Auto manufacturers world-wide are in hot pursuit of the ultimate crossbred vehicle. Tinkering engineers have mated smaller, responsive cars with larger, meatier SUVS. The results are vehicles born with the best qualities of both sides of the parental lineage.
Mitsubishi’s entry into this groovy hybrid market is the sure-handling Outlander.
I was given the tricked-out, All-Wheel Drive XLS package — sticker priced at $24,485. This little guy sits you up off the road at a level with good ol? American truck standards. While waiting for my turn to turn north onto M-15 from Oakwood Road, a newer model Chevy Blazer pulled up next to me (waiting for his turn to make a left). And, sure enough sitting in this 98 percent Japanese made car, I was eye level with the guy next to me.
I like sitting up like that. I have a better sense of things around me. I feel more secure. The Outlander is a good crossbreed. It’s smallish (about the size of the Saturn Vue) which allows you to whip in and out of any tight parking spot like the ones at Sagebrush Cantina in Lake Orion — but the Outlander feels biggish.
Helping the Outlander feel big and tall are stylish 16-inch alloy wheels. It’s an all around good looking vehicle.
Smiling at sitting up high off the road, I got my chance to shoot out onto the state highway. I put the pedal to the metal and turned to the right. The Outlander’s 16-valve, four-cylinder engine came to life — well sort of. I got up to speed quick enough, but I felt this all-wheel-drive, 3,461 pounds vehicle (plus the 240 pounds of love in me) was a little too much for a four-cylinder.
The manufacturer says the car gets 20 miles to the gallon around town and 25 on the highway. Six-cylindered minivans get that, so Mitsubishi might do well to start offering a bigger engine for this car. (Around town I drove 300 miles on one tank of gas before I added fuel. I believe I could have gone further on that tank, but didn’t want to chance it. By the way, the gas tank holds 15.7 gallons.)
Both my wife Jen, and I agreed — we liked the car’s looks and feel. It really gripped the area’s curvy roads well. The interior’s front was very appealing. All the switches and buttons and gizmos were easily in reach from the driver’s seat. The dash, with its retro-looking brush metal and analog clock was — well — groovy.
One of the best ‘little? features are the air vent/heat-blower hole thingies (whatever they are called?) on the dash. These things are handy, they work great and you can direct the flow of air any which way. Seriously, I have never seen better air vent/heat-blower hole thingies in any car.
With two lads still in kids? car seats, however, we didn’t like the rear seats. The seat belts locked too quickly and the kids? seats didn’t fit well.
Overall, this would be a ride for someone without kids, who wants to sit up on the road and look good.
You can virtually ‘build? your own Outlander — pick the colors add different packages, etc. — by visiting the Mitsubishi website. Outlander is available with all-wheel drive or as a two-wheel drive model. Manufacturer’s suggested pricing ranges from just over $18,000 up to about $25,000.