Why Mitsubishi Outlander is not that popular despite being offering 10yr warranty and so many feature at competitive price.
Base model of Mitsubishi Outlander base model in Canada is around 34k. It comes with AWD and 7 seats and bunch of safety features and 10yrs engine transmission warranty. However I still don’t see many of these on roads and not sure why it’s not that popular. Just trying to understand what I am missing are there some common know issues like CVT failure with Nissan rogue or something else.
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If im not mistaken they are offering crazy financing deals on this too. Like no money down and 0% for two years. I'm also puzzled on how this is possible. It is a good sign affordability is coming back.
0% for 60months and $0 down is what it is in the US market. That's ridiculous. I have to wonder if it has to do with the Japanese yen depreciation versus the dollar and ultra low rates in Japan. Since the outlander is made in Japan. Unfortunately it's a god awfully ugly vehicle in my opinion.
It's not unique to Mitsubishi -- it's just basic business strategy to grow your customer base, bring attention to new models, and boost sales for struggling models.
First, only top-tier credit will qualify for 0%. You can't get to an 800 credit score overnight and you certainly can't get there with bad financial habits, missed payments, etc. It's very low risk for their captive lender.
Second, they're willing to give up the interest and upfront money (for top-tier applicants) in order to boost sales and build a customer base. Like you said, 0% and $0 down is very attractive. They want to get you behind the wheel without any obstacles. And, if you have a good experience with the vehicle / brand, you're way more likely to be a repeat customer than jump ship to another brand.
Finally, you'll only see these types of offers on less popular vehicles or new models that need a sales boost. You'll never see 0% financing on top-selling vehicles in the historic context. They don't need any incentives -- they literally sell themselves at any interest rate.
For example, right now, the only Toyota model that offers 0% through captive lending is the new bZ4X which is nowhere near as popular as their other top-selling vehicles -- RAV4, 4Runner, Highlander -- which aren't offered any lower than 4.99% last I checked.
0 percent is a garbage deal, they tell you its 0 percent but they already put advance sort of money like 4 to 5 thousand into the deal and sell you as is without explaining it. Bunch of scammers i would say, all these dealers you know.
I have always assumed that Mitsu Motors was just a tax write-off for the parent company. Their last vehicle that had any hype was the Eclipse, and that didn’t last long.
You forget about the lancer evo
Yes, true - but that was not a volume seller.
You can say that about pretty much any vehicle that has any “hype”. The higher performance models/trims will almost always not be the brand’s volume sellers
Or it means the car sucks and no one wants it. Affordability will never come back. My grandpa still waiting for $0.18 gallon gas to come back
They increased its price from 34k to 40k for base gas model, and everything on top of that is going to be 47000 on 0% interest.
Fun fact, the Outlander outsold the Impreza, Prius, RDX, Mazda3, and the Sonata in the U.S. last year.
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2023-us-vehicle-sales-figures-by-model/
Mitsubishi is officially back!
It's partly because it's the fleet vehicle of choice for rental agencies. As yes like others have started, best bang for the buck.
Car companies should take note. Consumers want a good value for their money.
Damn, Lexus LS only 2k units. F-150 750k units
My parents have driven mitsubishis for the last 20 years. Here's the good about my father's 2022 Outlander, which I've spent a few thousand miles trapped inside:
Seats are comfortable.
Suspension is soft, but composed.
Usable space.
Excellent AWD system. About as good as Subaru's.
Dead reliable, I can't remember the last time he had a vehicle in the shop for longer than a few hours.
And the bad...
Drives like a fucking turd. I don't care about 'sportiness' in a vehicle and am far from a traditional enthusiast, but...god damn. The powertrain is just AWFUL.
Steering is overly boosted, to the point it affects my ability to accurately drive.
The interior just sucks. His is a mid-tier trim and there's evidence of cost cutting and rushing in the factory everywhere. My mom has a top trim Outlander with the quilted leather seats and whatnot, and even then if you look below the belt line you'll see all sorts of wonky, shitty shit.
Bump, rattle, squeek squeek, all fucking day long. Almost as bad as my 2010 Mazda 3.
Awful infotainment system - slow and buggy.
Dollar for dollar, you're better off getting a Toyota.
As the proud owner of an outlander 2017, yes. Seats are not really that good, and the dash is just boring.
Buuuuuut reliable. It is a boring car, but reliable.
The PHEV has a much more fun and zippy rear-biased dual-electric powertrain. I drove it and agree about the sensitive steering though. I also feel they upsized the wheels too much, the smaller wheels in the base model should be better.
Downsizing to 18s in mine was a godsend.
You’ll have to add “zero aftermarket parts” to the cons as well. Most older ones had to get waivers for the inspections in my state, because affordable parts were non existent.
Part of it is brand recognition and dealership availability. In my area there’s a single Mitsubishi dealership & they’re tiny. They’re about 40 minutes away, the next closest being over 2 hours away.
They’ve definitely gotten pretty nice and pretty reliable, but in my area it’s just not really viable to buy one new. I’ve heard former coworkers confusing them with Mazda, another brand that isn’t well represented on my area (but growing at least.)
The scarcity of dealerships is an issue. A warranty is not helpful if I need to drive/tow the car 2-3 hrs to get it fixed
People don’t know this car exists. It’s always the CRV or RAV4 that comes to everyone’s mind.
They are also pretty reliable too.
Are they? Since when?
They are known to be reliable in Asian countries, they are very popular.
I rented that car twice and really liked it and was like, “why haven’t I heard more about this car?” Granted that was a relatively short time with the car.
They haven’t made very good cars in the past, takes along time to turn that ship around
Maybe because the dealer network has been reduced severely. There are 331 Mitsubishi dealers in the U.S. there are 1073 Honda dealers in the U.S. I couldn’t tell you where a Mitsubishi dealer is around me.
The new Mitsubishi Outlander has been a smashing sales success in Canada. The PHEV has actually outsold the gas version.
I see one every day in my driveway, but I’m seeing lots more about
https://www.mitsubishi-motors.ca/en/company/news/2023-results#:~:text=MISSISSAUGA%2C%20ON%2C%20January%205%2C,year%20figure%20set%20in%202019%20(
Mitsubishi Outlanders are very popular down here in latinamerica. Parts are affordable, and maintenance is not that bad.
I would definitely buy gap coverage for it, and it would need to be a good bit cheaper.
Otherwise, maybe find a certified pre-owned Mazda CX-5 instead.
I rented an Outlander about 2 years ago. Enjoyed the heated seats. My expectations were low, but it seemed to be something I could live with, if I needed this type of vehicle.
Truthfully, most of the smaller mainstream SUV's are appliances. Sport sedans, they are not.
Nobody drives Mitsubishi’s idk why. My lancer gts has been the best car i’ve ever owned. Extremely reliable and interior quality is still perfect after 13 years
Precovid, you could get them like 20% off MSRP. I got a brand new 2018 Outlander ES for 21k out the door. (The 3 row one, not the sport).
I’m a huge fan of the 2023+ Outlander PHEV. I’ve test driven it twice at the dealership. My trouble is the PHEV is a $10k premium over the non-PHEV. For the top trim, at that point you’re over $50k, which opens you up to WAY more and better alternatives.
I see a lot of Mitsubishi vehicles here in Maine. Mostly Outlanders. Not as much as Subarus or F150s, but a lot.
My 2014 outlander is still going strong as hell. Gave it to my father in law a few months back who’s currently beating the hell out of it. 350+k
Has it gotten better? Last time I drove an Outlander it was godawful. Admittedly that was probably a 2020 or 2021 model but it was BAD.
Well it was brand new in 2022. Based on the new Nissan Rogue, but with a third row. The PHEV is pretty great
“Based on the Nissan Rogue” … you’re not exactly selling it.
I’ve never been in the new rogue but it seems pretty popular. What’s wrong with the new rogue?
In my outlander PHEV, the interior is great for its class, nothing like my old Lexus, but very comfortable and quiet. The drivetrain is a further refinement of Mitsubishis PHEV system. 250hp 330 torques. Fast enough for getting groceries and whatnot.
Does Mitsubishi have a relationship with Nissan? Why would it be based on the rogue?
Outlander was the single worst vehicle in its class that we test drove. Didn't even leave the dealership lot for the test drive. Just one big nope. The engine groaned and felt like a drum full of gravel just going around at low speed.
Fit and finish was awful too. Dated instrumentation, 90’s-Mazda quality interior, and during my drive a headlight died and the airbag sensors freaked out. It was admittedly a pre-owned model but it had about 10k on the odometer. That’s not enough time for electrical demons that big!
Three other key reasons:
poor true cost of ownership. Depreciation is the #1 cost of owning a car. Outlander is well below average there for its segment. Then you have gas mileage and repairs where Outlander is average at best.
below average build quality.
below average technology and features.
I really don't see why anyone would buy this vehicle for mid to high 30s. A family member recently got a 2024 Lexus NX w premium package slightly used for 37.5. It gets 38 mpg highway on regular gas, has more cargo space than the RX, has Lexus Safety Suite 3.0 (possibly the most advanced safety systems on the market including all the next gen proactive capabilities) and absolutely crushes the Outlander in all key categories. And sell it at any point to get a large chunk of your investment back.
If you need 7 seats you can get a decently loaded highlander at this price point now as they clear them out for the new GH.
Odd. In Canada, the Outlander starts at $28k CAD, which is around $21k USD. Much better value in Canada. They sold a ton of them last year.
If it was anywhere near $21k in the US people would buy them. At that price it would be an overall compelling value proposition.
Yah, Asian cars tend to be a lot cheaper in Canada than the US, for whatever reason.
Comparing annual sales is interesting. In Canada, Mitsubishi sold about 35,000 vehicles, which would be the equivalent of about 350,000 in the US. But they only actually sold 87,000 in the US.
Much more popular in Canada, likely due to the value proposition.
NX has more cargo space than the larger RX ?
IMO, everyone wants a Honda or Toyota. I wanted to get a Mitsubishi outlander for my wife but insisted on a Honda CRV. Mitsubishi, is a better value for the money than a Honda or Toyota anyways. Neither brand is worth the high price you pay for it.
I mean…. Toyota and Honda are top of class. And they have been for decades. Mitsu has been…… not good for years.
I don’t know about you but I pay a little bit extra for the peace of mind that I’m in a car I don’t have to worry about if it’s gonna leave me stranded.
And I don't blame you for that. Personally, I have had brands (Chevy, Lincoln, Mercury, Kia) that people say are unreliable and have never left myself or my wife stranded and all have had high mileage on them.
Not all Toyotas or Hondas are really good, just like not all Mercuries and Kia’s are bad (well, a lot of Kia’s are bad, but besides the point). Classic “ymmv” situation, honestly.
That said, Mitsubishi has been a problem for decades.
IIRC the current Outlander is a Rogue underneath. May as well get the Nissan version for the better dealership presence.
Rogue has a different engine - a 3-cyl turbo and doesn't have the micro-third-row, nor a 10 year warranty.
A 3 cylinder engine? Really? Why?
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.
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My Hybrid Avalon which has a 4 cylinder gets 45 mpg at 75 mph with the AC in. You don’t need a 3 cylinder to get good gas mileage.
Hard to get repairs and maintenance for them because there are few dealerships. Not nearly as popular, so harder to find information about them. Lack of marketing.
The biggest risk would be if they fold in N America in the next few years, which wouldn't surprise me. The vehicle wouldn't be worth anything, parts and mechanics to work on them could be hard to come by.
This car is a piece of shit. I test drove it. Honestly, my dad's 13 year old outlander has more comfortable seats than a new one.
This car is right for you if you somehow need a 3 row seat car where the third row is comically smalls, you want to buy it new, and you want to spend the absolute least on.
Otherwise, any other car is better.
Heaps of these as rentals here in NZ…FWD basic spec. Drove one that my son had rented..2023 with 17k on the clock. Cheap interior, and probably the most forgettable driving experience ever with awful CVT and no noticeable power. The epitome of an appliance vehicle.
Mainstream prescription of Mitsubishi.
People don't really see them often so they forget about them. Dealerships are far and few in between.
& when people ask about them their usually associated with the mirage so people write them off as shit cars.
Image is so important in the US market because most people don't know alot about cars just what they hear about them.