Happy Anniversary to some of our longtime employees!!!
Neil McCutcheon – Corporate Office – 36 years
Larry Heischober – Corporate Office – 31 years
Gisela Doernen – Corporate Office – 42 years
Brian Culp – Honda Virginia Beach – 31 years
Doug Wise – Buick Pontiac GMC Hummer – 36 years
Clarence Joyner – Corporate Office – 35 years
Buddy Burris – Nissan Virginia Beach – 30 years
2009 Mitsubishi Outlander SE AWD
We couldn’t help but compare the Outlander to the Toyota RAV4 we recently had in our fleet. There were two main differences between the Mitsubishi and the Toyota. First, the Outlander had the optional all wheel drive system. This had settings for a fully locked four-wheel drive for sand and mud; an automatic setting that moved power to different wheels when needed; and a two-wheel drive system running the front wheels only. We left it in automatic most of the time, so the deep rain puddles became a source of joy.
The other main difference was that we upgraded to the V6 engine in the RAV4. Our Outlander had the 168 hp 2.4-liter standard unit. The added weight of the all-wheel drive system meant that the engine sometimes felt strained under highway driving conditions. Our solution was just to use the paddle shifters to keep the car in the 4,000 to 6,000 rpm power band.
A better solution is upgrading to the 3.0-liter V6. For about $600 more it offers an extra 52 hp. Also the V6 engine comes in a package the includes items like the third row seat, which was an option in our tester, so V6 package will almost pay for itself.
We skipped out on a few convinces on the RAV4 because we wanted it to be a pure economy car. The Outlander starts at a lower price point then the RAV4, at about $20K, so we decided to go for a few extra options. The SE AWD packaging raised the price to about $26K, and then we added items like premium sound system, third row seating (kids only) and sunroof.
Another option we had to try out was the sat nav system. One of the very few complaints we had with our Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart was that the standard radio needed more space for information. This sat nav is a touch screen that leaves no detail out and, as we suspected, it’s worth the extra money. Even after our optional packages, our tester didn’t break $30,000.
What sets the Outlander apart is that it’s clever. For example there’s a lot of storage in the front. It has two deep glove boxes and a covered storage box in the center big enough to carry the wallet, cell phone, sunglasses and other essentials of the passenger and driver.
What was really convenient was the tailgate. The top half is pretty much as large as the competition, but the interesting part is that the rear bumper section also folds down. This creates a proper tailgate section that hangs off the rear. While this is an essential element for much higher priced vehicles like the Range Rover (so its owners have a spot to watch the polo match,) this is an added bonus in this price class. For us it not only allowed for proper tailgate parties, but it also makes loading large cargo a lot easier.
If we were to do this over again, we’d probably upgrade to the V6 engine. As mentioned before, it will about pay for itself, and the extra power would have been appreciated.
Overall the Outlander proved itself to be a versatile little SUV that fits many spaces, and the relatively low price has everything to do with it. The seating for seven (five adults max) combined with the cost means the Outlander can work as a little lugger for growing families or a nice second car for large families. The all-wheel drive w/locking function and the low price point also mean the Outlander can work for urbanites that actually go off-roading on the weekend.
Click here to find an Mitsubishi for you.
What Your Car Says About You
Whether you like it or not, your vehicle choice oftentimes speaks volumes about who you are.
By Lawrence Ulrich of MSN Autos
Certain sports cars guzzle down as much gas as the Hummer H2, but owners of large SUVs are often labeled narcissistic.
Excuse me. I don't mean to alarm you. But your car is talking. And I don't mean that husky voice on your GPS system. Instead, your car is saying a lot about your attitude and your personality. Yes, we are what we drive.
Car nuts can admit our rides are a power window into the soul. I may love driving the spectacular Corvette Z06, but I doubt I'd own one. European sports cars have always been more my speed, ever since I defied my blue-collar Detroit upbringing by plastering Lamborghini posters on my walls.
Carmakers acknowledge that minivan sales have gone flat in part because fewer of us, especially women, still subscribe to the "mommy-mobile" image. GM and Ford have given up on minivans entirely, preferring to focus on crossovers instead.
Matter Over Mind
For more than 20 years, Dr. Leon James at the University of Hawaii has researched and taught the psychology of driving. In our car culture, James says, drivers idealize their rides and even lend them human qualities. Under hypnosis, drivers will refer to their car as if it were a friend or lover. In everyday life, owners name their cars and talk to them. And whether the car is racy or outdoorsy, owners seek attributes that mirror their self-image.
"People construct an ideal in their mind of the perfect car, and those attributes are transferred to its driver as well," James said, noting how negatively we associate the drivers of dilapidated or dirty cars. Some of us get so offended we'll deliver a hand-scrawled scolding, strangely written from the car's point of view: Wash Me.
Discuss: Does your vehicle define who you really are? Voice your opinion!
Whether this driving ideal has much to do with reality is pretty much beside the point. The obvious disconnect is with SUVs, which are forever being shown conquering the wilderness and clambering up mountainsides, even if most owners would hesitate to conquer the curb at the shopping mall.
Car Stereotypes
Speaking of sport utes, we've all seen people go apoplectic at the sight of a Hummer, ascribing all sorts of nasty personality traits to the guy behind the wheel. You might say you're only mad because he's guzzling gas, but I'm not so sure. Plenty of SUVs, or sports cars for that matter, drink as much fuel, but get a free pass. It's the Hummer's commando styling and in-your-face attitude that gets a person's dander up.
During the Ford Explorer rollover scandal, G. Clotaire Rapaille, the French anthropologist and auto-industry marketing guru, asserted that SUV owners were more vain and self-absorbed, and less likely to be community-oriented. As psychology, Rapaille's thesis was carelessly overstated, of course. The charge that an SUV was proof of narcissism could be as easily applied to anyone who buys a Ferrari, a mansion or a designer handbag.
Most of us realize that car stereotypes are just that. Just because Mazda Miatas are sort of cute, and women like them, doesn't mean the guy who drives one isn't manly. More likely, he's secure enough in his masculinity to enjoy his little convertible.
Yet while it's wrong to generalize, it doesn't prevent us from trying. C'mon, admit it: When you see a pickup truck, or a Bentley, it's hard not to speculate about its driver. Especially after they've just cut you off.
eBay Find: 1987 Yugo GV
Children of the 1980s will likely remember this week’s eBay-tastic discovery. When the Yugo appeared on U.S. shores in 1986, it was marketed as the cheapest (in this instance, least expensive) new car in America, with a base price of just $3990. Unfortunately, it also gained the distinction of being the cheapest (in this instance, well you get the idea) new car in America, with a reliability record rivaling Freddie Mac. Built in Soviet-controlled Yugoslavia using Fiat bits, the Yugo became known as the ultimate disposable car, universally ridiculed by nearly every corner of the motoring media. Even Time magazine bashed the Communist-era compact, saying it “had the distinct feeling of something assembled at gunpoint.” As such, despite a U.S. sales run of over 100,000 units from 1986-1992, finding a survivor is nothing short of miraculous.
This miraculous-looking Yugo with only 54,606 miles could well be the best example left on the planet. Provided the 1.1-liter, carbureted four-cylinder is in top condition, expect upwards of 60 horsepower which, according to the current owner, is “eager to rev.” The auction also states the timing belt was recently replaced, which is actually quite important considering the little mill is an interference engine with a self-destructing reputation. The interior looks new, underneath appears surprisingly clean as well and there’s even a sunroof for your bunny ears to stick through. Ideally, the car would come with the bunny suit shown in the photos, but if not, you can always opt for the AK-47 gun rack and the Vodka holder. For the discriminating quirky car shopper, this could well be your next ride, especially if you don’t take yourself too seriously.