opinions on the Outlander please

[seahorse]

We've been looking at different vehicles and I'm quite interested in the Subaru Outback wagon, but my husband recently saw a Mitsubishi Outlander and he thinks it's pretty close to the Subaru.
I'd like to find some more honest info on this vehicle; safety, handling, mileage, reliability, etc...
thanks.

[nugundam93]

we have a 2.4 non-mivec outlander 4wd that we got last april 2005 (missed the mivec version by 2 weeks later. argh!). it's clocked about 15,000kms as of writing.

anyway, pros:

-nice looks (subjective, yes, but i love it!)
-ample space inside
-more than adequate ventilation/heating, though the circular vents get some getting used to
-traction is good.
-engine torque is good and pulls very nicely. don't expect really high speeds though, it's not built for it. maybe the mivec one's gonna be better at higher speeds with the extra horses.
-quiet engine
-drive it carefully/light right foot, and i get about mid-7.5KM/liter for city driving. dunno how much that equates to MPG.
-stiff ride, just the way i like it. not too wallowy.
-higher ground clearance means less problems with potholes or flash floods (which we have during the rainy season)
-leather seats
-dual airbags
-ABS
-this is subjective, but i like the light steering effort.

cons:
-drive it like a jackrabbit and you'll visit the gas station more frequently. heheh.
-i just hate the stock yokohama geolandar G035s, they're a bit on the slippery side in the wet. to compare, our montero/pajero with bridgestone dueler A/Ts would corner better in the same area in the wet.
-the whip-type antenna looks funny. hehehe.
-the roof rails do make quite a bit of noise at speed.
-even if it's 4wd, it has understeer tendencies.

but overall, i like this one. i've used this on autocross and i'm looking to improve the suspension a bit as it feels like it hits the bumpstops on the tight esses.

i think edmunds.com has crash ratings on it.

i'll try to add more when i can. hth.

[nugundam93]

so which car did you settle for, seahorse?

went to a trackday yesterday and brought the outlander along, i must say, the body roll was er, disorienting especially on the fast 2nd gear corners (oh okay, 70kph. heheh), but the 4wd was definitely an advantage.

bone stock, btw.