2008 Outlander Thoughts?

I have owned the 2007 Outlander XLS (w/sunroof, leather seats, Fosgate sound system, optioned out EXCEPT for the in-dash NAV) since May of 2007. I too looked at other vehicles in the same class such as the Hyundai Sante Fe, Toyoda Highlander and Honda CR-V. But in terms of options and overall looks the Outlander won me over. I like the 6-speed trans which helps on gas mileage and the two 4-wheel drive modes are great as it gives you the option to lock all 4-wheels. Needless to say it is fantastic in the snow. It sticks to the road quite nicely around turns with the its stiff suspension. After my purchase I did add an after market (Curt) tow hitch which was a little tricky to install as you'll have to remove the muffler hangers to get the right-side mount in place.

I have to add a note about Mitsubishi sales and service and since you live in NNJ it may be of some use. I first shopped at the Route 46 dealer in Totowa and all but inked the deal after 3+ hours of wrangling with the salesman and him making 5 trips into his manager's office. After some give and take we finally shaked hands on the final price. So the joker went back to his manager for what I thought would be the paperwork for me to sign. However, he comes back with his manager in toe. His manager (a short squirrely guy who might I add kept staring at my wife. What a dork!!) stated that they could not do the deal as they didn't have my car in the color I wanted in stock and they would have to pay to have the car shipped from another dealership. I said, no problem, I'll go pick it up myself or I would be happy to wait for the delivery. Of course he balked at those suggestions and out of the blue starts pitching a Nissan Xterra which I never expressed any interest in. I of course told him I was uninterested in a Nissan. Before I left the dealership, I took the salesperson aside and gave him a suggestion not waste the time of prospective customers, come to an agreement w/handshake only to come up with some lame excuse not to do the deal. From where I come from that's not good business. Anyway, I ended up buying the car at Route 10 Mitsubishi in Randolph. Here I haggled with the sales manager but in the end I was finally able to get my price. My suggestion is to consult Kelly Blue Book and find out what the dealer is paying for the car (invoice) with the options you're looking for and STICK to your guns. I would have paid about 2 K more if I didn't hold firm. Remember car dealers have a reputation because they've earned it.

About service: I recently wrote a post about Mitsubishi dealers loving to upsell service. When you go in for your first maintenance say at 3,750 or

7,500 miles they will pitch these packages ($129, $159, etc depending on the dealer you call) which include nothing more than oil and filter change & tire rotation. They will say the mainentance also includes checking windshield fluid, break fluid, etc. What they fail to mention is that they'll charge you more if they have to actually add fluid or perform any additional work to those systems. So what you end up with is an expensive oil change!!

With all this said and one year and 16 K miles logged I am satifisfied with this small sporty, SUV. With sales and service, not so much!

Regards,

Mac

"Joe" wrote in message news:DhUXj.863$kZ1.218@trndny02...

CLIP

Mack,

Thanks for the info! The dealership where you had the "problems" is the one we went to and looked at the vehicle... I'll be wary if I go there again.

The info on the vehicle is also useful and I appreciate it. Why did you choose it over the Highlander other than the obvious price difference with all the options?

Also, tow package... I need one. They quoted me $425. What does the aftermarket cost, etc?

Yeah, the price was main reason. Also, the gas mileage is a little better (excluding the Hybrid Highlander) on the Outlander as it is a smaller vehicle. Finally, the look of the Highlander for some reason gives me the impression of a mini-van. Otherwise it's a good vehicle.

I bought my tow hitch (Curt 13581 - Class 3 Hitch - 2" receiver) for about $155 from trailerhitches.com. If you do get it from there don't forget to do a search on the Internet for a trailerhitches.com coupon code. When I bought mine they were giving $15 off a purchase of $150. Not too shabby. If you plan on towing a trailer with working lights you'll also need the Outlander Trailer Hitch Harness that plugs into the battery and into the receptacle in the wheel well on the passenger side of the vehicle. I bought this from a Mitsubishi dealer over the Internet for $65.00. Check this link out.

. The instructions that came with the CURT hitch were easy tofollow but be prepared to spend an hour or two installing it as you'll needto remove the muffler from the hangers so you can bolt in the passenger sideof the hitch. So for under $250 and a few hours of your time you caninstall it yourself if you're so inclined. Regards, Mack.