mitsu's voive recognition could be better on this one, but the pairing bit is a breeze... couldnt have been easier

 

Considering the computer has to translate to Japanese then process the information, its quite remarkable the voice recognition even works.

 

good point...

 

Mitsubishi Outlander vs. Toyota RAV4


I'm working on a road test of the 2008 Saturn Vue so I've been hopping in and out of other compact SUVs to gain some comparison. Driving impressions on the Vue are embargoed to May 25, so I can't mention them here. But I can share my thoughts on the Outlander and RAV4 which I drove back to back.

Outlander
Our part-time 4WD Outlander XLS is equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual mode. It has a 3.0-liter V6 engine capable of 220 hp and 205 lb-ft of torque. Magnesium paddle shifters on the steering wheel give off a sporty first impression. Yet its track numbers are less impressive than the RAV's. It accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in 16.4 seconds at 84.8 mph. On the street, the Outlander feels heavier than the RAV4. It doesn't feel slow, but in comparison the RAV4 feels very quick when the traffic light turns green. The Outlander exhibits less bodyroll in turns. Steering is tighter and wants to spring back into a straight line. Despite its leather seats, the interior materials feel thriftier than the RAV4 but I have to give props to its second row heated seats.
RAV4
Our front-wheel drive RAV4 feels quicker off the line and more powerful too. And indeed, we have the Limited which comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine rated at 269 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. And it is quick, hold-onto-that-steering-wheel quick. During track testing, the RAV4 reached 60 mph in 7.0 seconds and the quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds at 91.6 mph. Driving around town, the steering feels loose, a little too loose for my taste. With hard acceleration, be prepared for torque steer. Good thing for traction control. The steering in the Outlander feels more properly weighted to its size and shape. We have the regular cloth seats in our RAV4 but somehow the interior still gives a deluxe impression. Both SUVs have 3rd row seating, which is notan option in the Vue.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

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I was wondering where the Outtie was....

I haven't been inside a RAV4 V6, but I regularly ride in my friend's RAV4 Sport, nothing deluxe about the interior at all.

 

The RAV4 interior didn't seem all that spectacular to me either. A thick-sounding plastic does not a good interior make

 

Apparently the new VUE embargo is over..GM lifted it early Car and Driver and Motor Trend have reviews online.

The reviews seem pretty favorable..except it weighs 4000 pounds, so it isn't the hot rod it used to be and gas mileage is down a touch

 

May 22, 2007
Dig Them Outlander Paddle Shifters

Last night I had the opportunity to drive our Mitsubishi Outlander. I wasn't particularly sold on it during a brief errand last week, but once I read Engineering Editor Jay Kavanagh's glowing praise of it yesterday, I decided to give it another shot. And gol-durn-it, he was right. It's got a very nice ride, and I didn't even feel the typical Conestoga-wagon bouncy SUV ride on the freeway. I'm not crazy about some of the screen controls (I am a die-hard fan of a simple volume ****, rather than the +/- scenario in the Outlander) but that's a minor complaint.
I LOVE the paddle shifters. Jay was right.So much more fun. I'm a manual-transmission kind of cat, and whenever I drive a shiftable automatic, I always manual-shift it to check the smoothness. I was really impressed with the Outlander. The only slight complaint is trying todownshift to 1st gear when you're coming to a stop, and I'm talking maybe 0-5 mph. It still feels a bit clunky andnoticeable, but even in that respect it's better than most. Good show, Mitsubishi. I look forward to more drives. Doug Lloyd, Senior Copy Editor, @ 4,804 miles [/align]

[hr]
May 21, 2007
2007 Mitsu Outlander: those magnesium paddle shifters & notes from the desert

Made the 140-mile drive to Joshua Tree national park to meet the rest of the gang.
The paddle shifters got a workout, and there are several reasons why they're useful.


First off, I'm an engine braker. I constantly select gears manually when driving autoboxes. For me, the column-mounted placement of the paddles is ideal amongst such devices. Here's why: They're always in the same place. You never have to guess where they are when you've got the wheel cranked over in a turn: With wheel-mounted shift controls, it's all too easy to lose track of where they are when the wheel's turned. Plus, the Mitsu's paddles are usefully long, enabling them to be reached from a variety of hand positions. In my perfect world, though, the paddles wouldhave "pull-push" up- and downshift capability, rather than being dedicated to up- OR downshifting Secondly, the Outlander's V6 is gutless in the high desert. The transmission would hunt on a nearly level freeway with the cruise locked at 80mph, so I took matters into my own hands (literally) using the paddles. Give me Toyota's barnstorming V6 powertrain from the RAV4 over this one any day. You already know about the byzantine MMI interface, the need for a volume ****, and the great driving dynamics. Here are other random notes from the trip: 1. The back-seatreport from my adult passengers is that the "seats are very comfortable, and [the Outlander] feels very stable." 2. Torque steer is a non-issue, possibly since there's not a surfeit of engine torque. 3. There's noticeable road noise. 4. The doors feel tinny and insubstantial, particularly the rears. No bank-vault whump here; more of a thin thwack. 5. Impressively bright headlights. 6. The wheel-mounted cruise and radio buttons are just okay; they'd be more intuitive to use if they were rocker-style controls. Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor at 4,771 miles [/align][hr]
May 18, 2007
Mitsubishi Outlander: sharing DNA with Evo

Ok, I'm going to just come out and say it: the Outlander is one of the most fun-to-drive SUVs out there. Dynamically, the Outlander reminds me of my Evo in more ways than I expected. Powertrain-wise, the Outlander's V6 is merely adequate unlike the Evo's overachieving turbo-4. However, like the Evo, the Outlander'schassis has fundamental goodness. It steers precisely with excellent weighting and texture feeding through the rim. It maintains its chassis composure all the way up to the limit, never flopping over on its sidewalls. This is an SUV? Mitsu seems to have done their homework on this new chassis, as it also impressed us (and me) in Lancer GTS guise. Bottom line: the Outlander just feels great to drive. Beyond that, there's a whole lot to like about theOutlander.It's the right size. The seats are outstanding, and the sound system rocks.Heck,it even looks great. Nice job, Mitsu. Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor[/align]

 

Despite its leather seats, the interior materials feel thriftier than the RAV4 but I have to give props to its second row heated seats.

Here it is again, heated 2nd row seats? Were these guys given a special test vehicle by Mitsu? because in my XLS 2nd row is NOT heated.

 

In a separate article: http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/1081

 

Build a great car and praise will come.

This long-term test will be a load of free publicity for our beloved CUV.