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Why NOT to buy a 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS

128 messages,  Last post on Jan 29, 2010 at 2:11 PM

You are in the Mitsubishi Outlander Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mitsubishi Outlander, SUV

Messages Page 8 of 13

#68 of 128 Re: 4wd is adequate.. [busta4] by cooljw

Mar 17, 2008 (1:38 pm)

Replying to: busta4 (Mar 16, 2008 5:33 pm)
I am a new 2008 Outlander SE owner and fortunately have not encountered the problems some people have described. Hopefully the car will stand up over time, so far I see no reason why it shouldn't. I'm sure people read these forums before purchasing (like I did) so to address a few of the complaints out there so as to not scare off all prospective buyers:
 
1. Poor ergonomics: Yes it would be nice if it had a telescopic steering wheel but that doesn't mean it will be uncomfortable for everyone. It used to be rare to see a telescoping steering wheel on a compact anything but they are becoming more common so I would expect Mitsu to offer one soon in future model years.
 
2. Hard seats with no bolstering: I actually find that there is a nice, firm, slight lumbar bump on my seat that provides lumbar support. Yes the seats are on the firm side but I like that too.
 
3. Excessive noise: Fortunately I have not experienced this whatsoever. I also have a Corolla and a Prius and the Outlander is easily the quietest car out of any of them when going 80mph on the freeway despite being the least aerodynamic.
 
4. Cheap dash and door inserts: For 2008 the plastic on the doors now matches the dash so it looks a lot better. Yes I agree for 2007 the door interiors looked really cheap. Mitsubishi obviously realized this and fixed the problem for 2008.
 
5. Steering wheel hard to turn: Have not experienced this problem. I have found the car is as easy to steer as any other.
 
6. Suspension too stiff. I like the sporty suspension, it reduces body lean in turns. I also don't feel every bump, I think the 18" wheels help with that too. Are your tires overinflated?
 
My interior is also not a "rattle box" at all - I have zero rattles and I hope it stays that way. Even with the 10" Rockford Fosgate sub cranked up I can not create a rattle in this car.
 
I love this car and the fact that I saved over $2,000 than if I would have purchased a less well-equipped Toyota RAV4.

#70 of 128 Re: 4wd is adequate.. [rcpax] by busta4

Mar 17, 2008 (6:14 pm)

Replying to: rcpax (Mar 16, 2008 11:23 pm)
Thanks for the reply, I thankfully do not have that front end suspension issue. My steering wheel has a clicking noise when I turn it all the way to the left or right. It almost sounds like something is being wound up and as it comes back to center it makes a faint clicking sound. You mentioned the five year warranty, do I have any recourse with the dealer on the small but many, creaks, moans and wind noises in my cabin? The stereo vibrates, seemingly off the doors the speakers are mounted in and acoustically is really lacking in a decent sound. Even if I am covered under warranty I don't get the impression my dealer is going to have any interest in making the car quit and tightening up the interior. I asked them to check a noise I had early on, they drove it around the block, said they could not duplicate the noise I described and then charged me $15 dollars for their effort. Should I just write a letter to Mitsubishi and try that route? Thanks for the info.

#71 of 128 Re: 4wd is adequate.. [busta4] by biscuit_xls

Mar 17, 2008 (8:35 pm)

Replying to: busta4 (Mar 17, 2008 6:14 pm)
If the noises are as bad as you describe then there shouldn't be a problem replicating them. Find a song on a CD that makes it rattle and que that up at that dealership. The steering wheel click sounds like it happens every time, show it to them. Ditto with the window, get to highway speeds and show them that the noise stops when you press on the glass.
 
What city are you located in?

#72 of 128 Telescoping steering wheels... by rcpax

Mar 21, 2008 (3:49 pm)

For those asking why Mitsubishi did not include a telescoping steering wheel... I have yet to find a Mitsubishi with that feature. I could be wrong but I've driven 8 different Mitsubishi vehicles, and none of them have telescoping steering wheels. It's just not Mitsubishi's "style". Not that it's not a good feature, because it can be a welcome addition to the nice set of features of the Outlander, but the reason behind its omission is that Mitsubishi never really made cars with that feature, so I'm not surprised it's not on the Outlander, and all the Mitsubishi vehicles the came before it.

#73 of 128 Pull away noise by bozzy1

Mar 27, 2008 (3:45 pm)

Just bought an 08 Outlander SE 4 cyl with cvt. There is a light single clunk or tap when I pull away. It only happens after the car is started. In other words, it will not make the noise putting it into drive from park or neutral. You must turn the ignition on and put it in drive and then you get one clunk as you give it a little gas to pull away. Any thoughts?

#74 of 128 Re: Pull away noise [bozzy1] by piast

Mar 27, 2008 (5:57 pm)

Replying to: bozzy1 (Mar 27, 2008 3:45 pm)
Yes, we already talked about this few months back. It is ABS self test, and it happens every time you restart the car. Check your service manual as well for detailed explanation.

#75 of 128 Re: Pull away noise [piast] by bozzy1

Mar 27, 2008 (6:40 pm)

Replying to: piast (Mar 27, 2008 5:57 pm)
Thanks so much.

#76 of 128 Re: Pull away noise [bozzy1] by cooljw

Mar 28, 2008 (12:20 pm)

Replying to: bozzy1 (Mar 27, 2008 6:40 pm)
Yes I was wondering about that too. I thought I had dropped something into the engine bay and it was rattling around.

#77 of 128 Re: Pull away noise [cooljw] by toomanyfumes

Mar 29, 2008 (10:49 am)

Replying to: cooljw (Mar 28, 2008 12:20 pm)
I've also heard the noise and was wondering what it was.

Messages Page 8 of 13

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