Originally Posted by tdford

First of all, oil DOES break down over time and mileage. Dont believe me? put "todays" oil in a vehicle and without driving it take it out in a year. Tell me that it still looks new. It doesnt break down as much as it use to, but changes in temperature break down oil.

But to answer his question. First off the 2nd gen '07 is only 3 yrs old so no one is going to know a cost on 5 yrs. Which is where more money will probably be spent because the warranty will then be expired (unless you get extended). I am 3 months away from having mine for three years so I feel like I can decently have a say in this. The ONLY thing I have paid for is maintanence. period. The outtie has been a great car with no problems that the dealer or waranty didnt cover.

Im sitting at 43,000 mi and this is where my money has gone:
- Oil changes every 4,000 mi (time intervals debateable on here) $35 = $385
- Tires (18'' Pireli P6 Four Seasons) at 36,000 incl. mount & balance = $430
- Tire rotations every 8,000 (most where incl in oil changes) $22 = $44
- Auto transmission flush done at 40k (mitsu recomends at 30k) = $90
- Dealer included coupon book for car washes, suspension checks, coolant checks, and brake checks = free
- Had play in driver seat bracket, warranty covered full replacement = free

Total = $949

There are obviously going to be differences with driving habbit, local shop/dealer prices, and personal preference. Some people spend $500 on a 30k mi check-up. Waste of money? Up to you. You may burn up your brakes at 20k mi. You may choose oil changes every 3k and rotations every 6k. Or if you dont know an owner of a tire shop (hehe) then replacement tires could add up to $800.

So with all that I could honestly say that with the quality and dependability that I have been shown with my Outtie, your going to be looking at $1,000-$1,500 in maintenance over the first 3 yrs.

Originally Posted by ccernst

depends on if you plan to do maintenance or let the dealer do the work.
Costs me about 25 bucks every 5k miles for oil changes using good oil.
I did a air filter change at 40k miles, 40 bucks-ish.
I will do a tranny flush this summer. Fluid will run about $100. Dealer quoted $289 to do the work.
You'll probably spring for new tires of mitsubishi, irregardless of vehicle, so tack on another 4-500...plus cost for alignment.

Now, you are going to have a lot of these costs irregardless of vehicle you choose.

Something else to consider is fuel. The '10 model did some tweaking to the engine raising the compression, resulting in the use of premium fuel. The '09 uses regular fuel.

Edit: just read some posts above me that I didn't see before. First thing I gotta say, know about the maintenance needed for a car. Oils are great, they are not the same oils 10-15 years ago. Oils wear out in mileage...not months. Tune-ups should be every once in a blue moon. Maybe every 75-100k miles (plugs, plug wires, etc.).