My Mitsubishi Outlander turns 12: Keep or is it time to sell?

It’s a good car: no issues as such. But I’m being encouraged by family to sell & buy anew.

BHPian wirefree recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Appreciate the opportunity to submit a question on this forum.

I drive a Mitsubishi Outlander bought anew in 2010. It’s a good car: no issues as such. But I’m being encouraged by family to sell & buy anew - for no particular reason except that my Father is of the opinion that post 10 years car invariably accrues expenses. Perhaps he’s right. What do you think?

About the car:

• Serviced annually at the dealer, every year since 2010
• City average: ~ 10 km/l; Highway ~ 15 km/l
• Some wear & tear of window’s rubber skirting
• Electronics & electricals
• Last annual service reported some wear & tear of brake pads (replaced since) and underbody (?? No details given)
• Only 87k km done

I’d really like to continue using this car. Maybe even for 20 years total.

Please share your thoughts.

Regards.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

First off, I am a total convert to and supporter of your way of thinking.

Keeping your Outlander has many positives:

1. Consider financial prudence and avoidance of wasteful or unnecessary expenditure - Warren Buffett keeps his cars for long durations. So did Ingvar Kamprad the founder of Ikea.
2. Consider the Environment: The CO2 emissions produced when making new cars are far far higher than those created by people like yourself who are driving a 12-year-old car. Low running. Timely maintenance. No wastage. Low carbon footprint.
3. The Outlander is an excellent versatile vehicle. A great Grand Tourer. My friend has one about the same vintage as yours and he says he will never sell it.

To look at the cons:

1. Mitsubishi is no longer in India. Hence spares and maintenance can be a headache. Unless of course you have a well-experienced garage to whom you can go and if you don't mind bring in necessary spares from Thailand or Dubai where spares are plentifully available.
2. Technology is outdated. Yes, this is a negative if you love the latest gadgetry etc. But to me, it is a kind of a blessing because there is less to go wrong.

In the case of a well-maintained vehicle with low running like yours, there is less likelihood of things going bad. Only routine maintenance and age-related parts changes will be needed.

More like Op-Ex which in my book is far better than big fat Cap-Ex which will inevitably accrue if you were to consider buying a new car. When considering the prices of new cars these days, I am of the opinion that they are completely ridiculous considering what they offer!

In conclusion, I would vote that you keep this vehicle if you are happy with it as you evidently seem to be.

And frankly, at this moment there is no real replacement for the Mitsubishi Outlander unless you consider the new Scorpio N. and that is likely to have a good long wait list once they start taking bookings.

I guess with this NGT ruling, you can drive this petrol vehicle for a few more years, so you should take full advantage of that.

The Outlander is a rare and lovely vehicle.

Here's what BHPian NarediAni7518 had to say on the matter:

Well, it’s been 12 years with the car so:

• Change it, treat yourself with a much better car and since you’ll keep it for long, invest in something a couple of segments above the Outlander
• We don’t know how Mitsubishi’s service centres will be in the near future
• I can see that your location is in Delhi, so I guess you’ll have to change it near the 15-year mark anyhow
• Yes, however well the car is maintained it does need some expense after a certain age
• And lastly, if you still want to keep the car, hold on to it till you want, it’s your car after all!

Here's what BHPian condor had to say on the matter:

Considering it is an Outlander, though a good vehicle, I too would suggest starting looking for a good deal.

with the kind of service network and rarity of the model, it will be with time, difficult to maintain or sell it.

By itself, the car will go on for much longer. However, if the resale value quotes are too low, then one option is if you can manage to get the required spares from outside. In such a case, keep this as a second car and get another one.Then again, the 15-year rule would kick in for you sometime.

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:

The car seems and will go a lot more than it already has but it's also true that the 15-year mark is fast approaching.

What I suggest is to keep the Outlander aside for now and think that if you have to buy a car now what are your needs, research, take TDs and if you find a car that hits bullseye then think about selling the Outlander. If you can't find that car then the Outlander is always there and keep the learnings for a later date when this becomes a necessity.

I don't know your requirements or budget but if you want to get some details on the current SUV scenario here's an informative thread by BHPian Poitive.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.