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SUVs Mitsubishi Outlander Mitsubishi Outlander vs. Subaru Forester
803 messages, Last post on Nov 25, 2009 at 8:34 AM
You are in the Mitsubishi Outlander Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Replying to: dodo2 (May 16, 2008 10:45 am) As it stands, going mainstream means giving away whatever percentage their niche market was away to the competition. |
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Replying to: dodo2 (May 16, 2008 10:45 am) Not sure about all XT's, but IIRC, only 3% of Forester sales were M/T XT's. They didn't sell well because Subaru sucks at advertising their products. Speaking of advertising, I don't think I've ever seen a TV ad for an Outlander. I don't recall seeing a TV ad for any Mitsubishi for that matter. Maybe I just ignore them. 
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Replying to: dcm61 (May 16, 2008 10:56 am) Totally agree with this. They really should have marketed them as versatile alternatives to boring cars and SUVs. If I had known that I could get a Forester to keep pace with any number of sports cars, while retaining safety, reliability, economy, 4-door/wagon utility, and offroad ability; I certainly would have dropped by the dealership much sooner. As it was, I was very biased AGAINST Subaru until I was forcefed their full potential in the passenger seat. Likewise I have never known anyone else to buy one until until I gave them a ride BigMcLargeHuge style  They sell 99% word-of-mouth, and its entirely their own fault that there are a select few that know what they are capable of. |
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Replying to: dcm61 (May 16, 2008 10:56 am) They did have few ad campaigns on TV, both in the US and Canada. |
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Replying to: dodo2 (May 16, 2008 8:25 am) And yes, it can be turned off (actually the threshold is higher but it's not totally disabled) so that you can rock out of a snow bank. ABS = maximize 4 wheels stopping. AWD = maximize 4 wheels going. Ideally, you want both. FWD are not inherently unsafe, it's just that AWD has more safety potential and giving up that benefit when you pay for AWD seems silly when you don't have to. I would just leave it in 4WD auto all the time. I'm not sure I'd even use the Lock mode. If it truly does lock the axles together (or do they mean it locks the power split?), then you'd have problems in sharp turns with binding. So if the Auto 4WD mode really works, it would turn off and on when needed. With Lock, you'd have to hit the button for each sharp turn or U-turn, then back on, then off again, then on, and so on. If Auto works well, both other modes are unneeded, IMHO.
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Replying to: ateixeira (May 16, 2008 11:35 am) With Lock, you'd have to hit the button for each sharp turn or U-turn, then back on, then off again, then on, and so on. IMO, Lock is a very poor naming choice for that mode. If I understand the Mitsubishi press release, you can drive 100K miles or more in Lock mode and it won't hurt the drivetrain. The Lock mode differs from the Auto mode in that it "locks" in a more rear bias power split (50% more than Auto mode). Once again, a very poor naming choice. Something like Sport would be a much better choice. In fact, the press release mentions using the Lock mode for more spirited driving.
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Replying to: biscuit_xls (May 16, 2008 9:29 am) |
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Replying to: dodo2 (May 16, 2008 10:45 am) Apparently Mitsubish owners don't care about off-road but care about towing. There were many passionate posts about the difference in towing abilities between the two cars.
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Replying to: kdshapiro (May 16, 2008 11:58 am) That's right. Towing was also passionately discussed, but how does your comment relate to the current conversation? Personally, I don't care about towing or any kind of off-roading where the approach/departure angle would matter. I care about snow, mud and some moderate logging trails where the 4WD and ground clearance matters. |
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Glass. You'd think the stuff cost more than gold nowadays, with windows being chopped (Escape), or enormous D-pillars that are slaves to style (Rogue, Outlander, RAV4, CR-V). Automakers build designs with huge blind spots then up-sell you on a navigation system with a backup cam to fix the problem they designed-in. $1600-2000 profit. Ka-ching. You pay for their design failure. So mostly, visibility. Being able to see out of it has unfortunately become a rarity in this class. Someone asked this about the Forester, above, so I'll mention what appealed to me (and my wife) about ours: * by far, best visibility in the compact crossover class * lightness - compacts should be light, most are bloated, overweight * IIHS Top Safety Pick * best non-hybrid fuel economy (20/26) for AWD * combined with a 16.9 gallon tank, long distances between fill-ups * good previous experience with the brand (they've won many Polk loyalty awards) * most horsepower among the 4 cylinder normally aspirated, 175hp for our PZEV * CHASE Subaru Credit card means $500/year free service/accessories * Much better than average ownership costs, 2nd best in class (CR) * high Owner Satisfaction ratings (being happy is the bottom line) * Much Better than Average Reliability * better than average satisfaction with dealer service (a warranty is only as good as the dealer behind it) * biggest moonroof - even the kids can star gaze * great ride/handling balance, smooth and very little body roll * comfy perforated, heated leather seats * softly padded elbow rests for all 4 of us * if it were going to be my car - another rarity - a real MANUAL trans * true 4-channel ABS (some cost-cut and use 3 channel systems) * good ground clearance, not for rock hopping but for those apple orchard visits * compact dimensions make it easy to park (big plus for my wife) * heated mirrors that work to clear even rain (my Sienna's aren't nearly as good) * wiper de-icers so no scraping * three 12-volt outlets (GPS, cell phone, spouse's cell phone) * trip computer (my van has this, I'm spoiled) * lights that fade out slowly, rather than turn off abruptly * stereo adjust volume automatically as speed increases Those are some of what appealed to us. Each person has different priorities, so each one of us will have a different list, I'm sure. To be honest I could stop at visbility, IIHS Top Safety Pick, and light weight, and that would be enough. Lightness is great because it helps acceleration, economy, handling, braking; lots of stuff.
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