Faults:

Paint issues.

General Comments:

The interior trim is too much cheap plastic.

The 2.4 engine is sluggish at low speeds, but good at higher speeds.

Faults:

Except for the recalls, which were serviced by the dealer, a noise from the panel at the seatbelt mount. The dealer fixed the problem at no cost.

General Comments:

Very comfortable seats and well designed interface.

The CVT makes it run smooth with not much power at the takeoff, but plenty past 40 mph.

It is a sporty ride, the car handles extremely well for a compact SUV; I challenge any competitor for a slalom race.

It is one of the few in its class that has a 4WD instead of AWD, and that is mainly why I got the car (along with the best available warranty).

The interior materials could have been better, but at least the design is good, well distributed storage compartments, nice retractable arm rest, bluetooth and awesome stereo... much better than you would expect from a 25k car.

I really looked at the competitors, and while their reviews in Motortrend were better, they offer less performance (CRV), less features (all), no 4WD most of them, less warranty and the list goes on and on.

Faults:

Cowling below windshield didn't fit properly on the passenger side, and was replaced free of charge under warranty.

Vehicle had recall done on it for a brake booster check valve that could stick under certain conditions. Recall was done free of charge.

General Comments:

This vehicle handles very well at highway speeds, and delivers a smooth ride.

The seats on this vehicle are very comfortable, especially on long trips.

The fold down tailgate on this vehicle makes loading cargo in the back very easy.

The 4 cylinder model I have has plenty of power to take hills, but if you are going to do any towing on a regular basis, or live in a mountainous area, you should get the 6 cylinder model.

Anti-lock brakes, stability control, front, side and curtain airbags are all standard equipment. Vehicle also received a 5 star crash rating.

Faults:

What things have gone wrong with this car...

Well, when I was doing my reading about this model, it has been stated a number of times that there has been a problem with the radio. I tend to agree that there is some general weirdness going on with it, but nothing that dramatically effects my ability to figure out what people are saying or singing. The majority of the time, I'm listening to my iPod through the input jacks... no issues there.

We had a panel on the passenger side below the dashboard come loose. We were hearing some rattling. The dealer we work with told us that the rattling was due to this panel being loose. I'm not so sure. The sound just isn't quite right - It occurs more often when it's cold (the plastic softens when it's warmer, meaning it's more apt to bend and be forgiving... as in rattle less). It sounds more like wires rattling inside the passenger door vent.

When we first took delivery, there were a number of paint chips. The company that put on the 3M filter (highly recommended in Alberta during the winter) simply put the plastic on over top of these. The dealer paid them to have the 3M filter reapplied and the paint fixed. No questions asked. Was pretty impressed by it.

The driver's chair back seems to move a little. I'm told this is because of how the chair is designed and is not, in fact, a defect.

We're developing some noise coming from the front tires that happens when we go over some particularly rough pavement. It sounds like plastic rubbing on plastic when the shocks depress. As near as I can tell there isn't anything wrong visibly.

When the temperature dropped this winter (like below -20C) a rattle from the windshield area in front of the driver seems to be happening. This does not happen often so I suspect it really is just from the cold. But still, it's weird.

When someone is riding in the middle seat, there is occasionally an odd clunk that occurs. My passengers tell me it's just from the seat shifting around. It does not make me happy.

I acknowledge that I may have a problem with all the little noises that may more may not actually be occurring in this car. Call it an ism.

General Comments:

The stereo is fantastic. My only complaints about it are the radio weirdness and where I should be leaving my ipod when I've got it plugged in.

Whoever thought up the idea to put a cup holder on the driver's side dash in a little pocket thing was a genius. I just have to remember not to put my knee on it when I get into the car.

After a number of iterations of trying to figure out what to call it (it's not a car, it's not a truck) we've settled on "The Beastie".

The seats are comfortable - comfortable, supportive and easy to wipe clean due to the leather. The heated seats are wonderful in the winter. They have 3 settings: off, sorta off, and nuclear. The rear seats are surprisingly comfortable as well, due mainly to the fact that they can be moved forward and back and the seat backs can tip forward and back. The rear seats are handy in a pinch, but are not generally meant for anyone taller than a kid.

Did you know that the side mirrors defrost themselves? Me neither. I didn't discover that until I noticed the mirrors steaming one particularly cold weekend afternoon.

Bluetooth cellphone connection should come as a standard feature for all vehicles. I don't know how I got along without it. This car has it (again, didn't know we had it until I tried the button after we bought it - the sales guy said the car was wired for it but it didn't have the brain installed). My only complaint here is that it can take a while to get the computer to talk you through the prompts which can get annoying. There should be a manual volume control somewhere other than the phone also.

There is more than enough power in the car. Highway driving is a pleasure. City driving is almost equally as awesome. There is a slight delay (not like a turbo lag delay) if you stomp on it. I suspect that the car's transmission is sorta juggling things trying to react to my right foot. But once the power comes on it's great.

There is a little nob just south of the shifter that controls the 4wd settings. 2wd is the one you want to use if you want to be careful with your gas. The two other ones are varying degrees of 4wd and are really awesome when you need a little extra help getting off an ice patch at an intersection.

Another little niggling thing is that city driving for me is quite expensive on gas. I go anywhere from 300-350km on a tank due to stomp and go traffic (deliberate misspelling). Highway driving is a little different. I can get well upwards of 500km on a tank. I wish I could do more highway kilometers!

The car is wonderful on long trips also. Lots of room, comfy chairs. Relatively quiet cabin. Great stereo.

I'm not so sure I like how easily the paint seems to want to chip. I'm really glad we decided to go with the 3M paint protection. The colour is awesome also.

Faults:

Straight off, let me make it clear that this was a rental. My only gripe is that it was occasionally a pain to get into reverse.

General Comments:

I rented one of these last weekend (actually, I rented a 'BMW 3-series, Volvo C40 or similar' but ended up being upgraded to the Outlander).

It's important to note that I have a bias against Japanese cars, and that overall I'm not impressed by their quality of build or handling. The Outlander is an exception.

I drove it from Amsterdam to Chemnitz (in the east of Germany) and back, hitting speeds of 205km/h (127MPH) with the 2.4L l4 engine, and it handled like a (tall) sportscar. Ride is a bit firm, compared to other SUVs I've been in/driven such as the Land Rover Discovery, but this only improves the handling. Great traction, great cornering, great engine performance. Alas, as one reviewer here said of the Porsche 928, it "sucks gas like it's 1956" (although I suppose running the engine flat-out for hours on end isn't the best way to realise high MPG).

All things considered, if I were in the market for an SUV, I would definitely consider this one-- and that's saying something considering my prejudice against Japanese cars!

Oddly enough, the A/C controls between this SUV and the Chrysler Sebring CRD convertable that my friend rented were 98% identical. My dad, generally a reliable source of information on all things automotive, tells me that Mitsubishi and Chrysler have been 'in bed with each other for years' which probably explains the parts-bucket robbing.