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Owning & living with a used Mitsubishi Outlander: Do I regret buying it

8th February 2024, 11:02 by Dev Shah

Although the thought was tempting, I was quite skeptical about getting a Mitsubishi, that too Outlander, for it being sold in small numbers.

BHPian martiannomad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

6 years back, I found myself getting introduced to the first car in my family that my sister bought in my absence, without much discussion with me, because I was doing all nighters studying and partying at B-School. This was a pre-owned 2009 Honda Jazz MT 1.2 P iVtec 2009 model.

I learnt to drive automatic cars when I was working abroad. So Jazz was the car that helped me get comfortable with stick drive and Indian road conditions. Although I had a plethora of motorcycle riding and touring experience, driving a car, that too with your parents in the back seat, was a series of new experiences.

Jazz did what it could do the best: revv to the glory! I did numerous Navi Mumbai - Pune drives, and a few runs to Goa, Dapoli and they were fun - the most memorable being a visit to Matheran, due to its steep inclines with loose gravel underneath - quite a challenge for a new driver. But all along, despite all the goodness of Jazz, it was not my pick, but my sister’s. So, I was itching to get a car with more power + comfort + features + looks i.e. more SWAG. I was not keen on diesel cars because (a) my driving was restricted to occasional highway drives, hence low, and (b) ~30% price premium on diesel cars over petrol.

A visit to a pre-owned auto dealer in Pune in 2018 for checking out a VW Vento AT, got me intrigued about a 2010 Outlander P AT AWD 2.4 MiVec - a shining dark grey, silently waiting in the stable for its next jockey.

Although the thought was tempting, I was quite skeptical about getting a Mitsubishi, that too Outlander, for it being sold in small numbers, and ASS almost non-existent! Also Outlander being a 2.4 NA P engine + CVT, it was definitely not going to be frugal with respect to fuel bills. I was also not a fan of the look of the side profile of this car.

But, I told myself, hey, double the engine cc, half the mileage - fair deal! Also the auto dealer was quite passionate and knowledgeable about Outlanders and Cedias. He had a couple of more Outlanders on sale in his showroom. His daily driver was also an Outlander. So extensive conversation with him and my friend supplied me with sufficient confidence to take the plunge. I exchanged my Jazz and paid more in cash. My dear friend lent me some on the spot, as I didn't want to get a loan or wait for my next salary to complete the purchase - I guess he too was excited about the Outlander. And there I was: suddenly an owner of this white elephant - or not so white? I was about to find out!

Moving from Jazz to Outlander was a big step up in every aspect. For a 2010 car, the feature list was impressive. What significantly stood out were:

Suburb comfort with Keyless entry, suspensions, AT, cabin quality and NVH
Driving pleasure with more horses (~170) ), paddle shifters and hydraulic steering
Superb xenon headlights making night drives safe and comfortable
Supremely specious overall with gigantic boot space with split tailgate
Rockford Fosgate music system with subwoofer
Peace of AWD having my back in conditions get tough

In 2024, many of these are given for a 12+ lakh car. But in 2018, it was still a lucrative deal, considering the price it went for.

Fast forward to 2024:

I’ve driven it for good ~32K and made memories for life. It never disappointed me with no breakdowns whatsoever. Some of the road trips did with Outlander:

800 KM trip to Hampi from Hyderabad with my wife and bicycle in Dec’23 (Yes, it comfortably fits a full size bicycle )
3000 KM Rajasthan trip with wife and parents in Dec’22: Navi Mumbai > Udaipur > Jodhpur > Jaisalmer > Mount Abu > Navi Mumbai
Multiple trips to Goa, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mahabaleshwar, Pondicherry and more

Hopefully I’ll write about these trips someday soon.

Living with a(n) Outlander:

Highly reliable and comfortable tourer with a full load of 5 folks and their (unrestricted) luggage.
Per MID, it drinks fuel in the city at 5-6 kmpl. Highway mileage is not too bad at ~8-10 kmpl. One can extract up to 12 kmpl too.
With rear seats folded down, it’s an Anaconda that swallows everything thrown at it. I could even fit a 55” TV during covid when I had no other choice
No niggles - mostly needs just annual service at FNG.
Parts are expensive and take a few days to get them - so need to plan repairs. I have a friend with contacts to help here. Thai alternatives are more cost effective as compared to the Japanese OG parts.
One major expense was when I got suspension parts, engine mounts and brake discs replaced.
Wish it had rear AC vents.
I’m not an experienced offroader, so take it or leave it. IMO, CVT fails AWD as it cannot provide low end grunt when stuck deep in sand/mud. I experienced this when I tried a bit of dune bashing at Jaisalmer. I had to stop before getting started. AWD is definitely helpful as a safety net when on inclines and gravels/ slippery surfaces, but it’s not going to satiate off-roading fantasies.
Wish it had a low case! I drove a 2016 Outlander with low case in Australia - and it felt so much more capable off roader than my Outlander.
I don’t feel confident to take it to highly remote parts like Ladakh or Sikkim, as it will not be serviceable there, if things go wrong.

Turns out, definitely not a white elephant, but a reliable workhorse! It continues to serve my purpose well and makes me continuously contemplate my next road trip. I hope to add many more tons!