Topic: 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

[AirCanada]

Looks like there is a new base version of the Mitsubishi RVR,
RVR ES.
$19,998
I am glad they have a RVR model under $20,000

[my2cents]

I'm still doing research on it.

Broke 5 Guinness World records in 1 day.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1055232_video-mitsubishi-sets-5-guinness-records-in-a-single-day

Reviews from actual owners are 100% positive as they usually are with all Mitsubishi models.

Generally those that buy Mitsubishi have done a comparison with all the competitors and choose the Mitsubishi for value.

The worst complaint is "could use more power" but it's not a deal breaker because they bought it anyway.

On the other hand - owner reviews for the Sportage complain about lack of power on hills and constant transmission shifting. And really poor fuel economy.

As for my own preference - I'm leaning toward the GT because -

-expert reviews complain about poor handling on the ES (US sport) because of the 16" Yokohama tires. The 18" are far better.

- stopping distance is 140 feet on the 16" and 125 feet on the Eagle LS's.

- spending about $2000 for wheels and tires on the SE (I want awd) puts it closer to the GT and I would like the hid headlights. The sun and sound package costs $2500 on other Mitsu's so even though I don't care much about it - the value is still there especially considering all the other options that come on the GT.

The only downside is reviewers for the Eagle LS's say it's the worst tire they have ever owned and useless on wet pavement. The good part is that they only last about 15,000 miles so they can get replaced quickly.

[sidman]

test drove an RVR today, nice crossover but it really needs more power. The engine is loud (really buzzy) and I don't like the CVT. Other than that, the interior has some nice quality materials and its perfect size. They need to fix their powertrain to make this a winner.

[my2cents]

After 4 years of being determined to buy an Outlander - I bought a 2011 Rav4.

As far as I can figure - I spent about $3000 more than the same U.S. model and used a trade-in and 0.9%/4 yr financing.

The reason is fairly simple - if I could have bought either the Outlander SE that is offered in the U.S. or the Sport SE (all the features of the GT without sun and sound) - I would have if the price was reasonable.

The Rav4 base i4 plus Touring included power sunroof, upgraded seats, xm 6 cd, 17" alloys plus the privacy glass, steering wheel audio controls etc. that come standard on most makes. This is the best touring package I've seen.

So 0.9% instead of 2.8 for the Outlander, $1000 cash back plus the sunroof for less money.

I gave up bluetooth (which my phone has anyway with an earphone) and heated seats and the 10 year warranty.

I would have been satisfied with a number of Suvs or cars but I really have a problem with U.S. buyers not only paying much less - but getting added features or warranty or safety features that Canadians don't get. That just adds insult to injury.

I'll give Mitsu another shot in a few years. If I buy the extended warrany in the U.S. for $600 (7 years 75000 miles) like the Americans - then it may be longer.

[Mike]

I had a chance to rent a RVR for my Edmonton to Red Deer trip this week.  Instead took a Dodge Charger SXT AWD.  The lady said it was the 2011 'new' one.  I thought 'cool, I'll try the penstar out'.  She was wrong.

Wish I had the RVR.

[kevlar]

I have actually been driving the RVR for the past 4 days.  what a dramatic contrast to my wagon.  my 3 year old daughter exclaimed to me yesterday, "this car is so big daddy, why?"  and all i kept thinking was why.  why do they bother with these types of vehicles when audi created the perfect CUV a long time ago.  the allroad was spot on right from the beginning.  it drove like a car, had a great all wheel drive system and raised the height for offroad or snow purposes -  perfect for most people.  the same can be said for the previous outback wagon.   

as for the RVR, i am baffled as to why they insist on making it so tall.  i found the ride to be rough and bouncy, the steering to be numb and vague and  the automatic transmission to be unresponsive. it felt like there was a rubber band propelling the wheels.  the 4 cylinder engine is relative buzzy when accelerating but ultimately settles down at speed.  in a way, it's not a bad looking crossover.  it's just too tall and makes too many compromises to make a good car.  

other than wanting to tower over other vehicles, what is the advantage of this type of vehicle over a wagon?