Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
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stever
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I had sat in the Sport before but never driven it. I have an 08 Outlander SE as well as a 2010 Lancer so I was familiar with the controls except the push button start. Both my other Mitsubishi vehicles were equipped with the 2.4 4B11 engine. The Sport has the 2.0 4B11 and from all the reviews I had read the engine choice seems to be the bone of contention among many who damned the power plant as insufficient to propel the Sport. Actually, the 2.0 ran fine. I had no trouble keeping up with traffic or getting from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time. I took the sport out on RT 6 and it cruised along fine at 70 mph for about 5 miles and no one shouted at me to get out of their way. Now, if you want to compare it to a turbo equipped car or you want to beat everyone else to the next stoplight you might say the 2.0 was inadequate, but for getting where you want to go and using less fuel the 2.0 is just fine. Now, I was alone in the car and I realize that the optional AWC system I want would add a few more pounds to the vehicle but frankly some of these reviews are ridiculous. If you are in the city and want a little more zippiness, then just use the shift paddles. I use them often in my other Mitsu vehicles when I'm in the city and they do a great job of keeping you in the power curve and scrubbing off speed so you don't have to wear out the brakes. Even if you can't drive a stick you can master the basic rudiments of paddle-shifting in a short amount of time. VERY worthwhile addition to any automatic drive system. If you don't want to use them, don't worry, the Sport will still get you home with the groceries in time for the big game.
In all other respects the Sport was quite good also. It took sharp turns with little or no roll. The suspension was superior to my Lancer out on the interstate ( @*##*@ Illinois roads ) and the cockpit was a bit larger. The slightly higher ride really makes a difference in traffic as well, visibility was outstanding. Back at the dealership I checked out the rear cargo space etc..etc.. I would really have liked to drive one at night to check out the new headlights too. Since the Sport I drove didn't have the optional AWC system I didn't get to try it out in a slippery area but I'm pretty sure it would work as good as the one on our 08 SE.
Naturally I am biased toward Mitsu vehicles but if you are looking for a new CUV this should be on your list. Take it for a spin and you'll see that the 2.0 does fine as long as you don't pretend to be Vin Diesel and the fact is that this 4B11 is the basis for the current generation of Hyundai/ Kia 4 cylinder power plants PLUS many of the current Chrysler products use this engineering AND Mitsubishi platform technology given to them when Daimler Benz controlled both companies. Gotta watch those Germans !!! They don't call a sucker a "mark" for nothing.
After the test drive my car was ready to go so...I parked the Sport and drove the 04 home so my daughter could go to work.
"ONE DAY. TWO CUVS. FIVE GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS.
To demonstrate Mitsubishi's All-Wheel Control technology we set out for some unforgiving terrain in Alberta, Canada, with our Outlander crossover family. We came home with a handful of official Guinness World Records."
300 m - The greatest distance by a vehicle in reverse on snow in 30 seconds - Outlander Sport
56.2 m - The shortest braking distance by a vehicle on ice (30 mph to 0 mph) - Outlander Sport
3 laps - The most vehicle figure-of-eights on ice in two minutes - Outlander
1:11 min - The fastest vehicle slalom relay on ice (1/4 mile) - Outlander & Outlander Sport
19:31 sec - The fastest driven square lap in a vehicle (gravel, 100 ft. x 100 ft.) - Outlander
To me the most impressive are the figure 8, slalom, and the ice braking. The ice braking looks especially boring,
(Cross-posting to relevant threads)
(btw, I saw way more Mitsubishis than usual last week while visiting Puerto Rico. They are well represented there. Lots of Suzukis too).
It is interesting that Edmunds says Outlander Sports brake testing is poor, which is my major concern. Now we see it can stop on ice. Guess the tires can make big difference.
It does, though, show under the models listing if I use it before selecting Go. However, doing that returns "There are currently no discussions about the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport."
So, I'd have to say not fixed.
San Diego to Cabo
And reliable as all get out, too.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
And some don't like the dash. They think it's too simple. But I find it to be a clean look and vastly prefer it to the overly busy Honda dashboards. Especially with the navi.
The legitimate gripe, though, is engine power. It really, really needs the 2.4L from the regular Outlander. Or, Mitsu needs to join with Hyundai & GM and roll out GDI engines. A GDI 2.0 would probably have 15-25 more HP + more torque with no MPG penalty. As I say over in the long term road test comments, they need to target a 9-seconds-or-less 0-60 time to eliminate the complaints about slowness.
With the exception of the Outlander Sport, fuel economy has never been a leadership item for Mitsubishi. I think they just went a little too far towards economy while sacrificing performance. Lose 1 MPG but gain a half second on acceleration tests would be a trade-off most folks would accept. And it would silence most of the complainers.
My wife is still considering the Sport along with the Tucson, Cruze, Forte, and Elantra for her next ride. But family issues have caused her to push back her purchase timeline. Maybe late summer or fall. Thankfully, her '01 Elantra is still plenty reliable and has low miles for it's age so our hands aren't being forced. She's just getting like me: Tired of driving a car that's now 10 years old.
In the mean time, I'm at 18 months of ownership in my Outlander GT and have to call for it's 6 month oil change.
Time has told me that I made a decent move. I learned that Kia makes a good car, a really good car. When Mr.Finbarr O'Neill left Hyundai Motors as CEO and joined Mitsubishi, he took the 10 year, 100,000 mile Powertrain Warranty with him. Smart man. Sometimes we have to call these moves smart. Finbarr's was brilliant. For Mitsubishi.
Since leaving Kia I have discovered Mitsubishi. And things have never been the same since. I can't believe how good a car our 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS is. Apparently a whole buttload of Americans didn't get the memo. I will find it hard to look at any other car maker seriously again. I'm not kidding, fushigi!
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS
Know that we had ta spend to get this, we spent around $24,232 after T&L. But believe you me, the car has been worth every American penny we spent on it. The motor is so strong it barely makes a peep of showing any age at all on it and it has around 71,300 miles on it. Not just a good car from Mitsu but a great car. It is a great car.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Dealer Ratings and Reviews
(Watch the profanity please.)
1. is caused by out of date maps. Not much you can do but buy the map upgrades when they're released every year or so.
2. is more serious. I suggest you make note of specific locations it gets wrong. Then demonstrate it to your service department & ask them to reload your navi system (perhaps getting you the most current software/maps in the process) in an attempt to fix. It should also be done as a warranty item.
BTW my '10 Outlander came with maps from 2008. Assuming Mitsu uses the same maps & software across all models, which it looks like to me, the maps & software updates available for my Outlander should be applicable to your Sport. As of December, the maps & software are from 2010 & cost $200.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f10296b/51#MSG51
Regards,
kyfdx
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Almost bought a 2014 Outlander Sport SE with the Rockford Fosgate killer stereo but the dealer let me walk because I wouldn't drive it off the lot that day instead of the next one...I bought on December 1st and planned to drive it home the 2nd. We agreed on a price with door edge guards and a pinstripe plus my '06 Civic and I gave them my credit card but they let me walk when I would not take it that day. My salesmen walked me next door to the Hyundai store where I made the same exact deal on a Tuscon SE and drove it off on the 2nd with them taking $5k on my Amex card. They tried to play games but once they saw me pack up my stuff, they agreed to my deal.
Am very happy with my Tuscon but if the Mitsu general manager had let me take it home on my terms, I'd have the Outlander SE in my garage right now. My question is did Hyundai/Kia buy Mitsubishi or a stake in the company? They seem to have many of the same things I noticed. I think if they were bought out it would bode well for the company overall.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
sandman - nope, Mitsubishi Motors of Japan is still their own company. Oh, BTW, they're not leaving the U.S. market. Sales of the Outlander, Outlander Sport, Lancer and also the new Mirage hatchback are doing better than in early 2013. So my buddies are doing fine. They won't leave, anyway, but I thought I should mention that sales are up.
As for the great Long-Haul Warranty being the Kia/Hyundai-similar 10 years and 100,000 miles on the powertrain and 60,000 miles bumper-ta-bumper...a certain CEO by the name of Finbarr O'Neill left Hyundai for Mitsubishi in the early 2000's IIRC. With him he took the great Warranty to Mitsubishi. He was the American Mitsubishi CEO. I don't think he's even with Mitsubishi anymore.
Being bought out by another car company comes up in automotive discussions now and then but as far as I know there's nothing even remotely in the works along those lines going on right now.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Glad to hear that Mitsubishi is still a viable company in the United States and seriously, I'd have one right now in my garage if their general manager hadn't been such a jerk about things! I have never ever taken a vehicle home the same day I've bought one...ever! I always pick it up the next or 2 days days down the line...I would have thought that a deposit on my credit card would be good enough to hold the vehicle for me. All I asked for was a pin stripe and delivery to be made the next afternoon but he refused...dumb [non-permissible content removed]! The salesman brought me next door to the Hyundai dealer where I did the exact same deal on a Tuscon but they said I could take it home "when I wanted to"! They took my Amex card and put the deposit on that and the next afternoon, I came and drove off in my new Tuscon. The Mitsu manager was stupid really and let me slip right through his fingers because I had my credit card ready to make the deal to...crazy!!
Truth be told, either vehicle would have worked for me so really a toss up here. I got a small crossover so all is good here. Besides the sucky gas mileage, I am a happy camper right now. Am adding a few foodies to personalize it for me and then, I'm done.
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
Regardless of brand or store, it always stinks when a bad sales experience ruins your potential to enjoy a product.
While I have an Outlander (my 2nd Mitsu), my wife has an Elantra (her 2nd Elantra). With both of the newer cars the sales experience was simple & efficient. I'll admit I'm not the best negotiator but we got good enough deals that all parties were satisfied.
I'll say that I'm far happier with my Mitsu dealer's service staff than my wife is with her Hyundai dealer's service folks. The Mitsu dealer's service staff are always friendly and they give me whatever coupon discounts they're currently offering even if I don't have the coups. I did just replace my battery & the service writer gave me 15% off without me even asking for it. They make the effort to earn my loyalty and it works. The Hyundai service folks seem like they just don't care that much. Attention to detail is lacking. Maybe they're overworked due to Hyundai's rising popularity but still, the dealership could hire another body or two to manage it better.
All I know is that our Hyundai dealer has a great service department and the one warranty issue we had with the kids Accent...in and out within 2 hours...was handled very professionally and I look forward to the same great service in the future. But I would've been happy buying either the Tuscon or the Outlander Sport as they are pretty similar except that the Mitsu had 18" tires as compared to the 17"er's I got on the Tuscon...saved myself some green on the smaller replacement rubber in the future. They both drove very easily and if the general manager at the Mitsu store had said yes to me, I'd have that in the garage right now!
The Sandman
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige