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 SPECIAL
REPORT
CROSSING
NEW BOUNDARIES
The ’03 Mitsubishi Outlander enters the “crossover” sport utility fray
By Bruce W. Smith
The last time Mitsubishi
brought out a new sport utility vehicle was in 1996 with the debut of the
Montero. It has served the up-scale, sport-minded SUV buyers well and
carved out its own little niche among the 60-plus SUVs that now flood the
marketplace.
Little is the key word. The
Montero is facing very stiff competition from all fronts and the slices of
the full-size SUV market are getting thinner every year. Mitsubishi Motors
needed another pie to take a much bigger bite out of for 2003.
So they turned their
attention to buyers who are not really interested in a truck, but want the
feeling of being in something that is more substantial than a car.
What has emerged is the 2003
Outlander—a youthful, spirited, practical, reliable, inexpensive crossover
utility vehicle that is indeed a mechanical and functional blend between
sedan and SUV. Just as attractive is the Outlander doesn’t require buyers
to mortgage the farm to make the down payment.
DESIGN ROAD
The Outlander, which is
built on the same platform as the Mitsubishi Lancer, is part of what has
become known within the automotive manufacturing industry circles as the “S.U.V.-lite”-segment
where the quest is for ultimate practicality. The Outlander rates high in
that regard, and stands to be real competition for such vehicles as the
Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV, Subaru Forester and Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute.
Some of those in the power
seats at Mitsubishi Motors felt the crossover SUVs that inhabited the U.S.
market seemed to be the result of a “dispassionate pursuit of ultimate
dependability and practicality.”
“Those are admirable
qualities for sure,” remarked one Mitsubishi marketing executive during
the Outlander media introduction in the rolling hills of Virginia.
“However, the emotionally compelling features that make cars
appealing—style and appearance—were lost in the process.”
 With
the Outlander destined to change perspectives they started building from
the ground up. The base platform is rally-proven chassis and powertrain of
the Lancer (the Team Mitsubishi front-wheel-drive Lancer Rally Edition won
the SCCA ProRally national championship last year.) The object of using
the Lancer platform is it is not only reliable and comfortable, but also
sporty and user friendly.
NO POWER
THREAT
Outlander, whether of the
front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive variety, incorporates the Lancer
sedan’s rack-and-pinion steering and a fully independent suspension set on
a 103-inch wheelbase with a 59-inch track.
This is a good setup for both
ride comfort and handling as we found during our day-long drive along
narrow, paved country roads and the bustling thoroughfares of suburbia.
The new entry is quiet over the road and sporty in its response to the
wheel.
The engine, automatic
transmission, and the rest of the drivetrain are also derived from the car
line—with a few modifications for SUV-lite application, of course.
Under the hood, for example,
is the same single-overhead-cam, 16-valve 2.4-liter four-cylinder found in
the Galant and Eclipse, but tuned to deliver more torque at the lower rpm.
Mitsubishi increased the engine’s throttle body inlet from 54mm to 60mm,
and changed the computer mapping from the car engine to reflect SUV use
instead of those of sports cars.
The 140-horsepower
four-cylinder (there is no V6 option) is on the low-end of the power scale
in today’s mix of V6-powered SUV and car engines. The saving grace is a
sweet 4-speed “Sportronic” automatic and low-enough differential gearing
to make the Outlander a good daily driver.
The new transmission allows
the driver to manually shift if that’s the preferred driving style at the
time. We found that made driving a lot more fun than letting the
transmission handle the gear-shifting tasks on its own. The shits, too,
are velvet-smooth and wuick, which adds to the driving pleasure.
This engine/transmission
combination performs quite well for its intended purpose of being a
dependable, efficient powertrain. It’s not overly buzzy at normal
operating rpm, the shifts are smooth, and overall the Outlander responds
well to a heavy foot during those freeway on-ramp merging sessions. The
engine delivers 21mpg in the city and 26 on the highway according to EPA
figures.
One advantage the Outlander
has over its closest competitors is cleaner aerodynamics. The flat belly
pan, slightly wedge-shaped upper body, rounded hood and front bumper, and
the shape of the lower side panels, and narrow windshield front pillars
all contribute to making it a slippery SUV with a coefficient of drag of
.43Cd.
Those aerodynamics also play a
role in other areas such as visibility from both driver and passenger
seats and a low level of wind noise at those 70mph-plus highway speeds. In
fact the Outlander is so quiet you notice a little wind noise around the
roof rails that are designed to accommodate a wide variety of dealer
available accessories.
INTERIOR
SUPRISE
Seating and overall interior
design is a step up from what one would expect from an SUV, crossover or
not, that sells for less than $20,000. (Price range is $18,000-$24,000.)
There is a lot of plastic and hard shapes found on the interior, but the
blend of the materials and layout of the dash and passenger living area
feels and looks much more upscale.
 Cruise
control, climate control, and power windows are just three of many
features that are standard equipment on Outlander. Cup holders are
conveniently located, center console storage is of a useful size, and
power outlets are located front and rear.
The seats use a high-density
foam padding that is designed for the more robust American physique, and
there’s just enough bolstering on the sides to keep you from slipping off
an edge. Standard fare is cloth, but the option packages include heated
power seats with full leather trim for the upscale décor.
The rear seat is a 60/40
split-folding bench. Fold both sides down and the rear cargo area expands
from 24.4 cubic feet to 60.3, large enough to handle most light-duty tasks
the typical family might encounter.
Comparison shoppers will find the cargo space is around four to eight
cubes less than the Outlander's chief competitors. Even the petite Toyota
RAV4, at 68 cubic feet, has more cargo volume. On the flip side, Outlander
provides more room for its rear occupants than the RAV, so it's
essentially a trade-off.
Lift the rear storage
compartment floorboard and there’s a hidden storage tray made from heavy
duty plastic with three molded compartments. Further utility value comes
from the ability to tow up to 1,500 pounds, which equates to a couple
personal watercraft or a small folding tent-type trailer.
GO ANYWHERE
Should you choose the
all-wheel-drive version, slippery roads become much less intimidating
because safety and handling are greatly improved.
The new Mitsubishi gets the
traction and power via an all-wheel-drive system that operates through a
viscous-coupled center differential. When the system senses wheel slip,
power is split to the where the best traction is be it the front or rear.
In normal mode the torque is split 50/50 between the front and rear axles.
Outlander comes in two trim
levels--LS (base) and XLS. The upscale models include a rear spoiler,
white-faced gauges, color-keyed heated/folding side mirrors, and optional
antilock brakes. When it comes to sales projections,
 Mitsubishi
expects 65-percent of the sales to be the XLS models and 55-percent to be
all-wheel-drive.
Bottom line: If you are in the
market for a vehicle that rides and drives like a small car but has the
versatility of a SUV, the Outlander fills the bill nicely. What it lacks
in speed it more than makes up for in user friendliness and versatility.
2003 Mitsubishi Outlander FWD XLS
Front-engine,
front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door SUV
Base price: $20,070
(tested model)
Price as tested: $22,670 (XLS
w/ Luxury option package)
ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
Type: 16V 2.4L SOCH Inline
4
Horsepower: 140 @ 5,000rpm
4-speed Sportronic
automatic
VITAL STATISTICS
Wheelbase: 103.3 in.
Track, F/R: 58.9/59.3 in.
Suspension:
Front:
MacPherson strut
Rear:
Multilink independent rear suspension w/ coil springs
Brakes: Front, disc; Rear,
drum (ABS optional on XLS)
Fuel capacity: 15.7 gals.
Curb weight: 3,240
Towing capacity: 1,500
lbs.
PERFORMANCE
Acceleration, 0 to 60 mph:
11.0 sec
EPA fuel economy,
city/hwy: 21/26 mpg
Observed: 22.1/26.7
Warranty: 3 yrs / 36,000
miles (basic); Powertrain: 5 yrs/ 60,000 miles
Contact:
www.mitsubishicars.com
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