mmarshall

Thanks.

Well, by some standards, almost any of the small-to-moderate sized "Cute-Ute" SUVs would seem dull. Driving excitement is not what they are about...they are designed for practicality, all-weather traction, versatility, interior room, sedan-like driving manners, and reasonably good mileage. In these areas, most of them deliver in spades.

mmarshall

Yes, I pointed that out in the review. The 3.0L comes with 2WD in the XLS version and with AWD on the GT.

mmarshall

That was a concern I had, too, to some extent. But it sounds like Josh, if he gets one, intends to keep it long enough to where almost any vehicle would have lost most of its value through depreciation, not just a Mitsubishi product. Most vehicles, after 8-10 years, aren't worth much anyway, not just Mitsubishis. And, of course, if Mitsubishi DOES fold in the American market, Federal law requires them to keep making replacement-parts for up to seven years.

mmarshall

I stated, in the review, that the Outlander was physically larger, especially in the front/rear ends........perhaps I did not emphasize that enough.

I didn't know that different names for these two specific vehicles were used overseas, but that is not unusual.....in fact, it's actually pretty common with automakers.

mmarshall

Next planned review:

I might take a little break for awhile...I've done a lot of reviews lately. I do plan to do the all-new 2012 Ford Escape and Subaru Impreza, however, when they debut, and if I can get a test-drive on an all-electric Nissan Leaf, I'll do it. But, because of the way that Nissan markets and sells the Leaf (taking all of the orders on-line and not stocking any at dealerships), that may be difficult or imposible.

spwolf

yeah, they are not the same cars at all... did you do Sport review? Maybe that would be good... It got rave reviews in euro mags...

mmarshall

No, I looked briefly at a Sport, but didn't actually test-drive one. Josh had specifically asked for a conventional-Outlander four-cylinder review. He's got that big 100-lb. dog, and I guess (?) he wanted something with enough room in back, with the seats down, for the dog to move around a little. The Outlander Sport's cargo area is notably smaller than the Outlander's.

I also may take a little break from reviews for a couple of weeks. I've been doing quite a few of them lately, and will rest a little. I might do a shortened, condensed-review on a Sport in a little while, though....I'll put it on the list.

ArmyofOne

Mike, alot of my requirements are based on the dog. But also a possible (adopted) family with a child or 3 in the near future. In addition to that, fuel economy is big one, as well as size. As much as Meghan loves the Ram, driving it through the city streets of Tacoma, and even through parking lots in a shopping center can be a chore. And dont ask her to park it in the parking lot in front of our townhouse. Bad news.

Fizzboy7

Good review M.
The rediculous front overhang and huge snout grille totally ruins the look of these cars. At least the dash and interior seem nicer. But I think it's too little too late. Mitsubishi has had too many failures and weak cars to keep going. I see curtains.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Agreed. IMO, Mitsubishi, Acura, and Audi have all three turned to awkward-looking grilles.

We'll see. Suzuki and Saab have somehow managed to stay in the American market despite declining sales and increasingly sparse dealerships. Maybe Mitsu will be able to hold on, too.

Personally, I don't think that that big Cadillac franchise would have spent the money and resources it took to expand into a brand-new Mitsubishi franchise (the one I was at for the review) if the company's prospects in America were that weak. Most buisnesses invest expecting a firm return on their dollar.

ArmyofOne

I honestly do not think Saab would have survived without riding on the coattails of GM for so many years.

I do think Mitsubishi is fairly strong though, their company is so much bigger than cars. They do everything from Batteries to Televisions.

mmarshall

There's arguments both pro and con on that. When GM took over Saab and started replacing the authentic Swedish Saab designs with GM world-platform cars and rebadged Chevies/Opels/Subarus, they alienated a number of Saab's former small but loyal following....those who liked the quirkiness of the pre-GM Saabs. We'll see how the company does under its new Spyker ownership.

Good point. They also do aircraft. And, I can remember, one of the numerous computer-terminals I used at the office, before I retired, was a Mitsubishi unit.

spwolf

Mitsubishi also sells 3x the volume of Subaru, worldwide :-).

It is actually pretty large manufacturer... sells more than MB or BMW.

mmarshall

Worldwide, they produce a wider line of vehicles than Subaru does, even taking into account the other Subarus (including the Subaru FWD models that are not sold in the U.S.). But, in the U.S., it's no comparison....Subaru simply blows them away.

As Josh noted, though, Mitsubishi is far more than just automobiles. BMW sticks to just motor-vehicles and motorcycles, and Mercedes just vehicles, although both BMW and Mercedes (as Daimler-Benz), at one time, did aircraft engines.

spwolf

yes, but Mitsibushi sells about the same number of cars and BMW/MB do worldwide, and 60% more than Subaru. Thats their 2011.

They used to be even bigger, back in 2006 they sold 1.5m cars world wide but they got hit by the crisis as other japanese car manufacturers.