Donna?
- Time for Service
- Best Part Is the Cargo Area
- Using the Tailgate
- 4 Banks of Sat Radio
- Regular or Severe Service?
- Embarrassing Overspray
- Slow Reader?
- Thoughts from the Road
- 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander Off-Roading Back to LA
- 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander vs Mom's Honda CR-V
- Service. Finally.
- 7,500-mile Service
- Door Adjustment Needed
- 10,000 Mile(Stone)
- From Enemies to Allies
- Any Changes for the New Year?
- WD40 vs. Squeak
- Magnesium Paddles
- Food Drive
- Mixology
- Right Away, Sir!
- A Little Evo Goes a Long Way
- Boards & Buckets
- The Rising Light
- Swallowed a 6-ft. Ladder
- See You. Really?
- Alternative 'See You' Messages
- Just Right
- Big Sun
- Not a Mom-Mobile
- I Want INT
- Out the Window
- Cat Scratch Fever?
- Valentine's Day Ode
- iPod Integration Ain't the Best
- Back Seat
- Thanks, But I Don't Bump
- How Many Passengers for Road Trip?
- Road Trip Impressions
- It's Not an Apple Fan
- Worse Than Economy Flight Seats?
- Dwarfed in Mammoth
- Mammoth or Bust
- A Mammoth Report
- Cactus League
- Jump-start Duty
- Dirt Roading
- Chip in the Windshield
- Barometer at 30 inHg
- What the What?
- "Flinty" Freeway Ride
- Maintenance Record Confusion
- Great Counterprogramming
- Is This Thing On?
- Real Utes Have Tailgates
- Smuggling Baby Chicks
- All Things Considered...
- 15,000-mile Service
- Good Morning, Starshine
- Maplight Burnout
- Just A Country Boy
- Three-Day Weekend
- Answers to Questions
- 10 Things I Like
- Color Do-Over
- What You'd Pay Now
- Big and Little Bros
- Do The Bikes Fit?
- Going the Distance
- Blue Wonder
- Outsold by Its Older Sibling
- SUNday
- Wrap-Up
Introduction
Stop us if you've heard this one before: Edmunds gets a long-term Mitsubishi Outlander.
But that was 2007, so times were different. Then it was an anonymous Outlander XLS with a 220-horsepower V6, with just a silly A/V jack for auxiliary inputs for entertainment devices.
But now we have in our garage a 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT. This time our Outlander is white and offers a USB input, an upgraded instrument display and a 230-hp V6. And thanks to a jetfighter-inspired nose cone, the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT finally looks the part of a worthwhile stablemate to the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
In a segment of jacked-up jellybeans, does the refreshed 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander finally have the looks and swagger to sway buyers from the more familiar brands?
Why We Got It
New for the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is a three-mode (Tarmac, Snow and Lock), adjustable all-wheel-drive (S-AWC in Mitsu-speak) system derived from the Lancer Evolution. This uses a first-in-class active front differential and an electronic center diff to swap power fore, aft, port and starboard to offer unparalleled — at least in the crossover segment — traction and stability. The Outlander still has magnesium shift paddles and aluminum pedals. It's still got a strong 3.0-liter V6, keyless entry and ignition, and a totally bitchin' (if awkwardly named) Flap-Folding Tailgate for our cameramen to shoot from.
The new stuff for 2010 includes a revised, full-color multi-information display that replaces the red dot-matrix display that cursed the old car. The stereo has also been bolstered by the addition of a USB input with iPod connectivity via a hands-free system that also handles Bluetooth calling. (Don't worry, though; the yellow/white/red plugs are still available.) The Rockford Fosgate stereo has also been turned up to 11 now, pumping out an additional 60 watts of boom for a total of 710 watts through eight speakers and a 10-inch subwoofer. And while our 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander had a 30GB music storage system, Mitsubishi's now added some extra there for the 2010 Outlander, so we've got 40GB.
Mitsubishi's 3.0-liter V6 with variable valve timing has been upgraded as well. The engine now makes 230 hp at 6,250 rpm and 215 pound-feet of torque at 3,750 rpm. Thanks to the 2010 Outlander's incorporation of Mitsubishi's new auto-neutral feature that disengages the transmission when the computers feel that freewheeling is more fuel-efficient, the new SUV's EPA ratings have improved, but only by 1 mpg across the board — 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined.
But as much as we appreciate any bump in power, we have to keep in mind for the duration of this test that the Toyota RAV4 can be equipped with a 269-hp V6. It's one thing to look fast and point out one's rally heritage, but it's another thing altogether to get smoked off the line by Sam Soccer-dad in a Toyota. Is the existence of the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT justified on looks and handling alone?
What We Got
Our new 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT represents the top trim level for the Outlander, so its base price of $29,250 includes a lot of toys: six-speed automatic, hill-start assist, three-mode all-wheel drive, 18-inch alloy wheels, steering-wheel-mounted controls, automatic climate control, 60/40-split folding second-row seats, three 12-volt outlets, auto headlights, power sunroof, foglamps, soft-touch upper instrument panel and door inserts, and, of course, Mitsubishi's new Fuse infotainment manager.
The only option we opted for is the $3,000 Premium Navi and Leather package. This includes leather seating surfaces, the aforementioned 40GB HDD music server/navigation system with real-time traffic information, rearview camera and auxiliary video input.
All together, our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT stickers for $33,015 and it has been supplied by Mitsubishi for this Long-Term Road Test.
More of the Same?
Clearly the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander doesn't represent a ground-up redesign. It's not even a major refresh. No, this crossover represents a series of subtle tweaks designed to hone a pretty good package so the formula will have just the right consumer appeal, or until the 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (a smaller, five-passenger crossover) arrives and Mitsubishi ditches this three-row nonsense altogether.
You'll take note that Mitsubishi has done nothing about the Outlander's Gitmo-special, third-row torture box. Making the tired analogy of the penalty box would be offensive to hockey, since adults can fit in a penalty box. Maybe if Mitsubishi were to sponsor the NHL and use the third row instead of.... Well, now we're getting ahead of ourselves.
For more of this kind of thing, check our long-term road test blog, where we'll be dissecting the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT for the next 12 months and 20,000 déjà vu-filled miles. Will it be more of the same, or do the little differences actually make a difference?
Current Odometer: 333
Best Fuel Economy: 16.6 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.6 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 15.3 mpg
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
We introduced our new 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT just the other week. And yesterday we took it in for its first service. Our problem was simple, the air conditioning stopped blowing cold air. The solution is a multi-step process.
Step 1: Make the appointment at Long Beach Mitsubishi and take it in.
Step 2: Find out that the compressor is leaking and the dealer had to order a new one.
Step 3: Wait for the phone to ring in 2-3 days when the part shows up.
Step 4: Make another appointment to get it fixed.
We'll let you know how it goes. But so far this test is starting off on the wrong foot.
I pulled our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT into the gas station the other day and saw a row of these guys behind me.
A Signal Hill aea petroleum company is using what they call "vibro-seis" trucks on the streets of Long Beach. The trucks transfer acoustic energy into the ground. Receivers located nearby record the acoustic reflections and generate 2D and 3D underground maps. These maps are then used to locate oil and earthquake fault lines.
I stood around for 5-10 minutes to observe. There isn't much noise. Instead, every minute there is a steady vibration, not unlike a mini-earthquake. What does this have to do with the Outlander? Not much. But it was pretty friggin cool.
My ride for the holiday weekend was the Mitsubishi Outlander. I was staying local so I chose the only car in the fleet that is without air conditioning (temporarily).
The night of July 3rd had a strangely dramatic sky. The Pacific Ocean was very placid and the heavy marine layer was reflected in the water. Beautiful colors.
This year's fireworks in my neighborhood were not as grand as last year. Perhaps it was the budget cuts. My camera has a fireworks setting. It captures fireworks nicely but makes the city look like it's on drugs. I like the crazy energy it adds to the pictures.
More photos after the jump.
What did you do this weekend?
You wouldn't think I'd need to use the heated seats in the middle of summer while driving a vehicle without air conditioning (or as we like to say: naturally aspirated).
And, yes, it does get somewhat toasty in the Outlander when the sun is shining. The fan works and the windows go down, but no artificially cooled air pumps in. It wasn't so bad while I was moving on the freeway. It was the stop-and-go driving with the sun beating on my legs that got really bothersome.
Then it rained. Overnight, my little beach town got chilly. It gave me the opportunity to try out the heated seats while driving into the office this morning. It has just two levels: high and low. I've found that all I really need is an on and off button. Heat on or off. Just make it hot.
"HI" was pleasant but definitely not the hottest seat I've ever used. I would say it was more in the range of medium. The HI-LO button is on the inside of the seat near the seat belt fastener. Seems like a logical enough place to put it. But it makes it easy to forget to turn it off when you exit the car.
A few of you have asked me to put together a chart comparing all of the heated seats in the fleet. I've started to compile the info but it may take me a while to get through all of the cars. I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, keep warm, or cool, whatever you prefer.
We've had three Mitsubishi Lancers in our fleet: a 2008 GTS, a 2008 Evolution GSR and a 2008 Evo MR. They all said, "Goodbye," when we turned off the engine.
As for our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT, it's all "See You." That got me thinking, I wonder what it says in different markets around the world. It is, for instance, sold in all the major European markets. Ciao. Tschuss. Na shledanou.
By the way, it's not visible in this shot, but Mitsubishi has really cleaned up the trip computer in the Outlander, replacing the slightly opressive, pixellated, orange-on-black-background display with a multi-color display. That said, I still found the speedometer difficult to read at a glance on the freeway last night.
I'm too nice. I keep allowing myself to get stuck with the Outlander without A/C. It was really hot running errands this weekend. The fan works but it blows in hot air. It was like having the heater on. So I had to turn it off and lower the windows. It didn't really help that much. But the good news is that the compressor is in and we should have it fixed this week.
Onto other news. I'm not crazy about driving the Outlander. Sure, it's comfortable. It has heated leather seats and satellite radio. But the six-speed automatic transmission is sluggish. It's not quick with the downshifts or the upshifts for that matter. When I try to make a speedy move, something as simple as moving slowly up to a left turn and then trying to take off fast. Or trying to pass on the freeway. It doesn't react quickly enough. I was tempted to drive it in manual mode all the time.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles at the test track. I'd like to hear what the other editors think. Perhaps when it has cool air again, someone else will be willing to drive it.
My last post this morning was written from the comfort of the local Starbucks as I settled in to wait the three or so hours for our Mitsubishi Outlander's air conditioner to be fixed.
Approximately 30 minutes into my wait, I was forwarded the following email from test-car manager, Mike Schmidt:
"Dealer left me a vmail. Somebody was injured so they're backed up. Our car won't be ready today. Maybe mid tomorrow."
Never mind the fact that I had just left the service writer my name and cell phone number, asking him to call me when it was ready. Seeing how there were only two guys in the office, seemed strange that my request had already been overlooked.
I called in the calvary and caught a ride to the office. No Outlander today, let's hope for tomorrow.
Our air compressor arrived at the Mitsubishi dealer, and not a moment too soon. Weather report says it's supposed to hit 90 degrees this weekend.
I dropped the Outlander off at 9:30 a.m. this morning. Service writer says warranty hours for the fix lists at 1.8, which he says usually needs to be doubled.
"About three hours," he said.
I'm now cooling my heels at a local Starbucks, eating oatmeal and waiting for the call.
Last night I called my dad using the Bluetooth connection in our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT. "You sound like you're inside a bucket. Call me back later," he said. It was a short conversation.
Not all Bluetooth connections are created equal.
Have you heard enough about the air conditioning in our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander yet? Let me answer that one for you. Nope, not yet.
I drove the Outlander, with freshly installed A/C, earlier this week. Temperatures were in the 90s, so I had the dial cranked. It wasn't enough. Imagine standing in front of your freezer with the door wide open. Now back up 6 feet. That's about all you get. Not quite enough to unstick your shirt from the seatback. The climate control seemed to handle exterior temps in the 80s just fine, but it lost effectiveness shortly thereafter.
Now, on that same day under the same conditions, I also drove our A4 Avant. It handled the heat just fine. I learned my lesson. I shouldn't have traded cars.
This is the Outlander's shifter. Note the orientation of the manual shift control — upshifts require a push forward, downshifts a pull back.
Why this is dumb after the jump...
This is the shifter in a Lancer Evo X with Mitsu's awesome SST transmission. Note the manual shift orientation.
Now explain that. Same company. Different logic.
Mitsubishi is one of the few companies which understands that pushing forward for downshifts is an intuitive action as it's done during braking. Similarly, upshifts, which occur during acceleration, should be executed by pulling backwards. What's more, that's how shifts are oriented in a real sequential transmission.
But not in the Outlander.
Tell me what's wrong — besides the shaking and reflection from the big plastic dash — with this video of our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT?
Jump for the answer.
Figure it out? Note the beeping. Note that the seatbelt is not connected. Note that the CAR IS IN PARK!
More and more vehicles are doing this and the Outlander GT is the latest, and the latest long-termer, to get on my nerves. If the car is in P or if the parking brake is fully set, it's okay if I'm not wearing a seatbelt. I promise. It'll be fine.
Similar to us wanting a smart sensor to tell the nav systems that yes, a passenger is present and can work the navigation system without crashing the car, the infernal beeping of the seatbelt alarm should shut off when the vehicle is stationary and NOT IN A DRIVE GEAR!!
What's next? An omnipresent alarm letting occupants know that they're in a vehicle which may move eventually and which may be dangerous if it's not already dangerous while parked?
Seatbelts = good. This stupid thing = bad.
Our Mitsubishi Outlander has a pretty sophisticated V6. That MIVEC lettering means it has variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust sides of the equation. Good, but nothing too out of the ordinary these days.
It also has what Mitsubishi calls Idle Neutral Logic. When it senses that the car has come to a stop, the transmission automatically selects neutral to save gas. It's a step below actually turning the engine off like a Prius.
In day-to-day driving, I've never noticed the feature. That's probably a good thing as some drivers might get a bit unnerved with the idea of the transmission shifting around on its own. How much gas does it really save? Probably not much, but it's small steps like these that nearly every manufacturer is using these days to maximize mileage without the customer even knowing it.
This is the only vehicle I can recall that would actually benefit from a front license plate.
The giant black grille looks unfinished to me. Like it's missing the final trim pieces.
Like everything else in our fleet, once the break-in period was complete ( hindered by an air conditioning repair) our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT hit the test track in persuit of numbers.
The 2010 Outlander GT uses a three-mode adjustable all wheel drive system Mitsubishi calls S-AWD. It's derived from the Lancer Evolution and has a first-in-class active front differential and electronic center differntial. Our 2010 Outlander also has a 230 horsepower V6 and six-speed automatic transmission.
So how'd it do? Jump to find out and watch a special low-quality video!
Vehicle: 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT
Odometer: 1,952
Date: 7/27/10
Driver: Chris Walton
Base Price (with destination and tax): $$29,250
Options: Diamond White Pearl, Premium Navigation and Leather Package ($3,000 — includes leather seating surfaces for first- and second-row seats; heated front seats; power driver seat; 40GB hard disk drive navigation system; music server hard drive; real-time traffic information; reverse view camera system; auxiliary video input jack).
As-Tested Price: $33,015
Specifications:
Drive Type: All-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Six-speed automatic
Engine Type: V6
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 2,998 / 183
Redline (rpm): 6,500
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 230 @ 6,250
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 215 @ 3,750
Brake Type (front): 11.6-inch ventilated discs
Brake Type (rear): 11.9-inch solid discs
Steering System: Speed-proportional power steering
Suspension Type (front): Independent MacPherson struts, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Independent multilink, coil springs, stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): P225/55R18 97H
Tire Size (rear): P225/55R18 97H
Tire Brand: Goodyear
Tire Model: Eagle LS2
Tire Type: All Season
Wheel Size: 18-by-7 inches front and rear
Wheel Material (front/rear): Cast aluminum
As Tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,845
Test Results:
Acceleration
0 - 30 (sec): 2.9
0 - 45 (sec): 5.1
0 - 60 (sec): 7.9
0 - 75 (sec): 12.0
1/4 Mile (sec @ mph): 15.9 @ 87.6
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 7.6
Braking
30 - 0 (ft): 33
60 - 0 (ft): 131
Slalom (mph): 62.9 stability off, 58.7 on
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.77 stability off, 0.67 trac on
Db @ Idle: 44.5
Db @ Full Throttle: 74.8
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 68
Acceleration Comments: Best run was in manual mode with paddle shift to delay up shift until redline. In drive, shifts were +/- 500 rpm lower. There's a noticeable cam phase change at 4,500 rpm. Seems a bit loud, but in a sporty way.
Braking Comments: Pedal is initially firm, then goes a little spongy half way to the floor. Brakes feel up to the task but tires don't. Lots of screech and susceptible to the quality of the pavement grip/grit.
Handling Comments: Slalom: With ESC off, the Outlander feels happy to play with a hint of lift-throttle rotation and rear-drive behavior (in 'tarmac' mode). Steering is quick / precise / informative. With ESC, the parameters are far lower with highly intrusive, punishing brake application. Skidpad: With ESC off, I could detect the inside front tire occasionally lifting and spinning. Easy to control / steer with throttle alone. Steering weight is good. With ESC on, there's near-constant brake intervention and the smooth arc becomes a jagged line.
We've already complained plenty about the Mitsubishi Outlander's air conditioning. First because it died before the Mitsu broke 1,000 miles, and second, because even after the AC compressor was replaced, it still seems unable to keep the cabin anything more than moderately cool.
Now let me add just one more complaint, this time about the fan noise.
Remember the sound a record player (they were before CDs, kiddos) makes when the needle bumps up against the paper label, alerting party-goers to flip to the B-side? The bump, followed by a slight scratch? Bump, scraaatch. Bump, scraaatch. Bump, scraaatch.
Argh.
At first blush, there's what appears to be a billion LEDs in our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT's tailights. (There are actually 30 on each side.)
Hold up — with the lights and the brakes on you can see that the inner LEDs are decoys, just dimples on the surface to carry the LED styling theme across the Outlander's backside.
Not-quite-a-billion LEDs in the tailights seems to be styling trend. Do you like?
Me — I prefer the acrylic light pipes as on the CTS and BMW 7.
2010 Mitsubishi Outlander Takes on the Gnarly Seam
True, it's not all that exciting. I mean, it's a plush 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander taking on the same gnarly seam, or at least the not-as-bad part of it, that proved painful to our Mini E and VW GTI. Nope, the exciting part is that it was doing this at extra-legal speeds, and I'm not talking the suggested ramp speed of 40 mph. Pshaw. Even though this is a CUV, it's sharper and more athletic than your average crossover. I definitely wouldn't mind taking a road trip in this car and diverting off onto some fun roads, making sure to secure my luggage first of course.
My daughter turns 10-years-old next week, and her dad and I decided a double-digit birthday was worthy of a new beach cruiser.
After 30 minutes of debating 24- or 20-inch with the bike salesman, we brought home a new light blue 20-inch Electra complete with a removable bicycle basket.
Easily flipped the large side of the 60/40-split rear seat forward, and quickly loaded the bike in the Mitsubishi Outlander, no problem.
I drove our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT to San Diego over the weekend. In a futile attempt to avoid I-5 gridlock, I ended up going past MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station Miramar). Yes sports fans, that's the same Miramar (formerly Naval Air Station Miramar) featured in the blockbuster movie "Top Gun."
I found our Outlander to be a bit underappreciated, with good steering and ride quality, and quick transitional handling. However, the 3.0L SOHC V6 rated at 230 hp @ 6250 rpm and 215 lb-ft @ 3750 rpm has absolutely no bottom end and gets buzzy under heavy load. Additionally, there is some rattling coming from the folded 3rd-row seat.
I got 20.9 mpg on recommended (but not required) 91 Premium in 320 miles of a 50/50 mix of Fast Highway and "why-didn't-I-leave-earlier" stopped traffic.
Oh yeah, the air conditioner worked fine, although it's a bit weak, and I did hear the "tchtttttt" record player noises that Kelly reported, but only at low vehicle speeds with the radio off.
All in all, our Outlander GT is a good, sporty small-mid-sized SUV/Crossover.
If you're in San Diego at the beginning of October, make sure to check out the MCAS Air Show.
Our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT has a 2-piece tailgate. It's quite convenient as it lowers the liftover height to just over 24 inches.
The 2011 Kia Sportage we recently tested, however, has a one-piece tailgate that goes all the way down to the bumper. The Sportage's liftover height is 30 inches, but I would think that this one-piece design would provide better body structure than our Outlander.
However, the downside to the Sportage is that the hatch release is quite low, just above the license plate, and a bit awkward to get at if you're carrying stuff.
Which design do you prefer?
Max cargo room, with the Gitmo-seat and second row down, on our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is 73 cubic feet. And with its dual-fold tailgate (awesome), loading this beast is a snap.
And "in a" I mean "causes a" because if you load anything that is too heavy to be carried or thrown to the front of the cargo hold, you've got to slide it over these two protective covers which immediately snag on whatever you're loading, and then snap apart. This is just one of a dozen reasons the third-row in this thing is more trouble than it's worth.
If it were my car, duct tape would keep these from flapping around whenever I need to load something.
Thanks to ergsum for this week's favorite caption.
Here are the others that made us take flight:
Ejection Seat? Check. Munitions? Check. Air Conditioning?... Air Conditioning?... (mcgs999)
Mitsubishi - To Obscurityyyyyy... and beyond! (robert4380)
Now that's a real off road vehicle (mnorm1)
Talk to me, Goose. (subytrojan)
Uninspired by jets. (eidolways)
We have command of air and sea, but not A/C! (ergsum)
Born from debts. (sideswiper)
We wish we could eject the third row seats! (ergsum)
No need to worry guys, its not a zero...or even an evo. (teampenske3)
What was your favorite?
P.S. Check next week's caption contest. There may be a prize :)
Senior Vehicle Evaluation Engineer Al Austria sent me this photo taken at CNIC (Commander Navy Installations Command) Naval Base Coronado.
Interestingly, the Mitsu PR materials say:
"The Outlander GT now wears a distinctive jet fighter front grille, which evokes the sporty history of Mitsubishi's family line-up."
What's your caption for this photo?
We'll post our favorite this afternoon.
This drives me crazy. We'll get it fixed when we take the Mitsu in for its first scheduled service.
This drives me crazy. We'll get it fixed at the Mitsu's first scheduled service.
Let's see, it's Southern California, summer, and there's a heat wave going on — yep, it must be fire season! I was driving our Mitsubishi Outlander yesterday along the I-5 at the Tejon pass (the Grapevine) when I encountered this respectably prodigious brush fire near Frazier Park.
The freeway wasn't closed, so I kept on driving. I then thought of the 1991 Steve Martin movie L.A. Story (it's still a prescient movie on living here, by the way) and the scene where the movie's characters continue to eat at a restaurant nonchalantly while an earthquake goes on. Forest fire? Yeah, we see those all the time down here...
OK, maybe not. Incidentally, it was quite hot — the Outlander's exterior temperature gauge was showing 110 degrees at one point. The Outlander's air-conditioning, if you care to know, is still gimpy — I've noticed that it only blows cold air out of the left two instrument panel air vents; the air coming out of the right two vents is ambient temperature.
Oh, and if you're a Hair Nation kind of guy or gal, you'll probably remember this video clip that follows after the jump.
I like the feel of the shift paddles on our Outlander GT. There's a pleasing metallic weight to them as you pull back to shift. But I'd like them even more if the transmission was capable of rev-matched downshifts. It's not. So if you're braking and downshifting, the Outlander lurches annoyingly every time a lower gear is engaged.
For most regular vehicles with manual shift control but no paddles, I'm OK if there aren't rev-matched downshifts. But it seems to me that Mitsubishi has made a declaration of performance by adding paddles, so the Outlander should have the goods to back it up.
At first I wasn't sure if I liked the 2010 Outlander's new styling. It seemed a little gimmicky making it look like a Lancer Evolution even though there's no turbo-4 under the hood, you know? But now that I've spent some time with our long-termer I think Mitsubishi did the right thing. While the new front-end isn't quite as cohesive with the rest of the body as before, it adds some brand identity as well as distinctiveness, the latter of which is useful in a crossover market saturated with bland looks and me-too design elements. The funny thing though is that every time I look at our Outlander now I think it needs to be lowered to be even more Evo-ish.
Pre-2010 Outlander
I don't see too many other Outlanders on the road, so out of curiosity I checked out how the Outlander is doing in terms of sales today since all the automakers release their monthly figures at the top of the month. These are all year-to-dates sales through August 2010 for the Outlander and a four other top crossovers I picked for comparison purposes.
Honda CR-V 126,379
Toyota RAV4: 111,706
Chevrolet Equinox: 87,397
Subaru Forester: 57,672
Mazda CX-7: 18,171
Mitsubishi Outlander: 8,670
As you can see, it's pretty grim. The interesting part is that I think the Outlander is a fairly competitive crossover and deserved of more attention than it currently gets.
In my last Outlander post I noted how the vehicle's sales numbers were well off the pace of other crossover SUVs like the CR-V and RAV4. Of course, there are a lot of factors behind this. From the product side, though, I think the Outlander is at its weakest when it comes to interior design. To help Mitsu out, I've put my automotive product planner hat on and come up with three interior makeover items that would be of the most benefit to the Outlander.
1) A telescoping steering wheel; this would improve the driver positioning and make it more comfortable for more people. 2) A more intuitive navigational head unit; enough already with the cryptic menus and lack of a volume knob. 3) A third-row seat that's solidly built and easy to raise; right now the Outlander's seat seems as if it was the spawn of a cantankerous sleeper sofa and a hammock.
It must be tough for Mitsubishi, who no doubt is way behind in development and marketing budgets compared to the heavies like Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. Even little things like I listed above are enough of a reason for somebody to skip over the Outlander. It's sort of a case where being good still isn't good enough. Then again, the items I listed should hopefully be pretty easy to fix, too.
One of the sonic pleasures of our 2010 Outlander GT is that it comes standard with a 9-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system with a honking 10-inch subwoofer in the rear cargo hold. (It's also available on the SE model with the optional $2,110 Sun & Sound package.)
Rockford Fosgate first earned its rep in aftermarket car audio circles among hardcore "sound-off" competitors, who used the company's Punch brand "cheater" amps to pound out a few more decibels. And it's one of a few car audio-only companies that crossed over to the OEM side to battle it out with mega consumer-electronics brands such as Sony, Pioneer, JBL and Infinity.
Judging from the packaging of the system in the Outlander GT, particularly that big ol' sub and the silver-highlighted tweeters in each corner of the front doors, Rockford Fosgate hasn't toned down its style and sass by going stock. And it also hasn't dialed back its reputation for in-your-face bass and sound.
The Set Up
The Rockford Fosgate system consists of nine speakers powered by 710 watts. In addition to the 10-inch sub in a sealed enclosure in the rear and the aforementioned 1-inch soft-dome tweeters in the front, the system also includes a 6-inch midbass driver in each front door and a 6-inch full-range, two-way speaker in each rear door.
The Sound
We evaluated the system using the method and test tracks detailed in the Edmunds.com article Sound Advice. Naturally, the Outlander's system excelled at pumping out low bass, even if it was a bit boomy by audiophile standards. And this was with the Punch (bass) level at it's lowest setting.
Two of our standard test tracks showed why a car audio system needs a large, dedicated subwoofer if you want to go low: The thick bass throb that kicks off Joan Armatrading's "In Your Eyes" was deep and undistorted, while the brutal bottom end of Outkast's "Ain't No Thang" could hang with almost any aftermarket system with a sub of the same size and fed an equivalent amount of power.
The Outlander's Rockford Fosgate system also wasn't too shabby at reproducing the rest of the audio spectrum. It handled the tracks we use as a midbass torture-test very well (no big surprise there), but it also did a good job with extreme highs, with only a bit of harshness on some tracks. Overall, clarity/lack of distortion, tonal balance, timbre, tonal accuracy and dynamics were above average.
Where the system fell short was with soundstaging, and particularly with imaging. It created a soundstage that was high and fairly deep, but unusually narrow for such large vehicle. Imaging was almost nonexistent, however. A flute solo that's supposed to hover in the center of the dash in the song "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me" from Bluesiana Triangle was severely side biased, and the system failed our non-musical staging and imaging tests. But we did notice excellent delineation of instruments within the soundstage on tracks with complex mixes, like Red House Painters' "San Geronimo" and Lyle Lovett's "Blues Walk." And the system scored a rare "fair" and "good" rating in our low- and mid-level linearity tests, which measures how well the sound holds together at low and mid volume levels. (Most systems tend to score "poor" to "fair.")
The Sources
The Outlander's system includes a six-disc CD/MP3/DVD changer in the dash behind a fold-down touch screen. It also has a 40GB hard drive for music storage that it shares with the navigation system (and is part of the $3,000 Premium Navigation & Leather Package option). iPod integration through a center-console USB port is standard, using an iPod computer-sync cable (as opposed to a proprietary accessory cable that some automakers force you to buy). The Outlander's iPod integration was better than most, with on-screen icons that let you quickly skip to the menu items like artist, album, song without having to go through a hierarchical menu.
Of course, you can also plug a USB drive into the USB port to access MP3 and WMA music files stored on it, and the Outlander has a aux-in connection, although it's via two RCA jacks (with a third for video) instead of the more common single 3.5mm plug. Bluetooth for hands-free phoning as well as for wireless streaming audio are also standard. And the system will also play DVD-Video discs when the transmission is shifted to Park.
What We Say
The Mitsubishi Outlander's Rockford Fosgate system is a serious performer, and if your musical tastes tend towards rock, rap and pop you probably won't be disappointed. And given that it's included in the price of our $33,030 long-term GT model, that's not a lot to complain about. And if someone does, just turn up the sub and drown them out.
The Scores
Sound: B -
Source Selection: A
iPod Integration: A-
Cost: A
I suppose it's no surprise, but having a small crossover SUV around is very convenient for daily urban life. I used our Outlander for a variety of mundane tasks this weekend, including grocery shopping, hauling a bunch of plastic storage bins out of my garage over to a storage unit, and driving my wife and three-year-old daughter over to a friend's Labor Day barbeque party. Through it all, the Outlander worked out great thanks to its manageable size for parking, punchy audio system and sporty driving dynamics.
I was out in the Outlander yesterday with a friend. We were going to lunch and I parked on a slight hill. I did my normal thing, which is to put the transmission in Neutral, pull the parking brake, let the vehicle settle against the applied brake, and then finish by putting the transmission into Park.
Maybe my friend was just bored, but he asked me why I did that. I told him it's a methodology to keep any pressure or binding out of the transmission's Park mode by letting the vehicle's weight rest against the parking brake instead.
"In theory, it should help with transmission longevity," I told my friend. He said this was interesting but that probably 95 percent of people just slam their vehicle's automatic transmission into Park first, maybe set the parking brake after, and call it a day. He's probably right. And the world certainly isn't awash in transmission problems because of it. But I'll continue to be smug by setting the parking brake first.
This is just a nitpick, but sunvisors that don't telescope or have extenders when positioned to the side window bug me. (The Outlander's don't.) Without this feature, a low sun often ends up in a position that the visor doesn't cover, thereby meaning that I have a distracting sun blazing away at my head.
For an automaker, I can't believe that a sliding visor is prohibitively expensive — seriously, like $5 or $10 more? Given the payoff, I think it's well worth it.
On Friday afternoon I grabbed the key for our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT for two reasons. 1) I like driving it. 2) My folks were visiting this past weekend so I thought I'd get an opportunity to use the Outlander's third row.
And I did, I just chose not to. On Sunday morning I was about the throw the kids back there for a run to our favorite breakfast joint when I noticed how rickety the Mitsu's third row is (watch the video). No thanks. We took two cars.
By the way, I still like driving it.
Saturday was 9/11. On Sunday my family and I jumped into our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT and drove about 30 miles from our home to Pepperdine University on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. We wanted to see the flags.
There is one for each victim of the 9/11 attacks. Nearly 3,000. The flag memorial is the work of Pepperdine students, faculty, staff and volunteers. The tribute was originally conceived and led by the University's chapter of the College Republicans in 2008.
It will be there until September 19th. I wish everyone could see it.
I kinda dig the clean look of the Outlander's center stack. Everything's laid out in a very intuitive way, and there isn't even a hint of clutter.
As you can see, though, a couple of things were sacrificed to achieve this result: tuning and volume control knobs. I favor knobs over buttons for those functions — I find 'em more user-friendly.
What about you? Buttons or knobs? In this age in which many cars offer drivers the chance to preset up to a zillion of their favorite stations, maybe a tuning knob isn't so necessary after all.
Yes, your favorite topic, I'm sure. But really, I just had to give a shout-out to our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander for all the cupholders and storage space it offers the driver. Another reason I think this would be a great car to take on the road. There's a place for a small water bottle (definitely not the one pictured below), my iPhone, grande latte, sunglasses, etc. Everything at the ready.
But just don't mistake this circular depression forward of the gearshifter for a cupholder. You've been warned.
If you phone a Bluetooth call on our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT, you get this screen. Groovy, man.
But interestingly, you only get this psychedelic freak out if you were in Audio when you placed/received your call. If you were on the Navi screen, the Navi functions normally.
What — you're not allowed to look at the radio presets while you drive or something?
I suppose if it were the opposite and the psychedelic screen happened as you were following Navi route guidance, you'd really be upset. Or perhaps you'd be in your Happy Place.
I was a little surprised to find a factory strut tower bar under the hood of our long-term Mitsubishi Outlander. Not too long ago such stiffening measures were reserved for only the most serious performance cars. Now they're quite common, heck, even our Honda Crosstour has one.
Does it help? Sort of. The Outlander is pretty nimble for what is essentially a tall wagon. It feels light on its feet and changes direction like a sedan. The steering isn't direct enough for my tastes, but you can whip it around a freeway on ramp much quicker than the Crosstour. Not exactly an area of interest for most crossover shoppers, but think of it as a "fun to drive" factor and it becomes relevant for anybody.
While Mr. Oldham detailed how rickety the Outlander's third-row seat is, I realize we've never shown the irritating process involved with raising or lowering this rather imperfect place to seat your children.
Actually, I should say we've never shown you with our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander. I did it way back in August 2007 with our original Outlander, so after confirming that the process hadn't in fact changed, here's a repeat for those who don't recall or haven't yet purchased the Blog Videos Special Edition DVD featuring previously unbroadcast gems like "Magrath Actually Takes the Bus Rather than the Aura" and "Tell Me Why I'm Wrong That the Ferrari 308 Is Less Cool Than the Hyundai Azera."
Ah, I was so young back then. Here's a bonus video showing that the seat is about as thick as a lawn chair. No padding, just some fabric. And may I remind you this seat is placed within a car sold in the United States in 2010 as opposed to one sold in Bolivia in 1994.
Maybe I'll get around to recreating the now-lost photo of me crammed back there. Rough measurement: 0.32 Riswick.
On Saturday night I took my two little girls to the burnout contest at the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino, California about 70 miles east of our house. Some might call this child abuse. I call it family fun. On the way home we all smelled like tire smoke and the our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT blew through the 5,000 miles mark.
Maybe it's the whole crossover thing. When people say "crossover," they mean "carlike." And somehow, carlike has become synonymous with a vehicle that not only looks like a shopping cart but also has the soul of a shopping cart, too.
The 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is not a shopping cart. We need to stop thinking of it as a shopping cart. It's never going to seem very friendly bouncing over the speed bumps at Target. And it's never going to have adults sitting in the third row unless it's one of those sad extended families headed off to Marie Callender's for a holiday dinner.
The Mitsubishi Outlander GT puts the sport into sport-utility. The platform beneath the Mitsubishi's bodywork might be related to that of the Dodge Caliber, but this is a very angry Dodge Caliber at least. It's really a Lancer Ralliart in truck clothes, actually. In fact, it reminds me of a truck, an updated version of the Mitsubishi Montero Sport, one of the great truck-based SUVs.
You go places in a truck. You carry your stuff with you in a truck, like all that gear with toggles and Gore-tex and helmets and stuff. You carry skis and bikes, or even just muddy boots. And you pull a trailer with motocross bikes or a watercraft or even a Laser dinghy.
Sure, you've got that three-row seating thing, but you don't have to be a family guy to drive an Outlander GT. In fact, it might be the only compact sport-utility that you can drive that doesn't make you feel like you should be cutting the backyard grass on weekends instead of going to the beach. That's why the pictures of the Outlander GT published by Mitsubishi (like the one above) don't feature the parking lot at Target.
The Outlander GT might be a crossover, but let's treat it like a truck, not a shopping cart.
Okay, I readily admit that this photo isn't the best, but that's sorta the point. Touchscreens must be quite exposed to be touchable, and this means that they're much more susceptible to picking up sunlight than the alternative of deeply-hooded remote-controlled displays.
So touchscreens wash out in direct light. They also reflect said light into your eyes. Rather, my eyes, as I shielded them from what you see above for a good chunk of my commute this morning. They're not as obnoxious as this, however.
Other reasons touchscreeens suck:
- They look all ganky with fingerprints. Sure, buttons would be just as ganky, but at least I don't have to have a constant visual reminder of their gankiness.
- Since they necessarily must be within reach and are of a certain size, they influence/force the layout of the entire dashboard, and not always for the better. Another side effect of their closeness is that they force a greater focal adjustment than a set-back screen.
-They don't always register your touches. You sometimes have to do a double- or triple-touch.
- But the fact that you must take your eyes off the road and watch your finger touch the desired part of the screen for every command is absolutely the worst aspect. There's simply no way to operate the controls of a touchscreen by feel.
This last point could be said of non-touchscreen displays as well, but in practice it seems they allow quicker/shorter glances than touchscreens. Of course, I could be wrong. It happened once before.
I'll admit it: I like SUVs, especially the small mid-size models. They're practical and space efficient, although most have poor dynamic performance.
One exception is the Benz GLK, which is decent. Another, that I'm particularly interested in driving is the 2011 BMW X3. It's the right size for me and I'm sure the performance will be good.
But what if you can't swing the new X3's $50K price tag?
May I suggest a vehicle identical to our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT?
It's got great handling, accurate steering with good on-center feel, and a well-programmed six speed auto transmission mated to a flexible 3.0 V6. And all this for $33K. Yeah, it could use more power, but in most situations it's fine.
To top it off, the Outlander GT is fitted with paddle shifters! How many SUVs have that?
Are the seat heaters on? In our long-term Mitsubishi Outlander GT the seat heater switches (located on the inboard side of the seat) are always illuminated. That's great for finding them at night.
But when you give them a casual glance you may think they're actually on when they're not. I wanted to make sure they weren't turned on yesterday, as it was 113F in Downtown LA.
This reminded me of my experience on a June test trip in Arizona with my Technician a few years ago. We left rental car pick-up in a new 370Z, driving to the hotel in 110F ambient.
My Tech (and buddy), sweat pouring off of him, kept complaining about the Z's poor air-conditioning —
"It sucks," he said.
After about 25 minutes, I told him that his seat heater, which I had activated as we left the airport, may have contributed to his discomfort.
Following 5 minutes of cursing and laughing, he threatened 3AM wake-up calls for me for the duration of our business trip.
But they never materialized.
It seems to be a little hard to get people to believe that the Mitsubishi Outlander's interior has that sport coupe thing, despite the chrome accents, shift paddles on the steering wheel and nicely bolstered seats. Ours is all black, so maybe it's hard to see. Maybe if we had tan seats like this Outlander, we'd be more open-minded.
I still think there's a big difference between the Outlander GT and its competition in this segment of compact SUVs. Most of the other choices, as soon as you open the door you're overwhelmed by the scent of dirty diapers. None of that family values deal in the Outlander GT, though.
I finally had the opportunity to put some miles on our Outlander GT this week, and overall, I'm fairly pleased with it. One feature that I'm particularly happy with is the Bluetooth streaming audio. Here's why...
When I first started using streaming audio, I thought it was a clever feature that allowed me to keep my iPhone in my pocket. My big problem was that I couldn't search or skip through the iPhone's menus. I generally have my iPhone on shuffle and constantly skip through songs until I find one to match my current mood. Inevitably, it works out to about 1 song in 30. That's a problem if I have to use the iPhone for control, since I try to keep both hands and eyes on the task at hand (driving).
Imagine my joy, then, when I realized that our Outlander's streaming Bluetooth can also skip songs. Considering that for some reason the stereo wouldn't recognize my iPhone through the USB port, the skip function was icing on the cake.
Oh, and did you know that the name Bluetooth comes from King Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, who united Danish, Swedish and Norwegian tribes into a single kingdom in the tenth century? I found these Bluetooth fun facts this morning.
Chrome side sills. They're a bit odd for a vehicle that's supposed to be rugged. I mean, what do you think is going to happen if something rubs up against those big strips of shininess?
Probably nothing good. Then again, the Outlander isn't really anything more than a tall wagon with part-time all-wheel drive. It's no more rugged than the Honda Crosstour and its faux rocker panels.
In that case, might as well dress up those sills with a little of the shiny stuff, not like they need to deflect rocks or anything. Thankfully, Mitsubishi chose to leave the wheels alone.
As I settled in for a 180-mile road trip the other day, I quickly found one of my first complaints regarding our Mitsubishi Outlander - the seats. Sure, they look nice, but appearances don't tell the whole story.
My first problem presented itself when I was adjusting the seat for my oh-so-average 5' 10" frame. The lack of range in some adjustments had be compromising on total comfort. I felt the seat was too tall for my tastes, even at its lowest setting. I was also a bit irked that the seat cushion angle wouldn't tilt further back. The end result: I felt the driving position was too upright.
My next complaint came after about 50 miles into the road trip. I thought the leather seats, while attractive, were a bit stifling - as if they were made from vinyl. As well-equipped as our Outlander GT is, ventilated or cooled seats would've been a nice addition. As it turns out, that feature isn't offered on the 2010 or 2011 models.
So, yes, our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander isn't "quick to shift," as Managing Editor Donna pointed out. But I do LOVE its paddle shifters. And, sure, I basically love all paddle shifters (our Insight had them, too). But after having had to drive our Terrain in rush-hour traffic and deal with its shifter with its sad "L" as my only option to "D," I truly believe that if everyone had paddle shifters and/or knew how to drive stick, it would minimize traffic congestion.
Big ifs for sure but a girl can dream, can't she? Hear me out.
Since the Terrain doesn't have any engine braking at all, I found myself going back and forth from throttle to brake more than I cared to. Doing what I hate to do which is always tap my brakes. No one knows how to drive in LA — accelerate, stop, accelerate, stop. Blah! And everyone always overreacts to brakelights. But with the Outlander's paddle shifters, it's smooth sailing. Just hang back behind the Braker McBrakerton in front of me and I hardly have to tap the brakes at all when I can shift back and forth from 1st to 2nd. The driver behind me doesn't have to freak out and so the chain reaction goes, thereby clearing up the congestion. Ta-da!
See those things up in the overhead console area? At first I thought they were Bluetooth/Navi mikes. But there are three of them, and one is forward facing. Huh. Perhaps they're cameras that allow you to Skype with the vehicle preceding you.
I broke out the book for some RTFM and found nothing. So I rang up the Mitsu guy who told me they're actually mikes for the Ultra-Sonic Premium Security Alarm System with motion sensor. He said the system, which can detect interior noises even from movement, is so sensitive his dog used to set it off all the time.
So if you were to return to your previously unoccupied Outlander and the alarm suddenly went off, perhaps you should either run or bust out the 45.
Last week you witnessed Caroline's post on the Outlander's gets-the-heck-out-of-the-way second-row seats. Although it's difficult to see in the video, those seats also slide fore/aft a fair amount to make room for the poor schleps sitting in Outlander's penalty box third row. But I discovered this weekend that moving them forward is also helpful when more cargo room is needed behind the second row.
Here you can see the second row in its most forward (top) and most rearward (bottom) position, the former of which substantially increases cargo space when the third row is folded flat. The seatback angle is also adjustable.
Nice.
There's something going on with our Outlander's climate control. It sounds like there's a snake living in the left-center air vent, hissing at sporadic moments. Sometimes it happens at idle, sometime it happens when accelerating, sometimes it happens when lifting off the throttle, sometimes it happens when turning up the air flow or turning down the air flow. It rarely happens when I play The Greatest Hits of the Pungi. In other words, there's no set cause/effect.
In the off chance there is in fact a serpent living behind the dash, perhaps he gets riled because there seems to be a bunch of mice in the trunk. Perhaps its the third-row seat jiggling about in all its useless glory, but be it mice or men-unfriendly seating, it squeeks ALL THE TIME.
The below video will show how it squeeks while driving only 10 mph through a pretty smooth underground garage — imagine what it's like at speed and on a crumbling LA highway. You should also be able to hear the snake a bit right off the bat. Please ignore the visual since I wasn't paying attention while, you know, driving 10 mph through a pretty smooth underground garage.
Our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander is equipped with rain-sensing automatic wipers. Push up on the stalk to sweep the window once. One notch down puts on the auto wipers and you can supposedly adjust the frequency by turning a dial on the stalk. Push one more notch to turn them on regular, one more and you get double time.
The weird thing is, when you put them on auto, nothing happens. You'd think they would at least sweep once to let you know they are on duty. As I was driving the window was getting pretty wet and yet nothing from the wipers. I tried adjusting the frequency, nothing. I had to clear the window myself. But then later when the rain stopped, the wipers started going double time. This happened over and over. They do whatever they want whenever they want.
When they do work, the blades are still fresh and clean the window well. The arms give you good coverage. The rear wiper cleans well, too. But the automatic feature, not so good.
Does anyone else have an Outlander? Do your wipers work the same way?
Walking around out long-term Outlander, I was struck by a few styling elements that I'd change. Nothing major, just a little work on the nose and chin. As it is, I think the front overhang is a bit too long. I would shorten it just a bit and give the grille a slight upward tilt. I did a quick Photochop this morning. Click through to see the results.
Here you can see a before and after animation. I think it gives the front a more compact and aggressive appearance. Of course, I'm no engineer, so I can;t say what effect this would have on cooling, internal packaging and safety, but the Outlander Sport's nose looks even shorter to me.
What do you think? Were things better left untouched, or do you like the stubbier nose?
A few weeks back, I noted that I thought the Outlander's seats were too tall for my tastes. Compounding that issue is the feeling that the dash is too low. This weekend, I felt like I had to look down entirely too far to check the gauges or adjust the climate control. This morning, I decided to fix it in Photoshop (I doubt my superiors would appreciate me breaking out the sawzall and bondo). Click through to see the results.
I felt that in order to check the nav screen, I had to fully take my eyes off the road - something I never feel comfortable doing. The screen also has a tendency to get washed out by sunlight pouring in from the side windows. So, I moved the screen up and gave it a slight hood. That left a void in the center stack, so I relocated the climate control knobs up there and added some physical preset buttons while I was at it. I figured the spot where the climate dials once occupied could now be a slide-out tray.
What do you think? Better? Worse?
Last night I had the unenviable task of driving in near standstill (2 mph) rush-hour traffic to get from Santa Monica to Placentia (40-plus miles one way). Since I'm not all that familiar with what lurks behind the Orange Curtain, I was thankful I had the help of our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander's navigation to lead the way.
Little did I know how great a help it would end up being.
While on the 10 East, every now and then, the navigation would alert me to a change in traffic ahead and then offer up an alternate route, one that might have been a bit longer but faster. Neat! Just out of curiosity I took it up on its suggestion.
Basically it had me exit the freeway, take a side street for a mile and then go back on the freeway. I'm not sure if it made a difference but the traffic was definitely flowing better on the side street, even with the traffic lights, and it was a nice break from that horrific gridlock. In any case, I love that it does that!
The navigation is so easy to follow, giving me an ample heads-up about when to turn and when to exit. However, when viewing the detour, it's hard to decipher what the screen is showing you, so basically you're putting all your trust on the nav.
The only time I didn't take the suggestion, however, is when I was driving past Downtown LA, whose city streets can be really scary in some parts.
Get Behind the Virtual Wheel
If our very thorough and informative blog posts on our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT aren't doing it for you and you would just like to get behind the wheel already, you can still sign up to test-drive the 2011 Outlander Sport (a smaller vehicle than our Outlander GT) online as we mentioned in the news. Sign up on the Mitsubishi site and "drive" the new Outlander from your computer on November 1 through the 10th. How cool is that? You get "almost total control."
Hmm, how awesome would it be if one day in the future we could do this with our long-term fleet?
Why must manufacturers insist on key-less entry and ignition? Don't get me wrong I like convenience as much as the next person, but isn't a remote with a key good enough? The reason this bugs me so much is an integrated key/remote isn't waterproof. Not a big deal most of the time, but a pain when you're going surfing.
I tried to out whit our Mitsubishi Outlander GT by removing the safety key and locking the fob in the car, but the Outlander is too smart for that. In fact no matter how hard I tried I could not lock the fob in the car, if you try the Outlander beeps at you and unlocks the doors...all of them. I know they shouldn't make keys specifically for the few of us who surf, but how about a key fob that is deactivated when the safety key is removed?
Prototype, SEMA-like
Our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is quite sporty. But Mitsubishi may have had even more serious intentions when it developed this proto that looked like it came straight from SEMA.
I like it, even without SEMA's show models present.
This past weekend was the first time I've driven our Outlander. I've read a bunch of the previous posts to get a sense of what people thought of it.
I've got to say that I dig the Evo styled nose. It definitely makes this thing look a lot tougher than it's "cute-ute" competition. I think it's has great looks over all, in fact. But style is one thing, substance is another.
The Outlander has a fairly upright driving position and has a tall greenhouse. When driving the Outlander, I felt the design lent itself to great visibility. Mitsu's good design is helped by the fact I'm not tall and I like to drive a little more upright than most so those B pillars end up being farther behind me.
I have to agree with Erin that the transmission is in hunt mode when driving the grades. The constant wheezie seesawing between gears was too much for me. Luckily our Outlander has nice paddle shifters to help you out with Manual Mode.
Ok, so it's not so hot on the incline. But there is a solution if you're so inclined. What there isn't a solution for are the "snakes and mice." The hissing snake coming from the vents was annoying to both me and my passengers. It started with a loud metallic clunk from the engine bay, the snake hissing a raspy breath, then another clunk ended the hiss for another 15 seconds. The option I had was to turn the AC off. Thankfully LA was cool enough over the weekend that it wasn't such an issue to have air straight vented. If it was hot, you'd be screwed.
Look, I'm a photographer, not a mechanic. It seems to me that it's the AC compressor, which the dealer said is fine. Do you think my mechanical assessment is correct?
The "mice" in the third row got squashed. By that I mean I put a couple of heavy duty sand bags we use to hold light stands in place to try and prevent the squeaking. It helped, but didn't solve the problem. They still squeaked from time to time.
After all that, I've come away from the Outlander with mixed feelings. It looks great in my opinion, it's relatively lively and fun to drive, but the squeaks and AC issue really end my weekend experience on a sour note. Would you choose looks over substance?
With the Fusion Hybrid down for the count, I needed another road trip vehicle, and our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander is it. We made the 300-mile journey without incident — and without stopping for gas. I logged 314 miles before this visit to Terrible's Chevron, during which I put in 14.502 gallons of premium fuel (recommended but not required) for 21.7 mpg. Not bad for a 3,780-pound, all-wheel-drive crossover with a 230-hp, 3.0-liter V6.
So far, I feel lukewarm toward the Outlander as a road trip vehicle. It's significantly quicker than the Fusion, even when the Ford isn't in limp-home mode.
But the Mitsu's six-speed automatic transmission isn't very smart on uphill grades — and there are many of those on Interstate 15. It will not hold 4th or 5th gear for longer than a few seconds (so eager is it to get back to 6th), so it's continually hunting around. You can't use the cruise control comfortably unless the road is perfectly flat, and ultimately, I found I didn't enjoy using "D," either, and ended up shifting manually. At least, Mitsubishi gives you some options there — you can use the leftover Evo-spec magnesium paddle shifters or the console shifter.
Today I'm headed to San Francisco, and I'm still determined to use the scenic Tioga Pass. We'll see how the Outlander does.
After a couple days at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, I pointed our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander toward Northern California. I had a whole day to get to San Francisco, so I wasn't about to cut back to Los Angeles and cruise up Interstate 5. Nope, I was determined to reenter California by way of the Eastern Sierras, and I didn't care that I didn't have a powerful sports car for all the tight two-lane roads and elevation changes (3,000-10,000 feet) along the way.
You can see the basic route I took after the jump. It's long — 563 miles and 9-10 hours if you're keeping a reasonable pace and stopping to take photos — but worth the effort if you have the time. One neat thing about the route is that Nevada State Highway 266 meanders into California, and then cuts back into Nevada, and then you return to California by way of U.S. 6.
The Outlander rode well on the whole leg of the trip, particularly on smooth U.S. 95, which runs straight north out of Vegas. The ride is a good blend of compliance and control, and road noise isn't too bad over most surfaces. There's some wind noise off the side mirrors, but the mirrors are large, so no surprise there.
Eventually, I made peace with the six-speed automatic transmission, too. Apart from its indecisiveness on steady uphill grades, it does OK. It shifts smoothly under full throttle, and I like having the full manual mode, especially on back roads.
I'm really a fan of the 3.0-liter V6, too. More so than just about any other engine in the compact crossover SUV segment, its size, power and torque characteristics really suit this type of vehicle. There's enough torque for just about any situation, and the engine is smooth and sporty-sounding at high rpm. (I can't say that about any of the four-cylinders in this segment, save for maybe the small handful of turbo motors, and I've always felt like the big 3.5-liter V6 in the Toyota RAV4 overwhelms its chassis.)
Of course, the naturally-aspirated V6 began to feel strained by about 7,000 feet. Said lethargy made for more work on the easternmost stretch of California Highway 120 (which heads west from U.S. 6), as I didn't have much to work with as I accelerated out of tight turns. And the turns really are quite tight, so even a relatively sporty crossover like the Outlander isn't a great deal of fun here. A lighter car with a lower ride height, less body roll and quicker turn-in would be a better choice for this route. But you already knew that.
Besides, the scenery was breathtaking, so I certainly didn't have a bad time on my inaugural trip through the Eastern Sierras. And the Outlander's fuel consumption actually improved on this leg of the trip, as it averaged 22.7 mpg over 330 miles.
Trip wrap-up coming tomorrow.
Like the Mitsubishi Outlander, but lament that it's not more French? Yeah, so do I, keeps me up at nights. Thankfully, we're in luck!
See, Mitsubishi sells the Outlander to Citroen and Peugeot, et voila!
Je t'adore! That's some delicious Peugeot ... the 4007 to be precise. Doesn't its Creatures of the Deep front fascia make you all hot and bothered? It's like Claudine Auger in crossover form.
There are 157 differences between Mitsubishi and Peugeot. First, there's a zombie lion on the steering wheel rather than some triangles. Then there's ... nope, actually that would be it. I was a bit off with that 157.
Behold the Citroen C-Crosser. Sounds like a term for a Birdcage performer wearing a hat made of lemons and limes. I actually kinda like it, but unfortunately, it's not as rad as the original concept.
Now that's the craziest Franco-Japanese fusion since Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai. Fish ice cream baby!
Here's the obligatory photo of our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander at 9,945 feet on the Tioga Pass, which is a glorious stretch of California Highway 120. The 230-hp 3.0-liter V6 certainly wasn't feeling its oats at this point, but most people drive (or ride their Harleys) at a walking pace to take in the scenery.
In any case, the altitude falls off quickly, and the Outlander cruised through Yosemite 40-50 mph (speed limit permitting) in relaxed fashion. There was no snow on the road on this unusually warm fall day (nearly 60 degrees at 9,945 ft), so there was no opportunity to try the all-wheel-drive system's "snow" mode. Also, unlike my last visit to the Pass, there was indeed a park ranger manning the east-side Yosemite entrance booth and she relieved me of the $20 fee just to drive through the park.
It's worth the money, though, because the views rival the Alps for sheer spectactularness, and I audibly exclaimed about how great they were even though there was no one listening to me except the Outlander. There's no cell service, so I couldn't call a real human anyway.
Make sure you fuel up before you set out, though...
Nah, I didn't run out of gas. But it got a little exciting and tense toward the end. I'd fueled up in Vegas, and based on the route I'd plotted out, I planned on fueling up at the Tioga Gas Mart (above), the iconic gas station on top of the hill at the junction of U.S. 359 and Hwy 120 in Lee Vining, California. I made it, but the Outlander's distance-to-empty counter got really pessimistic about my chances toward the end — all the hills on the eastern stretch of Hwy 120 saw the distance-to-empty counter drop from 60 miles to 30 miles in 5 minutes. Awesome, thanks. I ended up killing the air-conditioner (which, surprisingly, blew cold for most of the trip) and reducing speed just to make sure.
Got a little worried, though, when I saw how deserted the Gas Mart was. But the 91 octane was still flowing, and the restroom was still unlocked and fully functional. My plan to eat lunch at the mart's Whoa Nellie Deli was dashed, though, as the store has closed for the season. Last time I was here it was October and about 25 degrees out, and they were open. Early November and 65 degrees? Closed.
Notably, the Tioga Gas Mart is perched above Mono Lake, one of many controversial sources of fresh water for the LA basin.
Highway 120 isn't very technical through Yosemite, but there are enough sweeping curves and elevation changes that people go slow. Passing zones start to pop up as you exit the park, though, and the Outlander was quick enough to take advantage of these. The six-speed automatic gets the downshifts in quickly enough not to be an impediment to your progress, too. The Outlander was steady around the curves, and the brakes held up nicely.
The rest of the drive into San Francisco was just an interstate grind, and the Outlander continued to perform adequately. I find the Navteq navigation system a little crude whenever I try to do a POI search, but it accurately guided me to my target address in San Francisco. Upon arrival, the Mitsu was kenneled with the valet for 2 days. Final thoughts from the trip tomorrow. Less lens flare tomorrow, too.
The seats in our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT look comfortable, and they are comfortable up to a point.
But by the time I reached this rare instance of autumn foliage in California — along Highway 266 — the driver seat was starting to get uncomfortable.
The seat-back cushion is a bit flat, and the fact that I couldn't telescope the steering wheel closer toward me, makes for a less than optimal seating position. During my 10-hour day behind the wheel, I experienced mild back strain. It's nothing I can't tolerate, but a telescoping steering wheel would really improve comfort for long-legged Outlander drivers.
Everything else about this cabin is pretty functional. The navigation system is not especially sophisticated, but setting up Bluetooth and iPod connectivity is easy. The cruise control "remembers" that you left it on every time you restart, so setting your speed takes only one step.
I continued to average 22.7 mpg during the drive back to Los Angeles on Highway 152 and Interstate 5. However, during the subsequent weekend of errand running in LA, I managed only 21 mpg. Still, I'm pretty happy that I'm staying above 20 mpg in a V6-equipped crossover that isn't slow.
The other night when I climbed into the Mitsubishi Outlander for my long drive home, I knew without looking at the car sheet who had driven the Mitsu the night before. I didn't have to ask, just knew it was Managing Editor Donna DeRosa.
C'mon, loyal Donna readers. Tell me what three simple clues gave her away. They're all things she's mentioned in her blog posts.
First person to name all three gets a commemorative piece of the broken ruler Donna uses to beat our staffers when they blow a deadline.
Yes, indeed, this "time for service" message came on during my recent road trip in our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander. And I'm going to come right out and admit to you that the light came on in Vegas — only 300 miles into my 1,200-mile trip. My schedule was tight and I had no choice but to keep going.
Getting an oil change and tire rotation for the Outlander isn't exactly convenient now that I'm back in Southern California, either. The Santa Monica Mitsubishi dealership has closed down, leaving Glendale and Long Beach as the next closest dealers. Now, if you don't live in LA, driving 14 miles to Glendale might not seem like a big deal, but with the congestion here, it's not a great situation. Some of our editors live in Long Beach (30+ miles away), so we'll get this taken care of as soon as we can.
I understand that Mitsubishi dealers are more plentiful in areas where real estate isn't so astronomically expensive, as it is on the West Side of LA. But right now, the West Side is my home, so this would be a deal breaker if I was thinking of buying an Outlander (that was still under its factory warranty)... I don't want to be farther than 5 (at most 10) miles from a dealership. How about you?
Our Outlander can seat seven passengers, although no one really wants to sit on the bunny-eared flimsy third row seats. So you might as well just fold them down. With the third row flat you get more than 36 cubic feet of space.
But the best part of the cargo area in our Outlander is the flip-down tailgate.
With it up, it's like the trunk of a car, a really big trunk. With it down, it's party time. Just kidding. But it is useful for loading heavy and awkward objects. And it can support up to 440 pounds.
With the second and third row folded, you get close to 73 cubic feet of cargo space.
Pretty nifty.
One of the many surprisingly good features of our long-term 2010 Mitsu Outlander GT is that it has 4 banks of satellite radio presets. At 6 presets each, that's 24 stations, more than enough for just me. And perhaps adequate for a family of drivers. Most cars just have 2 banks of presets. Is that enough for most people?
The rest of the Outlander's radio controls are also easy to use, unlike some of our other long-term cars. Audi's MMI radio control in our A4 is particularly...bad.
I written before that I love sat radio and prefer it to iPod because the selection is greater and there's an element of surprise. I love pleasant surprises. But I'm still not sure I would pay for sat radio, even with its low monthly subscription fee.
How about you? Have you dropped in-car sat radio for the MP3 player?
As editor Erin noted, the "Routine Maintenance Required" message popped up during her trip to Vegas in our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander. So out of curiosity I looked up what sort of service our Mitsu was requiring.
According to the Edmunds Maintenance Guide, we should have gotten the Mitsu serviced earlier at the 7,500-mile mark. We were at about 8,500 when the messaged popped up. But looks like we're just due for an oil and filter change as well as wheel/tire rotation.
However, just for the heck of it, I checked the list of conditions of whether our Mitsu should follow the regular or severe service schedule. Since we live in sunny SoCal, don't use our Outlander for towing and don't really drive up mountains, I figured we're good to go with the regular schedule but...
Looking at this list on Mitsubishi's Owners site a couple of conditions gave me pause.
- 50% of driving is done in heavy city traffic during hot weather.
- Extensive idling and/or low speed operations (stop-and-go traffic).
- Extended use of brakes while driving (stop-and-go traffic).
- Repeated short trips with engine not fully warmed up, especially in freezing temperatures.
- Dusty, rough, muddy, sandy, or salt-spread roads.
- Vehicle is used for towing.
I'd say our Outlander has to deal with the second and third ones on a regular basis, but then does that mean every Angeleno has to follow the severe schedule?
This is a pet peeve of mine: Driving along when the car in front of you decides to wash their windshield and their cleanser sprays onto your windshield. Ever since that irate motorist did that to me in the R8 I couldn't help but regard it as the equivalent of spitting. That's why I always make sure when I want to activate the windshield wipers I do it before I hit the road or at a complete stop...with no one behind me.
But last night when driving our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander, I accidentally activated the windshield wiper instead of the paddleshifter and consequently "spat" on the car behind me. It wouldn't have been too bad if the Mitsu didn't proceed to do it three times. I'm used to windshield wipers only spraying once per pull. But this one does it three times per pull. Ack!
I was too afraid to look at my rearview mirror to see if I annoyed the driver behind me. But if, on the off chance that he/she is reading this now, "SORRY!"
Five and a half minutes. That's how long it takes the Outlander to "read" the contents of my iPod and begin playing. Granted, I have a fair amount of music files on the old 'Pod, and I imagine that doesn't exactly facilitate swiftness in this kind of situation. Still, I don't recall other cars in our fleet taking quite this long to shake hands with my device and let the music play.
How long does your car take to "read" your iPod?
Greetings from Goodyear, Arizona, where our Mitsubishi Outlander arrived last night after a tidy five-hour drive from Santa Monica and I must say, I'm very impressed with the Outlander. It just nails the fundamentals so well. The steering has heft and is quite responsive, the engine is strong, I really like the feel of the reassuringly firm brake pedal and if the transmission isn't its usual quick self when downshifting, I can do it myself thanks to metal paddle shifters. The Outlander feels like a nimble cheetah next to the lumbering pachyderm of our Terrain. It looks pretty cool, too.
And although Takahashi finds the seating position too high, my long legs really appreciate it and it counteracts the lack of a telescoping wheel since I can sit closer to the dash as a consequence. In total, I've spent a lot of time in the many compact crossover models and the Outlander is far and away my favorite to drive. If I were for some reason in the market for a car like this, I may even consider it ...
But while the Outlander nails the fundamentals, it completely flunks the details. The interior design couldn't possibly be less imaginative and drab. The materials are mostly hard and cheap looking, and no, slathering some leatherish stuff on the dash didn't really help things. The doors close with a hollow, metal clang. The heated seat controls are hidden next to the seat belt latch on the seats themselves, as if Mitsubishi brings every Outlander to Fukui's House of Automotive Customization in Okazaki to have the heated seats installed. The mechanizations of the back seat are unfinished and rather industrial looking, lacking that polished appearance of virtually everything else in the class and I dislike that the seat backs are covered in black vinyl. There is a snake in the dash. And I'm not even going to mention the third "row" of seat.
One, two or three of these could be forgivable, but they all add up to a cabin that is rather depressing, unwelcoming and completely outclassed in terms of perceived quality, polish, design and innovation. At least Chryslers have the latter two — they just fall to pieces because the accountants gave the engineers $1.05 for materials. You could say that a small company like Mitsubishi doesn't have the resources to make a competitive cabin, but please see Suzuki, subcategory, Kizashi.
So while I'm enamored with the way the Outlander drives, I simply couldn't recommend it to non enthusiasts. This isn't an Evo we're talking about, it's likely a family vehicle. For most buyers, the Equinox/Terrain's quieter and exponentially more refined cabin will be a bigger selling point than its comparatively lumbering driving feel. And that's not even mentioning the Sorrento, CR-V, RAV4, Outback, Tucson, Sportage, yada, yada and yada.
Roughly 8 miles outside the outskirts of the middle of nowhere west of Phoenix, they are doing construction on a bridge. To do so, they have closed I-10 down to two lanes, which essentially brings the freeway to a complete halt. I drove on Tuesday and Saturday, so I can only imagine the horror show it caused Wednesday and Sunday.
On Tuesday, I sat in this traffic and it mercifully only robbed me of about 15 minutes. Coming home, though, I was in a hurry and figured there had to be another way. I scanned the navigation system and sure enough about 2 miles north of and running parallel to the 10 was something called the Tonopah Salome Hwy. Traffic was coming to a complete stop right where I needed to exit and I bailed. I followed my nav map two miles until I came upon the "hwy" and turned left. A half-mile later, I came upon a sign...
"Pavement Ends Ahead"
Without slowing down, thoughts ran through my head of whether I should keep going. 'Well, I'm in an SUV, I have all-wheel drive, it is called a highway.' The Honda Accord following a pickup and camper trailer ahead sealed the deal. As the light gravel of the road began to ping against the wheel wells, I charged forward, quickly passing the tepid, glacial Accord and trailer, leaving them behind in a trail of dust. For 7 miles, my journey looked like this ...
Until it became paved again on the west side of a dried out wash (pictured above), where dirt bike riders were doing something. Possibly dirt bike riding, I couldn't be sure.
Tonopah Salome Hwy was hardly the Rubicon Trail, but it still added some added excitement to an otherwise dull journey consisting of straight roads, dull desert terrain and an endless caravan of Caravans and Tahoes. Plus, I was able to easily and safely maintain about 50 or so, which is 10 times the speed I would've managed on the 10.
The Outlander really came up big here, not only because it's an SUV and had better damn-well be able to handle terrain like this, but its navigation system (which nevertheless should have something indicating a highway is unpaved) has a fairly rudimentary but ultimately affective traffic feature that told me exactly where the snarl ended and thusly allowed me to plot my course back onto the freely-moving highway.
So, I'm glad I didn't take the GTI ... well, for the off-roading and the immense amount of stuff I brought home.
My mother was an early adopter of the whole compact crossover segment. She ordered a 1997 Honda CR-V having only sat in it at the Indianapolis Auto Show and was one of the first in town to get one. She loved that car and although she took a break for a generation (sharing an Acura MDX with my dad), she returned for generation 3 with this Green Tea Metallic EX-L above.
One of the reasons I opted for the Outlander over the Thanksgiving break was to see what my CR-V-loving mother thought about the Mitsubishi rival.
Well, she liked the way it looks, though disagrees that her CR-V is anything other than charming. She thought the Mitsu's engine sounded gutless, though agreed that it was indeed quicker than her car after I floored the Mitsu. She agreed with me that the Mitsu's seats were better — both in terms of comfort and adjustability. However, she ultimately didn't like how much higher and bulky the dashboard is. My mother doesn't like feeling enclosed in a car and enjoys a nice airy cabin, and the CR-V not only has a brighter greenhouse, but its dash is designed in a way the reduces visual bulk. I don't know, it's weird, but I think it stems from her 1990 Integra days.
How do I think they compare? Well, I know that the CR-V's engine is gutless by comparison. There's just so little low-end power — the car just makes (admittedly smooth) noises and nothing much happens. Then there's the staggering road noise even on smooth roads at meager speed. I would never want to take a road trip in the CR-V, because listening to the tires roar for hours on end would get old quickly. The Outlander generates a lot of wind noise around its bigger mirrors, but in comparison to the CR-V, it's a tomb — well, if the tomb had a snake in its dash and a horribly squeaking third-row "seat." Of course, the CR-V's interior is vastly more sophisticated, refined and of a higher quality.
My mom wasn't about to trade in her CR-V, but I'd personally take the Mitsu's engine, seats and its quieter (well, sorta) cabin.
Which would you take?
Overdue for regular maintenance, this morning we checked our long-term Outlander GT into Long Beach Mitsubishi's service bay.
Saw this little floral beauty in the parking lot while we were there.
Two hours after we delivered our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT to the dealer, its first service was complete. Long Beach Mitsubishi charged us $70 for labor and $16 for parts to rotate the tires and replace the oil and filter. For what it's worth, our 10,000-mile service on the Traverse was only $46.
Total Cost: $87.40
Days out of Service: None
Every time I shut the Mitsubishi Outlander's left rear door it only closes this far. Every single time, I have to open it and slam it again.
I'm kicking myself for not remembering to mention it when the Mitsu was just at service. Next time, for sure.
Our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander hit the 10K mile-mark this weekend, and sadly, I was without my camera.
Please accept this 10,101-mile celebratory pic instead.
This pic was taken on my vacation last summer and shows our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT at CNIC (Commander Navy Installations Command) Naval Base Coronado.
The bottom pic shows a Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero as used on the attack on Pearl Harbor on this day in 1941 — today is the 69th anniversary of the start of World War II.
Mitsubishi has come a long way since then, and today makes great cars like our Outlander GT.
So too has Japan, who has gone from being of one of our worst enemies to one of our strongest allies.
Will the same thing happen with our enemies of today? We can only hope.
Photo by Kurt Niebuhr
2011 is just around the corner and Edmunds has come up with a list of updates the 2011 Mitsubishi models are facing. Even though the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander was the first major update of the model since its redesign three years ago and the chances of it receiving breaking technology are slim, I still wondered if 2010 model owners would suffer the same fate as that of the average Apple consumer (a better iPad with a camera is already coming out? Gah!).
Fortunately, turns out that the only real update is to the engine management system, which has led to improved EPA ratings. City, highway and combined all go up by 1 mpg to 19 city, 25 highway and 21 combined. Sweet! So a nice little incentive for potential buyers but not too much where current owners will feel cheated.
This weekend I had our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT and although I loved having it for running errands, driving all over town and carting my friends around, that damn third-row seat squeak drove me crazy! It stopped for a bit when I loaded up the back with my pile of laundry but as soon as the rear was emptied, the squeak returned.
So I figured that it would be worth a shot to spray WD40 on the joints of the third-row seat. You could usually awaken the "mouse" when you go over road imperfections or jiggle the stowed backseat so guessed that those joints would be the culprit.
Unfortunately, WD40 didn't do anything. So, the squeak lives on. A commenter on another post had suggested putting a cargo mat back there to muffle the squeak. Maybe that's the way to go.
Last month I wrote that I didn't like the plasticky feeling of the paddle shifters in our long-term 2009 Audi A4 wagon. One reader commented that you can only get metal paddles in high-end rides like the Benz SLR. Well to all of you from Missouri (the Show Me state), I present our $33K long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT, with magnesium alloy paddles. And they're standard on the GT, XLS and SE trim levels.
These column-mounted paddles look great, and the actuation even has a bit of a mechanical feeling. They also remind me of the paddles on our dearly departed Nissan GT-R (which I keep wishing for at Christmas time, but surprisingly have yet to receive).
Last weekend our Girl Scout troop participated in a local food drive to collect stock for the L.A. food bank. We were assigned a grocery store, stood outside for three hours, and asked people going in to shop to please consider donating a canned good or two on their way out.
Some shoppers blew us off, but most responded with a generosity I haven't seen in years. As Emma proudly shows in her best Vanna White pose, the Mitsubishi Outlander was packed full with boxes and bags.
After our shift, we delivered the goods to the Girl Scout council, where they were organizing the items around the indoor firepit.
What a feel-good day.
Combine in a remote location:
1 part rain
1 part dirt
1 part AWD
Mix vigorously
The only question is, should I wash it before I bring it back to work?
An emphatic reminder from our MOGT that it's overdue for service. For what exactly, I don't know. We just had it in at 9,900 miles for oil/filter and tire rotation and we're only at 11,113 now. The urgency of its message, however, is kinda charming. Or annoying. Combined with its colloquial farewell and other idiosyncratic features, the Outlander GT is actually a cool, funky car with a distinct character.
This is the first chance I've had to spend any time with it, and I concede I thought it would sorta suck. But from its raspy V6 to its wide-mouth dual glovebox, the Outlander makes me regret my rush to judgment.
The 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is the big one. The Outlander Sport is the small one. That's confused more than one of us at the office, so now that we've got that out of the way, I can talk a bit about driving the GT.
Having grown up in Southern California, I never once saw the need for all wheel drive. And up until this past weekend, as hard as it may be to believe, I had never driven an all wheel drive car in the rain. Ever.
For me, the need for all wheel drive was somewhat of a fallacy. "You need it for security, you need it for better handling, you need it for traction," the brochures proclaimed. I never bought it. I've managed to make it my whole life without once desiring all wheel drive while on a paved road. Such is the life of luxury we have in Southern California.
Then I found myself driving the Outlander GT and it promptly rained for 5 days.
What I encountered while at the wheel of the GT was a feeling of security and performance I'd never imagined I'd notice.
The security is easy to imagine. What with four wheels driving the GT, and some trick hardware delivering the power, the Outlander was never at a loss, even on LA's notoriously treacherous wet freeways. The performance, though, was an eye-opening experience.
Even a Mazda CX-7, the sports car of crossovers, feels like a big, front-wheel drive wagon but the Outlander GT feels different. The GT exhibited understeer, to be sure, but not excessively. Instead, I was constantly apprised as to what the back wheels were doing, even on a dry road. The steering offered good feedback, and even though the ride was a little stiffer than I wanted on some sections of the freeway, it was never annoying. Dare I say it, there's more than a little Evolution in the Outlander.
No place was this more evident than when I hooned it through the dirt, in the way only a wantonly unprofessional amateur, like myself, can. While a quick handful of e-brake could easily bring the tail out, I found the throttle just as useful in manipulating the tail, enabling me to hold however long of a muddy powerslide I wanted. Try that in a Crosstour/X3/Terrain/Rav-4/CR-V/CX-7.
Here's to hoping Mitsubishi ditches the indifferent interior and injects a little more power into the Outlander the next time around.
Just eyeballing the Outlander GT, I couldn't tell if it was much longer than my Jeep Cherokee, my faithful board-and-drums hauler for years. Turns out it's longer and more cavernous than I thought; long enough, and then some, to slide in a 9'2 longboard lengthwise. I have roof racks, pads and straps for the Cherokee, but only use them when hauling friends and their sticks. Driving solo to the beach, it's just easier to slide in the 9'2 log crosswise, the nose resting up against the windshield. There's just enough room. Might be able to squeeze in a 9'4.
No such problem in the Outlander GT. Had to play with a couple of configurations, but settled on folding the rear seatbacks, sliding the front passenger seat forward, then reclining it and pulling the headrest to create a flat-enough surface. Plenty of room to spare up on the dash. Could probably load a 10-foot log if you wanted. And this is the "40-split" side of the rear seats, so you could actually raise the other side for a passenger and carry a couple of boards angled on their rails. Not ideal, but possible.
Meanwhile, look at that dash! You could change a small nursery's diapers on that thing.
On the eve of Christmas Eve, hauled the drums to friend's house party for some holiday noisemaking. Folded both rear seat sections up against the front seats for max cargo room. Only took a small four-piece kit and accessories, but the Outlander GT could've hauled enough cylinders, hardware and purple spandex for a Metal Night at Gazzari's.
Only gripe: there's a depression in the load floor under the rear seats, so it's not entirely flat. There are also hooks, plastic tabs and anchor points throughout. Not a big deal if using hard shell cases, but potential for damage with soft bags. This was the beater drumkit, so I wasn't worried.
The GT's V6 was unphased by the additional weight. Have to say, the Outlander GT makes a strong case for ownership among aspiring Tommy Lees and lazy surfers. For the record, the Outlander GT's cargo volume is 72.6 cu ft; the Cherokee, 69 cubic feet.
Mitsubishi prepared for the Outlander GT's eventual owners to be hauling kayaks, people, bikes, perhaps a trophy elk or two. To compensate for rear-loading, Mitsu gave the GT adjustable leveling headlights, five different angles selectable from a thumbwheel switch left of the steering wheel.
Top photo shows the factory-recommended "0" setting, its highest aim. Photo after jump shows the beam at its lowest angle.
Cool touch, nice detail, and useful even when unladen for not only quietly baffling your passengers, but also lighting the way through the mist kicked up by surrounding cars on a wet highway.
It swallowed it alright, but only after I moved the passenger seat so far forward only Tanner Foust could sit there. But I'm not complaining. The Outlander GT got the job done and that's what counts.
Turn off its engine and our long-term 2010 Mitusubishi Outlander GT gives you this odd generically personal send off. See you. Really?
Why would somebody at a car company think this is a good idea?
Upon reading Scott's post about the Outlander's questionable "see you" message, I was inspired. What if the Outlander changed its goodbye message depending on its mood, geographical location or your driving ability?
I just got over a rough case of the flu so I was a bit foggy the first day back. When I walked down to our garage to jump into the Outlander Sport, I hit the unlock button and the damn thing wouldn't unlock. I did that about three times before I realized I had the keys for the other white meat: the Outlander GT. At first I worried about early dimentia, but I soon realized my mistake and it reaffirmed my earlier belief that this day would be rough. It was pretty sad none the less.
Driving the Outlander GT back home again I got my wires crossed. I was thinking this thing has plenty of power and is fairly responsive throttle wise. It confused me but I thought my previous experiences were of it being wheezy and underpowered. It took a little time, but the fog cleared. No, that previous experience was in the Outlander Sport.
It's a shame the Sport isn't very, well, sporty. I really dig the Sports snub-nose scrappy looks of a boxer. It's a boxer with a glass jaw in my opinion. The Sport would be a lot sweeter to drive with the GT's 3.0 L V6 pumping out 230 hp. The Sport is getting beat by its small crossover segment adversaries in nearly every category. Having a good helping of power to go along with its tough looks would help it fight the competition. Granted, our GT is nearly $5k more than the Sport, and that's a steep "granted", but the extra cash is worth the driving experience.
The GT doesn't have a lot of personality for me. Yeah it's got power and a nice ride, but it's not very memorable otherwise. Each flavor of the Outlander we have in our LT fleet is ho-hum in my opinion, but if you made a cross-breed between the two I think you'd have an outstanding vehicle. Maybe I still have a case of brain fog from getting over the flu and I'm over thinking this. Do you agree with me, or is each model fine the way it is?
I like convertibles, but I'd much prefer a good sunroof. Thankfully a recent trend is to introduce panoramic sunroofs. Our Outlander Sport has this option. It's probably my favorite feature of our longer termer besides the actual exterior looks.
Granted, the mongo sunroof isn't so great during the winter with its gloomy skies, but I'm looking forward to the warm Spring days with beautiful vistas in a few months. I've driven other vehicles with these panoramic sunroofs and the trade off is that they can be overly bright in direct sunshine (if they have a semi-translucent cover), or even pretty toasty in the summer time. If you can deal with that, it's a pretty sweet option.
To me, the panoramic sunroof is a good hybrid between a convertible and, well, not. Granted, if you like the wind in your hair experience from a convertible, this just isn't going to cut it for you. Would you shell out the extra dough for such an option, would you save it for something else, or go full hog and get a convertible?
The automotive industry showed signs of slow recovery in 2010. Sales for the year came in at about 11.5 million units, up 11 percent from 10.4 million units in 2009. Mitsubishi participated in this recovery, with a 2010 sales increase of 4 percent.
Mitsubishi reports that the Outlander was a primary driver in the company's sales growth and I can understand why the model is doing so well for the brand. Not everyone wants their next crossover to look and handle like a mom-mobile and the Outlander does a pretty good job of meeting the needs of this type of buyer. Solid handling, assertive looks and an attractive cabin make it a winner in my book.
LOL. WTF. BBQ. Any of those would do just fine in describing what the Outlander GT's windshield wipers do when you drop them down a notch into AUTO mode. AUTO, however, would not be one of them. At first, they appear to be speed sensitive, or even rain sensitive, but those theories get tossed the second the wipers go momentarily insane while you're stopped at a traffic light and it's barely raining.
On my list, windshield wipers are one step above headlights as something that if you don't know when to use them, like when it's raining or when it gets dark, you need to sell your car and take the bus. But if they work, fine. At least they work. Imagine if your automatic headlights turned themselves on an off randomly during the night, occasionally fluttering their high beams - that's what the GT's wipers are like in this AUTO mode.
What was wrong with INT? It doesn't even have to be adjustable, just as long as the wipers work consistently and don't distract me. For the rest of the time in the GT, I alternated between LOW and HIGH, just like I have for the past 20 years of driving, and I did just fine.
We've had a few warm days in a row to remind us that we live in sunny California. But look at the pollution in the air. Normally, the weekly build-up clears out after the weekend. That's why I live in the South Bay. It's a natural air cleansing machine. I can usually breathe better than when I lived further inland. But it seems this weekend Mother Nature could not keep up.
Beautiful shining ocean, lovely blue sky, seagulls on the sand and a big brown band of smog. Cough cough.
As I got behind the wheel after getting the keys to the Outlander last night, my gaze fell upon the gashes shown above, located on the exterior of the car's glove box — kinda hard to miss, wouldn't you agree? Took a soft cloth to the scratches but it made not a lick of difference.
The wounds seem so violent; couldn't help but wonder what brand of treacherous cargo could possibly have meted out such woeful destruction.
A bored toddler? A kitten with a score to settle? What's your guess?
So this is not so much an ode as it is a list. Last time I checked it was Valentine's Day, a time during which we as a people
spend ridiculous amounts of money on gifts and flowers
express love and affection.
In that spirit, I came up with a list of things I dig about the Outlander, which was my ride over the weekend. Wasn't too hard — it's a great little SUV.
1: Assertive sheet metal.
2: Easy-to-live-with ride.
3: Relatively enjoyable handing.
4: Great sound system with crisp highs.
5: Easy-to-use audio interface.
6: Damn fine-looking interior.
What things do you dig most about your vehicle?
On Saturday I ran some errands in the Outlander. Stopped by the Vitamin Shoppe, spent a fortune at Whole Foods, threw some mail at the Post Office. Had my trusty war horse of an iPod with me to provide the soundtrack to my expedition — a little Arcade Fire, a shake of Kelis, a barrel of Arctic Monkeys.
Turns out that soundtrack took a heck of a long time to load every time I returned to the car.
Each time I got back from an errand and started up the Outlander, the system took at least a minute and a half to read my already connected iPod. It was like it had Alzheimer's and didn't remember that the two had already met. Not cool, especially from a vehicle that's marketed toward audiophiles.
And it's still taking about five minutes to read my iPod when I first connect, as I mentioned a while back. Aaargh. Not sure what that's about — a commenter (thanks, ivanz) had suggested that maybe playlist overload is the culprit but I only have two short playlists on my iPod.
Overall, though, I like the sound system. Sounds great and simple to use. But it doesn't seem to play well with iPods, that's for sure.
Last night I had two passengers in the Outlander GT so the back seat got an informal eval. My dad (visiting me here in SoCal and escaping New England's brutal winter) gave the Outlander GT's back seat a solid thumbs up. When I asked him what he liked about it he pointed out the high, supportive seat cushion, the reclining seatback and the flip-down center armrest, all of which made riding back there comfortable. I showed him the seat's sliding feature, which allows one to either maximize rear seat legroom or cargo space behind that seat. He dug that too.
Though it's not the only compact crossover to have all those clever features for the second row seats, I still give props to Mitsubishi for including them.
I love loud. However, 710 watts might, just might, be a little more loud that I like. This thing, thanks to the 10 inch sub in the trunk, blurs the mirrors and rattles the doors without turning the volume up anywhere near its maximum. It's so loud I have to set the level of bass near zero, and dial almost all the punch out of the sub in order to hear my music clearly. I can't imagine how disorienting this system is when you max it out.
I suppose with over 18% of Mitsubishi's buyers being between the ages of 18-34, stuffing a powerful sound system in your cars might serve to move a few more units, but with the average age of Mitsubishi buyer hovering around 47 years old, I shudder to think what someone that age might be bumping.
In getting ready for this weekend trip to Mammoth I had to confirm who our second-row passengers in our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander were going to be. See, I made the mistake of inviting three of my friends to ride along with us (front passenger seat was already claimed). Forgot I had invited someone when we started planning the trip, and then invited these two peeps later. Anyhoo, the extra person was going to be SOL. SOL because our passengers don't have to pay for gas; all others in the other cars of our caravan do.
So for a second — OK, 120 — I considered squeezing all three people back there. I even asked editor John DiPietro who wrote a post about the backseat whether he thought three people might be able to fit. There is a seatbelt for the middle spot, after all. "Only if they're all really thin," he replied. And it would be mean to squeeze all three back there for a 5 1/2-hour road trip. As for the little-used third row, forget it. "Only if they're kids, and small ones," said another editor.
In any case, we need that cargo area for all our snow gear, luggage and groceries. I would have tried securing the Traverse, which has a more usable third row, instead but we don't have chains for it. So, rather than making the tough choice, I wimped out and had my two friends fight over the backseat. The last one standing after the knife fight got the seat.
So how did our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT do on the road trip to Mammoth this weekend? Not too shabby. Here are some quick impressions:
- Air-conditioner still blows. The cabin gets stuffy pretty quickly with four mouth-breathers, plus it's been warm lately in SoCal. In any case, the A/C never seemed to get cool enough. We found instant relief from cracking open the windows.
- Yay for the USB port and powerpoint so two iPhone-equipped passengers could charge their smartphones while playing Scrabble and watching NetFlix during the trip. Only weird issue is that sometimes it would just show on my iPhone that it was plugged in but not charging. And then a little bit later it would charge. Not sure what that's about.
- With four passengers, their luggage, groceries and two snowboards, packing the cargo area took some creativity. But it all fit! Although we did end up having to sit with some of our gear. Of course this wouldn't be as much of an issue if we had a roof rack.
- Fuel economy for the trip: average was 21.8 mpg, 25.3 best mpg (last and biggest fillup), 18.9 worse (first fillup). Three fillups, 35.4 gallons of regular.
Apparently our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT doesn't like Apple products, or at least not my 3GS iPhone.
I tried pairing it several times and both the phone and the lady in the audio system told me, "Pairing Unsuccessful." My iPhone could "see" the Outlander on the Bluetooth pairing list, so it wasn't a detection problem.
Software issue? Hardware issue? Vaporware issue?
I don't know, but yet another reminder that this technology still isn't fully sorted.
So even though our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT was a decent road trip car with its seat heaters, satellite radio, iPhone charger etc. the seats themselves weren't all that comfortable. I (5'5") was sitting in the front-passenger seat while my friend who is equally short at (5'3") was in the seat behind me. When we were about two hours away from home at the end of our trip I asked her if she thought the Outlander was comfortable. She said, "Eh, it's OK. I have enough room for my legs but the seat bottom makes my butt sore."
While I agree that the seats weren't comfortable, I have to disagree with what she said about having enough legroom. In trying to make sure she had adequate space — not a ton, mind you, but enough — I barely had room to stretch out. I usually like to stretch my legs stick straight every now and then over the course of a 5 1/2-hour trip but I guess that is asking too much with a backseat passenger.
In any case, whenever we stopped for gas, I had to jump out of the car. At least in an economy flight I can stretch out my legs all the way without a bend in the knee. Here? Not so much.
It's funny how while driving our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT around SoCal, it blends in with the other similar-size crossovers/SUVs but while up in Mammoth, it looks tiny up against the trucks and full-size SUVs that seem to be de rigueur up there.
The above photo was the parking lot for DJ's Snowmobiling Adventures. Don't know if those other motorists were locals or tourists but apparently you need a big vehicle to get around in the snow. By the way, it wasn't just this lot, but in town, too. Any theories why people think large trucks/SUVs make better snow mobiles?
Well, looks like it's my turn to head to Mammoth Mountain this weekend for a little skiing. So me and my much, much, much better half will take off tonight and head up the 395 after the crappy SoCal traffic dies down a bit.
What's cool, though, is that it's looking like we'll be able to give our long-term Mitsubishi Outlander GT's Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel-drive system a good test, as Mammoth's website says they have allegedly been dumped with "4-7 feet of snow" since Tuesday, with "multiple feet" more expected through this Sunday.
I say "allegedly" because the weather forecast both for the town of Mammoth Lakes and for Mammoth Mountain itself is predicting snow totals in terms of inches, not feet. Couldn't imagine that Mammoth's website would stretch the truth on snow accumulations...nah.
Regardless, here's hoping for some major fun in the snow; both on the slopes and during the drive in the Outlander GT.
Despite crazy snow predictions, we ran into zero snow on the roads by the time we got near Mammoth around midnight on Friday, so my original goal of driving the Mitsubishi Outlander GT in snow was squashed. At least temporarily.
Decent snowfall while we were on the slopes on Saturday did make for a minor amount of snowy/icy travel around town and on local roads. So how did the Outlander's S-AWC all-wheel-drive system handle the conditions?
Before we headed for Mammoth, I put the Outlander to the test in Tarmac mode on our dry roads in southern California, and was duly underimpressed; the front tires would spin up pretty wildly when giving it lots of wood if turning while starting from a stop. We're talking a shocking amount, to the point that Tarmac feels like it's a front-drive-only mode. It isn't, but the system can only apportion up to about 20 percent of torque to the rear wheels. Clearly Tarmac is all about fuel economy, not traction.
Switching the S-AWC selector knob to Snow gives the electromagnetic system (as opposed to the Evo's heavier, electrohydraulic version) the ability to send up to 50 percent of power rearward (the Lock mode can do about 70 percent to the rear). Fiddling around with the Snow mode in Mammoth showed that the awd system is pretty decent at distributing power to all four wheels, searching out and finding any available grip, despite running all-season tires with a pretty wimpy-looking tread pattern. The lack of lateral grip and stopping traction showed, once again, how limited all-season tires are compared with full snow tires, though.
Key point in all this: If you want true all-wheel grip in the Outlander, even if it's on dry or rainy roads, put the selector knob in Snow. Because Tarmac is pretty much like front-wheel drive.
Above and beyond the awd system, the Outlander GT proved to be a reasonably nice way to cover the miles. The ride is smooth and the suspension does a good job of soaking up big bumps. Sure, the handling isn't particularly inspiring, but that wasn't a great shock.
The 3.0-liter V6 provides adequate passing power, needed in order to get around all the 18-wheelers on the two-lane portions of 395. The variable valve timing kicks in around 4,500 rpm, providing a notable increase in power but also a significantly louder, thrashier note.
I like that Mitsu fits the 6-speed auto with column-mounted paddle shifters, making it easy to get some engine braking on downhills, or as a means of controlling the transmission's desire to hunt for gears while climbing long hills when in cruise control, such as on the long grade out of Bishop. It would be nice if the software gave throttle blips on the downshifts, but it's certainly not critical to the package.
The wife wasn't a big fan of the front seats (other than the heaters), complaining the passenger seat didn't have enough lumbar support and generally wasn't cushy to her tushy. I agree the seats are on the firm side (and not just because I have to agree with my wife), but I had no issues with the comfort level or lumbar. I do wish that the door armrests and the center armrest had thicker padding, though.
We averaged 23.3 mpg over the course of the 677-mile trip.
It’s like being in an ad for Kingsford charcoal. You’re trapped inside all winter and the vista through the living room window is bleak. Then spring comes, you stumble outside into the sunlight and somewhere you can hear someone say, “Baseball.”
Suddenly the world is filled with possibility, as if anything can happen. It’s like Buck O’Neil, the legendary player and manager of the Kansas City Monarchs and the centerpiece of the famous 1994 Ken Burns documentary about baseball, is standing right next to you.
“Baseball,” he says.
We grabbed the keys to the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT and headed for the Cactus League.
Spring training has a romance to it, as if it were a secret club to which only a few select fans belong. Of course, now that stadiums are full during the regular season and it costs hundreds and hundreds of dollars to sit near the field of play, lots of people have learned that spring training is the best chance to watch baseball from a place where you can actually smell the grass.
Now spring training has become spring break for adults, an organized vacation in the sun made easier by the way baseball teams have centralized their spring training facilities, particularly in Arizona, where the informal Cactus League includes 15 teams that have coalesced around Phoenix.
The Outlander GT made good time across the desert, running easily at the 75 to 80 mph that Californians prefer across the scaled-up litter box that is the Mojave Desert and then making much the same speed across the high desert of Arizona, where the creosote was blooming yellow, the ocotillos were just starting and wildflowers were a purple haze at the road side.
The Outlander GT rides well despite rolling on 55-series 18-inch tires, the sort of low-profile performance tires that usually curse crossovers like this. We couldn’t coax more than 23.5 mpg out of the 230-hp, 3.0-liter Mitsubishi V6 at these speeds, though, even on cruise control.
Now that most of the Arizona ballparks are either brand new or recently refurbished, the stadiums are less different from one another than they used to be, although the newer facilities have lots more practice fields and better clubhouses. The Cubs fans that come to Hohokam Stadium in Mesa are as friendly as only Midwesterners can be, cheer when the stadium video screen flashes the current temperature (with wind chill) in Chicago, and enjoy some terrific hot dogs. The Angel fans at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe are very L.A., perhaps more interested in grilled meat, beer, and socializing than in baseball. The Rockies fans feel blessed with the newest and best of the spring-training parks, the Salt River stadium, part of a massive complex shared by the Diamondbacks and the Rockies.
At first we felt a little ill at ease in the Outlander GT at Diablo Stadium because there’s an informal tailgate scene there while everyone waits for the ballpark gates to open. Then we discovered that the Outlander GT actually has a vestigial tailgate, perfect for taking a seat and watching a little parking-lot Beanbag Toss. There are those who think a crossover SUV’s responsibilities are limited to a cushy backseat cushion, but I like the Outlander GT’s commitment to sport. If you ski, ride dirt bikes, go to the lake or bring home building materials, this a good sport-utility to have. Of course, the air-conditioning does prove pretty wheezy.
Great couple of days, but then drove through a huge downpour to get back to Los Angeles and the snow in San Gorgonio Pass was as low as I’ve ever seen it. Ah well, baseball’s opening day is just a few days away.
Buck O’Neil told me.
Much of our time is spent driving test vehicles. We do it for you. And sometimes our personal cars suffer the unfortunate side effects of our dedication. Last night our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT came to the rescue of one editor's ailing battery. The sacrifices we make to keep the LTRTB alive...
Had the opportunity to drive the Outlander on a dirt road with some genuine obstacles (for a car) this weekend. Following are a few notes.
This little crossover aquits itself admirably when pressed harder than it should be on a rough, unmaintained dirt road filled with holes, creek crossings and rednecks. A few observations:
- There's more speed available than I had imagined on a rough road. The Outlander walks past solid-axle vehicles like they're, well, solid-axle vehicles.
- Ride comfort is better than the above vehicles which is largely where the speed comes from. It just doesn't feel like it's coming apart through the rough stuff.
- Control feedback is good in the dirt. There's a genuine sense of what's going on between the wheels and the ground.
- The thing feels like it's screwed together well. The interior doesn't produce rattles or squeaks in this environment.
- For the above reasons, I'd choose this over most trucks for simple dirt-road duty.
With modest ground clearance, approach and departure angles, I figured the Outlander would scrape at least once but it never did — even in a creek crossing filled with genuinely large holes.
Even so, the rednecks certainly don't approve.
This chip in the windshield of our long-term 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT is small enough and high enough that it isn't really in the driver's line of sight, but it's close. If it spiders we'll be forking over the cash for a new piece of glass.
Apparently my house is at 350 ft. above sea level. This is either cool or the most useless feature I've ever seen in a car ever. I mean, does a car really need an altimeter and a barometer?
What do you think?
If you thought calling a toll-free customer-service number and being forced to listen to a list of options was frustrating, follow the jump to listen to our Mitsubishi Outlander GT make things more difficult than they need to be when pairing a Bluetooth device...
Please make her stop!
This stretch of L.A.'s 405 freeway is constructed of concrete slabs and as such is notorious with ride/handling engineers. The high frequency ride qualities of the Mitsubishi Outlander GT don't like it at all, and our Director of Vehicle Testing, Dan Edmunds (an engineer who used to design and test suspension on the OE side of things) characterized this as, "too little compression damping." Ya, I'd say so. Jump with me to see the video.
I drive this stretch of 405 South almost daily and I can't think of another vehicle in our current long term fleet that does this. Unladen pickup trucks often do this; not crossovers.
Our long term Mitsubishi Outlander GT has this detailed maintenance information screen in the navigation system. The problem is — it's slightly off. In the above photo, the maintenance information screen says that the oil and filter were changed at 11,368 miles, on December 30, 2010. That's not what our records say.
According to our records, the last service was at 9,907 miles on December 1, 2010.
Mitsubishi recommends changing the oil every 7,500 miles. This would make our next service due at 17,407 miles. The maintenance light has recently come on and seems to reflect the proper intervals. It has been 6,413 miles since our last service. Most maintenance minders tend to come on at least 1,000 miles before the service is due.
The maintenance light on the instrument panel doesn’t seem to be connected to the one in the navigation system. There is an "update" button in the maintenance information menu, near each service type. Someone probably pressed it after we had taken the Outlander in for service. This would explain the later date and higher mileage.
We'll be taking the vehicle back in for its next service soon and we'll have them reset both maintenance minders. Does your car have a maintenance information menu? Does it work the same way?
If you're part of a segment known for being domesticated, the most interesting thing you can do is to roll out something that's a little wild. Relative to its rivals, the Outlander feels raw and wired on the road, like it's had a couple cups of caffeine. It's the leaner, meaner wildcat in a world of well-fed house cats and I appreciate the niche it's carved for itself each time I get behind the wheel.
It also doesn't hurt that the Mitsu is pretty easy on the eyes. White cars usually look as attractive as your laundry room's wheezing Kenmore dryer (hey, don't forget to clean the lint trap), but our Outlander actually manages to wear this color with its sex appeal intact.
Got any favorites in the midsize crossover segment?
This past weekend I decided to stop giving my friends the finger and actually help them get from one place to another. On this lovely warm spring day however, it was the Outlander GT that gave my friends the finger.
After being parked in direct sunlight, the inside of the Outlander was understandably a little warm. But after piling back into the GT, we were greeted by the most indifferent air conditioning I've seen since the 80's.
After a few minutes, the comments came fast and fierce.
"Hey! How about some a/c back here *******?!"
"Hey ******, the a/c button is in the middle."
"I hate you."
The comment that summed it up best, likened the a/c to "a cool, humid fart"
I was confused. On the way to pick up these charity cases - driving on the freeway - the a/c worked fine. But in the city, and under load, it just couldn't keep up. Of course after I dropped off these meatheads - and got back on the freeway - the a/c almost froze itself solid.
Maybe the GT just didn't like my friends.
Every real sport-utility should have a tailgate. Otherwise all you have is a crossover, a shopping basket with really big wheels, and probably about as much fun to drive.
It’s all a matter of footwear, really.
If you’ve got a four-wheel-drive sport-ute, chances are you’re headed for some place where the traction is a lot different than the big parking lot in front of the Meijer’s. It might be that dirt, mud, sand or snow will be involved. And in the same way that your four-wheel-drive sport-ute has all-terrain tires to minimize the slipping and sliding when the traction is bad, so too you’ll be changing your own footwear. You know, aqua socks, bicycle shoes, hiking boots, motocross boots, running shoes or ski boots.
And basically it’s a better deal to sit on a tailgate and change gear than squat on the doorsill. It’s pretty much as simple as that.
There are plenty of other reasons to have a tailgate, of course, and they involve things like loading up the cargo area or having a semi-level workspace to re-jet your dirt bike’s carburetor when you’re on a fire road in the middle of the big trees near Twain Harte (which I’ve done). But I think it mostly comes down to footwear.
The Mitsubishi Outlander GT has a kind of clever, half-height tailgate, so you don't even notice it's there until you deploy it all the way. Maybe this tailgate is just a kind of evolutionary leftover that reminds you where sport-utilities came from, but it tells me that the Outlander GT aspires to be more than just a snappy shopping cart.
[Revised: Sorry, the entry was originally mistitled — This is the Outlander GT, not the Sport.]
On the way to school this morning, my 7-year old daughter said, "Daddy, why does it sound like there are baby chicks in the car? They're saying 'chirp-chirp...'"
I told her that was a very good question, but only after returning did I bust out the camera and find them. Video after the jump.
Sorry the audio isn't quite as good as it could be, but take my word for it, the "chirp-chirping" is far more noticeable while driving — and now that I simply cannot ignore it, it's driving me crazy. Next step: lubricant!
It's unfortunate we've found so many ways to criticize our Mitsubishi Outlander GT (like this, and this, and this, and this), because it really is a great-looking sport-utility vehicle. It's a little old-school, but the clean design doesn't try too hard to be something it is not. It looks like the designers knew when to say "when." Can you think of another (in its class) that's as handsome? Chevrolet Equinox, maybe? The Ford Edge? Attractive, but a little polarizing, no?
We dropped our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT off for its 15,000-mile service yesterday morning. Long Beach Mitsubishi handled the maintenance quickly, competently and reminded us why we return there for our service needs.
The new oil and oil filter, new air filter and tire rotation set us back $147. This is one of the more significant service intervals. Edmunds Maintenance Schedule estimated $137 for this visit so a $10 difference wasn't a shocker. The price was fair. The service was satisfactory. We'll be back here the next time our Outlander needs attention.
Total Cost: $147.22
Days out of Service: None
I'll let you in on a little secret. Only two people in my life know this so far. The reason I listen to the "On Broadway" satellite channel so often if that I'm collecting songs for a future cabaret act.
I'm not really all that knowledgeable about Broadway musicals, especially the modern ones. So whenever I hear something I like, I snap a picture with my phone's camera so that I can look it up later. Then I download it and search for lyrics and sheet music. Along with a friend of mine from my acting school days, I'm planning a musical act that will hopefully take place next year in New York City. One night only unless we get boffo reviews. Then who knows?
All of our fleet cars have different ways of displaying information about what song is playing. I like the Mitsubishi setup best. It provides the most information. Not just the song name but also the show, year of the show (so I know if it's the original or a revival), and the artist who is singing. This isn't necessary for every channel, of course, which is probably why most systems don't go this far. If you're listening to the Indie rock station, you really only need to know the band name and song title. Some systems don't even give you that much.
It mixes up the categories somewhat. "Artist" gives you the show title, "Composer" shows the singer, but you get the gist of it. It's more than any of our other cars offer. For research purposes, the Mitsubishi wins for me. It makes it very easy to find the song again later on iTunes or Sh-K-Boom or wherever.
For a full review of the Mitsubishi Outlander system, read Doug Newcomb's Audio Review.
We took our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT in for service last week. At the time we asked the dealer to look at the driver side maplight. It didn't want to illuminate every time we called upon it. So when our advisor told us they couldn't repeat the problem we weren't really surprised.
Guess what? The problem remains. We will add it to the list for our next visit.
I recently got a dog and he's pretty cool. But I noticed that he was really hesitant to jump into the back seat. Then when he tried, it just seemed awkward. Awkward to the point I'd have to help himin. Very un-dog like.
When I drove the Outlander this past weekend, I opened the hatch, dropped the tailgate and immediately my dog flew into the cargo area like Superman. I then realized that he has been used to jumping into the back of a truck (he literally grew up on a farm), not a back seat of a sedan. I never really thought of our Outlander as truck-like until then.
We're nearing the one-year mark with our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT. As is typical after spending so much time with a long-term test car, we're running out of new things to tell you about.
I'll be driving the Mitsu over the three-day Memorial weekend. If you still have questions, I'll try to find the answers.
I'm in the process squeezing my four-bedroom house into a new two-bedroom place. Not easy, I tell you, and the whole deal doesn't allow for much fun on the weekends until the total transfer is complete.
Since both the minivans were already spoken for over the three-day holiday weekend, the biggest ride I could score was our Mitsubishi Outlander GT.
I'll spare you the pics of my trips to the The Container Store, Crate & Barrel, and multiple Target runs for storage bins, double hanging closet rods, and shelving units, and instead answer a few of the reader questions from Friday's post:
1) How is the Rockford Fosgate system versus other factory options?
System sounds very good overall, but I haven't heard the stock system so it's hard to make a direct comparison. Biggest gripe about the system is still the interface, as it uses all buttons — no knobs.
2) The S-AWC in the Outlander GT is from the rally legend Evolution: On 'spirited' drives or on the way to campsites/beaches, how does it perform? I know it is outstanding in the EVO, but is it a feature you would really need and/or use in a crossover?
Really don't notice it in this vehicle. There isn't enough power to get it moving around much and the suspension is too soft to really throw it into turns quickly. It's probably most useful as a traction aid in snowy conditions, but we haven't had much experience with that.
3) Do you like the tailgate option?
A great feature. Makes for a nice low load floor when you're packing stuff in, not to mention it makes a good place to sit if you need the space. Whenever my kid was helping me unload items from the back, I'd return to find her sitting comfortably on the tailgate. Not really all that helpful. (The kid, not the tailgate).
4) Are there any squeaks and rattles coming from anywhere in the cabin? Headliner? Tailgate area?
Unfortunately, I mostly drove it around full of stuff this weekend. There was always something rattling around between store runs, so I'd have a hard time isolating real vehicle rattles. Nothing was loud enough to carry over the din I was creating myself, anyway.
5) Anyone riding in the third row?
I don't dislike anyone that much.
Our long term Outlander GT has grown on me quite a bit. I'm usually not into SUV's, but this has enough of the Evo blood mixed in to make it pretty enjoyable to me. Much like Donna's blog about our TSX wagon, here are the top 10 things I like about our Outlander:
1. Paddle shifters!!!!
2. It's got sauce
3. Truck-like tailgate
4. Blue Tooth streaming audio
5. Sporty suspension and taut ride
6. Seat heaters (yes, truly like Donna)
7. Flip up rear seats for a flat cargo area
8. Keyless ignition
9. Simple to use dial controlled HVAC system
10. Touch screen Nav
With our Mitsubishi Outlander finishing its long-term test, I was digging through the big file of photos used during the past year for the long-term blog.
I never really liked the white paint, and now seeing it staring back at me from a 100 or so pics all at once, I realize how much I would have preferred red, maybe blue?
What color do you like best?
Our Mitsubishi Outlander is leaving us this week, and now that we're close to knowing the final mileage of our test, we're able to calculate the TMV for our crossover.
Here's what a buyer should expect to pay for our 2010 Outlander GT with 19,000 miles on the odometer:
Private Party: $26,090
Detail Retail: $27,918
The as-tested MSRP was $33,015.
Sorry for the ill-lighted garage shot, but I couldn't let this photo op showing the two Outlanders parked nose-to-tail slip by. Looking at the two Mitsu crossover siblings, it's obvious the Sport (lil' bro) has a truncated cargo area and a clipped front end. If you're burning with curiosity over the differences in length, height, weight, cargo and rear passenger space, hit the jump.
Length: GT: 183.7" Sport: 169.1"
Height: GT: 66.1" Sport: 64.2"
Weight: GT: 3,780 lbs Sport: 3,120 lbs
Maximum Cargo Space: GT: 72.6 cu. ft Sport: 49.5 cu. ft.
Rear Passenger Leg Room: GT: 36.8" Sport: 36.3"
Yeah, that's right folks: Plural. After all, it doesn't take a genius to realize that one bike should fit pretty easily into the Outlander GT's plentiful cargo area.
But what about two bikes? And would I still be able to conform to my desire of never lowering a seat post or removing a rear wheel? And would the bikes be able to stand up, or would I have to stack them?
So when The Wife hit me up (side the head) yesterday to take her mountain biking, I was happy to comply.
For the shocking bike loading discovery, follow the jump.
At first I was a little thrown off by the Outlander's second row of seats, which, when folded, stick up way above the load floor. But after unlocking them into their full-forward position I realized I could squeeze the rear wheel of each bike just to the outside of each respective seat. And a couple bungee cords later, hooked to clips on the Outlander's side walls to keep the bikes from moving (a real hook system would be better), we were loaded and ready to go.
And, surprisingly, my home-spun rigging proved exceptionally sturdy, even for taking turns in proper GT fashion.
Somewhere past Grapevine traveling southbound to LA...
"How many miles till 20?" I ask Senior Video Specialist John Adolph from the passenger seat. "We got about another 17 miles or so." There is silence. We've been traveling in the car for eight hours so far that day. The day before we had done 10 hours. We're a little brain dead and tired.
"So what do you think about the Dodgers going bankrupt?" I ask John, a die-hard blue blood. John is a little mad about the situation. We talk for a while until "CRAP!" John exclaimed as he looks closely at the instrument panel. "We're at 15 over!"
We searched for a safe place to pull over, about another three miles down the road. We're a little worn out, so I guess it's forgivable. And to be honest, the Outlander hasn't helped much.
It's getting warm in SoCal, so from the moment we left from Johns house in Glendale we'd been pumping the AC. Except it wasn't blowing cold. We had it on max and it blew lukewarm. It was only 88 degrees out, so it wasn't like it was being overwhelmed. It seems awfully suspicious for a recharge to be necessary under 20k. We did notice on the way back, when it was much warmer than 88 degrees out, that if we lowered the fan, by a lot, it did blow noticeably cooler. Just not the 64 we had asked for.
Also, we got the dead butt. The kind of uncomfortable feeling you get on your back side from sitting in an uncomfortable seat for too long. We started squirming a little over an hour into the drives. Not the best comfort or support.
On the whole I'm still a fan of the Outlander. I think I'm being fairly critical on the Outlander now because I was uncomfortable over the long haul. Maybe there is something up with the AC so that might be forgivable, but now I know the seats aren't the best for road trips. Next road trip I think I might try for one of our minivans.
Not too long ago, Managing Editor Donna DeRosa asked if CD players were becoming extinct like the 8-track. I was thinking about this as I drove our Outlander GT the other day.
I have been fairly smart phone centric in the last few years. I don't have a home phone, I haven't used my iPod in years and pretty much everything is backed up on my home network just in case my phone dies. Though I'm pretty reliant my phone as a multifunctional device, I never took the time to take advantage of the Outlander's Bluetooth streaming audio until recently. Now that my phone is paired with the car, I can't think of another way I'd rather listen to music. Other than the radio that is.
I feel that the next car I have will need Bluetooth. Not only to be in compliance with the hands free phone law here in California, but as a way to play my music. How important is this feature to you? Is this something you'd want, or does it matter to you?
The photo above is the Mitsubishi Endeavor, which deserves a special mention for turning the tables the Outlander for the month of June. In June 2010, the Endeavor sold only 114 units, while the Outlander sold 982. Since then, the Endeavor must've gone on a publicity campaign, because it outsold the Outlander 1,817 to 822. This is an increase of 1,494 percent over the previous year.
I'm not sure how this happened. One of our analysts theorizes that those could have been fleet sales. The Outlander is less expensive, better looking and was recently refreshed in 2010. Meanwhile the Endeavor has received mostly cosmetic updates, but is largely the same car that debuted in 2004.
That's not to say that the Endeavor is a bad car. In fact in 2003 it took first place in a midsize crossover SUV comparison test and has been one of our used car best bets for the past few years. But since then, the competition has caught up. In 2011, the Ford Explorer took its place as the midsize SUV used car best bet.
Why do you think the Endeavor has caught on? Which car would you buy? Outlander GT or Endeavor?
My daughter and I took the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport to the beach for some fun before the weather gets too cold.
We like this little truck. It served all our needs. And even though it's much smaller than its big brother, the regular Outlander, we had plenty of room for all our beach stuff.
And this truck still looks great after 15,000 miles and hasn't needed any repairs. One oil change. That's all.
If you could take any of our long-term cars to the beach, which one would you choose?
Wrap-Up
This is not the first long-term Mitsubishi Outlander to pass through the Edmunds test garage. Three years back we put an XLS through the paces. In those days it satisfied the role of workhorse as both road tripper and car-to-car photography specialist. Life was not easy for the functional CUV, yet it survived without incident.
This time around we had the mildly refreshed 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT. It featured slightly more power, new interior features and a slick new design that made it instantly recognizable as a close cousin of the Lancer Evolution.
Mitsubishi hoped subtle tweaks would be enough to secure its share of what was arguably the most competitive niche of the time, the crossover utility segment. We would find out just how successfully these changes helped it compete against class kingpins Toyota and Honda.
Why We Got It
Our introduction of the 2010 Outlander GT outlined the differences new to this model year. A three-mode all-wheel-drive (S-AWC) system paired an active front differential with an electronic center differential to offer traction like nothing else in the crossover segment. A new grille solidified the aesthetic ties between the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT and its Lancer siblings. An upgraded audio system and color instrument panel display addressed the interior.
There were also powertrain updates for 2010. The GT had a 230-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 mated to a carry-over six-speed automatic transmission. New to the tranny was a computer-controlled feature that shifted it to neutral any time the computer felt doing so was more fuel-efficient. Mitsubishi calls this idle-neutral logic. It was enough for us to remain interested, so when Mitsubishi offered us a GT for a year, we accepted.
Durability
We sent the Outlander on the road early and often. Before we knew it, the practicality of the Mitsubishi pushed it toward the top of our road tripper list. The ride was reasonably smooth, and its V6 had enough sauce to confidently pass big rigs on the highway.
Its transmission wasn't always so cooperative. After a drive to Las Vegas, Senior Editor Erin Riches wrote the following: "The Mitsu's six-speed automatic isn't very smart on uphill grades and there are many of those on Interstate 15. It will not hold 4th or 5th gear for longer than a few seconds, so it's continually hunting around. You can't use cruise control comfortably unless the road is perfectly flat. I ended up shifting manually."
The 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander's all-wheel-drive system proved versatile. In Tarmac mode S-AWC delivers 20 percent of the engine's power to the rear wheels, so it's effectively front-wheel drive on dry pavement. On more slippery surfaces, the all-wheel-drive system routes an increasing percentage of the power to the rear wheels. Photo Editor Kurt Niebuhr witnessed its off-road manners following a weekend rainstorm. "No place was this more evident than when I hooned it through the dirt in the way only a wantonly unprofessional amateur like myself can. While a quick handful of e-brake could easily bring the tail out, I found the throttle just as useful in manipulating the tail and enabling me to hold however long of a muddy powerslide I wanted."
Inside the cabin the Outlander wasn't overly inviting. The third row squeaked whether it was down or up and the interior plastics were hard, even on high-traffic surfaces. Road Test Editor Mike Monticello drove the Mitsubishi 677 miles on a ski trip to Mammoth Lakes. "The wife wasn't a big fan of the front seats, complaining the passenger seat didn't have enough lumbar support and generally wasn't comfortable. I agree the seats are on the firm side (and not just because I have to agree with my wife) but I had no issues with the comfort level or lumbar. I do wish that the door and center armrests had thicker padding, though."
Air-conditioning has not been a strong suit of the Mitsubishis we've tested. Our Outlander was no exception. Just 895 miles into our test the A/C compressor gave up. It was replaced under warranty. But the new A/C was equally unimpressive and noticeably loud when it kicked on.
That was it for mechanical issues, however. A finicky map light and a loose driver seat rounded out our minor issues, although neither was remedied prior to test-end. Routine service otherwise occurred at 7,500 and 15,000 miles.
Total Body Repair Costs: None
Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over 12 months): $234.62
Additional Maintenance Costs: None
Warranty Repairs: Air-conditioner compressor replaced
Non-Warranty Repairs: None
Scheduled Dealer Visits: 2
Unscheduled Dealer Visits: 1 for air-conditioning problems
Days Out of Service: 2 awaiting new compressor
Breakdowns Stranding Driver: None
Performance and Fuel Economy
We track tested the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander when new and again 12 months later at 20,000 miles. We noticed no change in performance of note. The 3,800-pound CUV proved just as athletic as when our test began.
Acceleration from zero to 60 mph required 7.4 seconds (with rollout) and the quarter-mile fell in 15.8 seconds at 88.3 mph. Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton noted, "Noisy, but reasonably sporty-sounding engine." From 60 to zero mph the Mitsubishi needed 133 feet, just 2 feet more than during its first test. Afterward Walton added, "Pads must be getting tired. All four stops were inconsistent in both feel and distance."
Dynamic tests were on par with preliminary tests as well. The Outlander passed through the slalom cones at 62.4 mph and generated 0.78g of lateral force around the skid pad. Walton commented following the slalom, "Remarkably willing to be chucked around and responds well to throttle to change balance and yaw. There is even enough power available to use AWD (in Tarmac mode) at the exit to snub understeer."
Fuel economy was one area addressed in the Outlander refresh. Idle-neutral logic improved EPA figures 1 mpg overall, to 18 city/24 highway and 20 mpg combined. After 20,000 miles on the road, we averaged 21 mpg, slightly above predictions. Our best single tank was 26 mpg and carried us nearly 330 miles. Not too bad for a V6 crossover, though not at the top of the segment either.
Best Fuel Economy: 26.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.7 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 20.6 mpg
Retained Value
Our 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT had an MSRP of $33,015. Our 2007 Outlander XLS had depreciated 36 percent after 12 months and 24,000 miles of service, so we didn't expect much difference from our Outlander GT. We were surprised.
Edmunds' TMV® Calculator depreciated our GT just 19 percent of its MSRP based on a private-party sale. What a difference three years makes. The Mitsubishi held up well compared to other long-term crossovers: 2007 Cadillac SRX (25 percent), 2010 GMC Terrain (20 percent) and 2010 Honda Crosstour (26 percent). We attribute this both to Mitsubishi's improved image and the current widespread appeal of CUVs.
True Market Value at service end: $26,658
Depreciation: $6,357 or 19% of original MSRP
Final Odometer Reading: 20,475
Summing Up
After 20,000 miles in the Outlander GT it was clear that the minor upgrades impacted the end product minimally. Idle-neutral logic improved fuel economy a tick. Engine modifications such as variable valve timing strengthened the power band slightly. S-AWC traction control put the Outlander in a handling class by itself but was only truly optimized when in Snow mode.
Other areas remained untouched from the Outlander of old. Inside the cabin we longed for softer contact surfaces. Over extended drives the armrests seemed to grow harder by the mile. Also consistent with the prior model was the Outlander's ability to withstand abuse. We put our long-term 2007 Outlander to work, affectionately dubbing it the Mule. Our 2010 Outlander, son of Mule, was similarly challenged due to its functionality. At the end of the day, fold-flat seats, an adjustable second row of seating and the useful rear tailgate prevailed over its unimpressive interior.
Overall the 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT got it right on the big things. We experienced no breakdowns, failures or major recalls. It has plenty of power and a versatile cabin. Its biggest faults were the weak air-conditioning and incessantly creaking rear seats, which probably could have been fixed with some well-placed grease. Not sure if the A/C problem was such an easy fix. Given the strong resale value, it appears as though buyers don't seem to be having the same problems.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.