2004 Mitsubishi Outlander

Pros: Price, level of content, nifty storage tricks
Cons: Perhaps a tad underpowered, no manual transmission offered, "unique" looking

Last weekend the auto show was in town. As my wife will be getting a new vehicle later this summer, it was an opportunity to go and see all the potential contenders in one place and compare them. One of the vehicles we saw and were impressed with was the ...

Pros: Well built, well priced, well appointed, sharp looking, economical SUV.
Cons: Factory quality control. Visibility.

2005 Mitsubishi Outlander Limited. I took 2 months to research and purchase the "right" SUV. I had Nissan Xtrail, Hundai Tuscon, Honda CRV and Kia Sorento on my short list and based my decision on overall value for the dollar paid. Pros: Unlike their ...

Pros: SUV on a budget! Good gas milage. Fun interior styling. AWD and leather available.
Cons: No manual tranny. No V6. Not a true trail rider.

I crashed my 2004 XB. Totalled. Because of the incredible resale value of the little car, I could afford a bigger one.
I came across the Outlander while going to testdrive the Lancer Wagon (Sportback they call it).
The back seats of the Lancer had NO leg room. Because it was year-end, the Outlanders were on sale.
Same platform as the Lancer, but more leg room! More style on the dash too. My wife was excited by the SUV appearance. I ended up with an LS model with alloy wheels, roof rails, keyless entry, and smoked glass for $15900 haggled sticker.
I love it. I don't have to worry about my wife hitting parking curbs with this baby. The AC blows HARD and the radio is nice. It will be great on my campouts with the scouts as I'm a scout master.
Even driving 300 miles a week, there's only a $4 difference per week fuel consumption with gas at $2.00 a gallon vs. my old XB. I'm glad this isn't the car I crashed.

Pros: Good value and a superb warranty with rebates ongoing on 2004's
Cons: A little thirstier than necessary for a 4 cylinder.

I purchased the outlander in October. It has a 4 cylinder engine with 160 horsepower. It does not set the world on fire from a performance standpoint. The quality of the vehicle I found impressive. The doors sound like a Mercedes when they close, The car now has about 1500 miles and no problems to report.It is getting around 24 MPG and would have done better had the manufacturer made the automatic an overdrive.There are more RPM's than necessary at higher speeds.