We are considering purchasing a new or used 2010 or 2011 Outlander LS V6. We have test driven one and can't find anything we don't like. Would like to hear others' experiences/opinions on the Outlander and Mitsubishi in general, good and bad. We are a bit nervous about making our biggest ever vehicle purchase from a relatively minor manufacturer.

For example:

-how would you rate your dealer service experience?
-have you needed any repairs?
-can we fit a child car seat in the middle second row seat and is there sufficient room left for passengers on either side?
-when are the 2012 models arriving?
-is there anything you wish they had made differently on the Outlander?

Any input is much appreciated!
Julie & Ian

 

I have had an overall good experience with the Mitsubishi dealer I bought and service my 08 model at. I bought my 08 ES new (June of 2008), have 27,000 miles on it and have not needed any repairs, only normal maintenance.

The 2nd row seats are spacious and I'm pretty certain you could fit 2 average size adults and a child car seat back there. If you don't use the 3rd row seats I think you will be very pleased with the large cargo space behind the 2nd row. The Outlander has about the biggest in its class.

As far as the 2012 models goes I'm just guessing but sometime in October? Once the 2012 models come out, you should be able to get a good deal on a 2011 model that the dealer has left on the lot. Overall I'm very pleased with my Outlander and if I had to do it over I would buy it again. If you have any more questions just ask..

 

Dealers can be tricky. I has more to do with the people than any general Mitsubishi dealer policy or culture. From a purely sales standpoint our local dealer wasn't that accommodating when I bought my first Mitsubishi (1999). Prior to that I was driving a Mazda, which was a good dealer experience but a bad vehicle. I was then interested in a Montero Sport, but the dealership closest to me seem to not be very interested in selling one to me. I searched for available models using Autobytel on Mitsubishi dealer lots in a 100 mile radius and found one in the next town over. That dealer experience was superb. They gave me more than book value for my trade and I was in and out in 45 minutes with my Montero. I had since taken the Montero to the local dealer for service and their mechanics are top notch (if a little pricey, but heck, they're a dealership) and they have always stood behind their work.

This past winter, after 12 years and 170k miles the catalytic converter sensor started throwing errors so instead of putting a grand or two into repairs, I decided to trade it in. Now, the Montero was probably my favorite of all vehicles I've ever owned and it was reliable and trouble free so I was sold on Mitsubishi's, but I did look at other brands. I came back to the Outlander time and again and this time the local dealer was much more interested. Not only did I get the 2011 Outlander, my wife traded in her Nissan Altima for a 2011 Lancer Sportback (which is an incredibly fun car to drive ... we swap cars often).

I was also impressed with the 10 year/100K mile warranty that Mitsubishi offers, so as long as you perform the routing maintenance, you can expect a long life to the car.

I've had the Outlander for a little more than six months and couldn't be happier. No repairs and only minor issues (with the Fosgate audio system and USB devices).

In my comparisons of similar class vehicles from other manufacturers, the thing i found most appealing about the Outlander was the interior room. For its size, it seems much roomier than it's competition. My car seat days are long gone (at least until it's time for grandchildren) but I'd say you'll have no problem fitting two adults and a car seat in the middle of the second row, unless you are talking Michael Moore and Oprah.

The think I've noticed with the Outlander vs. the Montero is that the doors have a "tinny" sound when you close them. It may be due to a lighter gauge steel being used or just a design quirk.

 

THe 05 Endeavor was a great buy never needed anything we traded it at 105k for the 08 Outlander, that one never went back to the dealership once in 90k miles. We just got the 2011 GT and its even better. The new AWD gives a much better ride. Evne though the 08 was 4 wheel it had a lot of torque steer and you knew it was pulling from the front. The 11 with the SAWD engaes the rear drive on corners and when you have your foot a bit deep in the throttle it engages.

The protection package on the 11 is well worth it. All the area's that had signs of wear on the 08, are now proteced by mudlpads, some form of molding protection or aluminum trim. The 11's have 100k mile powertrain warranty and very low interest special. Look for a loaded 11 GT you can own it for $30,500

 

Like others have said, dealer service is up to the people...not too much up to the corporation. I have two local dealerships. The one we bought from, their service dept I'm not too fond of....the others have a nicer service dept and go out of their way to help out.

We've only needed to repair a rear wheel sensor. I've also replaced the wheel/fender liners as some of the plastic snaps have come loose and the tire ate them. One was a defect that was fixed in '09 and the other was my fault.

I do a lot of service myself. Oil changes are easy. The only thing I'm not wildly fond of is the supposed necessity of Mitsubishi fluids. The worst case is the transmission fluid. There is no aftermarket equivalent...which means you cannot take it to any ol' mechanic to have it flushed. You can buy the fluid from the dealer, but that's the only source for it. Having said that, we had the dealership do it and that's the only thing I've had to take it to the dealership for.


When we first bought ours in '09, I didn't feel like it had a whole lot of characters. It drove well, it handled very well...but felt like it lacked character. I much more enjoyed driving my manual Ranger around. Now that I've had it a while, it has grown on me and I've come to love it. I decided on this vehicle to be dependable for my wife and it has lived up to that challenge.

Edit: Oh, some of the quirks. When first starting the vehicle and starting to take off...there is a clunk noise...that's the anti-lock brake system self-checking. It is kinda loud...but you get used to it.
The outlander has an aggressive engine braking system. Nice to have in summer and in winter once warmed up...however when cold in the winter time, there is a surprising engine braking due to the fluid being thicker.

 

I have a 2010 GT with 23K miles and love it. I get lots of compliments from family and friends too. I did have the heater/ac fan just go out. Dealer fixed with no issues, but did have to wait a week to get the part in (hottest week of the year too). Rear seat leg room is plentiful with the sliding/tilting feature. Not sure about a carseat though.

I with they would've made the 3rd row seat an option instead of making it standard in the higher trims. Also wish they would've added roof rails to the GT. The ipod integration needs to be improved also.

I had a 2000 Galant with 175K and had virtually no problems. I sold it to a friend and it's still running great. When it was time to look for a new vehicle, I knew I could trust Mitsubishi.

I quickly eliminated RAV-4 and CR-V due to them being a dime a dozen. I then considered the Outlander, GMC Terrain/Chevy Equinox and VW Tiguan. Others didn't fit my budget or taste (BMW X3, Infiniti EX35, Nissan Rogue). The Tiguan was just a little more than I wanted to spend and I liked the Terrain better than the Equinox. It came down to the Terrain and Outlander. I test drove them both. The Terrain was nice, but just seemed a little sluggish to me. I also compared both on paper (features vs price) and the Outlander came out on top. I consider the Outlander one of the best values. I love the tailgate, S-AWC, paddle shifters (great for engine braking), keyless start, etc. It doesn't have the best materials, but you aren't paying for them either.

For me it came down to lifestyle (utility, features and value). I ski and mtn bike a lot and needed a vehicle to get me to the mtns. The Outlander is perfect for me. You need to determine if it's the right vehicle for you. If you want something that's sporty and has a lot of utility then the Outlander may be the one. Good luck in whatever you decide.

p.s. The good news is September is probably the best time to buy a vehicle. Dealers should be trying to get rid of current year models. So look for deals.

 

Owner of a 2010 XLS S-AWC

Niche product... not in any "special" way, with very poor retail and service representation in North America and other countries.


• Corporate

Consumer products are not Mitsubishi's forte. My experiences with Mitsubishi Auto on a corporate level has been very poor. On a customer service level they have demonstrated to be incompetent on many levels, lack business ethics, and have no clue on maintaing brand quality and customer loyalty. In Canada, it's corporate customer service is basically not much more than a one man show that is not knowledgable nor helpful... above all, totally unprofessional. The other three major Japanese manufacturer's offer much better competent corporate customer services.


• Dealerships

The majority of the Mitsubishi dealerships run on shoe string budgets. In my experience, they are not comparable to the other three major Japanese manufacturer's dealerships, in terms of customer service quality, competence, thorough product knowledge, and servicing.


• The Product

- Limited available options.

- On going software issues, poor throttle response, and occasional very loud clunking / banging noise from the transmission, when shifting from Park to Drive (even with the latest transmission update, the throttle issue was better prior to the update).

- Poor paint job, and premature rusting that I have mentioned in another thread. Rust proofing is inadequate and very poor on this vehicle, almost non existent.

- Idle Neutral Logic Control feature seems to be a farce, and does not function as per all the test reviews that are out there and operating specs provided by MMSCAN. The info provided by MMSCAN is contradictory to the explanations given by service managers that were not even initially aware of the features existence. Seems to be a subject that revolves around some "voodooooo!". Interesting how this so called feature is not even mentioned in the owner's manual, yet you can find many redundant pages of other basic info in there.

- Too much hard plastics and not enough sound insolation in the interior, interior rattles (under normal road conditions) only a couple of months after taking them off the lot.

- Useless 3rd row seats, that are incorporated into the vehicle to appear as a 7 passenger class vehicle. It's all marketing, and offers no realistic functionality. I did not purchase this vehicle for this feature, nor will I ever need it, and nor did I have a choice to opt out of purchasing them. This impractical feature's implementation is an insight to how Mitsubishi focusses its priorities when designing and marketing such a vehicle. A no substance feature that is not practical or useable for the majority of buyers, when its associated costs could have been budgeted to more important areas (such as paint or rust proofing) in materials and manufacturing of a better quality vehicle.

- Driver's side door switches are not visible in the dark, and no floor lighting.

- Ambiguous and poorly written owners and maintenance manuals. Vague sales literature.

- Gas mileage is lower than advertised on average, under normal driving and climate conditions.

- It's a high and quick depreciating brand in terms of value, and aftermarket parts are virtually non existent.

- Vehicle handles very well, though could be improved if the wheels and tires were at least one size wider (7.5" or 8") on the XLS, (that is if the steering box and other components can handle it for the long run). It has a more distinct exterior look, and intelligent tailgate.

All the problems mentioned above are a reflection of the corporate culture at Mitsubishi's auto division. In regards to dealership problems, it is Mitsubishi's responsibility to set standards and ensure that their products are competently and honestly represented and serviced, which the majority of their dealerships fail at.

 

SLX...You should sell her yours!

I agree with some but not all. I have loved my 2010 GT so far. For the money you can't get a better vehicle. Highlander, RAV4, etc are all $5k-$10k more for comparable features.

 

Totally disagree. This feature exists, works, and is definitely noticeable.
Maybe it is just disabled on your car.

 

Agreed. As someone who just bought after shopping RAV4's, Highlanders, CRV's, Q5's, etc. I chose the Outlander for these reasons:

Interior - MUCH nicer than the competition when you purchase the touring package. I've only owned VW and Audi so I appreciate a nice interior and among the Japanese manufacturers only Mitsubishi came close. My only issue so far with the interior would be the sound proofing. Everyday use is no big deal, but we drove through a rainstorm that was LOUD. I don't know if its the aluminum roof or what, but closing the moonroof shade seemed to help.

3rd Row - A lot of people dislike it, but it was a must-have for us (for emergency hauling of kids' friends, etc.). Its not much to look at or sit on, but it works - and hides totally away when not in use, affording a nice trunk. A tradeoff that's more than fair. Only the RAV4 had an available 3rd row (for $1,500) in this size class and inventory with that option was hard to find.

My only gripe about the car in general, is the fact that I had to buy the V6 to get leather. I would have preferred to have a 4 cyl. (and the better gas mileage) equipped like my XLS V6.