2009 Mitsubishi Outlander

joxong · October 2008

Hei Cyrus,
What a coincidence.. I'm looking for the exact car as well.. I'm about to give up on the 4WD and thinking of just getting 2WD instead w/ all the package. A used 2008 Outie XLS 4WD w/ 9K miles for $21K sounds like a pretty good deal considering the MSRP is almost $31K. Is that out the door price or plus TTL?

cyrus1000 · October 2008

Hi joxong,

After I went to the dealership and saw the car, I changed my mind. The car had multiple scratches and little dings on the exterior, and the interior in the cargo area was all scratched up. It was a corporate car, and clearly was not taken care of. If they had a 2009 or a clean 2008 I would have bought it on the spot. They had a few 2WD XLS Outies, but I definitely wanted the 4WD. I happened to test drive a Subaru Forester and bought one. It's a great car. I am still keeping my Montero though.

joxong · October 2008

Hi cyrus,

Thanks for the reply. I think I saw that same car that you saw, and was definitely turned off by it. The front bumper was coming out a little bit already. Some other dealer say they can still get a fully loaded 2008 4WD, so I'm holding out on that.
Just like you, I really want a 4WD for my next car as well. I'm looking at the 2008 Forrester as well for backup, but I'm really liking the Outlander and can't seem to let go yet. I really like the split tailgate & Xenon. No other CUV seems to have that option.

cyrus1000 · October 2008

Hey joxong,

Mitsubishi makes great cars, but somehow their customer service and marketing in North America, to put it bluntly, sucks! Right now they are losing potential customers like you and I because they are not maintaining adequate supply of their popular models. The dealer I went to in Orange County said he checked all the dealers in California and could not find a fully loaded 2008 XLS 4WD. Most car manufacturers already have their 2009 models out, but you still cannot find a 2009 Outlander in the showrooms?!! There are lots of discussion boards comparing and contrasting the Forester and Outlander. Both are excellent choices, but I think you get better bang for your buck with the Outlander. Hopefully, youll find one soon. I just didnt want to wait so I went with the Forester.

ckone0814 · November 2008

My boat comes in at around 3000# and am looking for a smaller suv that can tow it periodically on shorter, +one hour trips (Dad has Chevy turbo-diesel for longer trips). Is anyone towing anything around this weight with the Outlander ? How is it? Thanks!

comem47 · November 2008

Best I can tell you is my '07 LS V6 tows my sled trailer just fine (1800 to 2000 lbs at the very most). I think 3000 lbs would be OK. I did notice that gas mileage when towing was only a little bit better than my old Dakota V8 (11-13 mpg depending on headwinds, etc) whereas the non towing mpg doubles in the Outlander while the Dakota only rose a little when not towing. This is fine with me (I don't pay the price of having to have a big tow vehicle all the time for my winter sled towing needs). I would say you'll definitely need trailer brakes when towing that much (weight being towed approaching the weight of the tow vehicle)

ckone0814 · November 2008

Thanks. Trailer does have brakes.

mitsubisihi04 · February 2009

Does anyone know as to when the 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander came out??
like what month...

manderton · June 2009

Hi,
I am going to buy a boat and i need something to tow it with that is reliable and has good gas mileage, the boat would weigh around 2000 lbs. So i was wondering if anyone would know how it would do taking a 2000 lb boat in and out of the water on a muddy ramp. Also how good would you say it is off road, such as going up the muddy bumpy mountain trail in snow/rain mix for fishing.

Thank you

comem47 · June 2009

I don't tow a boat but bought a 2007 Outlander LS because I tow a snowmobile trailer in the winter. It does a great job towing something over 1600 lbs (rated 3500). The only thing I notice is gas mileage drops way down, but whereas my previousV8 Dakota would go from maybe 14 tops not towing to around 11 mpg towing, the Outlander goes from 28 tops not towing to about 13 when towing and does quite well accelerating. It's tons easier to maneuver than the Dakota was and I haven't gotten stuck yet towing up hills in snow. (the 4WD "lock" position is not like the real lock on the Dakota, but the power proportioning split works well enough.) One thing I want to do is get better tires than the stock Yoko's that came with my LS, as that is part of the total traction picture. The stock Yokos weren't nothing to talk about to begin with, but they are wearing down so that this winter they won't be very good at all.

toomanyfumes · June 2009

How many miles do you have on those tires? I have an '07 LS 4WD also and mine are showing pretty good wear at 23K. I've noticed the traction is not what it was either. I hope to get one more winter out of them and replace them next year.

I've never towed anything, but the V6 has pretty good power, I'd think it would tow 2000 pounds with no problem.

comem47 · June 2009

I have under 20K, but haven't rotated them yet. If I can't afford new rubber by fall I'll swap the rears to the front so the FWD I use more than 90% of the time will have better rubber (currently unemployed) .For towing in 4WD, the rears will be lousy though, but I won't be sledding anyway if I don't land a job by then. If I can afford to, I think the AVON Ranger TSE tires look good for LS at only $73 ea.

toomanyfumes · June 2009

Ha, I went way too long without rotating mine, too, plus they were overinflated from the factory. I just did the same thing and switched them around and have the good one's on the front now.

noey8 · August 2009

The Outlander is currently on my short list for a new small suv but I have some concerns about the awd system.

I took this from another forum from a guy who got stuck in a snow storm:

Quote:
Originally Posted by armymen
Hi,
yesturday i was like stock in the snow, i was in 4WD lock.
the problem, only my Front left side and my back Right side where spinning.
are my system is defect ???

I got this from another thread:

[quote=chenarm;234450]This is taken out of the Outlander service manual

"As the vehicle is intended for on-road use, long-time driving on a sandy or slushy road must be avoided. When the vehicle is driven on a sandy or slushy road for a long time, the fail-safe function of the electronic control 4WD system tends to enter the protective control mode which switches the control from 4WD to 2WD gradually in order to protect the drive system, and the indicators ("4WD" and "LOCK") tends to illuminate"

So what time frame is meant by long-time? I live in the northeast and sometimes driving to the ski resort from the city can take up to 3 hrs in a snowstorm. Will this system hold up well? (of course keeping in mind one will have dedicated snow tires).

Anyone experience this problem?

I contacted Mitsu Canada about this who in turn told me to call my local dealer. The service manager there said that he has not heard of this problem coming in.

I want to get a good all around small suv, and the current outlander seems to fit the bill, but if the awd system goes against it's intented purpose than that's a big problem.

comem47 · August 2009

I cannot find any such reference in my 2007 LS 4WD manual. In my manual they say that 4WD auto is the default mode and selecting 2WD can help maximize fuel economy. Using 4WD lock is for worse conditions. If this has changed in a later manuals than 2007 I'd be interested to know. My own experience is I've been fine towing a 1600 plus pound load (snowmobiles and trailer ) in the winter with my LS V6 Outlander and have never had problems.(goes uphill fine and I realize the OEM Yoko Geloander tires are hardly the best )The traction has been fine and I will occasionally switch to lock mode when the going gets rough (like when the highway is rutty and I'm passing 18 wheelers with my trailer), but usually leave it in 4WD auto in winter or rainy days. I keep it in 2WD in summer in the dry for the better MPG (I don't know how much I save, but every bit helps). I do not see any disclaimers in my manual to say you shouldn't be using 4WD and the Mitsu warranty is one of the best. Can any 2008 or 2009 owners chime in with what their manual says? (I would think they would have big problems selling these if the 4WD was only for restricted use). Once again I've got an 2007 V6 LS 4WD.

noey8 · August 2009

I think it's from the service manual (for the mechanics) as opposed to the owner's manual...

comem47 · August 2009

"I think it's from the service manual (for the mechanics) as opposed to the owner's manual... "

Well that would be silly on Mitsubishi's part to keep this info from the consumer and only tell their service people how not to drive the vehicle.

I looked more though my manual and it only cautions to drive conservatively when off-road in sand and mud (i.e.: don't drive like you're in the Dakar Rally). It says if the transmission has problems it will flash the mode and then auto switch to 2WD and when it is OK again you can switch back. There is nothing about a time limit in 4WD lock, It just mentions you will get more drag when taking tight corners and you might wish to go to 4WD auto or 2WD if the extra tight corner steering is bothering you. (nothing different than a lot of 4WD vehicles). I personally find the Outlander far easier to drive than my old Dakota, that was definitely a part time 4WD and you better not try to back up in 4WD on dry surfaces while turning in that as you would get severe axle bind (no problem with the Outlander).

noey8 · August 2009

I really like the vehicle but I am losing confidence in the AWD system. Switching to 2WD when problems arise? That could explain why another guy was stuck in a Montreal snowstorm and another guy had problems when driving through the hilly part of the Carolinas. Sounds pretty scarry....

May have to look at the Forester instead.

comem47 · August 2009

Well suit yourself re:Subaru (afterall you gotta be the one who is happy!

In 2007 there wasn't the new sized Forrester to look at (I consider the older ones as smaller station wagons with poorer gas mileage for their size, but the new size seems reasonable). I might have seriously looked at the new Forrester were it around in 2007 as one of the largest volume US dealers is about 3 miles from me and they have an excellent customer reputation , but the Turbo that has the same towing power as my V6 Outlander requires premium fuel. Subaru's are also much higher priced than my Outlander. I definitely will give Subie credit for their AWD They've been doing it a long time. But for my use I like the option of selectable 2WD. Personal choice too is I love the sound of the Rockford Fosgate sound system, (but hate the LEDs that wash out in sunlight...something I live with).

Definitely shop around and find out what floats your boat. I gotta believe the people who have had problems with their 4WD Outlanders are rare. (at least I haven't experienced or heard of problems and I tow in winter) .

One other thing:With the tailgate down and seats flipped forward you got 6 foot from the seat backs to the end of the tailgate. I found this quite nice bringing home a 4X8 sheet of plywood (diagonally) and several 2X4s as only 2' stuck out beyond the tailgate. (good for load balance ) Not as nice as my old pickup, but did the trick.

chelentano · August 2009

really, I've never had any 4wd problems. Excellent performance on Chicago snow roads. Actually it's MItsubishi's stronger point: 12 times dakar champion.

Mitsubishi Outlander Fun On A Snow Field video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3arUMr2PsI

As for Forester, you might want to look at this comaro:
http://s215240594.onlinehome.us/Outlander_Forester.gif

rcpax · August 2009

I never have had any problems with my Outlander's 4WD system. It will only switch to 2WD when the 4WD system overheats, to prevent you from cooking your 4WD system. It's a failsafe mechanism. Mitsubishi was intelligent enough to include such a failsafe mechanism. Now I wonder what happens to Subaru's AWD system when it overheats, I guess it just cook itself and give you a beep or a warning light when its all too late, or maybe somebody's going to argue the Subaru's system don't ever overheat?

And how often do you see the Outlander's 4WD system overheat? Not on my Outlander, and I've been through pretty bad snow storms in this part of the US.

batman47 · September 2009

My experience when I took the 2008 Outlander to Deadhorse in Alaska is that the 4WD mechanism switches itself off when it finds out it is not any more necessary. I think the system is idiot-proof.

authurdent · February 2010

probably because of the snow!

fushigi · February 2010

Nice color. Matches mine, except for the white bits.

Will it seriously not start or is it just buried?

authurdent · February 2010

Just buried. Not really sure what to expect out of 4WD, but so far so good. One thing I'd really like to know, and was terrible with our previous Mitsus, is how best to defrost the windows. I cranked up the heat and blower, but it still took forever to clear the windshield. Any suggestions?

fushigi · February 2010

First, never throw hot water on the windshield. That'll just net you some broken glass and a repair bill.

With the vent set to defrost, make sure the AC is on; it should come on automatically. That will help dehumidify the interior. That seems to be the #1 thing people forget about defogging the interior.

Also, to prevent fogging to begin with, if you park in a garage or other secure area, leave a window open a little bit so humidity that builds up can escape. Humidity comes from a number of things, including what we emit via sweat & breathing and the melting of the slush that clings to our shoes when we climb in. So while we can't stop breathing, do try to knock off as much slush from your shoes as you can before entering the car.

For the exterior .. Hit the rear defrost to start that up. On the outside brush off as much snow and stuff as you can.

If there's still snow/ice and you can't break it up easily with a scraper, spray it with windshield washer fluid (hopefully you're using a mix and not just water). Ideally I'd say have it in a squirt bottle and hit the windows that way v. running the washer since that runs the wipers which can get torn up on the ice.

And as long as you're clearing the outside, make sure your head/tail lights and turn signals are clear. All that spray that dirties your windshield is also hitting your headlights, making them less effective.

authurdent · February 2010

Our XLS 4WD 6AT can downshift jerkily from 2nd to 1st. I understand that 6AT shift points were adjusted for the 2010 model. I guess this was a know problem with 2007-2009 models. Could this just be a warm-up issue? Is there a firmware fix?

fushigi · February 2010

If it only happens in the first 10 or so minutes of driving I'd call it a warm-up issue as you mentioned. Most cars exhibit small changes in behavior when cold, esp. during the winter months before they've had a chance to warm up.

That said, it never hurts to ask your dealer's service department or to call Mitsu's help line to see if an update is available for the trans. Start with the dealer. Before calling, check the NHTSA for any recalls or TSBs on your vehicle and if there are any, ask the dealer about taking care of those. Recall work is free & TSBs would be covered by your warranty. Your dealer can also check for recalls & updates for your vehicle if given the VIN.

azbalassiano · June 2010

I have an Outlander 2009 with a MAX685BT and need to hack and play some DVD.
Any help ???

2009 Mitsubishi Outlander

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