[slothman]

Prior to the Forester I've only owned Mitsubishi cars since the early 1970s. I really wanted to buy the larger Outlander, but the more I test drove it the less enthusiastic I became. It's AWD system is very good, in some respects better than the Foresters as power distribution is a straight 50:50 front to rear.

But it just doesn't drive as well as the Forester, especially around corners. A 40 kph bend that my wife's then 18 yo Lancer could comfortably negotiate at 65 kph had the Outlander tilting alarmingly to the point of lifting at least one wheel at the same speed and then wandering like a drunkard. Scared the crap out of the salesman that was with me and had my heart flip flopping for a few seconds. I regular do it at just a whisker under 70 kph in the Forester.

I didn't get to try the Outlander Sport, sold as the ASX here, on the same road, but the handling characteristics seemed much the same as the bigger Outlander.

I suggest you take the Outlander Sport for more than a 5 minute test drive if you can and really explore its handling. If you don't need a competent AWD, then the Mazda CX-5 would be a better alternative. Its a very good drive, handling even better than the Forester, but its AWD system isn't anywhere near as good. Great for extra traction on a wet road, but the power transfer to the rear soon quits when the going gets rough.

 

[Reardon]

I think the RVR has had better reviews than the outlander, I know the outlander is heavy and the 4 cylinder model is pretty slow.

I assume you are looking away from Subaru with this post or just looking at options in the same genre. Best I can say is pick a number you want to spend on "said" new purchase and test drive, I'm sure most dealers will let you do some light off road or at least some obstacles to test the AWD. You know what your subie can do and want you want the next one to be able to do

 

[skyforester]

OK,

On the verge of trading my 05 Foz in. Have been failing to correct a persistent CEL and I am at that (admittedly enviable) point in my life where I do not have to put with this, if I choose not to...

But enough of the rant.

The Outlander Sport gets poor reviews. But the reasons for the bad reviews don't bother me. Stuff like loud CVT, "poor interior quality finish" etc...

Mitsubishi has really good reliability ratings and a 10 yer/100k warranty. That attracts me, given the uncertainly of Subarus over the last 15 years....

But I want an AWD system that is decent. Better than the Honda CRV version at least.

Anyone know just what a Outlander Sport AWD system is capable of? Decent? Above Average? Has issues?

Mitsubishi's AWD is actually not that bad. Much better than CRV and RAV4. But you see the thing is, there just isn't anything similar to Subaru's SYMMETRICAL awd. It's more than marketing slogan. Having symmetrical drivetrain left and right, with no 90 degree turns at the transfer case, makes a difference, in fact a huge difference in handling and how the car feels. When you accelerate, having equal length drive shafts provides the best yin and the yang, and when you slow down, the symmetrical provides predictable slowdown and stable vehicle dynamics, once again providing the best yin and the yang.

We don't normally think about how the vehicle behaves when the foot is off the pedal, but this was pointed out by the race car drive in a youtube clip I saw. He was driving the Impreza and pointed out that having symmetrical drivetrain provides a lot more stability even when you are not stepping on the gas because there are equal drag at all four corners.

 

[stan_t]

Every car comparison on here starts and ends with AWD -- what else is new? In my opinion this is mostly due to marketing -- when people start debating Subaru's advantages they often don't mention the year, model, transmission type -- Subaru has so many variations in it's system.

My opinion may sound harsh -- new Foresters that stand out are the XT and the 6MT models, there are no alternatives to them in the US. The N/A CVT model -- you may as well look at all the rest of competition, they all seem to offer the same thing for the most part.

Stan

 

[SuubMarine]

I thought the previous model Outlander was suuuper cool and really was into until I drove it. It drives like a truck and the finish made it feel more like a 'machine' - very utilitarian compared to pretty much any other vehicle I drove.

I have seen videos where it compares admirably/outperforms the Fozz in snow and climbing.

Can't speak for the RVR/Sport/whatever they call it where you are, but it's more in line with the XV which is a cooler ride ride anyway, and probably more comfortable.

 

[Quilty]

Why are you ruling out a newer Forester?

 

[Landshark]

Im also looking at an Outlander Sport after the wife's POS '05 FXT (bone stock) decided to lose compression in two cylinders at 73k miles. Ive had Chryslers and Chevys last longer. Dont really trust the "new" Subaru engine.

The 2.4L Mitsu engine is 168hp (vs Forester's 170hp), better warranty, and better equipped at the same price or less. My Evo X has been rock-solid, and I didnt want to roll the dice on an untested Subaru engine.

Also, the seats in the new Forester are like sitting on bricks. They havent made a decent seat since the 2002 WRX.

 

[dataproc]

Not to rile anyone up here, but...

If you are looking at Mitsubishi anyway, check out a Lancer Ralliart. AWD but also economical (for a Mitsubishi), and fairly rare to see actually on the road. It is the best value-for-money vehicle that Mitsubishi makes. Think of it as such (oh this might hurt):

Subaru has the WRX to its STI.

Mitsubishi has the Ralliart to its Evo.

 

[Phat Possum]

+1 re: Mazda. My local Subie dealer shares the lot w/Mitsubishi...I looked at the Outlander...didn't even bother to drive one...it reeked of cheap (in a bad way - unlike Suzukis) and the price was too close to Forester. I've put almost 2K on my '15 2.5i and like it better every day. I've learned to trust Consumer Reports' car reviews...nuff sed? Cars are like a--holes...Everybody has one and we really only care about our own...follow your passion.

 

[Landshark]

I've put almost 2K on my '15 2.5i and like it better every day.

almost 2K?!? let's see how much you like it when the motor s**ts the bed a little later. :laugh:

i used to be a bit of a Subaru fanboy. owned '97 SVX, '02 WRX (bought new), '05 Legacy GT (bought new), '05 FXT.

wife even test drove a '15 Forester and Crosstrek when we were at the dealer after it was explained it would be $7k-$8k for a new engine. :laugh::laugh::laugh:

then i thought, "why would i even think of rewarding Subaru with my money after the FXT died before even hitting 75k under my wife's extremely gentle driving?"

now the Outlander Sport may not be for everyone, but my wife liked the size of her '05 FXT and didn't need the added bulk of the newer Foresters - we have no kids or herd of large dogs.

the interior of the OS was of the same quality as the Forester, but the seats didn't suck, and the backup camera was actually useable (W-T-F Subaru? a 2" screen 4 feet from the drivers eyes?)

believe me, if you would have told me 5 years ago i'd own a Mitsubishi and would consider buying a second, i would have laughed in your face.

I've learned to trust Consumer Reports' car reviews...nuff sed?

i like the part that said "reliability has been excellent". it was hurt by the reviews because it doesn't have the cargo capacity of some other small utes, but that was exactly what we were looking for - something the size of the older Forester.

 

[Phat Possum]

This is my first Subie... the extended warranties I bought w/the '94 K1500, '99 Cherokee, & '04 Titan paid for themselves. So... I sprung for the 100K E.W. so that maybe I'll still have wheels after it's paid-off. I knock-off at least 2500mi/month...36000 will come fast. Who Knows what crap will be for sale when I'm shopping again...TuboDiesel awd SMART car. I'm looking at a '64 International Crew 4x4 for a spare ride...for when the subie gets sick. We pays our money and hopes for the best,right?

 

[Landshark]

We pays our money and hopes for the best,right?

we pays our money, and when crap blows up, we don't pays our money to Subaru again.

 

[Phat Possum]

Ja...maybe so. Toyota made me a good truck, but the a--bite service departments killed-off repeat business w/their lies....there's more than one way to lose business. The local Subie dealer had two chances to get busy w/me...and slept through it all. 37 miles south, they 'earned the business'. Here's hoping the good vibe lasts. If it doesn't...no big deal... maybe there will actually be something worth getting excited about. 'Sounds like you're ready for something different...good luck.

 

[Landshark]

so i bought a 2015 Outlander Sport 2.4L GT AWD.

it may not be a Forester replacement for everyone, but my wife wanted something closer to the size of her 2005 Forester. the 2015 Foresters are large (we have no kids or need for a ton of cargo capacity), and to be honest, the Forester interior seemed pretty low-rent. having a Mitsubishi dealer 2 miles from my house doesn't hurt - some folks may not have a Mitsu dealer close to them, though.

Super-wide HID's, FWD/AWD auto/4x4 lock modes, CVT w/paddle shifters, keyless entry and push button start, voice commands, 710w Rockford Fosgate system, 18" wheels, rain sensing wipers, 5yr/50k bumper-to-bumper and 10yr/100k powertrain warranty. for $24k - Forester doesn't come near that. preferred the exterior and interior styling better, too.

again, not for everyone, but it fit our needs better, and after owning 4 Subarus, they lost my trust.

 

[Duderotomy]

I find the Suzuki references in here comical.

Suzuki builds fantastic vehicles, they just didn't have the mass appeal or distribution that were necessary for success.
Mitsubishi is suffering from a similar situation. Great vehicles with a lack of the distribution network.


For how often Suzuki's needed to go into the dealership for servicing/repairs, they didn't need a vast network of dealerships...

 

[mgsj15]

Can't speak for the RVR/Sport/whatever they call it where you are, but it's more in line with the XV which is a cooler ride ride anyway, and probably more comfortable.

A friend has an RVR. It's basically the same size as the Impreza, but a couple of inches higher off the ground, so a lot like the XV.

It does have a 2WD/4WD/Auto switch on there to let you control which wheels get power, and, as far as I'm aware, their AWD is decent. Performance-wise, it's noticeably slower to accelerate than the Forester, but probably about the same as the Impreza, if not a little faster.

She actually let me test-drive it after we'd both been test-driving the Forester XT, so that may have made it feel slower than it is . We'd have considered one, but we'd already decided the Impreza hatchback didn't have enough cargo space, and the RVR is pretty much the same.

 

[Landshark]

Performance-wise, it's noticeably slower to accelerate than the Forester, but probably about the same as the Impreza, if not a little faster.

the 2.4L has 2 less hp (168) than the Forester, and is slightly lighter. didn't drive a 2.0L - heard they were kinda sluggish. only drove ours a couple times, and it seems fine as far as acceleration. has less than 25 miles on it at this point, so i haven't gotten heavy on the pedal, but feels pretty much the same as the '15 Foresters i test drove.

 

[mgsj15]

Good point. I forgot there was a 2.4L version of the RVR, hers is the 2.0L.

And, to be honest, I think I've only floored the gas pedal twice on the Forester in 8,000km, when pulling out into highway traffic, so we probably wouldn't have noticed much difference.