Outlander Sport

[BravoZero]

I had the day off yesterday and decided to go up to the local dealership and chat with the sales guy I know up there. There was talk of what I would end up buying if I needed to sell the Ralliart for financial reasons, which was a scare a while back and could still be a possibility in the future, but for now everything seems ok.

Anyway, I told him that I would like to have something 4WD-capable, even if it wasn't full time AWD like the Evo/RA. The new Lancer SE AWD didn't interest me at all, and the Outlander is only worth it if you get the GT model with the 3.0 V6 and S-AWC. So that left me with the Outlander Sport, which I was curious about. I've sat in one before but never driven one.

I chose to test drive a 2011 SE AWD in silver with no options, just the standard equipment for that trim. One thing I noticed right off the bat was how comfortable it is! I could have fallen asleep in the driver's seat. The push-button start is really neat, I wish there was a way to install that onto the Ralliart. Cargo room is a heck of a lot better than the Lancer sedans, and probably better than the Sportback models as well. Visibility seems adequate for a vehicle like that even with a smaller rear window. The engine isn't as loud as people say or complained about, and barely heard any of the CVT noise either. It had a typical non-turbo four cylinder sounding engine, nothing special but nothing abnormal either.

Driving it, I noticed that acceleration is slow, but not really all that bad when you consider the low amount of power and the transmission type. For comparison, I have a 1995 Honda Del Sol with a 4-speed slushbox auto and a non-VTEC 1.5L engine, only 102 horsepower. Driving the Outlander Sport compared to the Del Sol is a night and day difference, the OS seems like a rocket compared to my Del Sol, and I was completely happy with that. I don't drive my vehicles hard especially if it's a daily driver, I make a nice smooth acceleration to get the best gas mileage I can and keep excess wear to a minimum. The OS is perfect for my driving style. The manual shift mode confused me at first because in the RA, you pull the lever down to shift up, whereas the CVT models you push up to shift up, so several times I downshifted by accident, lol. Again even at almost 5,000 RPM there wasn't any abnormal loud noises from the engine, which is nice.

The next thing the OS does well for a vehicle of it's type is handling. I've never driven a bulky vehicle that handled so well, it actually stayed planted around turns in 2WD mode. I didn't get a chance to test out 4WD or 4WD LOCK. The difference between the three modes:

-2WD: stays in front wheel drive at all times.
-4WD: stays in front wheel drive until slip is detected, then the rear axle comes to life for traction, then disengages when everything is normal.
-4WD LOCK: stays in 4WD at all times for bad weather or driving conditions, not sure if you can keep the car in this mode 24/7 though for the life of the drivetrain.

The tires are, of course, not all that great but I think with a nice set of all weather tires and a front strut bar, this thing could probably out-handle a standard Lancer in CVT. The steering is electric on all trims, and is very responsive and smooth. The turning radius is outstanding, probably better than the Lancer models, it turns on a dime. Braking is also excellent for a vehicle of it's weight.

I will say that the interior materials are much better on the Outlander Sport compared to the Lancers, none of it had that cheap feel like I get in the Ralliart. The SE comes with heated cloth seats, HID headlights and 18" Lancer wheels as well. The engine bay is big enough to fit a 4B11T powerplant easily, so much room back behind the engine. Perfect for a turbo setup... just saying! I would jump ship to an Outlander Sport Ralliart if they ever made one.

Overall I was impressed with the OS, I thought it would feel sluggish and not drive well at all, but definitely not the case. It has enough power and acceleration for a daily driver that wants something economical yet spacious and capable of any weather or road conditions. I was able to hit about 33 mpg average just on the 5 mile stretch of highway going up and downhill in 2WD mode, that's not bad at all. The model I drove had no installed options, but it was the highest trim offered, SE AWD. The sticker was only $21,000 and since it's a 2011, I could have talked him down a couple grand. Just thought I'd post this in case anyone thought about buying one in the future for any reason. Be aware, this is based upon my driving experience, so YMMV.

[Exyia]

I don't care how much automotive asshole journalists say about this being too slow, I sold an ass-load of these back when I was a full-time Mitsu salesman.

I almost bought one for my parents, but the bigger space of the bigger Outlander won (since this would be the 3rd vehicle, only used when the Camry isn't big enough)

part of me wishes I could have bought them the Sport instead though. just an awesome overall package

your dealer didn't have one with the premium package? the sunroof is bitchin!

[BravoZero]

They did, but honestly if I bought one I probably wouldn't get one with the sunroof. It is really nice, but that's one more thing to fail or go bad. Plus, I don't have a sunroof on the Ralliart, so the jealousy thing could come into play when I take the RA out and no sunroof, haha.

If I were to get one though, it would be pretty basic, maybe the cargo package that has the tonneau cover. I wouldn't get the nav, wouldn't get the RF system, no interior aluminum package... the only other packages I would consider are the exterior sport package and the protection package.

[razorlab]

Yea I really like those new OTS's.

If it came with 4B11T and SST I would buy one tomorrow.

[BravoZero]

Originally Posted by bryan@gst

Yea I really like those new OTS's.

If it came with 4B11T and SST I would buy one tomorrow.

+1,000,000

That would be an awesome setup. I can bet someone will try to do a conversion someday, though.

[MTZL]

^Then you wouldnt have the same type of mpg.

I like outlanders. That is all.

[BravoZero]

Originally Posted by MTZL

^Then you wouldnt have the same type of mpg.

I like outlanders. That is all.

At that point I would just trade in the Ralliart for one and call it a day.

[MTZL]

Originally Posted by BravoZero

At that point I would just trade in the Ralliart for one and call it a day.

With 4b11t & SST, outlander may/most likely weighs more than our RA Sedan & Sportsback & get less mpg is what I was saying.

30+mpg is always nice.

[razorlab]

Originally Posted by MTZL

With 4b11t & SST, outlander may/most likely weighs more than our RA Sedan & Sportsback & get less mpg is what I was saying.

30+mpg is always nice.

They actually weigh less

Outlander Sport SE w/AWD:
3263lbs
Weight Dist: 59/41

Lancer Ralliart Sportback w/AWD:
3572lbs
Weight Dist: 58/42

I'd argue that the SST barely weighs more then the CVT.

OTS AWD currently is rated at 23/28 mpg

RA SB was rated at 17/25 mpg

[TrailBrake]

Wow, the Outlander Sport is pretty light. How did the manage to keep the weight down?