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Sunday, November 12, 2017

Devon test drives a Mitsubishi Outlander


Mitsubishi Outlander in Tallinn, Estonia 20151114.jpg

The Mitsubishi Outlander has a lot to prove in a heavily competitive crossover segment. There are some heavy hitters from Ford, Nissan and Toyota. Does Mitsubishi have what it takes to lure buyers away? Or is it all too late to save the ailing brand?
ES and SE trims both only come with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder which produces 166hp. The SE trim offers optional all-wheel-drive. While the top of the range GT offers a 3-liter six-cylinder producing 244hp. It’s nice that Mitsubishi offers the six-cylinder but we question if it is really needed. Unless you are looking at the more spec’d up versions of the Escape and Rogue, the SE trim is the pick of the range. It comes with just enough kit without being too expensive and offers all-wheel-drive optional.
The Outlander just doesn’t feel as composed to drive as a Ford Escape. The ride comfort however isn’t as firm as the Escape. But ride is too easily upset over some road surfaces, which causes the ride to feel bouncy especially at higher speeds on the highway. At least there’s plenty of grip, but the steering doesn’t really weight up at highway speeds. At least road and wind noise are well suppressed and you won’t really hear much from the engines at relaxed speeds.
There’s plenty of space for passengers to get comfortable. Drivers won’t struggle to find a comfortable seating position. All but the third row seat which is best left for children. With the third row seat folded down the boot space opens up and offers plenty of space. The dashboard is somewhat easy to navigate through. We dislike the fiddly to operate touch screen display which is too distracting to use on the go.
The ES trim comes with auto-off headlights, keyless entry, power windows and a hill start assist. Our favorite trim SE comes with climate control, alloy wheels, touch screen display with rearview camera, keyless start and an eco-mode switch. Top of the range GT trim adds HID headlights, all-wheel-drive and Sirius-XM satellite radio.
The Outlander is priced competitively among its keen rivals like the Ford Escape and Nissan Rogue.  Even though you get more kit than both vehicles, we think you’re better off picking one of the two. Running costs with the Outlander should be average but resale value should be a bit of a worry. Reliability is above average though.
The Outlander is a great option for those who want something with good value for the money. However the Outlander just isn’t as polished as its keen rivals and resale isn’t great. But if you want something a little different from its rivals and you really want seven seats at a discount this is your best option.

Likes: Seven seat crossover at a reasonable price, running costs with four-cylinder are decent. The kit level is very impressive at this price range

Dislikes: Resale value is questionable. Exterior design is on the bland side. This is not the halo car Mitsubishi desperately needs.

Devon’s Choice: SE trim offers optional all-wheel-drive, and comes standard with alloy wheels, keyless start and a rearview camera. It’s the only trim that makes the most sense without over paying for the GT trim.

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