News & Reviews- Make: Mitsubishi

The completely restyled 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander got a jump on its competitors by being released mid last year, and sales figures show the crossover has enjoyed its highest popularity in seven years. A more conservative but attractive exterior as well as extensive tech and safety features have no doubt contributed to the success, but an underpowered six-cylinder and bland interior somewhat hold the mid-size crossover back.

I got an opportunity to drive the Outlander when it was first launched on our shores in June and was glad to see the trapezoidal front end replaced by a subtle grille, integrated into widened and squared off headlights with a more standard separated bumper intake underneath. The sides of the car have been both smoothed and sharpened to help it cut through wind-resistance to the tune of a seven-percent reduction in drag, says Mitsubishi. In the back, the tri-diamond manufacturer has brought back the clear and red taillight housings popularized by the Toyota Read Full Story

It seems that if you want a smaller SUV with a six-cylinder engine you'd better move quickly... quickly to the Mitsubishi store that is. Gone are the days I think back to with fondness. Days of flannel and socks with Birkenstocks, and driving a big SUV without feeling guilty for the environmental costs or the financial burden of ever rising gas prices. The Mitsubishi Outlander is the only mainstream compact crossover in Canada available with a V6 (the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain twins aren't very compact despite how GM categorizes them). I spent the week in a base model ES model that only has a four-cylinder engine, and I was faced with a now more common dilemma: fuel economy or power?

The ES model's four-cylinder is 2.4 litres in displacement and sends power to the front wheels through a CVT, a fuel-saving 166 horsepower made in the process. The V6 I spoke of before is a 227 horsepower 3.0-litre unit available with SE and GT models that comes paired to a six-speed automatic Read Full Story

Travel outside North America and you'll quickly find out just how well the Mitsubishi Mirage sells, let alone Mitsubishi vehicles on the whole. It's a globally respected brand, made popular by delivering reasonably priced, reliable, fun to drive transportation, a reputation it's steadily building here in Canada too.

I was in Manila recently, where the tri-diamond badge showed up on everything from taxicabs to delivery trucks, not to mention many Filipinos' personal rides including my girlfriend's brother's brand new Mirage hatchback. While the Mirage feels small by Canadian standards, in the Philippines it's average sized. Certainly they have large cars there too, even full-size pickup trucks, but most people drive subcompacts. Fuel prices are about the same as they are here and their household income levels are much, much lower than ours, hence the need to be thrifty, and what's more the especially important requirement of making sure the car they're buying stands the test of Read Full Story