Cars Price 2015

Priced at $40,538, the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander GT I drove around for a week in December was disturbingly overpriced.

In Canada, Outlanders start at $27,448. But the GT S-AWC starts at $37,648 with all-wheel-drive, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and a V6 engine in place of the 4-cylinder/CVT combo. A $2730 navigation package and $160 pearlescent paint boost the as-tested price beyond $40,000.

THE GOOD • Decent ride/handling mix • Nicely weighted steering • Impressive Rockford Fosgate • Available third row • Only one in the parking lot

THE BAD • Such tiny buttons • Interior feels ancient • $40K+? • Third row is tight, cramps cargo • LDW, FCW, but no BSM?

The issue isn’t the manner in which the Outlander’s MSRP compares to the price of other similarly sized two-row utility vehicles. Rather, the problem as I see it is Mitsubishis desire to charge the kind of money other automakers are charging for genuine three-row family crossovers.

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• Historical Monthly & Yearly Mitsubishi Outlander Sales Figures
• 2014 Nissan Rogue SL Driven Review

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Granted, the Outlander isn’t deserving of criticism because it fails so miserably in any one facet. In fact, the Outlander is simply mediocre in every way. It therefore quickly becomes forgettable, not worthy of mention for any reason other than the combination of tidy exterior dimensions with seven-passenger seating.

Perhaps we got off to a rough start, the Mitsubishi Canada-supplied Outlander and I. Although I’ve read multiple accounts from other publications describing the fits-all-sizes comfort of the Outlander’s driver’s seat, I spent a week failing to find the proper setup for my lanky frame. It’s a personal concern, one which may not apply to your body type, but a seat cushion lacking length and a limited amount of overall adjustment led me to a state of constant discontent.

2015 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER GT S-AWC Base Price: $37,648 * As-Tested Price: $40,538 * Engine: 3.0L 24-valve SOHC V6 Transmission: 6-speed automatic Horsepower: 227 @ 6250 rpm Torque: 215 lb-ft @ 3750 rpm Curb Weight: 3571 pounds Drive Type: all-wheel-drive Length: 183.3 inches Width: 71.3 inches Height: 66.1 inches Wheelbase: 105.1 inches Tires: Toyo A24 Tire Size: 225/45R18 Passenger Volume: 3630 litres Cargo Volume: 292 litres CV Behind 2nd Row: 968 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 1792 litres EPA City: 20 mpg EPA Hwy: 28 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 11.5 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 8.4 L/100km Observed: 21.4 mpg Observed: 11.0 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1450 destination charge. Outlander base price: $27,448 Outlander AWD base price: $29,448 Outlander V6 AWD 7-seat base price: $32,648 MPG fuel economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency. L/100km ratings from the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiencys new 5-cycle testing for MY2015 vehicles.

Second row space is acceptable, however, and access into the third row isn’t as awkward as I expected in a vehicle that’s only five inches longer than a Ford Escape. Yet once back there, well, who goes back there? Who in my life is deserving of that kind of punishment? There’s a decent amount of space for a load of groceries behind the third row (it’s difficult to expect more from most three-row crossovers regardless of size), so Mitsubishi could shove the seat back a smidge. 

As it stands, this isn’t so much a third row for emergencies as it is a third row for emergencies in which you literally take prisoners. The same can’t be said for the third row in the Dodge Durango, which can be had for less money.

Regardless of the row you inhabit, the overall sensation delivered by the 183-inch-long Outlander’s interior does not pertain to smallness or largeness but to cheapness. This feels like 2007-grade material quality. Although all of the third-generation Outlander’s body parts are different from the second-gen’s, at its core this feels like a lighter, updated version of a vehicle which debuted in second-gen form for MY2007.

Interior controls are simple enough, but the buttons surrounding the Rockford Fosgate radio unit are tiny and chintzy. 

The cabin isn’t what you’d call loud, nor is it quiet. One unfortunate caress of the headliner will lead you to believe Mitsubishi sourced the fabric from the late 80s. There are hard, scuffable plastics everywhere you look and touch. This is not the interior of a Toyota Highlander, which can be had for less money.

In motion, the Outlander does redeem itself somewhat. The electrically assisted power steering is nicely weighted and promptly responsive. Ride quality isn’t reflective of the Outlander’s 105.1-inch wheelbase as the comfort-minded suspension and stiff structure don’t allow particularly harsh impacts to transfer to the Outlander’s occupants.

There’s even an initial sense of discreet sportiness, although the Outlander doesn’t possess the limits of the Mazda CX-5, for instance. Instead, when pushed only slightly, the Outlander is more composed than many of the most dynamic small crossovers, but it falls apart more quickly if you decide to drive more enthusiastically than most small crossover owners would.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net Click Any Of Images For A Larger View

Mitsubishi’s all-wheel-drive technology features special lock, snow, and eco modes. Called S-AWC for Super All-Wheel Control, the Outlander’s all-wheel-drive system is a $2000 option on the ES; standard on the SE and GT. Although the Outlander’s 6-speed automatic is a willing partner, the naturally-aspirated 3.0L V6 (227 horsepower at a lofty 6250 rpm, 215 lb-ft of torque at 3750 rpm) with which it’s paired doesn’t have what it takes to match turbo four-cylinder powerplants, lacks all manner of low-end punch, and becomes coarse and unruly at higher rpm. By comparison, the 3.3L V6 in Hyundai’s three-row Santa Fe, which can be had for less money, feels like all-American muscle.

I wouldn’t bother to draw attention to much larger competition like the Durango (201 inches long), Highlander (191), or Santa Fe (193) if the Outlander lived up to its window sticker, its spec sheet, and its options list.
But at this price? For a vehicle of this size? The sunroof is small; not remotely panoramic. The lane departure warning system tended to beep when no beep was necessary and failed to beep when it should have. (Bizarrely, the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC Touring includes LDW, forward collision mitigation, and adaptive cruise control, but no blind spot monitoring.) In complete contradiction to its intended purpose, Mitsubishi’s keyless go – they call it FAST-key – required me to remove the key from my pocket almost every time I tried to get in the Outlander. A third row this snug is not a selling feature. A V6 engine could be a key selling feature, but not when it’s the second-least powerful V6 engine on the market today. (Lexus’s 2.5L in the IS250 makes just 204 horsepower.) The Outlander’s 227-horsepower V6 drinks premium fuel at a rate of a 11L/100km, just like the 340-horsepower Porsche Macan S in which we averaged 11.2L/100km. The Porsche can’t be had for less money.

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• 2014 Kia Sorento SX Driven Review
• 2013 Dodge Journey R/T Rallye Driven Review

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If you can find your local Mitsubishi dealer, you’ll discover that the Outlander won’t be the slowest or the thirstiest SUV. It won’t be the smallest, nor will it be the largest. The Outlander isn’t the most overindulgent, nor is it the most under-equipped. It’s not the prettiest, nor is it the ugliest. It’s not fun to drive like some small crossovers, but it’s not annoying like some others. As a result of its failure to do any one thing particularly well, the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC is thoroughly underwhelming. Im not inclined to call it a bad vehicle – the Outlander is average in too many ways to earn such a label. Its price, however, is not average. For less money, you can do better.

Perhaps we shouldn’t expect modern results without modern kit underhood. And perhaps we shouldn’t be charged modern prices for outdated vehicles. So say the tens of thousands of small crossover buyers who reject the Outlander each month. For every Outlander sold in Canada over the first ten months of 2014, its three most direct three-row competitors – Rogue, Sorento, Journey – have generated 13 sales. But can Mitsubishi do better? You bet they can, and a plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander is coming in the near future. If nothing else, that level of technology will be something that sets the Outlander apart.

The Porsche Boxster, always nice. For many, the Boxster is a model of entry. In fact it is a car that can discover and experience, at lower costs, the pleasures of the legendary sports car manufacturer. In its design, Porsche has clearly put the emphasis on driving pleasure rather than on performance and the fact that it is proposed that emphasizes convertible this trait. Moreover, if for some builders, entry-level models are not particularly attractive, the Boxster is anything but a low-class Porsche. It is beautifully done and delivers more than reasonable performance for its price. So much for the purists, his brother, the Cayman coupe, which serves as an entry-level racing car at the German manufacturer.



This small Porsche gets basically a six-cylinder engine of 2.9 liter 255 horsepower power. This may seem relatively small for a sports car, but when one considers the weight of the car, it is clear that the level of performance is enviable. The Boxster S with its 3.4-liter V6 and 310 horses, turned a small convertible into a real dragster from 0-100 km / h in under five seconds, 4.6 in the case of Black Boxster Edition equipped with sequential gearbox PDK and Sport Package Plus.

On an annual basis, U.S. sales of the Nissan Rogue have always increased. But in July 2014, for the second consecutive month, Nissan USA was not able to match last years Rogue sales pace. Rogue sales slid slightly, just 2%, in July 2014 after falling 3% in June. 

Yet the second-generation Rogue has nevertheless proven to be one of Nissans stars. Its Nissans second-best-selling model. Year-to-date, Rogue volume is up 21% in a market thats up 5%; in a vehicle category thats up 12%. 

At this stage last year, the Rogue was 82,926 sales back of the leading SUV. The Rogue has closed the gap by nearly 16,000 units in 2014. 

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• U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - August 2014 YTD
• U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - June 2014 YTD
• U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - July 2013 YTD

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The Rogue is a top seller, but Nissans steady ascent has not yet made it the top seller. That role belongs to the Honda CR-V, just as it did at this stage two years ago. The CR-V trailed the Ford Escape by 5980 units at the seven-month mark in 2013 but ended the year as Americas top-selling utility vehicle after generating 130,915 sales in the final five months of 2013.

Moreover, the Rogue is competing with other vehicles which are also steadily increasing their U.S. sales tallies, though not quite as quickly. July was the Toyota RAV4s best-ever sales month - RAV4 sales are up 19% in 2014. 

Embattled GM has produced improved Chevrolet Equinox sales in each of the last five years, and against the grain of the news, produced a 37% jump in Equinox sales in July. 
The fifth-best-selling Ford Explorer, meanwhile, is Americas top-selling three-row vehicle. And it attracts cops, which few SUVs do, to the tune of 9.5% of its U.S. volume. 

The Rogue is more than a symbol of Nissans U.S. auto market success. But taken as a symbol, its a very meaningful one.