Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed Diesel Review – Why You Should Buy.

7 Seats, luxury fit-out for Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed,

Back in the day, I remember clearly when the Mitsubishi Outlander was released for the Australian market.

Frankly, it had a face that only the designers (and their mothers) thought was good. My sales manager and I along with our sales team wondered whether we could change the ‘nose’ to make it more appealing.

Fast forward to 2019 and the offering from Mitsubishi Motors Australia is up there with some of the prettier medium sized SUV’s available on the market.

What is it? The Mitsubishi Outlander is a medium sized Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), and this particular vehicle is the top of the Mitsubishi Outlander range in the Exceed which comes with seven seats in All Wheel Drive and a diesel engine

Competitors? Have I mentioned this before? The medium SUV market is packed with competitors. Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi Q5, BMW X3 and X4, Ford Escape, Haval H6, Holden Equinox, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Jaguar F-Pace, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Sportage, Land Rover Discovery and Evoque, Mahindra XUV, Mazda CX-5, Mercedes GLC, MG GS, Nissan X-Trail, Renault Koleos, Porsche Macan, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Volvo XC60.  

So that’s 24 brands with a plethora of models and if you want to get confused, start trawling the manufacturer websites.

How Much? My test vehicle, the Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed Diesel (with an extra cost front badge) retailed for $48,290 drive away, including a 7-year/150,000km factory warranty, two years free servicing and with $1000 of free accessories at the end of March. Check with your dealer for current offers. (@ 12/4/19)

When I first started selling cars, my manager taught me what’s termed the 6-position walk around. This process asks the salesperson to show a potential buyer everything important about the subject vehicle in terms of features and benefits.

This is how I review cars for you. I relate what I consider to be the most pertinent aspects and leave the high-speed cornering and 0-100km per hour to the ‘experts.’

I’m demonstrating the vehicle on how you’ll use it on a day to day basis. So off we go.

Front of the Vehicle

After the disastrous ‘nose’ grille, Mitsubishi Motors morphed the Outlander to the Mt Fuji style front. The Outlander generally has clean, but aggressive lines while this model has plenty of chrome and bright plastic to please the eye.

Headlights are LED with an auto levelling function in the Exceed. Front (and rear) fog lights are standard as are daytime running lamps.

Under the bonnet is a 2.2-litre diesel engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission producing a lazy 110kW of power with 360Nm of torque. That’s not the most powerful diesel engine in this class but coupled with a ‘real’ auto transmission it gets the job done around the suburbs, on the highway and as a weekend getaway vehicle.

Consumption is about 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres as published by Mitsubishi, but I’ll give you some more information on that later.

Down the Side

In this section, I’ll give you a list of the active and passive safety features of the Outlander. And the Mitsubishi Outlander is near the top of the tree when it comes to this aspect of ownership

ACTIVE SAFETY

Forward Collision Mitigation System (FCM)

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Blind Spot Warning (BSW)

Lane Change Assist (LCA)

Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)

Ultrasonic misacceleration Mitigation System (UMS)

Adjustable speed limiter

Automatic High Beam (AHB)

Emergency Stop Signal function (ESS)

Emergency Brake Assist system (EBA)

Hill Start Assist (HSA)

Active Stability Control (ASC)

Active Traction Control (ATC)

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)

AIRBAGS

Driver & front passenger SRS airbags

Driver & front passenger side SRS airbags

Curtain SRS airbags

Driver knee airbag

SEAT BELTS

Front seat belt pretensioners

Auto Locking Retractor (ALR) seatbelts on outboard 2nd-row seats

CHILD SAFETY

ISO-Fix child seat anchorage

Child restraint top tether

Childproof rear door locks

Power window lock driver control – passenger windows

DRIVER ASSISTANCE

Cruise control

Electrochromatic rearview mirror

Electric park brake

ECO drive function

Automatic dusk-sensing headlights

Automatic rain sensing wipers

Intermittent rear wiper and washer

PARKING ASSISTANCE

Multi Around Monitor (MAM)

Rear view camera

Front parking sensors

Rear parking sensors

If you’d like to check out the full specification sheet, here’s a link to the MMAL website – Mitsubishi Outlander Specification

At the Back

As a potential owner, I’m getting a bit spoilt with the Outlander Exceed. I can open the rear tailgate with a press of the keyfob button and close it likewise. The rear load area with the third-row seats up is a squeeze, but I’m hoping that you’re not carrying a full load of passengers that often.

The designers have been able to locate the safety blind under the load area cover, and that’s pretty smart. There’s a small tray under the rear floor accessible with the third row in use – you can put your valuables (camera, phone, jewellery and other kit) there if you’re away from the vehicle, perhaps on the beach with the vehicle out of sight.

Mitsubishi Outlander Towing

Towing capacity is pretty good for a vehicle of this size. 2000kg with electric brakes fitted (200kg ball download weight) and 750kg without brakes. So that’s sufficient to tow a medium sized caravan, a large camper or a fair sized boat.

You should always be sure to check with your car dealer, caravan or boat dealer to make sure that what you’re planning to tow won’t exceed capacities. Besides perhaps having an issue with the vehicle warranty, you might also find your vehicle insurance is compromised and don’t get me started on the attitude of highway patrols to this.

Drivers Side

Nothing to see here from a design viewpoint. The Mitsubishi Outlander isn’t a bad look at all and pretty similar in looks to most another medium SUV’s. Third-row seat access is scrambling over the second-row seats which fold easily and move forward.

Granny isn’t going to get to the third row so the kids can bag that.

Doors open wide enough for easy access – there’s useful grab handles for outboard passengers and the second-row seats are adjustable.

Attractive 18” Alloy Wheels are fitted as standard and importantly for a vehicle that can go off-road has a full-size alloy spare. Good choice Mitsubishi.

The vehicle’s suspension is Macpherson strut, coil spring & stabiliser bar up front with a Multi-link with stabiliser bar at the rear. Braking is provided with ventilated brakes in the front with sold disc brake rotors at the rear.

What does that mean? Outlander is comfortable enough on most types of road surface. If you’re not going to rally it on the weekend, it smooths out corrugations and potholes well.

Drivers Seat

If you can’t get comfortable in the driver’s seat, you’re arguably too short or too wide or maybe too fussy. When I first jumped in the Outlander, the ease of adjustment for seats and steering wheel impressed.

And on a long road trip, you won’t have any trouble either. Mitsubishi have spent a lot of time over the years on driver and passenger comfort.

The leather trim looks great, and the 7” touchscreen has plenty of useful features. Apple Car Play/Android Auto are standard, unlike some other brands where you’re asked to pay a premium for this feature.

Of course, the Outlander has Bluetooth capability, along with Digital Audio Broadcasting, AM/FM and 2 USB inputs.

From a security viewpoint, the vehicle has both a Theft Protection Alarm and an engine immobilizer.  And these two features should give you a cheaper insurance premium – at least with RACQ it does

As you’d expect from the premium model in any brand’s range, Mitsubishi Outlander has Auto Wipers, and Headlights, Rear-View Camera, Front and Rear Parking Sensors and lot’s more besides. MAM (Multi Around Monitor), as mentioned in the features gives a great look around the vehicle – better for missing those annoying yellow posts and more

The driver’s seat controls are power operated while the front seat passenger has similar but not powered.

RACQ Insurance  Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed

I use RACQ Insurance to give you a guide as to what you’ll pay for your annual comprehensive car insurance. Conditions precedent for this cover are:

• A male driver over 60 years of age, having held a license for over 10 years
• Bronze member of RACQ with 2 other insurance policies
• Has purchased the car for private used. The car is parked in a driveway overnight.
• The driver resides in postcode 4017
• The car is fitted with an engine immobilizer and an alarm system
• One at fault claim in the last three years, with no license suspensions
• Rating 1 currently, having held that rating 1 for ten years or more
• No driver under 25 will use the vehicle.

The premium quoted online by RACQ Insurance for Private Use is $472.03  with a $750 excess. Variations from the information above may result in different outcomes. Check online with RACQ Insurance for your own particular quote.

Service Costs and Warranty

The Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed presently has a 7-year/150,000km warranty on offer. Roadside assistance is for only a year, but is extended when you service your vehicle with a Mitsubishi dealer for up to 3 years..

Capped Price Servicing is available through the Mitsubishi network of dealers Australia wide.  According to the Mitsubishi website, for three services (15,000km per annum) you can expect to pay about $1250 or around $417 per service on average. Mitsubishi have 15,000km service intervals on the Outlander.

I think the service plan is reasonable at least for the first 3 years. My recommendation would be to have your Mitsubishi dealer service the vehicle making sure that this is the best way to maintain your 7-year Mitsubishi warranty

I continue to be frustrated with the ANCAP testing reports.

I have no hesitation in saying that if this vehicle was crash tested today, that it would earn 5-stars easily. That I can only tell you that the ANCAP report below shows a 2014 test result is frustrating. Someone needs to get this sorted quicksmart.

According to the Federal Governments Green Vehicle Guide, this diesel Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed achieves 5.4 litres per 100km on the highway and 7.6 litres per 100km around the suburbs.

That’s a combined result of 6.2 litres per 100km on average

In Australia, in the wake of the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal, we’re still waiting for the new “international testing regime to be introduced.

When that happens is anyone’s guess, but the new testing isn’t in a laboratory, it’s out in the real world by ‘independent experts’

Don’t hold your breath. While the Feds have agreed that it needs to happen, the real thing is that money is needed to make it all happen. And I don’t think that there will be that much left after the pork-barrelling that’s going on with the run-up to the Federal election.

Where to Buy?

Mitsubishi Motors Australia kindly supplied this vehicle for my review. No financial incentives are paid to me by Mitsubishi for the story at all.  I write what I believe are the important aspects of the vehicle – good or not so much.

If you’re in the market to buy an Outlander or any other Mitsubishi vehicle for that matter, pick your dealer carefully. When I want to check out the ‘worthiness’ of a dealer, I Google ‘Mitsubishi Dealers Brisbane” where the city is the one that you live in or around and the brand is that particular one you’re interested in.

I only list dealers who have achieved a minimum of 10 reviews with Google and then only those with four stars or higher.

From a South East Queensland perspective here are the dealers I’d visit:

Northside                Nundah Mitsubishi                   4.2 Stars from 242 Reviews

Southside                Motorama Mitsubishi S’Wood 4.6 Stars from 268 Reviews

Eastside                  Bartons Mitsubishi Wynnum   4.7 Stars from 80 Reviews

Westside                No dealer recommended           No dealer recommended

Gold Coast             Von Bibra Mitsubishi             4.8 Stars from 124 Reviews

Sunshine Coast       Cricks Mitsubishi Nambour   4.5 Stars from 100 Reviews

(Google Stars and review numbers effective 14^th March 2019)

Bob Aldons is The Car Guy

I’m Bob Aldons, the owner and founder of The Car Guy, and Car Business, reviewing cars, reporting on car industry matters, car tech, Formula 1, the motoring world at large and helping you to buy #anynewcarcheaper

I’ve spent the last forty-one years immersed in the automotive industry from salesman to the owner of a 7 brand multi-franchise dealership and since 2015, as a new car broker.

I know cars.

Find One

If you’re hunting around for a great price on your next new car, you should call me, the car buying expert, from Car Business.

My company, a Brisbane Car Broker, Car Buyers Agent or Car Buyers Advocate, will return your inquiry within 24 hours and make the process of buying a new car easy and stress-free.

Are you tired of salesperson tricks? I protect you from the pressure exerted by car dealer’s salespeople. There isn’t any obligation – just a pretty significant saving in terms of time, stress and financial reward.

You’re where? Seriously, my services are available for you in any Australian state and territory: from Darwin to Hobart, Cairns to Perth.  Car Broker Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, and Darwin – I’m available when you need me to be.

 Whether you’re a retail customer, a small company or a large national fleet, I’ll go to work and get that price down. Lower new car prices are my goal. So you’ll get the best prices from me rather than hoping you can do it by yourself.

If I can’t get you the best new car price, better than you can get yourself from a car dealer, I won’t charge you any fee. No Saving, No Fee. – that’s what you should expect from a car buying expert.

Car Business will help you to purchase your next new car – Cheaper

Car Business WILL save you money on your next new car purchase –guaranteed

Australian Road Safety Foundation. The Australian Road Safety Foundation is a not-for-profit organization whose charter is to reduce serious accidents on our roads through training and education.

Car Business donates to the ARSF for every car we sell. If you’d like to support this worthwhile foundation, donate to the cause, become a member today or buy your next new car from Car Business.

People Also Ask

Car Buyers always seem to need answers on a vast number of topics about their cars.

There are a few questions that I’m asked regularly, so to save you a phone call, check out my “People Also Ask” questions and answers below.

If you question isn’t listed, I’m happy for you to call me on 0418 748 498 or send an email to [email protected]

My advice is free.

Q: Why Should I deal with a Car Broker rather than just going to a dealer?

A: It’s the goal and the job of a car salesperson to make as much money for his dealership as he possibly can. And that applies to the car, finance (finance and insurance), and aftermarket sales (tint, paint, interior, rust).

It’s the role of a car broker or car buyer’s agent to buy the same car at the lowest possible price. Your broker will get prices from at least five dealers or more, get independent finance and insurance quotes and then only recommend the car protection you need rather than the products the dealer wants to sell you. Dealers, on average, make around $3800 on a car sale. An astute broker will get that margin down to around $1800, saving you about $2000 on your vehicle purchase

Q: Should I take Finance and Insurance through a car dealer?

A: Generally no. An average car dealer relies on the car buyer to be exhausted after the trauma and stress of actually buying a car. They depend on their finance manager to make an average profit of $1100 for EVERY car buyer coming into their dealership. The income per finance contract rests around $3000 per contract. In recent times, the ACCC (Australian Consumer and Competition Commission) has looked closely at the way that finance companies and their dealers sell to consumers. Recently, voluntarily, finance companies have reduced the flex rate (the maximum rate allowed to be charged over the base rate for particular consumers) to 4%, down from 8%.

There is still need to be wary of some of the non-standard lenders. For those in our community who have fallen on hard times, have bad credit or are on Centrelink benefits, some lenders are still allowed to charge exorbitant interest rates, upwards of 25%.

Q: It’s a fact that dealers, forced by their manufacturers charge very high prices for genuine spare parts. Recently I needed to purchase a set of head bolts for a 2008 Alfa Romeo Sedan. Price quoted by my local dealer was $294. I picked them up from the UK for $115 including freight to Australia. I expect to receive them at the same time as the local dealer would take to get them from Melbourne.

A: It’s not the dealer’s fault on this occasion. Typically a dealer makes around 20% profit on genuine spare parts sales. It’s the manufacturer/Importer who is charged prices higher than dealers in overseas markets can buy at. Shop around. To determine whether you can buy the part you need, you’ll first need the part number. Get your VIN, ring the local dealer and ask for the part number. They may oblige and if they do, just search on the net through Google. You’ll be amazed. There’ll even be local suppliers who can provide a genuine part for you at around overseas prices. For Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Isuzu Ute and Volkswagen, visit my site www.genuinespares.com.au

Q: If you have a larger vehicle, with a lot of glass area, the chances are that you’ll want or need window tinting. At the point of sale, dealers will want to charge you up to $795 to tint the windows of your car. Again, you’ll want to avoid the stress and pressure of negotiating anymore and sign where you’re asked.

A: Window tinting can be obtained for under $400 through Car Business. My company has arrangements with local tint shops to do just that price – $400. Don’t be overcharged. $400 is the price to pay for the average vehicle

Q: How do I pick the right car for my needs?

A: Typically, car buyers will have a general idea of what sort of car they want to buy. However, in a market like ours with nearly 60 brands and thousands of models, historical ownership doesn’t have to be maintained.  Find an honest buyer’s agent and have a chat to them about your requirements. My company, Car Business, offers this service to our customers without any obligation. You can fill out the lifestyle form, by clicking and a representative of Car Business will contact you to discuss your needs. We use the R J Pound Comparative new Vehicle Price Guide to assist buyers in understanding the alternatives. It may not be the one you’re thinking about right now.

Q: I need some accessories for my new car, but I’m not sure that I’m getting the best price from the dealer

A: Accessories are another area that dealers make a lot of their profit. Apart from the window tinting, paint and interior protection and rust proofing, a typical salesperson will run through a long list of accessories. Even the manufacturer has copious amounts of accessories in their new car brochure.

Don’t feel obligated to buy any accessories you want through the dealer. I suggest to a lot of my customers to phone the spare parts department of the same dealer and ask for a quote on the accessories they want. You might be surprised at a price. The other way is to search on the internet. There are lots of retailers who buy the same parts you want from overseas suppliers (even ones that supply the manufacturer directly) and will offer them at a substantially better price. All you have to do it fit them up, but generally it’s a pretty easy thing to do for the home handyman

Q: If I sell my car privately will I get a better price?

A: It is sometimes possible to achieve a higher price with a private sale; however this reduces significantly if your vehicle is not presented correctly and is no longer under warranty. The private buyer today is looking to receive the same benefits they would by purchasing from a Dealer and expect huge reductions in price if they believe they are disadvantaged. Add to this the cost of preparing your vehicle to the same standards as Motor Dealers. Look at such items as Safety Certificates, Service, Tyres, Windscreen, Chips and Scratches, Detailing, and Advertising along with the need to be accessible and available at all times including weekends when prospective buyers will want to inspect your vehicle. It may not be the wise choice to have people you do not know, coming to your home.

Once the costs and time involved are assessed,  most people choose to trade their present vehicle or to use a professional Car Buying Service to ensure they get a good price without the expense or hassle.

Q: Do you allow and/or recommend RACQ Inspections on second-hand cars?

A: Yes, we welcome the RACQ Inspection Process in our business and recognise the need for such an independent examination. Once completed, I’ll discuss the report with you and facilitate any repairs that are deemed necessary. You can arrange for the RACQ to visit my business. I can arrange for them to inspect your choice of vehicle and have them send the report directly to you if you prefer.

Q: Why are dealers so expensive for service in comparison to other service centres?

A: Dealers service and maintain vehicles as set out by the manufacturer’s recommendations to protect your new car warranty. They will generally be willing to match other service providers as long as they are comparing “like for like”.

Your circumstances can be taken into account regarding changing some filters and coolants etc. They also have factory trained technicians and have the support of specialised equipment and of course the proper factory support. There are many other reasons such as resale value, and when it comes to trade-in price, car retailers always look at maintained service books and especially if a dealer has serviced them.

On the other hand, if you’re carefully managing your money, we can arrange a log book service at one of our preferred providers.

Do I need to return my vehicle to the selling dealer for service?

The simple answer is NO!

While dealers may suggest or insist that your new car is brought back to their service department, the reality is:

1. You can take your car to any of the brand’s service centres for routine or warranty service. Brand X warranty is covered by the manufacturer, not by the dealer. So if there’s a more convenient location to have your car serviced, take it there.
2. Dealers may suggest that you have to have your car serviced at the franchised dealer to maintain your warranty. Again that’s a falsehood. You can have your car serviced by any qualified mechanic or technician, provided that they follow the service guidelines for your vehicle as specified by the manufacturer
   1. They should use as a minimum the oil grade specified by the manufacturer and also parts that are of the same quality standard. You shouldn’t use inferior parts. While I would suggest using the manufacturer’s parts, there are similarly high-quality non-genuine parts available on the market. Things like brake pads, brake rotors, air and oil filters, spark plugs and the like are often cheaper and as good quality as those supplied but the manufacturer

How often should I check my Tyre Pressures?

I check my tyre pressures monthly. I have a tyre gauge purchased from Repco that I rely on to check the pressures in my tyres. Arguably, it’s probably better to check your tyre pressures every second time that you fill your fuel tank. High volume petrol centres have good quality air pumps, and it only takes a few minutes to do that after you’ve got your fill.

What should I do if my car breaks down at night?

Firstly, I’m suggesting that you be in a roadside assistance program such as provided by the RACQ.

If you’ve purchased a new car, you’ll have coverage under your new car warranty. Kia Motors Australia provides seven years of roadside assistance in coordination with their warranty. Hyundai and Ford have a 5-year program.

Mitsubishi provides roadside assistance after the first year provided you’re having your services done at one of their dealerships.

If you run out of roadside assistance, best sign up with RACQ or your state motoring body. (NRMA, RACV, etc.) It’s far from sensible to break down on a dark or unlit road and then have to do repairs yourself, particularly for younger drivers.

A phone call from inside a locked car is preferable to having to find a phone booth or a ‘friendly neighbour’ to call for help

If you’d like to discuss anything to do with purchase, trade-in, private sale, service, warranty issues or just have a conversation about the motor industry in Australia, please give me a call on 0418 748 498 or email to [email protected]