I don't see too many other Outlanders on the road, so out of curiosity I checked out how the Outlander is doing in terms of sales today since all the automakers release their monthly figures at the top of the month. These are all year-to-dates sales through August 2010 for the Outlander and a four other top crossovers I picked for comparison purposes.
Honda CR-V 126,379
Toyota RAV4: 111,706
Chevrolet Equinox: 87,397
Subaru Forester: 57,672
Mazda CX-7: 18,171
Mitsubishi Outlander: 8,670
As you can see, it's pretty grim. The interesting part is that I think the Outlander is a fairly competitive crossover and deserved of more attention than it currently gets.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor
carguy622 says:
02:01 PM, 09/ 1/10
First, the dealer network is weak. Secondly, based on the multiple quality issue this Outlander has had I can't see myself considering one, or recommending it to someone else. These CUVs are basically appliances, so people don't want problems. Someone buying an M3, for instance, will put up with the possible reliability headaches to have the fun. Most others but the Toyota and move on.
scorp76 says:
02:01 PM, 09/ 1/10
Ford has moved 128.5k Escapes so far this year. That's good news; it means at least one small ute in the six figure club is halfway decent looking, unlike the other two.
http://media.ford.com/images/10031/August10sales.pdf
ergsum says:
02:04 PM, 09/ 1/10
In comparison, just for the month of August, Kia sold 9,038 2011 Sorentos. I have seen no ads for the Outlander, but plenty for the Sportage and Sorento. It takes money to make money, or a really good color printer.
toye says:
02:16 PM, 09/ 1/10
Here are Hyundai SUV numbers for comparion as well
Santa Fe 57,110 up nearly 12% compared to last year
Tucson 26,730 up over 130% compared to last year
After reading the couple of months of blogs for the Outlander I would too be hesitant by one as well.
slickersdrip says:
02:18 PM, 09/ 1/10
More interesting to me is how the CX-7 isn't exactly setting the sales figures on fire. I know it's getting long in the tooth, but I figured that I'd see it selling at least as much as the Forester... I see a lot more of the refreshed smiley CX-7s out there than new Foresters, so it's not just because it's been out so much longer. Maybe because I don't live in a snow state and the Subaru thing isn't quite so big here in Austin.
subaru123 says:
02:38 PM, 09/ 1/10
@slickersdrip
The Subaru thing is big here in NJ. I rarely see a CX-7
subytrojan says:
03:06 PM, 09/ 1/10
What if you added the Subaru Outback to the mix, Brent? :o)
feloniousmonk says:
03:31 PM, 09/ 1/10
You could say the same about almost every Mitsu. It could be their slogan.
Mitsubishi, The Forgotten (insert classification here).
The forgotten midsize sedan = Galant. The forgotten fat-ass sports coupe = Eclipse. The forgotten market strategy and corporate philosophy= Mitsubishi's last decade.
felonious says:
03:38 PM, 09/ 1/10
I don't suppose this has anything to do with Mitsubishi's famous quality record. Or should I say, INfamous. They have a plethora of issues.
ivanz says:
03:57 PM, 09/ 1/10
What issues? The Outlander is rated above average for reliability (truedelta, consumer reports). If you don't believe that, just visit a forum and you will see the most serious problem is with a VW engine they use in Europe having a bad turbo that cuts out.
Only IL seems to have "unique" issues with the car. For example, I couldn't find a single reference to the off-centre steering wheel except by the author of the article on a forum. Likewise, same with the loose drivers seat. Only a single person posted on a forum that they though it was loose when it turned out there was no problem with the seat.
I would say it is more likely this has been purposely done or the car has been severely abused.
firstwagon says:
04:35 PM, 09/ 1/10
"More interesting to me is how the CX-7 isn't exactly setting the sales figures on fire."
That's because boring and low risk sells. There isn't a single interesting thing about the CRV or Excape but they are at the top. The Rav4 has a strong V6 (if you order it) but other then that it's as dull as the Honda.
Few people will take a chance on the CX-7 or Outlander because they don't have a friend that owns one or because they would rather go with the tried and true (so to speak).
senna1 says:
08:22 PM, 09/ 1/10
40K on our 07 Outlander XLS and not a single problem.
Consumer Reports has it rated as much better than average as well so I don't think there is a true reliability issue with this model.
gspfan says:
09:41 PM, 09/ 1/10
The Outlander is ugly and it's a Mitsubishi. What's surprising about its poor sales figures?
Why did Edmunds buy this dog anyway?
mirde98 says:
10:56 PM, 09/ 1/10
I belive the Outlander is a beautiful CUV. A lot of Outlander owners are pretty happy from what i've read in the forums, also other car magz like Motor Trend have a red GT in their fleet, no issues with that one. Only IL have has issues with it. I belive is all on how you market you're product. Mitsubishi needs help with marketing soon. I've owned 2 Mitsubishi's in the past and they have been awesome little cars.
zoomzoomn says:
05:44 AM, 09/ 2/10
The CX7 is the biggest surprise to me. It's a standout in a sea of ok looking small utes and the newly freshened styling only add to the attraction. Plus Mazda has added non-turbo models for those that want a sportier alternative without the penalty of the turbo's below average fuel economy and the neccessity of using premium gas.
bankerdanny says:
05:56 AM, 09/ 2/10
No regular production vehicle that takes 30-days for a simple AC compressor replacement will ever make my shopping list.
barber76 says:
09:08 AM, 09/ 2/10
Driving 2008 Outlander ES AWD for a year. The only problem so far, rear right mud-flap got loose, was replaced. Before, I've had pre-owned old generation Lancer ES with 60K, which gave me no problems at all.
As much as I love my Outlander, Mitsu has only to blame themselves for poor sales. I've never ever seen Mitsu commercials on TV. And, this new one, that Edmunds got, is really scary. I can only hope it's a just a lemon, which can happen to any manufacturer.
The only thing that really irritates me in my Out, is hard cheap plastic interior, without a single soft-touch panel. Very dodge-ish... The old Lancer use better plastics, and even Versa's interior is superior to Outlander.
bimmerjay says:
10:10 AM, 09/ 2/10
"I would say it is more likely this has been purposely done or the car has been severely abused."
Because you can't find someone else in a forum that has had the same problem that means Inside Line is sabotaging or abusing their car? That's a preposterous fallacy in logic.
"I've never ever seen Mitsu commercials on TV."
In the late 90's/early 00's there was an onslaught of Mitsu commercials, in fact they were famous for the pop songs they used. For whatever reason they dropped off the face of the earth.
ed124c says:
10:50 AM, 09/ 2/10
Even assuming that the Outlander GT and the Kizashi are worthwhile vehicles, it is probably too late in the game for both of these manuafacturers.
Why buy a car from a brand that might go away in a few years, when there are a great number of good vehicles available from stable companies? That would make no sense to me.
By the way, I have included GM and Ford on the "stable" list.
stingray454 says:
12:38 PM, 09/ 2/10
#1 issue is the Outlander is ugly. VERY ugly. The majority of buyers base their purchase decisions first on styling, then on color, and third on functionality (meeting their needs). Although I think the RAV4 and CR-V are ugly vehicles too, and they're best sellers (for reasons I'll never understand), so my theory may be a bit flawed here.
Secondly, Mitsubishi currently has a lot of problems, both financially, and quality related, and I think a lot of prospective buyers are avoiding the brand.
sniperruff says:
02:41 PM, 09/ 2/10
I guarantee you'll see the same pattern when you compare the Lancer and the Galant to their respective peers. Mitsubishi have been struggling for the last decade or so.
fushigi says:
03:32 PM, 09/ 2/10
I actually do see Mitsu commercials on TV. I'm going to guess that with a limited marketing budget they are careful in the networks they choose to advertise on. They generally target a single vehicle at a time though the most recent have been showing the Outlander, Lancer, and Eclipse while ignoring the Endeavor and Galant (probably a good thing consider those are really overdue for a redesign).
My last car was a '99 Galant. Over 10+ years and 152K miles I had one mechanical repair that was relatively minor. Otherwise I did the routine maintenance, tires, and brakes. It was far more reliable than the Mazda MX-3 that preceded it and the Camry that preceded that.
As I said elsewhere I have to say that either IL got a lemon or they are somehow harder on this car than average. Assuming it's a lemon I feel bad for Mitsu getting negative press and for IL having to put up with it. Their vehicles in general don't have rampant quality issues. The bad batch of AC compressors is the only widespread problem I've heard about. Heck, when was the last time you heard of them having any kind of safety recall?
For that matter, if the cars were garbage why would Mitsu sponsor regional "owner's day" events where execs would be face to face with the owners? See http://www.mitsubishicars.com/MMNA/jsp/owners-site/owners-day.do
s197gt says:
08:06 PM, 09/ 2/10
it is amazing how well the escape sells considering how much it is ignored by most of the automobile media.
looking for a used one ourselves to replace our aging winter vehicle (cherokee).