mmarshall

Although this is loosely connected with the review thread I did yesterday on the new Jeep Compass, this is signficant enough news that I thought it merited a separate new thread as well. Just read about it this morning in Warren Brown's Washington Post car column. ( He's the Post's official auto writer...I know him casually and as an acquaintance but not very well..mostly from auto shows )
I didn't know this yesterday when I did the Compass review.....Mitsubishi is doing a new Outlander based on the Jeep Compass / Dodge Caliber platform, ( and it sure looks better then the old one did, IMO, except for the Compass-like triangular D-pillar).
Mike (1SICKLEX)...this ties in somewhat with what you and I have discussed in the past about Mitsubishi and Isuzu's prospects for staying in the American market.
Well, anyhow, since this is Warren's article, not mine, I'll shut up now and let him do the talking....he had a week with the vehicle to check it out.

( A picture of it should be available by opening the attached web site )

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...090101002.html

A Family Hauler Loaded With 'Wow'

By Warren Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 3, 2006; Page G01

Divorce has its benefits. Consider the now-defunct joint venture between DaimlerChrysler AG and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

In March 2000, Germany's DaimlerChrysler, heady with ambition, paid $2.1 billion to acquire a 37 percent share of Japan's Mitsubishi Motors. It was a gambit to use Mitsubishi to gain access to Asian and other global car markets. It failed.

Mitsubishi had quality problems and, despite the popularity of a few cars such as its Eclipse, a certain lack of automotive imagination. Its sales plummeted in Japan and abroad. It lost hundreds of millions of dollars.

When DaimlerChrysler called it quits, selling the very last of its Mitsubishi shares in November 2005, the New York Times praised the Germans for walking away from a partnership that was "an embarrassment and a financial drain." Other media reacted similarly. Corporate obituary writers were put on standby to chronicle the expected demise of Mitsubishi Motors in North America.

But, judging from Mitsubishi's latest product efforts, notably its Outlander crossover sport utility/wagon, completely redone for 2007, getting dumped by DaimlerChrysler was more of a blessing than it was a bust.

Like a wronged spouse determined to prove self-worth and make a new and better life, Mitsubishi, as evidenced by the impeccable quality and excellent execution of its second-generation Outlander, has come back fighting.

And if you enjoy romantic tales in which an ill-treated lover gets sweet revenge, there's a good one here. Mitsubishi's new Outlander was co-developed with DaimlerChrysler using the same platform that supports DaimlerChrysler's new Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass vehicles.

I've driven all of those models -- Caliber, Compass, Outlander.

The new Outlander is so far superior to the DaimlerChrysler versions, it is difficult to believe they have, or have ever had, anything in common.

The Outlander rides and handles remarkably better than its platform siblings. Whereas the Caliber and Compass, either in front-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive format, feel weighty and uncertain, the Outlander, in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, feels tight, agile and wonderfully enjoyable to drive.

Whereas the vehicle interiors of the Caliber and Compass are insufferably cheap, plastic and bereft of almost anything passionately likable, the Outlander's interiors -- from the base ES model to the luxury/sport XLS version -- are exquisitely crafted. Mitsubishi even spent extra money on tooling to get a look-rich, feel-rich grain in its dashboard vinyl.

And whereas the Caliber and the Compass are woefully lacking in "wow" factors, the new Outlander is loaded with them, including a lower flap-fold tailgate that can ease the loading of heavy cargo or serve as a sturdy seat for heavy humans.

From the look of things, Mitsubishi was looking way beyond the Caliber and Compass in bringing its Outlander up to competitive snuff. Although it is substantially less expensive, the 2007 Outlander is a worthy rival of the top-notch Acura RDX and Mazda CX-7 compact crossover utility vehicles. That makes the new Outlander, expected to be priced from about $19,000 for the base ES up to $26,000 for the top-of-the-line XLS, one heck of a good value.

All 2007 Outlander models -- ES, LS and XLS -- come with a 220-horsepower V-6 engine. All have a six-speed automatic transmission that also can be shifted manually. The XLS has steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters -- common on high-end Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars -- for operating the transmission in manual mode.

What we have here is a great family hauler, a very nice automotive package -- this time wrapped in attractive sheet metal, including an aluminum roof panel that saves weight and reduces the Outlander's center of gravity, making it more stable on the road.

If the joy of getting even is as real as the pain of getting dumped, Mitsubishi should be feeling pretty good about its new Outlander. It's a winner. Score one for Mitsubishi.

Overclocker

LexFather

Wow, it seemed to make a much more favorable impression. We will see, SUVs still are selling well.