Mitsubishi Outlander LS AWD Reasonable Price? (Aspire Upgrade Worth for a 360 Degree Camera?)

Crosscade on 26/03/2023 - 14:54

we've been shopping around a bit for a mid-sized SUV, don't want something to big that will intimidate my wife from driving.

The Outlander, whilst still pretty large, seems to be the smallest SUV that would still maintain a 7 seat capability. We are still unsure how much practical use we would get from the two extra seats, but it seems like a nice to have.

We aren't really keen to wait 6m-24m required for a lot of other SUV models (hybrids especially).

We've spoken with a local dealer who has a new LS AWD in the colour we'd prefer coming in a few weeks. We've umm'd and ahh'd about if it worth 2.5k for AWD over 2WD.

The dealer offered to give us the AWD LS for the drive-away price of the 2WD LS (throwing in mats also), again on face value around a saving of 2.5k. I am not naive enough to assume we couldn't get some saving on the 2WD from the standard driveway price, but from the general chatter about the post-covid new car environment where there are models with pre-orders into the two year range, any large discount seems pretty difficult to get. The alternative is trying to get a similar discount on a 2WD, but this would require a few month wait for the colour we want.

First question to the community would be, is a 2.5k saving (~5% off advertised drive-away) be a reasonable deal (with some carpet mats thrown in) in the current environment?

My second question would be regarding the benefits of a 360 degree parking camera? That would be the only feature we would actually care about missing from going with an LS, but the 3.5k bump to a Aspire just to get the 360 degree camera seems very excessive. We aren't a huge fan of the fake leather seats that are in the Aspire also.

Thoughts are appreciated.

Automotive Car Mitsubishi SUV

Comments

  • dcep on 26/03/2023 - 16:41
    +2

    AWD > 360 camera

    AWD gives extra grip and control (not for off-roading but think of slippery road / torrential rain downpour) especially SUV with high center of gravity and thin Eco tires.

    If you or your wife have been parking without 360 camera then you certainly could do without them and won't be missing it a bit.

    Not a fan of the CVT gearbox though.

    • brendanm on 26/03/2023 - 16:43

      AWD gives extra grip and control (not for off-roading but think of slippery road / torrential rain downpour) especially SUV with high center of gravity and thin Eco tires.

      No it doesn't.

      • Nugs on 26/03/2023 - 16:46

        It does for a wet traffic light grand prix
        .

        • brendanm on 26/03/2023 - 16:46
          +2

          Correct. It can provide increased traction, not grip.

          • Euphemistic on 26/03/2023 - 16:48
            +1

            @brendanm: This. AWD only helps in acceleration situations.

          • dcep on 26/03/2023 - 16:50

            @brendanm:

            “traction is the friction between a drive wheel and the road surface. If you lose traction, you lose road grip.”

            • brendanm on 26/03/2023 - 17:54

              @dcep: Haha, onspot blog, the source for all my automotive needs.

              • dcep on 26/03/2023 - 17:59

                @brendanm: Citation required.

                • brendanm on 26/03/2023 - 19:45
                  +1

                  @dcep: Feel free to look up tractive force.

                  If turning a corner in the wet, with a neutral throttle, like 99% of people will be doing on the road, AWD does absolutely nothing. If you are wanting to accelerate, that's when AWD can make a difference. As pointed out above, on a traffic light grand prix in the wet, the AWD car will probably have the advantage.

      • dcep on 26/03/2023 - 17:59

        Citation required.

      • HeWhoKnows on 27/03/2023 - 15:39

        It gives much better "control" of the vehicle in wet environments
        It will also help with resale value

        • Euphemistic on 27/03/2023 - 17:35

          It will also cost you more to run while you’ve got it.

          • HeWhoKnows on 29/03/2023 - 12:16

            @Euphemistic: OP wasnt asking that but correct.
            Youd obviously only switch on AWD if required due to weather/conditions (if its an option)

            But since when is a safety issue discounted because of cost?

            • Euphemistic on 29/03/2023 - 13:08

              @HeWhoKnows: Outlander AWD isn’t a switchable thing - except for the off road mode. If you largely use it in the eco mode it’s front wheel drive dragging around an unused AWD system - except in case where the system decides traction from front only is insufficient (not much of the time)

    • Euphemistic on 26/03/2023 - 16:47
      +1

      If you drive sensibly AWD doesn’t make any significant difference on normal road surfaces.

      AWD might be a help taking off in the wet, but so does not pressing the go pedal as hard.

      • Leadfoot6 on 27/03/2023 - 02:12
        +1

        Torque steer is eliminated.

        This is especially pronounced when the road is wet.

        I was adamant in purchasing an AWD Magna rather than a FWD Magna for this very reason.

        Less understeer, more balance.

        Driveshafts/CV's last longer because the load is more evenly distributed.

        Tyre wear is more even with AWD.

        More fuel will be used with the AWD, which are heavier and have more driveline losses than the FWD, but I am sure you know this already.

        Mitsubishi made AWD's, like what the OP is contemplating, use drivelines(CVT gearbox excepted) largely based on the EVO range of rally cars.

        The EVO setup is about the best around, and better than those by Subaru for example.

        I would suggest that the 2.5k discount offered for the AWD is a good deal.

        I can't comment on the cameras etc.

        P.S. Resale will be better with the AWD variant.

        • Euphemistic on 27/03/2023 - 06:23

          Torque steer is eliminated.
          This is especially pronounced when the road is wet.

          So it’s only effective when accelerating hard?

          I found this on a Mitsubishi website:

          in addition to serving an Eco mode that automatically sends torque to the rear wheels when the front cannot provide the necessary traction.

          This indicates in normal/eco mode that drive is predominantly through the front wheels and only sent to the rear when you are driving like a goose - or traction is really bad. Mitsubishi might have one of the better AWD systems, but it’s still FWD under normal circumstances.

      • Leadfoot6 on 27/03/2023 - 21:46

        Not everyone wants, or needs to, drive like "granma".

        Vehicles equipped with Mitsubishi's "Active Yaw Control", such as the Outlander being considered by the OP(see the official advertisng literature), have better handling under all conditions.

        "What is Active Yaw Control (AYC)? What are the benefits and how does it work?

        Q: What is Active Yaw Control (AYC)?

        A: From the Evo 4 onwards (GSR models) Active Yaw Control was introduced. It is a type of active rear differential that helps to provide maximum traction to individual rear wheels according to sensed forces on the car and the drivers input.

        Q: What are the benefits?

        A: Due to the nature of the design of normal 'open' type differentials they will transfer torque to the wheel offering least resistance. You can see the effect when one wheel of an axle fitted with an 'open' diff is in mud and the other wheel is on tarmac. The wheel in the mud (low grip, least reistance) will just spin away while the one on the tarmac (high grip, high resistance) does nothing! You can also often see this process happening on the track, especially on the front axle of normal road going FWD cars. When entering a corner the outside wheel becomes heavily loaded due to weight transfer while the wheel on the inside of the corner becomes unloaded. With an 'open' diff the inside wheel can spin as torque is transferred to the wheel offering the least resistance, which is the inside wheel. To stop this torque loss a Limited Slip Differential is often fitted, especially to high performance cars. Limited Slip Differentials (LSD) come in various designs but their one aim is to limit the torque loss ('limit' the 'slip' of the wheels) and to transfer it to the wheel with the most grip and therefore providing better traction. Standard LSD's are totally mechanical in design and can only provide torque transfer in one direction proportional to the amount the 'unloaded' wheel is spinning. Mitsubishi's Active Yaw Control system builds on this principle and adds electronic control of the torque transfer.
        AYC has several advantages:

        It can help equalise the loading of all four tyres and therefore provide the maximum cornering potential.
        Understeer when cornering is reduced as a Yaw moment can be set-up by torque transfer at the rear wheels.
        Sharp corners can be taken with smaller steering angles than normal due to a Yaw moment set-up by torque transfer at the rear wheels.
        When driving or pulling away with the left and right wheels on surfaces with different friction levels the AYC can transfer torque to the wheel with the most grip.

        […..]"

        https://www.lancerregister.com/threads/what-is-active-yaw-co…

        The above is from a Lancer page, but the information also applies to Outlanders, and other Mitsubishi vehicles.

        ………………………………………………………………………………
        "S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) is the brand name of an advanced full-time four-wheel drive system developed by Mitsubishi Motors. The technology, specifically developed for the new 2007 Lancer Evolution,[1] the 2010 Outlander (if equipped), the 2014 Outlander (if equipped), the Outlander PHEV and the Eclipse Cross have an advanced version of Mitsubishi Motors' AWC system.[2][3] Mitsubishi Motors first exhibited S-AWC integration control technology in the Concept-X model at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show in 2005.[4] According to Mitsubishi Motors, "the ultimate embodiment of the company's AWC philosophy is the S-AWC system, a 4WD-based integrated vehicle dynamics control system".[3]

        It integrates management of its Active Center Differential (ACD), Active Yaw Control (AYC), Active Stability Control (ASC), and Sports ABS components, while adding braking force control to Mitsubishi Motors' own AYC system, allowing regulation of torque and braking force at each wheel. S-AWC employs yaw rate feedback control, a direct yaw moment control technology that affects left-right torque vectoring (this technology forms the core of S-AWC system) and controls cornering maneuvers as desired during acceleration, steady state driving, and deceleration.[3][5] Mitsubishi Motors claims the result is elevated drive power, cornering performance, and vehicle stability regardless of driving conditions.[1][3]

        […..]"

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_S-AWC

        Somehow, I would suggest that cars so equipped have better handling compared to similar cars not so equipped.

        Ceteris paribus(all other things being equal).

        • Euphemistic on 27/03/2023 - 22:53

          People who drive outlanders shouldn’t be driving in such a way as to need it. EVO? Yes. SUV? No.

          • Leadfoot6 on 28/03/2023 - 01:10

            @Euphemistic: Another deflection.

            Sources demonstrate that an Outlander AWD system improves handling compared to FWD.

            End of lesson.

            • Euphemistic on 28/03/2023 - 05:51

              @Leadfoot6: But it’s not NECESSARY for most drivers of SUVs. It adds weight, complexity and cost and largely isn’t NEEDED.

  • dcep on 26/03/2023 - 16:48
    +1

    Also, many cars have been sitting at the port for months , so it's not solely that the supply demand issue or chip shortage still around but rather logistics problem for Australia alone.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRwObZ8OWv8

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G14DWZoxn0U

  • kerfuffle on 26/03/2023 - 18:00
    +1

    Wish I could have saved $2500 on my car. I managed to save a grand total of $136.

  • OZBsince2018 on 01/04/2023 - 14:03

    I would recommend go for AWD option. I own same 7 seater Outlander and when I turn off AWD, I can feel clear difference in acceleration. If saving fuel is your consideration, you can switch off the AWD whenever you want.

  • ozzieblue on 27/10/2023 - 08:33

    Did you get the outlander?
    We are looking at the Outlander as well. I would definitely recommend AWD for 2.5 and the LS seems a reasonable model.
    If you have not bought yet, the Nissan X-Trail shares the same platform (ie shares some parts etc), and for 54k you can get a semi hybrid with better fuel consumption.
    Outlander PHEV looks good but it starts at 62k but gives you very good tax offsetting if you get a novated lease. (Note it does not have a spare wheel).
    Could you share the details of the dealer? Our dealer was not offering us anything.

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