RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability

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RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it compare?

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RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/21/2007 1:54:58 AM

Malu

Posts: 27
Joined: 9/6/2007
Status: offline

I actually tried my third-row seats for the firsts time last night, with only the aid of the interior light in the car to try to follow the instruction pictures, but I must say it was no problem at all getting them up. I then proceeded to get in and sit myself down behind the second row (in foremost position), and it wasn't huge, head was near the roof (I'm 6ft), but not as cramped as I imagined it to be, I've been in several compact cars that had even smaller second row seats (eg the misubishi colt) where I just wouldn't fit at all without sitting sideways.

Anyway, good job on collecting reliability data!

[EDIT: Spelling]

< Message edited by Malu -- 12/21/2007 1:58:17 AM >

(in reply to mkaresh)

Post #: 21

RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/21/2007 6:19:51 AM

mkaresh

Posts: 54
Joined: 4/23/2007
Status: offline

Thanks.

Sounds like beginners luck :)

Actually, it's been so long since I drove the Outlander and wrote that review that I don't recall what the problem was. No doubt once you figure out how to put them up once, it's easy after that.

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Post #: 22

RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/21/2007 7:56:42 AM

bnilguy

Posts: 258
Joined: 4/20/2007
Status: offline

I didn't realize you wrote reviews...I'll admit that I'm disappionted since I had thought your site was a scientific endeavor.

I don't think the world needs another car reviewer that takes 1 test drive and judges a car on subjective items. I'll test drive myself and read owner's opinions for that. It does need real reliablity, fuel economy, and comparitive pricing data.

The danger in this setup is that people love their cars and when you give a negative review you, in a way, say that they have flawed tasted..and then you're asking them for their help to gather data.

I was disappointed in the review in that you're comparing a base Outlander with uplevel RAV4s. You admit this, but still don't reserve a negative judgment. Especially from a site that seeks to equalize comparisons. For the price of the model you drove, you'd be driving a base 4x2 4 cylinder RAV.

I think the XLS AWD would address many of your issues..to your satisfaction..I don't know. But I think it's only fair that if you're going to do comparison reviews, to drive comparable vehicles

Also, a $1300 price difference is significant to a lot of people.

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2007 Outlander XLS 2WD..Black on Black

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Post #: 23

RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/21/2007 9:55:13 AM

mkaresh

Posts: 54
Joined: 4/23/2007
Status: offline

There's a reason I don't post reviews to the site itself. If there are ever reviews on the site, they will be by site visitors and not site staff.

I certainly don't want to suggest that my opinion is the only valid opinion.

At the time, I wanted to review the Outlander, and that's all the dealer had available for a test drive. You'll find the same problem even with the major magazines, that they often can't get directly comparable vehicles for their comparison tests.

I don't recall the Outlander being in many such comparison tests. Don't know why.

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Post #: 24

RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/21/2007 8:54:38 PM

dodo2

Posts: 273
Joined: 2/21/2007
Status: offline

Michael: I'm not sure if you still think that Mitsu makes inferior cars, but at the time of the writing I believe you had this impression. You tried to shade a negative light on the vehicle. Here they are few examples:
1. Plastic caps instead of the fog lights: you noted that the vehicle you tested did not have fog light, but ugly plastic caps. Well, any base model from any manufacturer, including CRV and RAV4 is like that so there is no point to highlight it as a negative for the Outlander. It's just typical.
2. Steel wheels: usually the base models are like that, including the CRV and RAV4. Have you seen the butt ugly wheels on the bas CRV? Outlander's steels with covers are way better looking IMO. Same goes for the RAV4. BTW - I hope in this iteration of the RAV4 they are better b/c the previous ones were severely rusted after 3-4 years.
3. Seat bolsters: the CRV or RAV4 base models don't have any bolstering so no matter how "bad" are the ones in the Outlander, they are better than nothing. Outlander's base seats are far better, including the fabric quality. I find the backrest bolsters very firm with the seat bolsters quite firm too. They do move a bit, but just enough to allow you to get in and out of the seat; perfectly acceptable for a mainstream car. We are not talking Recaro seats here.
4. Armrest padding: the base CRV has no proper armrest other than the skinny, totally uncomfortable (2-3") folding armrest. The base RAV4's armrest is as hard as it can get. At least Outlander's armrests (both sides) are decent if not great.
5. Torques steer: have you ever driven a V6 RAV4 FWD? That’s torque steer and by know this issue is well acknowledged by the RAV4 owners. The CRV may not exhibit too much since there is no power to generate it.
6. Handling: In the 2007 MT TOTY, they tested the CRV, RAV4, Outlander and all the handling numbers are better, although marginally, for the Outlander. I make reference to the MT because they tested the cars under similar conditions. Even if you look at individual Edmunds full tests you will see the same pattern.

Now, after more than a year on the market, the Outlander proved that it had numerically less and less significant problems compared to the CRV and the RAV4 in their first production year. This tells the real story about Mitsu's new cars. I still regularly read the RAV4 and CRV forums and this is the best way to learn about a particular car and make a comparison.
Just so there is no doubt, I’m not really a Mitsu or other brand fanboy nor I think the Outlander is the perfect car, but I think its faults are elsewhere and the are highly compensated by its price and value (especially in Canada).

(in reply to mkaresh)

Post #: 25

RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/21/2007 9:28:15 PM

mkaresh

Posts: 54
Joined: 4/23/2007
Status: offline

I personally think the steelies look worse on the Outlander than on the CR-V. The reason, as much as anything else, is size. The steelies on the CR-V are 17s, as are the alloys. The vehicle is styled to look okay (well, as okay as it's going to look with that nose) with 17s.

With the Outlander, on the other hand, the steelies are 16s on a vehicle styled for the XLS' alloy 18s. So aside from being steel they're also undersized for the exterior bodystyle.

I'm probably also holding the Outlander's more stylish exterior against it, in a way. The XLS looks very good, to my eye. After seeing it, the ES looks worse than it would look if the XLS simply did not exist. The impact of the steelies and caps where the fog lights would be is more obvious when seeing one and then the other.

I strongly suspect that the MT test results were obtained with the XLS and its 55-series rubber rather than the ES or LS with their 70-series rubber.

As I've stated earlier, I haven't driven the RAV4 V6 with FWD, and have no doubt that it suffers from a lot of torque steer. SUVs are inherently more suspectible to torque steer because of their raised suspensions--the halfshafts can't be anywhere near level. And the larger the angle of the halfshaft, the greater the propensity to torque steer.

No doubt I could have been more consistent across my reviews. But this tends to be the case with any reviewer. I think I do a very good job with my reviews considering what I have to work with. Quite often I reach the same conclusions from a test drive that the magazines do in subsequent road tests. But my reviews are not perfect.

You are making me want to go take an XLS for a spin. Problem is, I also want to drive the Lancer with the new 2.4 in it, so the next time I get by a Mitsubishi dealer that's going to be my preference--if it's out yet.

< Message edited by mkaresh -- 12/21/2007 9:39:27 PM >

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RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/21/2007 11:25:25 PM

goldenboy

Posts: 59
Joined: 10/9/2007
Status: offline

i guess whats been written is a done deal...

ultimately, it doesnt hold water anymore to the many happy and satisfied outlander owners who saw through the imperfections of such a review, and bought the vehicle based on comprehensive research, actual testing and a clear idea of what they want

and among those who like to read more than find out for themselves what theyre missing, or otherwise, im hoping they get up and drive

lastly, i think sir that you a step in the right direction with your possible next mitsu review...test and write about the exact vehicle that you intend to review, otherwise dont write about it just yet
for a professional reviewer/critic like you...i think it is the prudent way to go about it

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Post #: 27

RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/22/2007 5:34:18 AM

chenarm

Posts: 197
Joined: 11/21/2007
Status: offline

I have test driven all the vehicles in this class before buying the Outlander. I have had 6 new cars in the last 17 years, by far this is the purchase I am the most happy about. The biggest problem I have is keeping my wife’s hands off of it.
As far as the styling of the steel wheels, I don't think you need to put that on a review, if you can't see the wheel well enough yourself to know if you like them or not, than I don't want you on the road next to me.
I read a review the other day that listed "the transmission shift oddly on low grade slopes" as a con for the vehicle. After 8000km I'm still wondering what they were talking about, Maybe I haven't gone up the exact same hill they have. But if that's what professional car reviewers need to find as problems with the car, than I think I made a good purchase!
In my mind these types comments are written just to say something negative about the car, after coming back from an all expense paid trip to god knows where to try the competitor’s car.
We had a local car reviewer on a talk show here about 2 years ago, who described the practices in the car reviewer world, It makes Fidel Castro sound like he is pro-democracy.

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Marc

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Post #: 28

RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/22/2007 7:47:06 AM

mkaresh

Posts: 54
Joined: 4/23/2007
Status: offline

I'm not a professional reviewer. Although I do attend the press days of auto shows as the developer of TrueDelta, I have not applied for access to press cars.

Quite often the magazines cannot test the version they'd most like to test. In response, they review what they are able to test. Nothing unusual there. And I still fail to see what's wrong with this, as long as the review clearly states which version was tested.

With any car, owners are going to disagree with any negative review. After all, they bought the car, so they must have liked it.

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Post #: 29

RE: Mitsubishi Outlander reliability - how does it comp... - 12/22/2007 8:20:22 AM

rcpax

Posts: 535
Joined: 2/13/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: mkaresh
With any car, owners are going to disagree with any negative review. After all, they bought the car, so they must have liked it.

I beg to disagree to that statement. I have met a lot of Outlander owners in this forum who dislike certain features of the vehicle, especially omissions of certain features they liked, and they've been honest about it. Myself included. I've stopped listening to people reviewing cars, because I can figure that out for myself. Because most of the time, an interested buyer is much better informed than somebody who review cars for a fee.

... And no, my Outlander XLS 4WD DOES NOT have heated 2nd row seats

...

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(in reply to mkaresh)