Those who have been reading the continuing tales of our 2007 Mitsubishi Oultander know that I've already blogged about the odd iPod connection location located at floor-level in the back seat. But our Mitsu scores much better on the power-cord side of the equation.
Unlike many of its competitors, our Outlander's center console-mounted power outlet is "hot" at all times. Even though the key is off in this photo, the telltale green pilot light on my phone cord is burning brightly and my phone is a-charging.
And look at that power cord cut-out...
Even though these are seemingly zero-cost details that might be taken for granted, they make an incremental difference in the day-to-day enjoyment of a car. When I see an automobile without such simple features, and I often do, it makes me wonder. "Why didn't they do that?"
If only the Outlander's MP3/iPod connection were as well conceived.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 17,482 miles
stovt001 says:
06:10 PM, 12/15/07
Wow, a Saturday update. Way to be devoted to the job.
That is perfect. I don't think I have any power cords with thicker coils than that. Too bad the ipod connection couldn't be as good.
billt9 says:
06:29 PM, 12/15/07
With the Ford cruise control fiasco, I don't think I am comfortable with an always-hot unit.
opfreak says:
06:49 PM, 12/15/07
thats kind of cool. i'd be afraid of drainging my battery though
mjd1123 says:
10:21 PM, 12/15/07
My Saturn Aura also has an always hot 12 outlet (actually, two of them) and a hole for routing cords through the center console as well. As with the Outlander, it is handy indeed!
ayao says:
10:58 PM, 12/15/07
I'd have to agree with opfreak. Seems like it'd be easy to drain the battery if you were careless and left something charging by accident?
flipb says:
09:01 AM, 12/16/07
In previous cars I've owned, the outlets were always hot. However, I've come to appreciate that the Kia Rondo's outlets shut off when the ignition is off.
As noted earlier in the week, the Rondo lacks an Aux input jack. So I leave my FM transmitter hooked up to the power outlet inside the center console, never worrying about unplugging it or draining the battery.
I can tell you that the power outlets on early Saab 9000's didn't function if the car was off. When I was about 8 years old, I went to look at my dad's brand new 9000 in the driveway. I accidentally pushed in the cigarette lighter, then ran into the house crying, afriad that Dad's car was going to catch on fire next time he started it.
actualsize says:
09:58 AM, 12/16/07
I have a hard time believing that a puny little cell phone or iPod battery can suck a significant amount of power out of a lead-acid car battery. It's not like leaving the headlights on - or even a dome light.
Unlike those things, modern battery chargers stop drawing current when the battery is fully charged. Any electrical engineers out there care to confirm or deny this theory?
dragonflight says:
11:05 AM, 12/16/07
@ actualsize:
There are gadgets (such as the aforementioned iPod FM transmitter) that will never power down. These would drain the battery, which compounded with a few years of use, could leave you in quite a predicament next time you start it up.
actualsize says:
02:10 PM, 12/16/07
I just ran out to the driveway and checked the Outlander's second power outlet - the one up in front of the cupholders where an ashtray might have been in olden times.
That one is switched.
So you can plug always-on items like your FM transmitter into the switched outlet, but keep bulky, lower-drain items like charge cords plugged into the always-hot outlet in the console box shown in the photo.
Choice. I've got no problem with that.
stovt001 says:
07:27 PM, 12/16/07
As a habit I never leave anything plugged in when the car isn't running. True, I don't have a concealed outlet like this so the main reason is to prevent theft.
dodo2 says:
09:38 AM, 12/17/07
I like the CHOICE in the Outlander. I use a 12V air compressor to inflate my tires and I like the option not to keep the engine running for 10-15 minutes as I check/inflate my tires. Would I leave any always-on charging device plugged in for a long time? No.
redliner says:
11:12 AM, 12/17/07
Some cars have an automatic power cut-off when the battery falls below 10V. So you will always have enough power to start your car again.
ahightower says:
05:16 PM, 12/17/07
I also like the always on power point. My Yukon works like this Outlander, the one on the dash is off when the car is off, the one in the console is always on, plus the one in the rear cargo area is always on. My new Mazda3 has a power point located right next to the iPod jack in the console, great location, but it turns off when the car turns off. It's an occasional nuisance when I need to recharge my bluetooth earpiece. I'd like to leave it charging when parked so that it's ready to go when I'm driving again. Especially important with a manual transmission. Oh well, I plan to get a garmin or something soon (need to read that new comparo on Edmunds) and would like for that to have bluetooth so I don't need the earpiece at all any more.