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2009 Mitsubishi Outlander
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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?
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.
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.
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, you’ll find one soon. I just didn’t want to wait so I went with the Forester.
like what month...
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
I've never towed anything, but the V6 has pretty good power, I'd think it would tow 2000 pounds with no problem.
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.
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).
May have to look at the Forester instead.
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.
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
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.
Will it seriously not start or is it just buried?
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.
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.
Any help ???