Mitsubishi Outlander - Another Choice in a Crowded Marketplace

Experts predict around 16 million car sales this year. Many of those will be crossover SUVs; that category includes Mitsubishi's thoroughly redesigned Outlander.

The Outlander follows a pattern in the industry of offering a smaller "sport" model and a larger "regular" model. So the new Outlander follows the Outlander Sport into the world as a new '14 model.

It certainly looks different from the old car. New styling is softer than some of the more sharply angled designs out today. The shoulder line reminded me of older BMWs, and that may be intentional. The front eschews the gaping mouth of earlier Mitsubishi crossovers and now offers a flush non-functional "grille" at the top and a working portal for air below. The goal, besides distinguishing itself in the showroom, is to improve aerodynamics for better fuel economy. The car boasts a 7 percent improvement in its cd (coefficiency of drag) down to a remarkable .33.

The package stands well in traffic and your favorite parking place or driveway. My tester arrived in a handsome shade called Copper that glowed like the conductor metal itself. Interesting to me was the presence of the triple-diamond logo and the word "Mitsubishi" on the tidily styled rear. Is the company worried, after all these years in America, that folks won't recognize its famous logo?

It's true that Mitsubishi has had some hard times. While many savor the performance of the Lancer-based Evolution hot sedan, the latest Galant was a hard sell, and the sporty Eclipse went away. The quirky i-MiEV is not a volume seller. A tiny new Mirage is coming, which may bring some bodies into the showroom, but the real models worth considering today are the Outlander Sport and this new Outlander.

Inside, materials are hugely upgraded. The hard, flat bucket seat, nicely leather-wrapped, sits up high, so you can actually see the top of the hood. The wipers are hidden, so looking out, you see a clean line at the rear hood edge, and closer in, a straightforward black and silver instrument panel and dash that wouldn't look out of place in a Volkswagen. Piano black trim gleams while "woodgrain" upgrades the doors.

All controls are mounted high and are easily accessible. The instrument panel greets you when you push the start button, and says "See You," when you turn the car off. Friendly. I wasn't happy that the visors don't slide along the side to block sun during significant trips south in the morning and north in the late afternoon. The air conditioning is a little too energetic in its work, and the car felt cold a lot, but overall, it's a happy place to be in the driver's seat.

It's very quiet inside the car, thanks to increased insulation throughout. It's easy to enjoy the music system--in the case of my car, an optional 710-watt Rockford-Fosgate system with nine speakers, including a 10-inch subwoofer living in the rear compartment behind the third-row seat.

Speaking of those seats, they all fold flat, but the middle row took some consultation with the owner's manual to figure out how to get then to do it. The control that's visible only folds the seat partly forward and slides it to make room for third-row access. Lift the lower cushion and you'll find a button to allow the seat to fold flat.

There are two engine choices, and they're tied to model level. The base ES and mid-level SE models get a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder that puts out 166 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. It offers the MIVEC system (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electric Control). That means it adjusts to run more efficiently, which is what all of these midsize crossovers are trying to do to make themselves desirable devices for increasingly green-minded families. A continuously-variable automatic transmission comes with the four-cylinder.

The Outlander GT, like my tester, employs a larger 3.0-liter V6, which ups the horsepower to 224 horsepower and 215 lb.-ft. of torque. While hardly burning rubber during acceleration, this engine has enough guts to make the Outlander fun to drive anywhere. Fuel economy numbers, officially, are 20 City, 28 Highway and 23 Combined. I averaged 18.9 mpg, and premium fuel is recommended, so this is not the car for the highly environmentally conscious.

The GT offers a six-speed automatic with a new sixth gear for better fuel economy. The EPA gives numbers of 6 for both Smog and Greenhouse gas, so the Outlander is a bit better than average. 

The GT or SE comes with either two-wheel drive or Super All-Wheel Control four-wheel drive system. Mitsubishi claims (rightly, I'd think) that all their experience winning numerous titles in the World Rally Championship, including several outright wins at the Dakar rally, a legendary tough race. The S-AWC system offers four driving modes - the fuel-efficient AWC ECO, the standard NORMAL setting, enhanced tractability in slippery conditions with SNOW and the maximum traction LOCK.

My GT had the GT Touring Package, which added a lot of stuff, including a usable Navigation system with a 7-inch touch screen; a lane departure warning system that helps keep you awake, adaptive cruise control that syncs to the car in front; a power glass sunroof, leather seats, and that super sound system. As the top dog, it starts at $27,795, but ended up at $34,720. The base ES starts at $23,820, including shipping.

Mitsubishi has done their homework and come up with a nice vehicle. Combined with the Outlander Sport, it has a one-two punch. But will people look and love it in large enough quantities to make it a sales success? It's always hard to say for sure, but the two Outlanders seem to be making a good name for themselves. If only people take the time to shop around, some will go for this all-new vehicle.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV - The Electric Car You Haven't Met Yet

You've surely heard a lot more about electric cars lately, with the Tesla, Leaf, Volt and others making the news. You probably haven't heard much about the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, however, so here's a chance to find out about it.I drove one of these revolutionary vehicles for a work week: Monday through Friday. It was an adventure.

Knowing I had an all-electric car coming, I prepared. With a posted 62 mile average range, the Mitsubishi would just barely cover my 60-mile round-trip commute, so I explored the neighborhood for a place to plug in. I found four ChargePoint charging stations, and applied and received an account card. That would allow me to use them. But, when I swiped my card at the station, I found out that they were only usable by the company whose building stood behind them. Oh, well.

The i-MiEV (i for short) is more pod-like and futuristic than most cars. It's a "one box" design, but there's nothing boxy about it. It is kind of cute, really. Inside, there's room for four people, but kneeroom is tight in back. It does feel spacious, however, with a high roofline. The hatchback configuration is useful.

The instrumentation is minimal, but it has what you need. Unlike a hybrid, you don't need to know when the gas is flowing or the battery is discharging. All you need is a digital speedometer, an estimated range meter, and a gauge that shows you how you're driving. Like all electrics and hybrids, the car is either using battery power or recharging the battery. You can be driving in town and alternating between using and charging--and keep that estimated range at the same figure for quite a while. I noticed that the i regenerates without an unnatural feel to the brakes that makes it feel like someone is pushing the pedal for you.

Receiving my White Pearl/Ocean Blue 2012 test car at work, I drove it home in the blissful silence of electric vehicles--and kept an eye on the range meter. With a posted 51-mile range, I figured I could go 30 miles with no problem, and when I pulled in the driveway, it read 22. That was perfect. However, it was obvious I'd have to prepare to charge at work during the day.

I went online and found another charging location a 20-minute walk away. The press fleet had kindly given me two charge company cards to use. This station was from Blink Network, another supplier, and I found a long row of  unoccupied stations. Great! It's easy to use these stations. You just plug in the cord from their machine into the socked on your car (behind what would normally be the gas door) and walk away. I used the regular (240-volt) charger and walked the 20 minutes to work. I called it my "exercise program" - helping the planet and myself at the same time. I would hate to have to do this every day, rain or shine, however.

When I got to the car 10 hours later, I found that it had filled the battery, but also charged me $1.50 per hour--$15. That wouldn't do for the long term. Apparently, it's connection time, not amount of juice you take, that they use to calculate your bill.

The next day, I worked from home, but used the car to visit a friend who lives 24 miles away. I figured, starting with a range of 65, I'd have enough. But, when I got there, I saw that I had only 29 miles left on the meter. I tried not to worry about it, but on the way home, I tried driving as carefully as I could, using good electric car technique. This involves accelerating gently, not going over 55 on the freeway, and being sure to get maximum regenerative braking where possible. From that 29 on the meter, when I got home it said 17. A miracle.

The most convenient place to charge your car is at home, even at normal 110 household current, so I pulled the cord out of the modest bag it came in and plugged in when I was at  home. However, 110 is slow, so you need to charge all night. With a partial charge in there already, it was full by morning, but when I started the process with the battery near empty, overnight was not enough to complete fill the battery--something to think about. You can have a 240 charger installed that should cut that time significantly.

On Thursday of my test week, I tried another charging approach. I had a friend (in an all-electric Nissan Leaf) follow me to the Blink charging station. We saw their quick station was free, and since the i has both kinds of sockets, I was able to plug in to the 440-volt charger. My i had have a battery's worth of juice when I did. We had lunch and returned 45 minutes later and the battery was full! If you can use quick charging, it's a real advantage, but stations are only in certain locations. Actually, the charging infrastructure is still in its infancy, so if you plan to charge on-the-go, you'll need to do your research. The charging company websites can help, and their systems can text you when your car is charged and provide other ways of making it easier.

The EPA numbers for electric cars use the MPGe rating--an "equivalent." My i had an average of 112 MPGe, figuring on 126 City and 99 Highway. The sticker says I'd save $9,850 dollars in fuel costs over five years compared to an average new vehicle.

That's good, because the total MSRP of the car, including $3,000 in options and $850 in destination charges, was $35,065. Of course, there are federal and state rebates that can save you a significant amount, and the cost of fuel and maintenance is much lower. Some cheap lease deals are around on electric cars, as well.

There are numerous advantages to owning an electric car, including low operating costs, minimal maintenance requirements, and a low carbon footprint. The main downsides are initial cost of purchase and limited range. You have to decide what works best for your driving needs. With a 30-mile each way commute, a 62-mile range is a little small. Other electrics have EPA numbers of 70 or 80 miles, and the Tesla offers a much greater range--but at a much higher price.

I actually enjoyed driving the i. It felt responsive, with the torque inherent to all electric motors. It was stable on the road, although it did move a little side-to-side on a major bridge with the wind blowing. The seats were comfortable, the leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter made those touch points feel upscale, and the silent, smooth travel was kind of like flying. The car is fully loaded with things like a heated driver's seat, a 360-watt, eight-speaker audio system, keyless remote, and attractive alloy wheels.

Oh, I left out one of the best parts--the carpool lane stickers. I was able to use the carpool lane as a solo driver in commute hours and it cut my trip by about a third. I was flying by those poor gasoline-using folks! That alone may be worth the price of admission to an electric car.

If I could use an electric car like this for commuting only, and had a fuel-burner for all my other errands, it would be almost ideal. The manufacturers are scrambling to increase range, and prices will come down as volume increases. I can see a day when the 200-mile range, $25,000 electric car will be a reality. For now, if you can live with the 62-mile range, you should at least consider the Mitsubishi i when you're shopping.

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport - Upgraded in Midcycle

Mitsubishi has gone through some changes over the last few years. Some of the old favorites, such as the rugged Montero Sport Ute and the sporty (built in America) Eclipse have gone away, along with the unlamented Galant midsized sedan. Now, the compact Outlander Sport crossover is the brand's biggest seller. Of course, there are lot of folks angling for buyers in the increasingly crowded segment.

I first drove this pleasant little model almost exactly two years ago, when it was introduced. Since then, it's picked up a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and has moved the metal at Mitsubishi dealers. With its RISE (Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution) body design technology, it protects occupants and shields against damage to the fuel system in a rear collision.

Its looks have worn well, to where the 2013 version isn't heavily changed. Yeah, there's a pretty good looking revision to the bold, Lancer-inspired big-mouthed face, with new grille and fog lamps. New side sills integrate nicely with the revised rear bumper. Every Outlander Sport now comes with 18-inch alloy wheels--no cheap steels. There are two new colors. This is what you do when a car enters its third year to keep it fresh.

Inside, it's now quieter because of better insulation, and the seat fabrics are upgraded. From a health standpoint, the interior materials are lower in volatile organic compounds.

You can pick from ES or higher level SE models. Do you think they have one barrel of chrome S's and one of E's in the factory and just switch them depending on which model is coming down the line? At least the name "Outlander" sounds like something you'd take on an adventure. 

Remaining the same is the durable, proven 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The EPA thinks fairly highly of this one, with an average of 27 miles per gallon (24 City, 31 Highway). That's not going to impress any Prius owners, but it is better than the old SUVs of yore. I earned 24.2 mpg, but a lot of my driving is in commute traffic, so your mileage could be significantly better.

There's a manual five-speed transmission available in the ES model, but you can order up an upgraded continuously variable automatic. The SE comes only with the automatic, with an artificial six-speed sport setting. 

With its crossover SUV configuration, the Outlander Sport hauls stuff easily but still feels contained and taut in town. It sits up nice and high for seeing over sedan-driving folks in the daily commute. You can take the thing off road if you want, but you'll probably want to order up four-wheel drive. My Rally Red tester had only two-wheel drive, which is great for most drivers.

Every Outlander Sport is pretty well stocked with stuff when it arrives. Inside, there's a 140-watt stereo system and a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel. Every car these days has things like power windows, locks and mirrors, but the Outlander Sport also provides a full USB connection for your music and Bluetooth for your phone--and the FUSE hands-free link system. Interesting that this is the first car in which I've added my phone to the Bluetooth using only voice commands.

The SE has more stuff than the ES, including standard SiriusXM Satellite Radio, two more speakers to hear it with, high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlamps, automatic climate control, keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers (a luxury car feature), and more.

My SE tester featured two nice options. For one, it seemed like the entire roof was one huge panoramic moonroof. It doesn't open, but it does expose everyone to lots of sunlight, and it has cool lights around the edges that are a date-pleasing novelty at night. The 710-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system, with subwoofer, added significantly better sound, although the speakers didn't seem that impressive.

The Outlander Sport saves Mitsubishi a lot of taxes by being built in the good old U.S.A., but local content is only 20 percent. The engine and transmission are Japanese. Assembly quality felt fine to me, and I certainly had no issues during the car's brief stay.  

There's nothing that remarkable about the way it drives--it's smooth and quiet where it needs to be, even though continuously variable transmissions don't make a sporty gear change sound. 148 horsepower is decent but not exhilarating with 3,120 pounds to move, but it's no slug either.

The Outlander Sport starts out pretty inexpensive, to compete against a variety of models from Hyundai Tucsons to Honda CR-Vs to Toyota RAV4s. The ES begins at $19,995, including shipping. My SE, with two-wheel drive but the fancy roof and powerful audio system, came to $27,170, but without the packages would be just $23,000.

Who is buying the new Outlander Sport? Folks who know a good value, I'd say.

Evolution - the HOT Mitsubushi Lancer

Photo: Victor Llana (www.boundlesscaptures.com)

I got my chance to drive the enormously powerful Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution recently. It's an interesting product, because it's powerful and firm-riding while being based on a plain four-door sedan. Kind of a Pontiac GTO for today. The big difference between the GTO and the Evo, though, is that this modern muscle car uses a 2.0 liter engine (that's right) that puts out, thanks to turbocharging and intercooling, 291 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque!

Yes, you read that one right. And it comes with the goods young performance car enthusiasts want. Brembo brakes (that you can see through the 18-inch alloy wheels). A huge rear spoiler that "spoils" the view behind while looking cool (or ridiculous, depending on what you care for. The body ground effects panels below the doors stick out like running boards--very cool, but  don't step on them (there's a warning on them to make sure you don't).

There's always something entertaining about a car that pulls you ahead when you step on the gas pedal. This one does--and sounds fiercer than you might expect with just two liters under the hood (which has two vents and a naca duct, by the way).The engine runs at just over 3,000 rpm at 65 mph so you'll hear the engine a lot on the freeway. My tester sported a five-speed manual with a 0.761 overdrive fifth gear. You can order up a six-speed automatic.

Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) keeps all four wheels gripping the pavement. It's a combination of Mitsubishi's All-Wheel Control and Active Yaw Control, meaning that it sends engine torque to the outside or inside rear wheels depending on available traction, so the wheels with the most grip on the road receive the most power. In addition, three driver-selectable modes let you choose the surface. I found Tarmac (the road), Gravel, and Snow settings--but used only the first.

There are sporty Recaro buckets inside with hard bolsters to keep you in place during the antics you're sure to perform with this beautiful beast. My wife didn't care for them--especially when one bolster surprised her while she was getting into the car. Also reminding you of the sportiness you've got is the billet metal emergency brake handle with "Lancer Evolution" inscribed into it.

My Wicked White tester had a five-speed manual--but you can order up a six-speed automatic. The manual felt solid and mechanical--not the best but rewarding in its authentic feel. I did stall the car a couple of times, though. but if you lived with it that wouldn't happen.

The Lancer is a pretty nice looking car overall, even without the go-fast add-ons, although the huge air intake up front is a little frightening. I drove the non-turbo not hotrod five-door sportback a while ago and it was very pleasant. The issue, if there is one, is that for $35,000 the folks who want the car (young guys) may not be able to afford it, and the people looking for a $35K sports sedan may prefer a BMW 3 series. But for a week it was big fun.

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback--Hidden Gem

When you're retailing, say, Ford F150 pickup trucks or Toyota Camrys, you basically just round 'em up and move 'em out. These models sell in the U.S. in the hundreds of thousands every year. "What color would you like?," is what the salespeople ask their numerous customers.

What if you're Mitsubishi? Things aren't going as well in the U.S. these days, with the sporty Eclipse in decline, the Galant a perennial also-ran and SUV sales stagnant. But there are some bright spots, including the upcoming "i" all-electric models, the brisk-selling compact crossover Outlander Sport--and the Lancer Sportback.

The Lancer is its most ferocious as the Evolution, with its 291-horsepower turbocharged engine, Brembo brakes, Recaro seats, and such, but the Lancer itself, in sedan or Sportback form, is a nice car that is overshadowed by some flashier competition. My Graphite Gray test car looked handsome and had the solid, well put together look of a BMW sedan of a couple of generations ago. The big mouth grille is the new face of Mitsubishi, in the style of Audi, but the general proportions are restrained and handsome.

Inside, the lines are straight, surfaces no-nonsense and hard for the most part, and the chrome and bling are at a minimum. At first glance, this seems a little Spartan, but, frankly, that's the way 3 Series BMWs have looked for years and nobody has complained. In truth, when you're driving you want controls that work the way they're supposed to, information when you need it, and reasonable quiet so you can hear the stereo. These things the Lancer does just fine, and the lack of overtly styled twists and turns and elaborately crafted dash art are pleasantly non-distracting.

The ES model, like mine, has a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a manual or automatic. My tester had the latter, which, as a Continuously Variable Transmission, churned out usable ratios without fuss and never left me sitting there. The manual, which I sampled in a sedan previously, would be a little more fun.

Average fuel economy is rated at 27 and that's about what I got. Not bad.

The GTS moves up to a 2.4-liter four with 168 horsepower and adds 18-inch alloy wheels. The Ralliart uses a 2.0-liter turbo to put out 237 horsepower. See their website for model specs.

The real bonus of the Sportback is its generous hatchback. It lifts up high--above head clunking level--and a quick drop of the seats opens up a surprisingly large and flat carpeted space. When the rear seats are up and the cover's in place, you get the security of a good-sized trunk. It's a best-of-both-worlds deal.

At $20,105, including optional 18-inch alloys from the higher-level models, rear disc brakes and stabilizer bars for higher performance, a sunroof and nice leather-wrapped steering wheel, the car feels like something of a bargain.

You just have to keep an open mind when you're out shopping--and figure out where the nearest Mitsubishi dealer is located.