The Outlander may not have won the Paris-Dakar off-road rally. But it's more than capable of giving you some thrills on a blast down your favorite deserted back road
http://www.wheels.ca/news/crossover-cross-check/

 

Nice results, I wish they would have done a more thourough comparison though. I had to laugh when I read that the only reason why not to buy the outi was; "Enthusiasts might want to wait for the suspected Ralliart version." A ralliart version would be nice, but I highly doubt it will ever see production. I would much rather have the dealers offer aftermaket "ralliart" pacages instead. You get a supercharger, exhaust set up, and a Ralli///Art badge. LOL.
*EDIT* oh, did I mention it must not void your warranti since its from dealer, all at a resonable $5,000 price tag, not bad huh. And now you can call your outi a Outlander Ralli//Art.

 

Hey sorry for the double post, but I forgot to post this article from the same site; http://wheels.ca/article/27672, I'm sure you probably already read it, but since it was not posted in your post, here it is for those that have not seen it.

 

[blockquote]Im pretty sure if they had gone out there with proper tires, not the low profile 18" that would have not be an issue. Its like hiking in dress shoes. If I took my silverado out there with the highway tires it has on now i would probably get stuck too. Freakin tards

So can anyone confirm that there is a tranny cooler and larger radiator on the 4WD? I suspected as such but didnt see it in the manual anywhere. Ive learned to take what these yahoos doing the reviews say with a grain of salt.


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I have no idea about the "large radiator" I guess next time I drive around the dealer I'll parck next to a 2wd and compare.

 

That's correct. I know the 4WD has a larger radiator, not too sure about the trans cooler though. All these "advantages" make the 4WD a "ready to tow" vehicle without any modification. That's why 4WD is worth every penny, especially if you went fully loaded.

 

In looking at the lines up front, there are lines that go from the transmission to the radiator so it looks like the cooler is integrated into the radiator. As far as tow packages go, unless you are pulling at the limits(3500lbs) for extended periods in the mountains, what is on the vehicle should work fine if you change tranny fluid more often. If you plan on towing at the limits a lot, add an auxillary transmission cooler as well. Add a receiver hitch and wiring and you should be good to go.