I'm considering a 2WD 07 Outlander.. How do you like the 2WD? We're in Toronto so we have fair bit of snow at times and wanted to know if we need to splurge for the 4WD? I plan on putting winter tires no matter which model we have and I know the tires are key despite 4WD. Otherwise, I may have to opt for a Ford Escape to afford the AWD but I really don't want to go that route..

Thanks for you input !

 

Moof,

Pay the extra for the 4wd....you wont regret it after you use it a few times to get out of a jam.

 

In Toronto you don't need AWD - the outlander doesn't have 4WD with a locking differential - it's a nit picking thing but you should be aware of the difference. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_AWC#Outlander

A good quality snow tire will improve your handling significantly. Toronto doesn't really get much snow compared to Bruce County, Collingwood or the Erie side of the Niagara Peninsula - which are the snow belts. Besides AWD won't get you through much thick/wet snow above the engine skid plate where you end up using your bumper as a plow.

Once you get moving forward the AWD doesn't help you slow down much. Stopping safely is the snow tire, Traction Control and ABS's job. Mitsubishi calls it the Active Skid and Traction Control (ASTC). Look for the disable button below the steering wheel on the drivers side. The AWD is another tool the ASTC can use during cornering and skids to straighten things out.

It depends how you plan to use the vehicle. If you're avid skiers, hikers or outdoors people then the AWD is a good investment down back roads in the snow, rain and muck. Those situations it can help.

AWD would be nice if you absolutely have to travel on the 3 or 4 snow days a year before the plows get out so if you drive a lot it might be worth it. But to get the best gas mileage you are supposed to drive in 2WD mode using the AWD system and then you have added weight of the AWD components which eats at your gas mileage if you don't actually use it and adds increased maintenance costs of the AWD system too.

Food for thought!

Disclosure: I drive an AWD outlander. I leave it in 2WD AUTO unless it snows or I'm in a really heavy rain. The reasons: I like the sporty feel of the vehicle with AWD and we are outdoors people.

 

Nesser, thanks for the reply. I should clarify we're in Aurora, but that usually only means a couple more inches of the fluffy stuff compared to Toronto and the roads are cleared most mornings before we go out. I can't speak highly enough about having winter tires on two small fwd cars which saw us through the past five winters which we did see some record snow fall with the exception of last year 2009/10.

Thanks for the link to the wiki page. This will be mainly my wife's car and I don't think she will know or understand when to use or not to use 4WD and 4WD lock and surely will mess something up.

We'll have to see if we can find a deal on a 4WD, otherwise we'll cope on winter tires.

 

Nothing to mess up.
The computer in the vehicle protects the AWD components from over heating. There are a few drivers on here that drive in LOCK all the time for their daily drive. You'll only notice a slight drop in gas mileage but nothing to get excited about.

On a vehicle with a locking differential you could mess things up at higher speeds but not in this vehicle.

Good luck with your decision.

 

I just bought a 2010 GT. Love it. A coworker has an 07. 110,000 miles. nothing but fluids and tires. Zero problems. She loves it. She had bought a KIA because of the warrantee. Problem is she was using the warrantee on a monthly basis. Ditched it and got the Mitsubishi. Never looked back.
Good Luck
Chek6

 

Just bought a 2010 Outlander ES. Owned a 2008 Lancer and the AC Compressor blew at 63k miles. I traded it in for this car and they gave me free maintenance and an extended warranty for peace of mind on this car. (They share the same parts.)

The car drives like a dream so far. (6k miles)

Mitsu actually did good this time around

 

07 XLS 30k miles. no problems at all except for factory recalls, knock on wood, lol.