Test drive Mitsubishi Outlander (Airtrek) 2003 - 2007 SUV

From each by abilities

Mitsubishisi-outlet-2,4, Hyunde-Vossan-V6-2.7 and Nissan-X-Trail-2.5 are included in the top ten leaders of all-terrain vehicles. However, the success of customers is perhaps the only thing that unites these SUVs.




All different on the face
Outwardly, Outlander, Tussan and X-Trail cannot be confused even on Friday in the evening after a stormy beer party. Say, outlander and not an alternate at all, but a lean sports station wagon with an increased road clearance. Some people do not like the decision of the front of the car, anthropologists would surely have undertook that this nose has an obvious Caucasian profile, but in general Mitsubishi looks whole and pretty. Yes, and the light restyling of 2004, which contained detached headlights and the radiator lining, benefited him.
 

X-trail is completely different. Obviously, we have a masterpiece of car cubism. The total contour of the machine is primitive to amazement, but how skillfully this parallelepiped with a protruding hood is skilled. The relief of Nissan is given by muscular substetricians, a rectangular grille of the radiator, not suffering, is not suffering, the headlight headlight headlights implanted in the rails, ready to blind any offender. Beautiful, devil!
 

Is Tussan bad? By no means. After all, this is perhaps the first Korean SUV that does not look Korean. Family extravagant awkwardness, characteristic of almost the entire car number from the country of morning freshness, here, as they say, during the day with fire. On the contrary, it is quite a modern look in which, by the way, it is easy to find a resemblance to the new M-class Mercedes. Tussan, of course, is not a masterpiece outside of time, but not a single-day moth.
    
  
   


It is only a pity that inside the Korean breed you recognize even tactilely. Pass your hand along the slippery skin of the steering wheel, touch the cheaply both in appearance and to the touch of upholstery of the seats, deeply inhale with nothing comparable aroma of real Korean plastic. Twenty -five again! We do not find fault. Just such a gray in every sense, the salon can arrange only those citizens who are happy with the bulb in the lampshade from last year's newspaper in their own living room. She shines, why is it more?
 

It's a shame, because by ergonomics, that is, the convenience of use, the hande is on top. The dashboard, let it look like a hamster, stuffing wheat on both cheeks on both cheeks, but read without problems. The climate control unit, to put it mildly, is unpretentious, but convenient and easy to handle. And it is clear that the guys tried about this thoroughness, such a loud trifle speaks like a button for the heating button of the fifth door jet. What! Would I get better finishing materials ...

However, the need for high -quality at least the type of plastic and the importance of decoration and the Japanese reached more than two decades. But now we are reaping the fruits of progress with pleasure. After all, there is absolutely nothing masterpiece in the Outlander salon, but I don’t want to leave here. The spectacular dashboard fit perfectly into the minimalist in essence, but the very designer for the performance of the torpedo is a wide plane, tilted at an angle, I would like to proudly call the installation. And it doesn’t matter that plastic is not as muffle as he wants to seem. The main thing is to powder the brains. In a good way.

 
   
Stylish, conveniently, qualitatively, this is how you can briefly describe the inner world of the parquet Mitsubishi

Like the rivals, the steering column of Hyunde is regulated only by the angle of inclination the only blunder in terms of ergonomics

The skin in the Nissan salon is not so what a quality. I admit, more like fabric seats of configuration sport
 
  
Comfortable armchairs and a spacious sofa will easily take four tall passengers into their arms

By capacity, Tussan at the height of the absence of a tunnel from the back ensures sufficient comfort and the third passenger of the sofa

The rear tunnel here is not as massive as on the outlander. Therefore, three here will be more volition
   


X-trail for this part is also a master of sports. The obviously futuristic motives of the salon (only think, they are really futuristic even four years after the debut!) Not a hindrance of an extremely functional interior. The glove boxes here are already three pieces of one another more beautiful. Even the rear pocket of the passenger chair is divided into three parts for the atlas, and for cards, and for newspapers. Convenient, stylish, high quality. What other epithets are needed?




We think for four
By capacity, compact all -terrain vehicles can be compared with compactwenes. No, they are even better. Indeed, in addition to the high roof of the SUVs and the rut wider, which allows you to make the salon even more spacious. And I must say, not one of our trio was cut off on this task.
 

Tussan, who looks, by the way, is the most compact, in fact is the most convenient. A wide sofa and the lack of a central tunnel greatly facilitate the life of the third passenger. And the reserve in the knees and above the head finally convinces this compact all -terrain vehicle in the capacity of the capacity of the real Doc.

However, the loss of the outlander and the X-trail does not look significant. In the width of the sofa, they are inferior just a little. Unless the presence of a tunnel is a more solid remark. In Mitsubishi, he is more massive, but the outlander is atoned with the guilt of a delightfully comfortable driver's seat. Almost the same with Nissan. Its long pillow and developed lateral support is strikingly different from the seat of the same hande, more reminiscent of a stool.


A car without trunk
Such an unenviable nickname stuck to the outlander in three days of acquaintance. But from the side of Mitsubishi it looks super -setting station wagon. The trouble is that he only looks like that. The main minus is large loading height, complicating loading and eating a useful volume. The niche in the floor of the trunk is occupied by a full -fledged stock, therefore the volume of the trunk is not impressive 420/1100 liters. For such a large car, a modest result. Yes, the back of the sofa folds separately this plus, but the rear suspension tumors invade the trunk territory. Typical sports vagar.
 

The X-trail against this background looks almost a truck truck. Firstly, the length of the luggage compartment with a folded sofa conquers only here the ladder we took as a clear example, so that the front passenger did not have to move forward. Next, pay attention: the X-trail has not only the back, but also the sofa pillow, as a result of which the absolute floor is obtained. Finally, the opening of the fifth door is simply magnificent (a diagonal 123 cm, 10 more than that of the outlander), which means that there will be no problems with loading overall things. For a sweet volume 410/1841 l.

 
   
In order for the ladder to fit in the trunk of the outlander, we stopped the passenger chair forward until it stops ...

... in Tussan I had to fold the back of the chair ...

... and only the X-trail swallowed the staircase, demanding only the folding of one section of the sofa


Tussan, at first glance, does not surprise with cargo talents: only 325/805 liters. But it is obvious that Korean engineers knew about this omission and tried in every possible way to make amends. Hende is the only one of the three, in which you can even fold the back of the front chair. In addition, various hooks and fasteners are generously scattered across the cabin all that the car simply turns into a convenient car. Finally, your wife, who will not have to clap a massive door after each trip, will not have to clap a separate door to the fifth door, which will not have to clap a separate door. The bags can be thrown through the window.


To the whole coil
When a herd in a half -hundred horses, even if fifted with a guidrotransformer, the soul asks for an autobahn, is impatiently under the hood. But for starters, you still need to get to it. There are no problems with this. In the urban rhythm, the Parkatnikov trio confirms the truth: the automatic transmission and the powerful motor are the most convenient combination in most situations. The subjects implicitly and skillfully performed everything that the owner demanded of them. Weaving in a traffic jam here is almost as pleasant as, having sold the gas pedal before the kick downs, to accelerate and have time to slip through the intersection on the reddening yellow. You can catch only for minor details. Say, the machine on Tussan switches up not too smoothly. But, right, this is nonsense.
 

And here is the gray tape of a three -row highway. What are we waiting for gas to the floor! Hende, who in the city seemed a little more mischievous, immediately breaks forward. Do not forget, under the hood of the six of the largest volume, which quite predictably gives out the highest power and moment among participants in the test. So the Korean winning in Spurt should not surprise. All the same confidently, easily and relaxed, as they say, in one breath, Tussan overcomes 150 km/h, then to freeze at 170. In mode D, he does not want to accelerate further, and in order to squeeze the passport 180 km/h, you have to switch to manual mode.
 

Nissan is inferior in terms of dynamics of acceleration, and on a high -speed highway, without much trouble, he lays an speedometer arrow of 205 km/h. But what kind of business? Hyunde hung firmly in the rearview mirror and does not want to lag behind. Just the speedometer of the X-trail was a big fan of filling. In fact, his maximum speed is 176 km/h. Quick enough, but from the 165-horsepower engine, I admit, you expect more.
 

So in the end, the maximum speed of all three cars was approximately equal. After all, the declared Outlander, the declared 191 km/h develops, is only from a hill in a fair wind. In fact, all the same 180. In Mitsubishi, another was alerted. After a series of energetic, from the heart, braking with 120 km/h, the pads smoked and lost their former tenacity. For a sports station wagon, not the best recommendation, especially since Tussan and X-trail on braking showed themselves not by excellent students, but with solid good.

 



Sport as a vacation
As you can see, there was no obvious leader in the dynamics. In terms of controllability of such problems, the outlander was unambiguously the best. Sports outwardly, this Mitsubishi is very exciting by nature. It is enough to say that it is quite possible to approach the outlander with the standards of a car. A clear and not frighteningly sharp steering wheel pleases with a worthy feedback that such a thing will not hide anything from the driver. A dense suspension successfully leveles an enlarged road clearance and protects the body from jeep validity in corners. In the bends, the driver also comes to the rescue of the driver with the effect of steering, literally refueling the car inside the turn. And how the outlander holds high -speed line! The car goes like rails, not being distracted by the flaws of the road surface.
 

Well, for dessert, a constant all -wheel drive that serves the same ideals as the quattro transmission on Audi. In other words, 4 x 4 is not for off -road, but for slippery roads. On a rolled snowy platform, the outlander allows anything. The neutral nature of the rotation, when, when the permissible speed is exceeded, the machine slides outward with all four wheels and is easily adjusted with gas and steering wheel, perhaps the ideal option for any driver. Super! Even a little bit binking with an active taxiing, the amplifier does not spoil the overall impression.
 

Against the background of such a performance, competitors did not look so bright. Tussan cannot please gambling, but at the same time quite reliable in marginal regimes. It is quite convincing on the highway, and noticeable rolls in the corners are not a signal of imminent tipping over, but just a reminder to the driver: guy, do not forget, you are still driving an all-around.
 

Nissan, who is considered to be sports in the part of the driving manners, after appearing on the outlander market in any case, resigned his powers. The suspension, despite the short move, seemed too nervous body to sway even during the spurt along the tram tracks, without inspiring much optimism. At the steering wheel, with an increase in speed, a stupid habit of responding to irregularities appears with sharp fares to the side. So the steering wheel here needs to be held with two hands. On a slippery highway, an all -wheel drive system automatically connecting the rear axle is also not a competitor to Mitsubishi.




We change places
A clear favorite on the asphalt quickly turns into an outsider outside the roads. Despite the flat bottom, from which it is difficult to tear off at least something, and an honest clearance is written 19 cm once, which means that it is, the outlander is not a fighter in a broken rut. Mitsubishi's trouble in solid overhangs, a long base and a simplified all -wheel drive transmission. A constant all -wheel drive is good on slippery coating, but this is not enough in deep snow or sand. To be saved from diagonal hanging, which, with such a short -flowing suspension of a pair of trifles, is needed, at least, blocking inter -idle differentials are needed. A light snow virgin land is no deeper than in the brown, Mitsubishi will overcome, to go further to do not doom himself in search of a tractor.
 

X-trail is not much better. And this is despite the hard connection of the rear axle of this opportunity to look for the SUVs. But what's the use of if the ultra -short -flowing suspension hangs the wheels on the most frivolous bump? Fortunately, the 165-horsepower X can be ordered with the ESP+system, which not only helps to keep the trajectory in quick turns, but also helps out on impassability. The twisting wheels are stacked with brakes imitation of inter -axle locks, and the car has a chance. True, when working ESP+, electronics limits the motor traction during slipping, but Nissan engineers took care of this. Even with the ESP+ shutty, the effect of simulating locks remains. Eh, such an advanced transmission would still have a long -flowing pendant and flat bottom would turn out to be the best SUV for mud baths.
 

In the meantime, we give this title to Tussan. Hyunde outside the asphalt in his element. Korean has excellent geometry short overhangs, a smooth bottom, a significant clearance. Plus, a long -flowing suspension, the transmission of Tork, he is a demand, which is very promptly transferring the moment on the rear axle, as well as an anti -wings system, which, like on Nissan, will help to get out of the diagonal, imitating inter -cool blocks. In addition, on Tussan, if necessary, the rear wheels can be connected rigidly by blocking the clutch of the center differential. In a word, this small one will go far with suitable tires.


Smell, guess, shocked
We have already called Outlander and X-trail harsh on the go a couple of times. No need to be saddened by the test of dentistry on the strength of the dentition on Mitsubishi and Nissan, of course, will not. We will only have to get used to the light, but constant shaking and talkative on irregularities with a suspension.
 

Tussan, on the contrary, emphasized comfortable on the go. His suspension is really all on the drum like a fabulous Robin-Bobin, she swallows everything that comes across in the way: pits, sewer hatches, a tram paving stones.
 

But if you have a sophisticated musical ear, the trip will not give much pleasure. And the motor is noisy, and the wind rakes around the racks of the roof and external mirrors. The X-trail will be quieter, although it was not without the flaw of the 2.5-liter engine unpleasantly surprised with some diesel tread and obvious vibration at idle. So the outlander is in terms of acoustic comfort an indisputable leader. To make noise, or rather, to play here only music, especially since the car is equipped with six speakers in the database.
 



Under one comb
Only Nissan’s assessment on the issue of security remains out of suspicion: four stars in the Euroncap crash tests. True, in the basic performance, the X-trail is equipped only with frontal eire-beams and ABS. Yes, all -rests, due to their growth, better withstand a lateral blow. But for most golf-class cars managed to become as many as six pillows. In any case, the X-trail, of course, made it well. But how to evaluate the performances of other participants?
 

Outlander has not yet been broken in Europe, but received the highest ball from the American Institute of Road Security. Moreover, the evaluation for the frontal blow is generally the best in the class. True, by equipping outlander a copy of the X-trail. Therefore, the cherished five cannot be seen.
 

But Tussan (he has all the same two pillows in the base) has not yet fallen into the clutches of the researchers of passive safety. Not surprising, because the car has been sold for less than a year. Korean engineers themselves are sure: below four stars, their all -tribe will not drop in any situation. Let's believe it? Perhaps yes. If you are not used to trusting a priori in such scrupulous things as your own safety, you can, by exception, subtract a half -point from the Tussan’s assessment. Let, they say, Hende will hurry with crash tests.


Obvious and not very
The basic cost of a 2-liter tussan has no analogues in the parquet world $ 25,990. And the equipment is good all up to the cast discs, not to mention climate control and electric windows. By the way, a 2.7-liter tussan with the automatic transmission is equipped in the same way and costs $ 29,990. Only a top version with a leather salon passes a barrier of 30 thousand. In our opinion, $ 32,490 is already too much. Saving 300 green from the above amount, you will receive the keys to the Japanese, and not the Korean outlander with a 2.4 liter engine and automatically. Moreover, such Mitsubishi will be poorer than Tussan only on leather upholstery.
 

But the 2.5-liter X-trail is too expensive. A minimum with an automatic transmission $ 36 080. The machine in the top version of the eleganes with roof rails, a leather salon and ESP+ system will pull almost forty pieces ...
 

Another thing is that, unlike a 2-liter outlander, who is obviously not enough 135 horses, a base 140-horsepower X trail rides very vigorously. So, in principle, you can become the owner of Nissan for $ 29,900. The only serious minus on 2-liter X-trails useful in all respects ESP+ is not installed.

 

 
   
Smart Solving Boxing for Small Marty, integrated into the armrest

On all three machines, the angle of inclination of the back of the sofa can be adjusted

The services of passengers are barn in the armrest
 
  
Devices look stylish, but at night orange on white is not read perfectly

Elegant and convenient climate control unit

Practical containers for small things do not save the trunk from the title of not too comfortable
 
    
Feet in the standard version is a pleasant trifle

In our opinion, the upholstery of the seats is not worthy of a car worth $ 25 thousand

Cargo capabilities of the car are increasing the folding back of the front passenger chair
 
 
Independent glass of the fifth door is especially convenient in close parking

The reader of claims does not have the best recommendation of the dashboard
 
 
For the design of the climate control unit three with minus, for convenience four with a plus

On the back of the sofa at once three hooks for bags
  
    
Additional headlights on the roof is rather spectacular than a really useful solution
 
How many things do you need to fill three glove boxes?
 
  
The jack has a separate apartment in the trunk cavity

A triple pocket in a passenger chair is simply convenient

There is a secluded place for cards or CDs in the niche of the armrest
 
 
This box is not for the phone, but for cooling/heating drinks

Classical, and most importantly, well -readable dashboard white on the black prerogative version of the Eleganes version

    
We decided:

So, we were convinced that our classmates in the nature and capabilities of the car are completely different. They are united by a common parquet idea, but they do their work, like Krylov's swan, cancer and pike. Outlander is clearly eager for clouds in this car to feel sports tonality, confirmation of which is cool and, importantly, reliable handling. But an uncomfortable trunk and poor adaptability to off -road sorties are the obvious disadvantages of our swan.
 

The X-trail, like a cunning pike, lures a futuristic design, a spacious interior, a comfortable trunk, as well as an advanced transmission. But the attractiveness of Nissan is not so obvious against the backdrop of bad habits like a short -flowing pendant and high price. As a result, we have a car in which equally successful and not very solutions.
 

Tussan remains the role of cancer, which takes off in the direction of off -road, where the Korean car is certainly the best. The most curious is that the only drawback of the hande, which we do not want to forgive, is an openly cheap salon. The Japanese have something to think about. If the finishing materials of his interior are of higher quality, it was Tussan who would celebrate the victory in our test. And so, the rarest case, all three SUVs finished with the same result (average rating 4.0). Which leads us to a completely logical conclusion: discard the prejudices and choose with your heart.
 
Mikhail Medvedev, photo of Maxim Goncharov
 
 

A source: Magazine buy a car [06/2005]