OT: Mitsubishi Outlander yeah or nay

[NikkiSixx]

never given this brand a second thought, but looking (remotely) at the plug-in hybrid..

curious if any Husker fans have any experience or insights?

in some ways, the plug-in hybrid doesn't make much sense to me, as I would worry about gas in the tank going bad from not being used often enough..

any other plug in hybrid fans out there?

I fly back to the US late next week and will see if I can test drive one..

I wish they would just remove the 3rd row and add a spare tire for our market.

 

[Cruel Halo]

Go with the Toyota Highlander or 4Runner. I wish I still had my 4Runner. My only complaint is the somewhat mushy steering but everything is excellent. Highlander and 4Runner are much more reliable than the Outlander. All manufacturers offer the hybrid but you're right - it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

EDIT: The "mushy" comment is in relation to an Audi sedan so it isn't necessarily a fair comparison.

 

[NikkiSixx]

Go with the Toyota Highlander or 4Runner. I wish I still had my 4Runner. My only complaint is the somewhat mushy steering but everything is excellent. Highlander and 4Runner are much more reliable than the Outlander. All manufacturers offer the hybrid but you're right - it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

EDIT: The "mushy" comment is in relation to an Audi sedan so it isn't necessarily a fair comparison.

I have heard some complaints about the steering, supposedly fixed in 2026.. Currently have a Rav4.. I do like the size and how much it hauls, but it's as exciting as having rice for dinner.. 4Runner and Highlander are too big imo.. might wait for the '27 Rogue hybrid.. just kicking around ideas..

have you tried an outlander?

 

[Cruel Halo]

I have heard some complaints about the steering, supposedly fixed in 2026.. Currently have a Rav4.. I do like the size and how much it hauls, but it's as exciting as having rice for dinner.. 4Runner and Highlander are too big imo.. might wait for the '27 Rogue hybrid.. just kicking around ideas..

have you tried an outlander?

I once drove a much older model (Outlander) - nothing current.

 

[dinglefritz]

never given this brand a second thought, but looking (remotely) at the plug-in hybrid..

curious if any Husker fans have any experience or insights?

in some ways, the plug-in hybrid doesn't make much sense to me, as I would worry about gas in the tank going bad from not being used often enough..

any other plug in hybrid fans out there?

I fly back to the US late next week and will see if I can test drive one..

I wish they would just remove the 3rd row and add a spare tire for our market.

Been a while since I’ve test driven an Outlander but I was unimpressed in general with the Vehicle. Looked at and drove midsized Mercedes SUVs priced at about 108. Settled on a 6 cylinder Ford Explorer for my heavy footed wife a year or so ago. Great acceleration and handling for a midsized SUV. Got all the heated and cooled seats etc for half of the Mercedes and we can get it serviced locally.

LOVED the 4 Jeep Grand Cherokees we had over the years. My wife just wanted something different. My daughter loves her RAV 4. Vehicles are very personal tastes. Tough to advise anybody. I know my wife would love to be driving that Mercedes but the service issue and cost of ownership didn’t make any sense.

 

[NikkiSixx]

Been a while since I’ve test driven an Outlander but I was unimpressed in general with the Vehicle. Looked at and drove midsized Mercedes SUVs priced at about 108. Settled on a 6 cylinder Ford Explorer for my heavy footed wife a year or so ago. Great acceleration and handling for a midsized SUV. Got all the heated and cooled seats etc for half of the Mercedes and we can get it serviced locally.

LOVED the 4 Jeep Grand Cherokees we had over the years. My wife just wanted something different. My daughter loves her RAV 4. Vehicles are very personal tastes. Tough to advise anybody. I know my wife would love to be driving that Mercedes but the service issue and cost of ownership didn’t make any sense.

I hear you with the Mercedes, although I heard of a hack that if you buy one through Carmax, you can get the extended warranty through them and have the car serviced there for reasonable.. I would have a very hard time buying anything from Ford, GM, or Stellantis. Isn't worth the headache, and I won't buy Korean either. So it's Japanese or Tesla or something German with an extended warranty I guess.

Seeing lots of Chinese cars in Indonesia.. looked at a Greely, a Chery, and a BYD this past week. The Chery is very cool on the inside design wise.. like an upscale Nissan with the new Nissan car smell too, but not nice enough to be an Infinity copy.

My wife has a Daihatsu, older 2012 or something, the old man at the shop told her not to buy anything new, as the old models are easy to get parts and cheap to service.. so I guess they are running into similar issues in Indo as we have in the US.

A buddy mechanic of mine says not to buy new, says they all have trackers on them.. I dunno.

 

[Cruel Halo]

A buddy mechanic of mine says not to buy new, says they all have trackers on them.. I dunno.

Yep, all of them have GPS trackers and they market it as a "convenience" for the stolen vehicle locator. Here's the catch, they charge you a subscription fee when in reality, it doesn't cost a penny.

 

[dinglefritz]

I hear you with the Mercedes, although I heard of a hack that if you buy one through Carmax, you can get the extended warranty through them and have the car serviced there for reasonable.. I would have a very hard time buying anything from Ford, GM, or Stellantis. Isn't worth the headache, and I won't buy Korean either. So it's Japanese or Tesla or something German with an extended warranty I guess.

Seeing lots of Chinese cars in Indonesia.. looked at a Greely, a Chery, and a BYD this past week. The Chery is very cool on the inside design wise.. like an upscale Nissan with the new Nissan car smell too, but not nice enough to be an Infinity copy.

My wife has a Daihatsu, older 2012 or something, the old man at the shop told her not to buy anything new, as the old models are easy to get parts and cheap to service.. so I guess they are running into similar issues in Indo as we have in the US.

A buddy mechanic of mine says not to buy new, says they all have trackers on them.. I dunno.

I used to buy a new Suburban every year until the government bailout of GM. Then I tried a used Ford Expedition EL Limited. LOVED it and I’ve never gone back. I quit buying new vehicles for my personal driver though and my most recent 21 Expedition Max has developed a transmission clunk that reprogramming didn’t fix. I’ll probably just have it rebuilt. Can NOT stand the HUGE computer screens they’re putting in the new vehicles. Distracting as heii. Other than that, I can’t think of another vehicle I would rather own. Bought a new Nissan Frontier for a farm runabout and I like it. Service is a bit of an issue with the nearest dealer an hour or so away.

 

[WHCSC]

never given this brand a second thought, but looking (remotely) at the plug-in hybrid..

curious if any Husker fans have any experience or insights?

in some ways, the plug-in hybrid doesn't make much sense to me, as I would worry about gas in the tank going bad from not being used often enough..

any other plug in hybrid fans out there?

I fly back to the US late next week and will see if I can test drive one..

I wish they would just remove the 3rd row and add a spare tire for our market.

Stick to Toyota

 

[NikkiSixx]

Stick to Toyota

oh I agree, it's easy to pick Toyota.. until you have to write the check, and it's maybe 10 grand more than something comparable.. I might just get a 2015 Malibu and call it a day. lol

 

[Poster FKA schuele]

I owned a hybrid (not a plug-in) for more than 15 years. It was a very good car and got excellent gas mileage. But my advice is to ask yourself, would you buy this model if it was not a hybrid? If so, great. But if not, the extra gas mileage isn't worth driving something every day that you don't really like.

 

[Rcnut223]

I have owned several Toyota's but the last one, a Highlander Hybrid (2023) had an unacceptable ride characteristic. With the heavy batteries in the rear the SUV had a tendency to sway left and right
at highway speeds. It was so bad that my wife and son both got car sick on a trip to Florida.

Check reviews on these , SavageGeese talks about it.

 

[dinglefritz]

Stick to Toyota

Don’t care for the new 4 cylinder Highlander drivetrains but the brand is tough to beat.

 

[dinglefritz]

oh I agree, it's easy to pick Toyota.. until you have to write the check, and it's maybe 10 grand more than something comparable.. I might just get a 2015 Malibu and call it a day. lol

We all blow WAY too much money on new or newish cars. Had a buddy who used to buy a used GM sedan with their 3800 engine in it and then drive it to 250-300K. My son has over 250k on a Tacoma he bought new over 20 years ago.

 

[LBremser]

never given this brand a second thought, but looking (remotely) at the plug-in hybrid..

curious if any Husker fans have any experience or insights?

in some ways, the plug-in hybrid doesn't make much sense to me, as I would worry about gas in the tank going bad from not being used often enough..

any other plug in hybrid fans out there?

I fly back to the US late next week and will see if I can test drive one..

I wish they would just remove the 3rd row and add a spare tire for our market.

For what it's worth:
Mitsubishi recorded an average of 256 problems per 100 vehicles in the 2025 JD Power dependability survey, highlighting recurring mechanical and electronic issues CarBuzz.

 

[BugsAreQualityProtein]

Are you looking at new or used?

 

[WHCSC]

oh I agree, it's easy to pick Toyota.. until you have to write the check, and it's maybe 10 grand more than something comparable.. I might just get a 2015 Malibu and call it a day. lol

Also- never buy new

 

[NikkiSixx]

Are you looking at new or used?

both.. but usually go for something 2-3 years old. the difference in interest rates can make the used car not worth it, if there is 0% financing on a new one.

Also you can get .9% financing on a new 50k Tesla.. Toyota new is more like 5% I believe.

 

[davecisar]

Buddy had a Mits- nothing but issues
I drive a lot- Car Camp some all over the US always drive to clinics- see sights nearby etc
Can’t beat the Japanese SUVs
Just got rid of Acura mdx- 276,000 miles
3 sets of brakes and batteries thats - reliable
Honda Pilot- sold with 120,000 only replaced battery and starter
Toyota Tundra- 190,000 miles I don’t remember ever being in shop
Bought little BMWx1 lots of issues got rid of it at 65000 miles - never again- expensive repairs
Just got new to me Lexus 350 with 61 k miles so far so good

Buy used- just look at the high mileage vehicles on car gurus ot marketplace- lots of super high miles - Lexus, Acura, Toyota, Honda etc- not so much on others - huge gap
Buy japanese Nissan not so much.
My luck including cars-
Owned one hybrid- family car- the Honda copy to the Prius- they don’t make anymore. Great car.

my rank
Lexus
Acura
Toyota
Honda
Saab
Nissan
chevy
Ford
Audi
Pontiac - when I was kid
Porsche
BMW
Jaguar

 

[BugsAreQualityProtein]

both.. but usually go for something 2-3 years old. the difference in interest rates can make the used car not worth it, if there is 0% financing on a new one.

Also you can get .9% financing on a new 50k Tesla.. Toyota new is more like 5% I believe.

Definitely go new then. A 2-3 year old used vehicle is a terrible buy in this market.

BTW for select models some Toyota dealers offer 20 year/ 200,000 mile warranties.

 

[Cruel Halo]

For what it's worth:
Mitsubishi recorded an average of 256 problems per 100 vehicles in the 2025 JD Power dependability survey, highlighting recurring mechanical and electronic issues CarBuzz.

That fact by itself is worth spending the extra $10k on a Toyota. Cost, time, headache, etc.

 

[NikkiSixx]

That fact by itself is worth spending the extra $10k on a Toyota. Cost, time, headache, etc.

is it?, or does it justify spending an additional 25k on a Lexus?

There is no free lunch, only tradeoffs..

I'm not going to be driving it 200k miles.. the wife will use it as a commuter, I might drive it on weekends for longer trips.

In Asia they are considered a highly reliable brand..

In the US, we don't buy these, unless it's the rally car version, and then of course it's full of problems.

Still haven't heard of anyone here who's had or even driven one. I kinda knew it was a long shot, but that's ok.. I haven't driven one yet either

 

[dinglefritz]

That fact by itself is worth spending the extra $10k on a Toyota. Cost, time, headache, etc.

Resale value of the Toyota is a huge deal.

 

[WHCSC]

Buying anything that is not at least 5 years old is stupid

 

[davecisar]

Resale value of the Toyota is a huge deal.

Correct and a great vetting tool. How many very high mileage cars do you see of the car you are interested in? Simple tool go to car gurus or marketplace and do some research. Look at models you may be interested and sort by high mileage first. Online saw a Lexus 350 for sale yesterday with 309,000 miles for $8900. Another one with over 250000 miles for $12000.
seeing lots of Toyotas, Lexus, Acuras with 250,000 plus miles- other brands very very few and some none at all- zero. Had run across several muranos I thought might be worth looking at- until I did my research and around here saw zero muranos with over 200000 miles- so I passed

 

[dinglefritz]

Correct and a great vetting tool. How many very high mileage cars do you see of the car you are interested in? Simple tool go to car gurus or marketplace and do some research. Look at models you may be interested and sort by high mileage first. Online saw a Lexus 350 for sale yesterday with 309,000 miles for $8900. Another one with over 250000 miles for $12000.
seeing lots of Toyotas, Lexus, Acuras with 250,000 plus miles- other brands very very few and some none at all- zero. Had run across several muranos I thought might be worth looking at- until I did my research and around here saw zero muranos with over 200000 miles- so I passed

Some of that is owner loyalty. You fall in love with a model and are willing to spend more money on ball joints and tie rod ends than you would be on the Murano. Transmissions aren’t really prohibitive in many cases to rebuild. Engines usually are. Toyota’s drivetrain durability reputation buys a lot of vehicles more time on the road. I’m not sure that will hold up with the newer 4 cylinder turbocharged models.

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

Also- never buy new

I've bought my last three vehicles new. Buy a new vehicle and keep it for at least seven years and you are fine. Keep it beyond seven- even better. You have to keep it long enough to have that depreciation start to level off. I take a hit on the Nebraska motor vehicle tax chart but my wife's vehicle is now past 12 years old and it's tax free.

If you are buying used, find the sweet spot when depreciation starts to level off (1-3 years old) or buy a very reliable vehicle that is older (like most Toyotas). If you like changing vehicles often, lease new if you have the money and don't drive too much or buy something higher miles. My brother in law buys vehicles with 80k + miles on them that are luxury trim levels. He usually keeps them but if he sold after a couple years they don't depreciate much.

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

both.. but usually go for something 2-3 years old. the difference in interest rates can make the used car not worth it, if there is 0% financing on a new one.

Also you can get .9% financing on a new 50k Tesla.. Toyota new is more like 5% I believe.

That's one reason that I have purchased new vehicles. The lower interest financing is attractive over financing a used vehicle, but economically, it's not enough to compensate for the loss to the value of your vehicle over those first few years. So if you buy new, it better be something you are comfortable with and you can keep it 7-10 years. Otherwise, you are better off with that 2-3 year old vehicle.

 

[BugsAreQualityProtein]

Buying anything that is not at least 5 years old is stupid

I think if you’re going to go that route it’s best to do private party. I bought a second vehicle for myself in March, a 2003 Toyota Tacoma regular cab 2WD for 6,500 with less than a 100k miles. I’ve seen my exact model with around the same miles or more go for 17-18k at dealerships. The current market is a bleak outlook at the economy in general.

My tips for buying private party is of course to get the VIN and spend the money on a legit CarFax. And most importantly invest in a OBD2 scanner, a good one. I got mine off Amazon for around a $100 bucks and it’s just as advanced as any dealership’s diagnostic. It can read transmission and electrical codes, not just basic engine codes. It can also tell you if codes have been cleared.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

I am floored at what used cars bring now. This weekend, I saw two different 1 ton trucks with 200K on them, that dealers are asking 35-40K for.... insane. Yes they were duallies and diesel, but still.

Whenever I talk to somebody who just bought a car, new or used, and it wasn't a Honda or Toyota, I always ask them if they ran out of Honda's and Toyota's?

 

[dinglefritz]

I am floored at what used cars bring now. This weekend, I saw two different 1 ton trucks with 200K on them, that dealers are asking 35-40K for.... insane. Yes they were duallies and diesel, but still.

Whenever I talk to somebody who just bought a car, new or used, and it wasn't a Honda or Toyota, I always ask them if they ran out of Honda's and Toyota's?

The problem is that even IF you buy the Toyota, can you be sure the vehicle history reports are truthful? There’s always been unscrupulous people willing to falsify vehicle and title histories to make a few bucks. I’ve bought several “auction” Expeditions under the 36k mile magic number and both had unreported problems. Managed in both cases to discover it before the warranty expired. No warranty? Good luck.

 

[Anon1751377989]

I bought a one year old Outlander PHEV about 2 years ago and love it. I have not had a single mechanical issue and no issue with the fuel going bad. The car actually recognizes how long the tank has been above half full and once you reach that date it runs only gas in order to farce "freshness". I have never gotten to this point but it is easy to manage if you will have no long trips in the future, only fill to about half a tank.

I get about 25 miles of electric range which covers 90% of my driving so it is perfect for my needs and plugging in to a standard outlet at night I have a full charge in the morning. On trips longer than that the gas engine kicks in which makes it relatively easy to manage the fuel getting stale issue.

The one complaint I would have is that for longer trips, when you are mostly on gas, I only get about 25mpg due to the weight of the batteries and electric engine. Add to this the tank is on the small size (10 gals or so) you have to refuel about every 3 hours or so. Again, I only have about 1 or 2 trips a year where it matters but annoying in the moment.

 

[Poster FKA schuele]

I've bought my last three vehicles new. Buy a new vehicle and keep it for at least seven years and you are fine. Keep it beyond seven- even better. You have to keep it long enough to have that depreciation start to level off. I take a hit on the Nebraska motor vehicle tax chart but my wife's vehicle is now past 12 years old and it's tax free.

If you are buying used, find the sweet spot when depreciation starts to level off (1-3 years old) or buy a very reliable vehicle that is older (like most Toyotas). If you like changing vehicles often, lease new if you have the money and don't drive too much or buy something higher miles. My brother in law buys vehicles with 80k + miles on them that are luxury trim levels. He usually keeps them but if he sold after a couple years they don't depreciate much.

I used to swear by buying used vehicles after someone else took the depreciation hit, but good used cars became harder and harder to find. So I took to buying reasonably priced new cars, paying cash, taking immaculate care of them, and keeping them 15+ years. That's probably a little less cost-effective than buying used, but not much. And if it doesn't pass muster with the spending police, I'll survive somehow.

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

I used to swear by buying used vehicles after someone else took the depreciation hit, but good used cars became harder and harder to find. So I took to buying reasonably priced new cars, paying cash, taking immaculate care of them, and keeping them 15+ years. That's probably a little less cost-effective than buying used, but not much. And if it doesn't pass muster with the spending police, I'll survive somehow.

This is actually better than buying used. A lot of the used vehicles these days are over priced. I bought a 2026 Ram Laramie this year. It was exactly what I am looking for. It has a 10 year, 100k mile powertrain warranty. And I am taking care of this vehicle. Contrast that with the lack of selection, high used prices on 2024/25 models. Sticker prices aren't that far off the out the door price on new. Or used trucks way over 100k miles and they are asking $20-30k.

I would say that the only people who can say for sure that they are getting better value than you are at buying new and keeping 15 years are people who are buying 10-12 year old vehicles to start with and avoiding major mechanical problems early on... good luck with that.

The only thing that I would change is I would finance the vehicle if you can find a rate below 3%. Keep your cash in high yield savings. You will come out ahead. If you ever change your mind, you can always pay off the loan later. (Don't listen to Dave Ramsey)

 

[Nuts McClanahan]

never given this brand a second thought, but looking (remotely) at the plug-in hybrid..

curious if any Husker fans have any experience or insights?

in some ways, the plug-in hybrid doesn't make much sense to me, as I would worry about gas in the tank going bad from not being used often enough..

any other plug in hybrid fans out there?

I fly back to the US late next week and will see if I can test drive one..

I wish they would just remove the 3rd row and add a spare tire for our market.

Gas going bad is no longer an issue. Engineers have it set up to keep track of your last fill up and the gas will get used up. Don't top off your tank and screw up the calculations and you will be fine. And you can always put in some Sta-Bil if you don't trust the tech.

I don't have a hybrid or electric vehicle. Yet. But I'm a big fan of the concept. If you are considering the Outlander, you better also look at the Nissan Rogue. Consider a Rogue with the driver assist-- I've got it on my new truck and it is nice. I've heard good things about the Rav4 PHEV and I think the Tucson also comes in a PHEV. One thing I would look out for is any models that require subscriptions to use the tech features.

 

[mgbreeze]

We all blow WAY too much money on new or newish cars. Had a buddy who used to buy a used GM sedan with their 3800 engine in it and then drive it to 250-300K. My son has over 250k on a Tacoma he bought new over 20 years ago.

Got a 2008 Ridgeline with 304k and counting on it. Just bought a '23 Titan wrecked from Copart and fixed it to replace the Honda, not sure why because there's nothing wrong with the Honda other than being ugly. I am NEVER taking the depreciation hit on a new or newish vehicle.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

Got a 2008 Ridgeline with 304k and counting on it. Just bought a '23 Titan wrecked from Copart and fixed it to replace the Honda, not sure why because there's nothing wrong with the Honda other than being ugly. I am NEVER taking the depreciation hit on a new or newish vehicle.

My main man!! Love the Titan, would absolutely own one. Not really sure why they didn't sell better. I'm creepin up on retirement, and might purchase a small toy hauler for my cycling adventures, and if I do i'll haul it with a Titan.

Ridgeline is the only vebicle that even the owners themselves call fugly, its just accepted as fact. Hahaha

 

[dinglefritz]

My main man!! Love the Titan, would absolutely own one. Not really sure why they didn't sell better. I'm creepin up on retirement, and might purchase a small toy hauler for my cycling adventures, and if I do i'll haul it with a Titan.

Ridgeline is the only vebicle that even the owners themselves call fugly, its just accepted as fact. Hahaha

I think fuel economy might have been part of the Titan’s issues. My eldest engineer son said they weren’t as reliable as the Tacoma IF I remember correctly.

 

[WHCSC]

I've bought my last three vehicles new. Buy a new vehicle and keep it for at least seven years and you are fine. Keep it beyond seven- even better. You have to keep it long enough to have that depreciation start to level off. I take a hit on the Nebraska motor vehicle tax chart but my wife's vehicle is now past 12 years old and it's tax free.

If you are buying used, find the sweet spot when depreciation starts to level off (1-3 years old) or buy a very reliable vehicle that is older (like most Toyotas). If you like changing vehicles often, lease new if you have the money and don't drive too much or buy something higher miles. My brother in law buys vehicles with 80k + miles on them that are luxury trim levels. He usually keeps them but if he sold after a couple years they don't depreciate much.

Nope

 

[WHCSC]

Only suckers make car payments