One thing I don't get, a number of reviews indicate that the 4 cyl Outlander has sluggish acceleration. Yet when I checked various pubs for comparisons I find the time for 0-60mph
CRV - 10.6
Rav4 - 10
Outlander - 10.1

Am I missing something ?

I did a test drive and found it great on the hwy between 60 - 80. Wish I had tried it turning into traffic from a stop.

 

I guess if you never driven v6, you might think it's ok, but after driving my Outlander for 3 years and then trying out 4 cylnder version in 2010 I was highly dissappointed with its performance. On the other hand my other car is 08 Sentra and that one feels a lot more responsive with 4 cyl. Weight has a lot to do with it obviously and other factors.

 

If you rarely tow anything, and don't carry heavy loads on a regular basis, the 4 cyl should be ok. As far as power when merging into traffic from a stop, my 4 cyl ES is more than adequate.

 

try the V6
she go when you press it

 

I believe it is probably because of the CVT transmission. My friend and I both had 2009 lancer GTS (same engine as 4cyl Outlander), his had the CVT and I had the manual. I hated to drive his lancer, CVT was doggish. My manual GTS was a lot quicker and you could feel when the second cam kicked in and the MIVEC technology was optimized. I also noticed this in the Nissan Altima coupe with the CVT, my Altima sedan with a normal transmission was way quicker. I just am not a fan of CVT technology, especially if you try to drive them with some pep or tow stuff they tend to have cooling issues and require you to pull over and let the car cool down. For about $2000 (XLS 4WD vs. SE 4WD)dollars more the V6 is the way to go if you want acceleration and towing capabilities (City 18 vs. 21, HWY 24 vs. 25) fuel economy is almost negligible between the two with far greater pay offs of the V6. If the V6 was a DOHC it would be perfect of if the 4 cylinder came in a manual (and no shift paddles don't count, the CVT is still a dog with a shiny collar)

 

In Australia the V6 is a lot more expensive. My 4cyl CVT Outlander tows a 1400kg van extremely well and on the speed limits. Just came back from a 2800k trip 2000k with the van on the back. Acceleration was impressive for a four and never really worked hard. Just had Lpg installed and will see how it tows.