2011 Mitsubishi Outlander GT reviewed by txGarage

A car manufacture tries to instill in his brand a certain look and feel to help distinguish that brand from many others in the market. The idea is to have a consumer instantly recognize that vehicle as being a part of the brand, even if they couldn’t see the badging on the car. This is a good thing to strive for as a company, but it also helps progress the design and style of cars over the world. Where these ides sometimes go awry is when a manufacture is so dedicated to it’s design that it crosses car design with SUV design, or truck design with car. Two big examples are the Porsche Cayenne and the first design of the Ford Fusion. In Porsche’s case, the Cayenne is made to look like a huge 911, and it’s never really worked. In Ford’s case, they tried implementing their trucks “three bar” grille design into a car. Although the Fusion isn’t a terribly ugly car, I would say that keeping a distinguished design like the one found in the new Focus is a better way to go.

Why am I going on about the design of cars versus SUV’s and Trucks? Because that’s exactly what Mitsubishi has done with the new Outlander. The Outlander is built on the platform of the Mitsubishi Lancer and shares a lot of design cues as well. The only thing is, I think Mitsubishi nailed it. I really like the design of this small SUV as it really stands out from the crowd and screams Mitsubishi. It doesn’t hurt that the Evo is such an iconic car for Mitsubishi, and having this SUV mimic it’s styling makes it that much better.

The front end is aggressive with a big gaping mouth and long hood. The headlights are HID Projector lamps that are styled to be sleek and aggressive matching those found on the Evo. Around the side are some slight wheel arches and more of an ordinary SUV profile. The rear windows have been sloped back giving a more stylish and aggressive looking stance. Around the back is more of the same with undoubtedly Mitsubishi styling cues and LED taillights which are angled down in a glaring fashion.

Our tester was the Outlander GT, which sits in the middle of Mitsubishi’s SUV lineup. The smaller Outlander Sport is styled even more aggressively.

Mitsubishi talks a lot about the sportiness and capabilities of the Outlander, even going as far as making the roof out of lightweight aluminium to keep the center of gravity low, and it works well as this 3-row SUV handles quite well. Being built on the Lancer chassis doesn’t hurt either.

Keeping the sportiness alive in the Outlander is it’s 3.0 V6. You can get the Outlander with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine, which we didn’t get the chance to drive, but the fuel economy savings come at a big cost and that’s performance. I have a feeling that if you are looking at this aggressively styled SUV and thinking it’s the one for you, you’re going to want the 230 hp and 215 foot-pounds of torque offered by the V6. The numbers don’t really sound like much, but Mitsubishi did a great job translating those numbers into results. The Outlander GT feels surprisingly sporty when you really want it to be. Helping along here is the six-speed Sportronic transmission with metal paddle shifters for manual control. These are the same shifters found in the Evo; go figure.

More shared with the Evo is the Outlander’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system that is one of the most advanced all-wheel-drive systems out there. It integrates standard all-wheel control with a dynamic front differential. It can also adjust the torque and braking force to each wheel for stability and control. You can choose from 3 driving modes; tarmac, snow, and lock. As we are in Texas and don’t see much snow, especially in August, we left the setting on tarmac mostly the entire time.

We hit a little bit of gravel roads in the Outlander and it held pretty well. Not as shockingly well as the Ralliart we drove with the same system, but not bad at all for a bigger SUV.

Sitting inside the Outlander reminded us of the Ralliart as well. Not for it’s racing style because there really wasn’t much, but for the materials and interior quality. The Ralliart was a small step forward from the Lancer with extra leather and trim and the same goes for the Outlander. The interior was fitted with leather seats that were comfortable enough, but not very sporty or supportive. The dash was pretty plain but had a little leather wrapping thrown in. All-in-all, the interior quality didn’t impress, but it’s a cheaper SUV, so it never really disappointed me too much either.

The second row had ample legroom and the bench was easily slid back and forth. Folding the seats down and getting them back up on the other hand was more of a chore. Accessing the 3rd row was about as pathetic as the 3rd row itself. The 3rd row isn’t as much a seat as a makeshift lawn chair like afterthought. It was covered in cloth, not the same leather as the other seats, and was as thin as a folding lawn chair. The thing is the kids still fit quite well and never complained once. As a matter of fact they liked it. Folding the seat up and down is a little more complicated or enduring than most. With it’s afterthought like design, the rear actually had a decent amount of room even with the third row in place. Obviously this isn’t a seat for adults, but if you have children and need the extra room, as I often do, then it’s actually a good design.

Our Outlander GT packed with features cost $32,275. For the quality of interior that you get, at first I thought that was way too much. Then I started realizing that for leather seats, navigation, power and heated seats, rear-view camera, and 3 rows that it’s really a good deal. This SUV reminds me mostly of the Suzuki XL-7, which is now out of production. It is an inexpensive 3 row SUV with nice styling and a sporty ride and not so flashy of an interior. If you don’t need the 3rd row and like the styling, look at the Oulander Sport. It’s base price is $28,495 and I had the chance to drive one of these and really liked the way it felt. If you are looking for a better 3rd row there is always the Endeavor to test drive as well with a base sticker price of $28,299.

Check out the Full Photo Gallery on Facebook or Google!

Related posts:

1. 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Review
2. 2011 GMC Terrain SLT-2 Full Review
3. Full Review 2011 Ford Fiesta

Lexus IS350 C reviewed by txGarage

First, I’ll have to admit, I’m not a big fan of taking a sedan and turning it into a two door convertible. There is a big difference between a roadster, speedster, and a 2+2 convertible as I’ve un-eloquently ranted about in other reviews. We’ll put these pre-existing criticisms aside to see what’s what with this IS convertible.

You guessed it. It’s out with the old and in with the new, and the dated Lexus SC is out. The new IS C is in and being based off the IS platform is an automatic plus in our book. Lexus’ old 2+2 convertible was all about plush luxury and not so much about handling or agility. The IS C on the other hand is being marketed by Lexus as bringing fun and sporty driving to a Lexus convertible, and basing it off a sporty sedan seems the right way to go. So did it work? Does the IS C stand up to Lexus’ marketing mantra? We’ll look into that in just a bit. First, let’s take a look at the exterior styling.

Exterior

Again, starting off with the IS platform was a great choice for Lexus. The front end looks sporty and aggressive.  The Bi-Xenon high intensity headlights with LED daytime running lights really set off the front end style. I know that the LED daytime running lights are just a rip-off of Audi’s headlight design, but I don’t care, I really think it looks great. Then come around the side and checkout those 17” ten spoke aluminum alloy wheels, with beefier rear tires than those in the front.

Unfortunately, this is where the aggressive, sportiness of the IS C starts to become compromised. To fit that big heavy hardtop into the trunk and still have space for – things, they have gone with a Volvo-ish looking rear end. It’s bigger and longer than the sedans backend and just doesn’t fit with the overall design of the car. Nonetheless, this is a pretty car. And that fact was vocalized to us over and over again, especially by women and children.

Interior

Inside the IS C is a display of what Lexus does best: luxury. The simi-aniline leather (yes I looked it up and it’s a real thing) seats were fantastic. They were geared for comfort and as such were not heavily bolstered. The power seat was complimented with three memory positions and an automatic feature that pushed the seat and steering wheel out of your way while entering and exiting the car. Both front seats had a one-touch button on the side that moved the seat forward for easy entry into the back seats. Space on the inside was adequate, but there were sacrifices. There wasn’t much room in the rear for adults and even having a child sitting behind this 6’1” driver required moving the seat to an almost uncomfortable position. Without back passengers the cabin feels roomy and once you drop the top, even more so.

Speaking of the top, Lexus claims that it’s the fastest three-piece metal hardtop in the world. With fifteen motors and thirty seven sensors working in unison, this hardtop is stowed away in about 20 seconds. That might sound pretty quick in the hard top folding world, but seems long in the real world, especially since you have to be at a complete stop the entire time the top is working.

The last note on the interior would be for the clock. I’m happy that Lexus decided to include an independent clock. It bugs me when your only clock is integrated with the navigation screen and while performing certain tasks, you lose the ability to tell the time. But the clock that Lexus chose for this IS C looked like it was pulled from a 1980’s Toyota, and just didn’t fit the feel of the modern luxury car. Just something that bugged me the entire week.



Sport

Coming into this review with my preconceived notions of a luxury convertible, I didn’t expect much in terms of sportiness. Lexus blew those thoughts out of my head quickly. Anyone who knows about cars and handling that I managed to get to take a ride with me in this Lexus agreed. They were surprised on how flat it stayed and how composed it was through cornering with the top up or down. The 306 horsepower, 3.5 liter V6 did a good job of pushing this overweight car around and the six-speed automatic transmission, while in manual mode and shifted by paddles on the steering wheel, did a good job as well. I still wouldn’t call this a sports car. There is no getting around the fact that 3,906 pound car is still a lot for a V6 to push around, and it weighs more than 450 pounds more than the sedan. Even with this weight, you still get from a standstill to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, about the same as my Genesis Coupe 3.8 V6. Not too shabby.

You can also now get some F package options. Anything from suspension, wheels, brakes, exhaust, and more aimed at bringing more sports to this sporty coupe.



Competition

Our test car, the IS350 C, totaled out at $53,522 with a little over $7,000 in options and extras packed in. When you get into that price range, you are looking at Corvette, BMW 335, and Audi A5 money. Lexus wants to pit this car against the BMW and I really think it gets close, but I can’t help but feel that it really won’t hold up to the BMW. When you get to the looks, the IS C is just a little too awkward and compromising.

I still have that nagging feeling too that this could be a much better car if only it were a standard coupe. Save on weight, save on money, and don’t compromise on the looks in the rear – this would do more for me than wind in my hair, top down driving does. I guess it left me wanting Lexus to build an “IS-F C”, but make the C stand for coupe. A fixed roof over head, that awesome V8 up front powering the rear wheels. Now that’s a car that would really get my attention.

Check out the entire photo gallery on Facebook!

Related posts:

1. 2011 Buick LaCrosse Reviewed
2. #4 the Lexus LFA
3. Luxury vs. Beige vs. Economy vs. Sport – all in one:

Lexus GS450h

Usually when we are reviewing a car, it’s not hard to determine things like class or target audience. Reviewing the 2010 Lexus GS450h, we understandably  had the preconception that it was made to target the hybrid buying crowd, but with a more upscale buyer. After I sat in it though, I see a button that says “Sport” and a button that firms up the suspension. But wait, isn’t this a hybrid?

The Lexus GS is a mid-sized luxury car that comes in a few trims, basing out with a 3.5 liter V6 in the GS350, then the 4.6 liter V8 in the GS460, and topping out at the model we tested the GS450h with the 3.5 liter V6 and an electric motor slapped on to make it a hybrid powertrain. The GS is built on a rear wheel drive platform, and the hybrid version is, to date, the only RWD hybrid on the market. The GS460 has an output of 342 horsepower that can jettison its 3,836 pound mass from a standstill to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. In comparison, the Mercedes E550 with a bigger V8 and more horsepower does the same in 5.2 seconds. The hybrid version though weighs in at 4,134 pounds and only outputs 340 horsepower out of both the V6 and electric motors combined. Yet, because of the way the power is delivered, the GS450h hits 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Thats pretty impressive for something that has an “h” on the back if you ask me.

So it seems that this car keeps the luxury sports car buyer in mind over the environmentally conscious buyer. This is proven more when you actually see the EPA ratings on this car. City driving is obviously greatly benefited by the hybrid system averaging out at 22 mpg. Highway driving sees only one mpg advantage over the Lexus V8 averaging 25 mpg. While notably better than the V8 package in the same car, it seems like you sacrifice a lot in the process. You have added weight, you have a more complicated powertrain, and you have a $3,000 premium over the V8 Lexus.

Lexus GS450h

Is it worth it? I haven’t driven the GS460 to know for sure, but what I can tell you is that I’d give the V8 a shot first. Most of my gripes with the car are not with the design of the car, as I think it looks great. They are not really with the lack of significant gains made by the hybrid system in your miles per gallon. My biggest gripe with the GS450h is the hybrid system itself. Reading other reviews and watching videos about the GS450h, you hear a lot of talk about the seamless transfer of power from the gas engine to the electric engine. I found this to not be the case at all. In fact, all of our writers that had a chance to jump in this car – passenger or driver – could feel the transition between the two. And I can attest that the transition becomes quite annoying. Just a few weeks before, we tested the all new Prius and were pleased at the feel and transitions between burning fossil fuels and powering the wheels with electricity. So we are left scratching our heads wondering what went wrong? It really feels like Toyota threw this hybrid system together so that they can have the “h” badge on the back without really putting as much thought into it as they did to their dedicated hybrid, the Prius.

As many consumers can tell you, once you find one annoyance, every other annoyance is personified. This rang true in this luxury hybrid as well. Lets just take a second to compare this to the Lincoln MKS we test drove a few months back. When we drove the MKS, it was the most expensive car we had tested to that day, hitting your pocketbook at just over 54k. The GS450h shatters that record pushing just over 60 grand. This leaves us scratching our heads again. Is the GS450h $6,000 more car than the MKS EcoBoost? The fuel economy in the hybrid wasn’t substantially better, as it only averaged a few mpg better than the EcoBoost. The 0-60 time is faster in the Lexus, but the Lincoln never felt let down by its speed. The Lexus had a low roofline – another thing every one of us griped about – and the seats were hard to get into a comfortable position. The MKS had much more room, and was more comfortable to drive day to day than the Lexus. Even passengers in the back seats rode comfortably.

So where do I stand on this car? I think that it’s a good looking and luxurious car that gives you the all important RWD platform. If I was testing the GS460, I might have a completely different conclusion. But as for the hybrid, I’d pass. Save the extra money and get the V8 instead, or shop the MKS EcoBoost as it’s a fantastic car as well.

No related posts.

Day 7 2010 Shelby GT500

Day 7 with the 2010 Shelby GT500 was by far the most fun we had all week. We worked hard and tried to get lots of video and pictures of the car to show to you guys. As we talk about in the video, after tearing up the streets of Texas for a week in the GT500 we were never faced with an obstacle that the car couldn’t handle. Ford, SVT, and Shelby have made a great car with this one and we cant wait to check out the 2011 GT500 with the all aluminum block!

Till then, check out our video!

Follow us on twitter and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Check out Days 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 - 5 and check out our review!

Related posts:

1. Review: 2010 Shelby GT500
2. Day1: 2010 Shelby GT500
3. Day2: Shelby GT500

2010 Shelby GT500

When you think about the history of Carroll Shelby, his racing, and his cars, there is no doubt that performance Mustangs pop into mind. As a matter of fact, Shelby Mustangs have been ever improving for the past 45 years making Shelby one of the most signed names on a car in the world. Carroll graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas making him a Texas boy who’s heart never went to far from home. The Terlingua Mustang was named after the town where Shelby decided to open a ranch with Dallas friend David Witt.

No wonder the Shelby Mustangs fit in so well here in Texas, no matter if your driving down a long highway to the middle of nowhere or a back windy country road, this car does it all. In the 2010 GT500, this was apparent to us at txGarage as we never wanted to get out of the car. And although this thirsty beast needed to stop for fuel more often than we would have liked, it just gave us another reason to burn rubber out of a parking lot.. There really isn’t a lot that I could find wrong with this GT500. Yes the fuel economy wasn’t that great; yes the interior was still a little cheap for spending $51,000 – although it has improved greatly – and yes the ride was a little harsh and the clutch was heavy; however, all this stuff would be whisked out of your head as you smash down on the throttle sending the back wheels into a panic looking for grip and finally being far down the road from where you were a few seconds ago. The GT500 isn’t, by far, the most powerful car money can buy and it doesn’t put that power down as well as other cars out there, but for the shear and raw emotion and theater of it all, you simply cannot beat this thing. Never have we been so scared – entertained – in a production car. The shear madness of it is worth every penny! The looks are just about the most menacing you can find but when you climb into the cockpit, its actually quite comfortable and nice. The SYNC system is a great addition to all Fords and we still got great use out of it in this car, although it took us 3 days to even bother with touching it. The practicality, yes practicality, of this car can’t be beat as well. If I really had to pick one car to compare it to, it would be an Aston Martin for the British. Aston Martins are not the fastest cars you can buy for the money, but the pure emotion and beauty they portray are unbeatable. I think of the GT500 as the American Aston Martin: it’s beautiful and emotional. That is what makes the car so great, and on that thought its quite a bargain too.

The 2010 GT500 was built starting with the formula from the 2008 GT500KR. In 2011, the GT500 will be getting an all aluminum block right out of the Ford GT super car. The GT500 now has a steel block. Even if the power doesn’t go up, in which case there is no need, the car will be much lighter and hopefully add to the driving experience. Other potential down sides to the current GT500 are the all new 2011 GT with the reintroduction of the 5.0. This new GT will finally feature all the latest engine technology while also increasing horsepower and fuel economy. They already have a wonderful interior, and with a little shopping trip to Ford Racing, the 2011 Mustang GT could easily be made to run with the big boys of the Mustang brand. For the name -Shelby- and the looks of the GT500 though, it’s still a hard choice to pass up.

Mega Gallery: 2010 Shelby GT500

Related posts:

1. Day1: 2010 Shelby GT500
2. Day5: Shelby GT500
3. Day2: Shelby GT500

So if you have a Tesla and would like it to be featured on txGarage.com email us at contact@txgarage.com

and here are the goods!

Tesla Roadster

Tesla Roadster

Tesla Roadster

For more information on Electric Cars Click Here!

No related posts.