2008-2011 Ford Escape XLT & Limited

I apologize again for the very late update. Today's review is on a vehicle that has sold fairly well even to this day.


Introduction: The Ford Escape was designed in a joint effort with Mazda as a compact crossover in 2000. Ford decided to place this vehicle below the truck based Ford Explorer which has grown into a medium size SUV. Ford also realized that most of its SUV customers rarely go off-roading and therefore the Escape was designed much like a car using a monocoque design rather than the body-on-frame truck based design. The hybrid version of the Ford Escape was introduced in 2004. The Escape was redesigned in 2008 using the same platform as before. The hybrid version is continued from the previous generation, this is the family vehicle Barack Obama purchased before becoming US President. This version of the Escape will be discontinued in the fall of 2011 and a newly designed Escape to be available for the 2013 model year. During the US Cash for Clunkers program, the Ford Escape was the only crossover to make the top 10 models sold under the program, possibly due to the high amount of old Ford Explorers being sent for trade-in.

By the time I started driving the Escape, most of the Ford products have started slowly impressing me. Thus I wasn't expecting any of the disappointment I would from say a Chrysler product. In this review I will be looking at the low level trim XLT and the higher end Limited vehicles, technically there's few differences.


Performance: Due to the trim levels the only engine available is the 3.0L V6 Duratec engine. This is the final version of this engine and thus produces 240 hp and 223 lb.ft of torque. This engine is able to accelerate this vehicle from 0-100 km/h in about 8.1-8.7 seconds depending on whether it has AWD. As a result the Escape with this engine moves reasonably quick although not blisteringly quick as its size suggests. Its not the smoothest engine I've encountered but on the cruise its generally fine. The fuel economy numbers are actually rather decent considering it has a V6, you don't save a whole lot with the 4-cylinder. If you wish to have a fuel efficient Escape, you'd be better off with a Escape hybrid which does remarkably well in the city.

My Score: 8/10 - Decent engine, the only criticism being its not all that quick.

Handling: With the Escape's smaller size one would think it would handle decently compared to the traditional SUVs. In many ways yes, the Escape easily rides better than many SUVs. When taking the Escape into a corner it generally is capable of taking it, but do keep in mind it has body roll and it will understeer even with AWD. In all honesty the handling is only compromised by the higher center of gravity which plagues any taller vehicle except the Subaru Outback and Tribeca.

My Score: 8/10 - Good handling all around and rides well but of course its not perfect with roll and understeer.


Interior: This is the only category where the XLT and Limited have their differences. In the standard XLT you will be given most of the typical options you really need but you won't get certain things. The Limited comes in leather, sunroof, SYNC, rear parking sensors, etc. In general the Escape's interior is reasonably spacious considering its size, its only a 5 seater even in Limited trim. The rear visibility is actually pretty good for a car of this class and the seats even the cloth ones are comfortable. The center console is stacked full of buttons which may be a turn off for some. Some of the plastic in the XLT is noticeably on the cheap side as well. Nothing about this interior even in the Limited trim is spectacular but fortunately there's nothing wrong with it either. The build quality of the Escape is pretty decent, rarely did I find anything particularly bad about it. The Escape is assembled in Claycomo, Missouri in the United States.

My Score: 7/10 - Good interior, but nothing hugely impressive even in the top of the line Limited.

Styling: The Escape in its current form is a decent looking crossover, it doesn't diverge from the SUV styling. Ford didn't introduce its tri-bar grille on this vehicle either so it has a rather normal looking truck grille. It looks much like an evolution of the older Ford Escapes which may be what Ford was trying to get at. Unfortunately this won't excite anybody based on the styling.

My Score: 5/10 - Very conventional, no interesting styling details to note.

Value for money: This comes down to whether you want AWD, the tall ride height and are willing to spend midsize sedan money for a vehicle that's actually smaller than a new 2012 Focus. For its class its a rather good vehicle, however with Ford and the 2012 Focus hatchback...it begs the question of whether the small crossover is practical anymore. In practical terms the Focus hatch has more cargo space, costs less to maintain and costs less to buy. To make the Escape worthwhile you'll have to get the AWD and maybe even the V6 but that makes it a bit expensive basically adding $15K to the base $20K vehicle.

My Score: 6/10 - May not be worth the money on the practical side with newer hatchbacks being far more practical and sensible.

Overall: 34/50 - A good small crossover vehicle. I just question its usefulness in light of poor economic situations and higher fuel prices.

2007-2009 Volkswagen City Golf

I wanted to do a review sooner than this but blogger.com went down. Anyways here's a Canadian exclusive model.


Introduction: The VW Golf is one of the company's most important vehicles. As a replacement of the famous VW Beetle it didn't technically succeed as the Beetle was still sold in a few markets well until 2003 while the Golf was available in 1974. The original Golf was known as the Rabbit and eventually used the Golf name for all models. As VW continued development on the Golf they released a high performance version called the GTI which would start the fierce hot hatchback wars. The standard Golf would eventually phase out the Beetle completely and become one of the best selling vehicles in Europe. The Volkswagen Golf is now in its 6th generation, this review focuses on the 4th generation model sold in Mexico and South America but also Canada. As part of Volkswagen's City line, they continued to sell these older models alongside their Mk V counterparts in a bit to compete at the lowest price bracket. The City line has been replaced by the new base Mk VI Jetta which has slashed its price to be one of the least expensive new VW models.

These were the first VWs I was exposed to, I knew they were supposed to be no frills old models. Yet somehow I couldn't help but wonder why they exist in a market like Canada when this is more commonly seen in 2nd or 3rd world markets. China for instance still sells the 2nd gen Passat, and South Africa continued making the Mk I Golf until 2009.


Performance: As a no frills model, this means the City Golf was given only one choice of engine. Its the 2.0L engine VW has used since 1993. To give you an idea how old this engine is, it only has 8 valves something that was last seen by Japanese 4-cylinders in the 1980s. As a result this engine produces 115 hp and 122 lb.ft of torque. Its able to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in about 10.5 seconds. This car is essentially as slow as the subcompacts which make due with less power and less displacement. It doesn't even make a nice noise when being pushed, just an annoying drone. This engine is paired to a 6-speed automatic which I'm afraid isn't necessary on an engine this slow. Worse its not that fuel efficient due to its ancient design remember it doesn't have valve timing so its at best capable of 28 mpg tops. I honestly don't like this engine and it confounds me that VW is still using it in a brand new 2011 Jetta.

My Score: 2/10 - I guess its technically cheap but you get what you paid for.

Handling: Being a no frills model I was hoping at the minimum the handling would be nice since there's a lot less weight. Unfortunately I didn't really find that with the City Golf. First things first, this car understeers rather early even before you feel you reached its possible limit. Secondly the steering is extremely vague making this a rather boring car to drive. The ride quality wasn't even that good, not appalling but its not that comfortable. Not the worst car I've taken around a corner but it was certainly the least amusing.

My Score: 4/10 - Very boring with lots of understeer.


Interior: The City Golf interior is a bit lacking in features because of the nature of this trim something I can't criticize here. You don't get power windows, you don't get power locks, no cruise control, nothing you'd consider luxury is found in this car. Its finished fully in grey, black plastic and fake chrome. The only item that has any colour is the ashtray which is red. Interior space is decent front and back but the tailgate is where the majority of the space is. Headroom is reasonable for any average size person. As for the build quality, its not very good. I've seen trim pieces just pop out and never return, others fall through the gaps in the center console. The City Golf is made in São José dos Pinhais, Brazil.

My Score: 5/10 - Lacking in colour, built to a price, but has a spacious tailgate area.

Styling: This is just a slightly modified Mk IV Golf, in all honestly nothing is truly different from the two models. The old Mk IV Golf was bland looking and this is very much the same. Just a typical hatchback, nothing enticing or exciting.

My Score: 2/10 - It wasn't interesting 11 years ago, hasn't changed since.

Value for money: This is where I can start to criticize its lack of features. What VW believes is people will buy a old stripped out VW model for the price of a new compact car being offered by everyone else. Now I'll make it clear the Corolla and Civic in their basest forms do lack some features but the Corolla is lacking power windows and the Civic only lacking power locks. The City Golf however lacks both. The Golf is competing against the hatchbacks thus the Matrix, the Mazda3, the Dodge Caliber, the Hyundai Elantra Touring and lately the Mitsubishi Lancer. The only car in this lot that's worse is the Dodge Caliber but in its defense it is bigger than the City Golf. You can buy a City Golf with some options but all the sudden the price advantage over its rivals is thrown out. I wouldn't buy this car at all, in fact a better solution is just to buy an used original Golf from this generation it'll be better made, has a better selection of engines including a diesel(far better for fuel economy) and cheaper to buy. The City Golf is just not worth it, you get an old car with no equipment for the price of a new one that has some standard equipment. It might be a different story if the car was much cheaper than any new car.

My Score: 1/10 - Logically this car makes no sense, if you wanted this model of Golf a used one is better and if you wanted a cheap car there are many new cars available that are cheaper and better equipped.

Overall: 14/50 - It feels its age, its not cheap enough and offers little anybody really wants.

2008-2011 Jeep Liberty & Dodge Nitro

This is another review that takes on technically two models. Like before if they're pretty much identical I consider them the same car.




Introduction: The Jeep Liberty is the successor to the old Jeep Cherokee. However in much of the world it still retains the old Cherokee name. The Liberty features the uni body on ladder frame construction which stiffens its ride and handling. The Liberty is easily one of Jeep's trail rated vehicles meaning its been tested by Jeep for its ability to go off road. The Dodge Nitro was introduced in 2007 as Dodge's newest compact SUV since the 1990s when they had the Raider which was a Mitsubishi Pajero. The second generation Liberty in 2008 uses the same platform and borrowed the styling of the Nitro as well.

By the point I've driven the two, I was pretty unsatisfied with Chrysler I wasn't expecting these two to be any good.


Performance: There isn't a single change since the old Liberty, it still uses the same 3.7L PowerTech V6. There hasn't even been a performance upgrade from last time so its still 210 hp and 235 lb.ft of torque. It still sounds awful and its still slow, both cars take at least 10 seconds to reach 100 km/h from a standstill. Fuel economy is still rubbish. Keep in mind this engine much like it was in 2001 on a 2002 Liberty, a decade of no change.

My Score: 2/10 - The engine by this stage is very old, still extremely slow and has pathetic fuel economy that's the reason the score went down.

Handling: Not much has changed here either, both cars have pretty heavy steering but its not direct like a BMW. Its actually rather vague, making each turn feel meaningless. Ride comfort as expected is still bad, and due to their weight and height neither is very good on corners. Since these are supposed to be taken off road I can't deduct too many points but for sure these two aren't very good on the road.

My Score: 4/10 - Same as last time, steering is distant, the ride comfort is poor and it has no agility.




Interior: The interior of both vehicles have been designed when Daimler Chrysler still existed, as a result both are pretty poorly done. Interior room is surprisingly poor for the driver and passenger. I'm actually a short guy but I felt cramped every time I drove one of these. It seems as if Chrysler forgot where the driver's legs were supposed to go. Rear seating isn't very impressive for an SUV of this size. The previous Liberty had its spare tire on the back, this new Liberty puts it in the vehicle which takes up a bit of tailgate space, unfortunately you don't gain anything from this as the rear window is still too small. The rest of the interior is composed of very cheap plastic and the atmosphere is as dark and depressing as other Chrysler vehicles. The build quality on these vehicles is generally alright, sometimes there are squeaks and rattles though. The only major changes made to the 2011 vehicles is the steering wheel has been changed to the new Grand Cherokee style wheel, cruise control is now button operated instead of the very flimsy plastic lever from before. Both vehicles are assembled in Toledo, Ohio in the United States.

My Score: 2/10 - Cramped driver's space, terrible interior materials, less space than the previous Liberty.

Styling: There's not much to say about either vehicle, they're both extremely square. Both seemed to have been styled with cubes in mind. This unfortunately doesn't really make either that interesting. They're not exactly ugly, but they're both rather unimaginative. This is worse than before I find.

My Score: 2/10 - Square and dull.

Value for money: The old Liberty's saving grace was its a 4-door off roading SUV. I absolutely understood that it had some value back then. This is no longer the case anymore I'm afraid and even worse for Chrysler this competition is created by themselves. There's a Jeep Wrangler available in a 4-door configuration, if there was a Jeep to pick for off roading the Wrangler is so much better. It looks like a real Jeep, its made like a real Jeep and it has real Jeep features. The Liberty has none of those things. The Nitro honestly serves no purpose either for Dodge, as most Chrysler dealerships hold all three Chrysler brands. I honestly can't see a real reason to pick a Liberty over a Wrangler in the one area it was supposed to be good at. As a road SUV its absolutely horrible and there are several other choices guaranteed to be better. Its now horrible value for money.

My Score: 2/10 - The Jeep Wrangler took away its only saving grace last time, its utterly pointless now.

Overall: 12/50 - These SUVs are awful and with a 4-door Wrangler available serve no purpose.

2007-2010 Hyundai Accent

Haven't done a very small car in a while, so here's one.


Introduction: The Hyundai Accent is Hyundai's replacement for the old Excel. It took the role of Hyundai's smallest car in 1994 and is now in its 4th generation. Its known as the Hyundai Verna in South Korea.

Yeah I'm sorry for the rubbish introduction, but I'm lost for words on what to say about this car. There's nothing special about it, nor is its history any interesting. As with older Hyundai models when I first saw this, I was not expecting much from it.


Performance: The Hyundai Accent is given a 1.6L 4-cylinder engine. This engine produces about 110 hp and 107 lb.ft of torque, all in all not very impressive numbers. Under acceleration the Accent goes from 0-100 km/h in about 11 seconds, so its rather slow. The engine is a bit noisy and sounds rather unrefined. Fuel economy is not as good as those of a Yaris nor a Fit but better than the greedy Aveo. Overall a pretty lackluster engine. The automatic transmission on this car is rather dimwitted, its very slow selecting from R to D and vice-versa, definitely get the manual.

My Score: 5/10 - Not quick and noisy with a bad automatic.

Handling: As a small car the Accent handles better than many larger cars. Although there's still quite a lot of body roll when taken into a fast corner. Steering feel...depends on the year, the earlier years were numb and inert while the later years were a bit more tighter in feel and allowed the car to be a bit easier to toss around. That said even the later updated cars are not all that exciting to take into a corner. Ride comfort is merely average in this car.

My Score: 6/10 - Average in every way.


Interior: Depending on what trim level you get depends on what features you have available. The least expensive 3-door hatch has no equipment at all, the moderately well equipped 4-door sedans got much of what you need. The radio is different on newer cars, its far better than the older Hyundai unit which was terrible. As one of the least expensive cars on the market, the interior is full of plastic, the newer cars aren't updated to the degree like the Sonata was. As a result the plastics are acceptable for the cost, I don't understand though why the rear cup holder if you remove the coaster there's a hole through the car. The assembly quality on the Accent is pretty decent, not the greatest but for such a cheap car surprising its not worse. The Accent is made in Ulsan, South Korea.

My Score: 5/10 - Standard equipment varies, material quality is what's expected of the price, build quality is acceptable.

Styling: This Accent is pretty generic for a car. Like most of the other Hyundai's of this era I think little of it.

My Score: 2/10 - Has the look of an anonymous car.

Value for Money: Ok, this is where the Accent makes up for its generally disappointing scores. The starting price for the 3-door bare bones Accent has actually been $9995, no joke. It was so inexpensive that during the 2008 crash Hyundai was willing to give this car away for free if you bought a fully loaded Sedona. As you spec up the Accent it gets less attractive, but as a way of basic transportation for the least amount of money its impossible to match Hyundai here. So if you really want the cheapest possible car, the Accent is a good buy. If you're curious about the 2011 Accent, buy that instead its certain to be better than this version.

My Score: 10/10 - Offers the cheapest car available and its not truly awful.

Overall: 28/50 - Its a very cheap car, hard to argue with that. Its not even a very bad car at that, although if you want more than just a average car there are better cars out there so long as you can spare the extra money.

2009 Lexus ES350

I realize I haven't updated since January and its been only 1 review so here's a few more reviews.


Introduction: The Lexus ES has been in the Lexus lineup since the very beginning. The original LS400 got all the glory, many often forgot about the ES250 that was also available as an entry level car into the brand. Initially many saw the ES250 as just a Camry with a more expensive badge as it costs very close to Toyota's current flagship the Cressida, sales of the ES250 was disappointing far lower than the more expensive LS400. As a result the Cressida was discontinued while a new ES was introduced being the ES300. Steadily the ES sales have risen, its now currently the best selling product in the Lexus lineup.

I've never really understood the ES, its essentially a Camry but it costs more. This problem is compounded with the introduction of the Avalon which is also a Camry but much bigger yet costs pretty much the same as the ES. I've assumed its supposed to be a higher quality version of the Camry. I'm not sure whether its worth the extra money, the most expensive Camry costs $36,000 so I have to determine whether its worth the extra $6000.


Performance: The Lexus ES350 comes in only one engine, a 3.5L V6. The 350 corresponds to the size of the engine, which is why the previous ES which had a 3.3L was called the 330. Anyways this engine produces 268 hp and 254 lb.ft of torque with regular fuel, Lexus says 272 hp but this is if you put medium octane fuel where if you put premium its 280 hp. The reason I don't list octane rating is some viewers come from areas that use RON instead of AKI, it'll be confusing if I say 87 Octane when the RON number is 91. On acceleration this engine moves this car from 0-100 km/h in about 6.5 seconds. As a result this car moves pretty quickly. However when I take this on a acceleration run, I find the 6-speed automatic hesitates so the first few milliseconds don't feel that quick but all the sudden the power arrives abruptly. The brake pedal is very mushy in feel, it doesn't seem to react as quickly as you'd expect from frankly any other car. Otherwise its a very nice engine its very quiet and surprisingly fuel efficient for a rather large displacement engine.

My Score: 9/10 - Overall a very good engine...the transmission is a weak link though along with the brake pedal feel.

Handling: As a luxury Camry I'm not expecting the ES to be very good on the corners. I wasn't disappointed, it handled as I expected, not well. When taking the ES into the corner you'll feel the body roll early, the faster you go the understeer gets worse. The steering...is pretty awful. Its very light but absolutely lacking in any feel which provides no accuracy. Unlike some of the other cars that handle badly though the ES is very comfortable so the suspension is working hard to not let you feel the road imperfections. Overall though its not a car you'd want if you don't live in a grid system. Not a fun car.

My Score: 3/10 - Comfortable, but the steering is terrible and the handling is poor.


Interior: This is where I expect the ES to wow me...I'm afraid it doesn't. Its not the worst interior but its not an interior I expect for a car costing $42K. First problem, the lack of leather in the trim or metal. Yes it has leather seats which are comfortable, but the quality is a bit lacking they'll produce creases overtime. The rest of the interior however is mostly hard plastic and faux wood plastic. I'm surprised that I find more higher quality material in a Volkswagen and a Hyundai than this Lexus. Second problem its not full of luxury features you can't get on the Camry or anything in that class. There is more trunk space than the G37 and a bit more interior space as well, however its identical to those of the Camry and less than the Avalon which are both Toyota vehicles. Bad features...the seat warmer switch is something you'd find from a 1980s radio, there's no dome light its been replaced with two puny LEDs which unfortunately can't illuminate much in the rear. The good news, the interior has a lot of sound deadening which is bad for weight but great in reducing wind noise, engine noise and tire noise. The build quality is also very good, no problems whatsoever with assembly. The Lexus ES is made in Miyawaka, Fukouka, Japan.

My Score: 5/10 - Leather is so so quality and not readily available, too much plastic, poor illumination in the rear, average space but the build quality is excellent and sound engineering also good.

Styling: I must admit this is the best looking Lexus ES ever, it not only looks modern but it has a rather sleek shape. The rear is a bit average, the front is reasonably nice and the side profile is also decent. No real issue with the styling, not blown away by it but can't say Lexus didn't try.

My Score: 7/10 - Acceptable styling.

Value for money: I have to say, I'm pretty disappointed with the ES here. I didn't see anything in the car that was worth $6000 extra over the Camry. Its not even worth more than the Avalon which is $1000 less than the ES. The ES350 competes against primarily the Cadillac CTS and the Infiniti G37. There are a few things the Cadillac doesn't do extremely well on, but for the most part its nice to drive and nothing in GM's lineup is an exact equivalent. The Infiniti G37, frankly is superior to the ES in every way except for engine noise levels, rear seat height and less trunk space. Those were sacrificed for a faster, more agile, fun, comfortable, nicer looking, high tech and generally more luxurious car. The Infiniti is actually a nicer car to drive than the Maxima or Altima, its worth its badge. The Lexus ES is not, I feel people have been ripped off by buying this car. If you go with a Toyota option you get pretty much this car for less money, if you don't you get a nicer driving car.

My Score: 1/10 - $6000 extra for a Lexus badged Camry V6 XLE...no thanks.

Overall: 25/50 - Its not a bad car on the face of it, but its a bad car when you pay $42,000 for what's really a $36,000 car. This is a profit generator, nothing more...GM wished its badge engineering was this successful.

2007-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

This is the final one. Have a Merry Christmas and have a happy new year!


Introduction: The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a model that many people all over the world are familiar with. It started out in 1993 as the replacement of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer from the AMC years. Primarily known for being able to travel off road but with the comfort and luxury that many SUVs back then didn't have. This would be Chrysler's first Jeep designed vehicle as all the previous Jeeps were of AMC design. Development of the Grand Cherokee was delayed due to Lee Iacocca pushing for the Chrysler minivan to be completed first. Over time the Grand Cherokee has grown from its original humble size to a rather large crossover SUV. The current Grand Cherokee is in its fourth generation, this review focuses on the third generation.

This has always been considered one of the important Jeep models so of course I was expecting it to be something Chrysler put more effort on. However by the time I got a chance to drive one, my expectations of a Chrysler product were pretty low as I haven't been at all pleased with many of them. Many of which I downright hated, I was hoping it wouldn't be the case for the Grand Cherokee as I thought the previous one was rather good.


Performance: Since my review is specifically on the basic Laredo it means the Grand Cherokee is powered by a 3.7L Power tech V6. It is also available with a 4.7L Power tech V8, a 5.7L Hemi V8 and even a 6.1L Hemi V8 for the SRT-8 version. The 3.7L V6 produces 210 hp and 235 lb.ft of torque its mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. Considering this Grand Cherokee is bigger and much heavier than the previous two, this power number doesn't look very good. You would be correct to assume its slow. The Jeep Liberty with the same engine took 10 seconds to get from 0-100 km/h, the Cherokee is another 400 lbs heavier so its about 11 seconds. With this poor performance you get slightly better fuel economy than a Chevrolet Trailblazer with a bigger straight six engine. The engine sounds terrible, its rough and I'd suggest you don't get this engine if you want a Grand Cherokee.

My Score: 2/10 - Slow, noisy and not terribly efficient compared to the available V8s.

Handling: Being heavier than 2 tons will reduce its handling capabilities on the road. When taken around a corner you get quite a bit of understeer and quite a bit of body roll. This is added with steering which is rather vague. Its not exactly light or heavy, but its still not capable of proper communication. As a result you have no real faith in it. The ride quality is not that good either, bad roads are quite noticeable.

My Score: 3/10 - Doesn't like corners, dull steering and mediocre ride quality.


Interior: I was pretty disappointed when I first got into a Grand Cherokee. I was expecting something like the previous Grand Cherokee which was rather nice and comfortable. Instead this Grand Cherokee is a sea full of dark, cheap and ugly plastic. The cloth seat is not all that comfortable. The dash gauges are better than the standard Chrysler ones but not by much. The interior is rather roomy although its a 5-seater, so it will have proper tailgate space. Still you can't seem to avoid how dark and gloomy it is inside. Build quality is mediocre, there's an occasional squeak and rattle from this vehicle. The Grand Cherokee is assembled in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

My Score: 3/10 - Its roomy and spacious, but otherwise its depressing and unpleasant.

Styling: It does retain a lot of the Grand Cherokee styling from the previous versions. However I never did like those headlights as they look stupid. Overall its fine since its an evolutionary design. Its difficult to fault something that looked good several years ago and still does today.

My Score: 7/10 - Progressive styling, although the stupid headlamps are out of place.

Value for money: The Grand Cherokee is not cheap even with the basic Laredo. I'm not aware of its off road performance which could help it but on the road I'm not sure why anyone would choose this SUV over the likes of the Toyota 4Runner or the Nissan Pathfinder both are quicker, made of better materials, better assembled and less expensive. Both have also made a name for themselves off road and their durability. Given that most Grand Cherokees these days never see a dirt road, I don't really understand why one would buy these ones. Seems during this time Chrysler was milking the Jeep name.

My Score: 4/10 - Its got competition that's cheaper and mostly better in quite a few ways.

Overall: 19/50 - With a small engine and a terrible interior, the Grand Cherokee to me makes no sense. For $40,000 you would expect something decent instead of this which is mostly bad.

2007-2010 Ford Expedition XLT

This time an SUV which I haven't done in a while.


Introduction: The Ford Expedition is Ford's full size SUV and currently the largest it makes. It replaced the original Ford Bronco in 1997 and it later also replaced the Ford Excursion in 2007 with the Expedition Max. The Expedition uses the T platform which is based off of the F-150 truck. For much of its time the Ford Expedition has been made in Wayne, Michigan and only in 2009 has been built in Louisville, Kentucky because of Ford's expansion of the Wayne plant for the upcoming 2012 Ford Focus.

In all honesty before I got to drive the Expedition I've actually never heard of it. I also never really saw that many on the roads which meant it never came to my mind. I guess it was poorly advertised since I do see a lot of F-150 commercials and Explorer ones but never seen a Expedition ad. So I had no expectations having never of heard of the vehicle in the first place.


Performance: Due to its truck nature and its size the Expedition is given the 5.4L Triton V8. This engine produces 300 hp and 365 lb.ft of torque during 2007-2008, in later years the power is increased to 310 hp with the same engine. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic. With this much power and torque the Expedition accelerates from 0-100 km/h in about 8.1 seconds which is pretty quick considering its size and weight. Now there's no easy way to put this, the Expedition's fuel economy is pretty terrible. Its a very nice cruising motor and it doesn't make a whole lot of noise but unless you need a vehicle this size it will hurt at the fuel pumps quite badly. The low range gearbox works well even when the truck is sort of beached on ice.

My Score: 8/10 - Moves quickly, low range makes it capable of terrain issues, cruises very nicely...but awfully thirsty.

Handling: Like any full size SUV there are big drawbacks to having a tall vehicle with a massive amount of weight. While its turning circle is good for a vehicle its size, it still needs more room to turn compared to a car. You don't really want to take an Expedition into a corner very quickly as its weight can easily make it roll over. The steering is a slight bit heavy although its not all that exciting. Its what you would expect from a truck really, not good at cornering but driving sensibly it shouldn't be an issue. Ride comfort is average for a truck based SUV, not as soft as a CUV but not as bouncy on a real truck either.

My Score: 5/10 - Its not meant to be aggressive, its more happier on freeways.


Interior: Much like all Fords designed from this period of time, it was a better interior than what it used to be. Its not stylish but its functional and its pretty easy to use. There's a good amount of space for those in the front row and in the middle row. The rear seats are not as spacious as one would want despite its size. This may be different on the Expedition Max, but this review specifically focuses on the standard SUV. To fold the second row seats is straight forward, the third row folds with buttons which makes it really easy. Even with the third row up there's still trunk space unlike the Chevrolet Tahoe which doesn't. The leather material used is nothing significant its of pretty average quality. The build quality of these SUVs is pretty good from both plants 2007-2008 being made in Wayne, Michigan, USA and the 2009 to current cars made in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

My Score: 8/10 - Reasonable interior, seating for 7, trunk space even with seats up, easy to use, a bit bland on styling.

Styling: The Expedition doesn't really have much to say on styling. It looks pretty generic as an SUV, removing the blue oval badge it could look like it might have come from General Motors. It may be two tone, but it doesn't really stand out in spite of that.

My Score: 3/10 - Generic.

Value for money: The Expedition's primary competition comes from the Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon, the Dodge Durango and Jeep Commander and the Toyota Sequoia. Its really all down to the Tahoe being its serious competition since the Durango and Commander are rubbish while the Sequoia is quite expensive($61,000!). On fuel economy the Tahoe is better because of cylinder deactivation. On practicality technically the Tahoe seats 8 but it really depends on whether you want to use the front bench seat with no airbag. The Expedition however has actual trunk space and is easier to use. The Expedition seats also fold in, while the Tahoe requires removal of the 3rd row seats. The Expedition is more versatile, the Tahoe is more economical.

My Score: 8/10 - Its very versatile in its utility, its just not as cheap or as fuel efficient.

Overall: 33/50 - A pretty good SUV focusing on being versatile, so long as you really need its size the fuel bills can then be excusable.

2007-2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0S

The next car is something I still drive a lot but its due for a replacement soon.


Introduction: The Nissan Sentra has been in Nissan's lineup for a very long time. Before the use of the Sentra name, the previous car was called a Datsun 210 which was RWD. Since the introduction of the Sentra in 1982, the car has since become FWD. Its main competitor was always the Toyota Corolla, eventually the Honda Civic would also become a target car. The Sentra does not appear to be as popular or sell as well as the Civic or Corolla. Nevertheless Nissan does have a performance version of the Sentra called the SE-R Spec V. The current Sentra is now in its sixth generation and is expected to be replaced by the 2012 model year.

The previous Sentra was a vehicle that was not very interesting to me. As a result I didn't really expect much out of this car although it seemed more promising than the older car.


Performance: The Nissan Sentra is available with a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that produces 140 hp and 142 lb.ft of torque. This engine is a nice upgrade over the previous 1.8L which wasn't very interesting. This Sentra is also equipped with a CVT and a 6-speed manual. The SE-R version gets a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine from the Altima. This review looks at the regular Sentra and the 2.0L accelerates from 0-100 km/h in about 9 seconds which is acceptable for a sedan in this class although significantly less impressive than the Altima using CVT. The engine can be quiet when cruising, but when its accelerating it sounds a bit crude and noisy. The CVT does make the cruising nice as you won't feel the change in gear ratios, its just not as good as the CVT you get in the Altima or Maxima on the performance level. Fuel economy isn't as good as the Civic or the Corolla either despite the Corolla still using a 4-speed automatic.

My Score: 7/10 - Reasonable speed, average fuel economy, noisy acceleration, not a great case for CVTs.

Handling: The Sentra handles pretty decently while not as nice as a Mazda3 or Mitsubishi Lancer its not as dull as it used to be. It can take a corner with the usual understeer and a bit of roll yet it has more confidence than say a Toyota Corolla. That said the wheel weighting feels a bit odd, its initially a bit tough but lightens up rather quickly which unfortunately produces little feel. Its another electric power steering system which I find is just not as nice as a hydraulic system.

My Score: 6/10 - Much better than before but still average in the pack, steering however lacks feel and is oddly weighted.


Interior: The Sentra's interior from before was pretty boring and not very well made. The difference between the older and newer Sentras in this version is down to the displays. The older ones have a orange and black display which would seem familiar to you if you had a 1980s computer. Odd Nissan decided on this colour combination. The newer display is white, red with a black background and seems a lot more modern and full of colour. The interior materials are not that nice to be honest, a lot of hard plastic and a few bits of fake aluminum plastic. The amount of space is rather average as is the trunk space. C-pillars are rather large so visibility is not as good. The biggest problem with the Sentra however is the build quality. This interior is still not well made, I've seen a lot of items fall off or have growing gaps. Things like the brake pedal pad coming off, the dead pedal pad peeling off, a door hinge not aligned properly, the plastic trim around the seat railings coming off and so on. The Sentra is made in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

My Score: 4/10 - Bland, lots of hard plastic, reduced visibility and the build quality is rubbish.

Styling: It appears Nissan wanted to make a mini-Altima with the Sentra although it looks a lot more square than the Altima does. The refresh makes the grille more modern since the old one was full of plastic squares. It looks mediocre from most angles, over all its a so so design.

My Score: 4/10 - Its a Altima imitation where the design mostly had a ruler.

Value for money: The Sentra starts out very cheap. Unfortunately that's really where it can excel since its not a driver's car nor a quality product. Even worse is the Mazda3 is a nicer vehicle to drive, significantly better built and has a similar base price in GX form. The Sentra also doesn't get much for having CVT since the Mitsubishi Lancer has this and the Dodge Caliber. The Sentra just doesn't excel at very much to be worth considering. I'd rather Nissan spend a bit more on better build quality over having a better MSRP.

My Score: 3/10 - Its cheap and average with terrible build quality.

Overall: 24/50 - A pretty average car which happens to be cheap to buy in base form but suffers from awful build quality.

2007-2010 Ford Edge SEL and Limited AWD

I'm sorry, my last update was back in November and now its nearing Christmas time. This last set of reviews will likely be the last for the year so hopefully I'll get a few through. Starting with this vehicle.


Introduction: The Ford Edge is a midsize crossover introduced in 2006. This is one of the first vehicles by Ford to implement the Ford tri-bar grille. This vehicle uses the CD3 platform shared by the early Mazda6. This is Ford's first attempt in the segment after seeing Toyota's success with the Toyota Highlander and the Nissan Murano. The Edge comes in 4 trim levels, the base SE, the SEL, the Limited and the Sport. This review will look at the SEL and the Limited. Sales of the Edge have been very good to the point where Ford has redesigned it for the 2011 model year and is currently a market leader.

Like all CUVs I didn't really have much expectations for them and because of what I require in a car wouldn't consider them. Although this vehicle I knew was one of Ford's better selling vehicles of the time so it did give me some insight into it being at least decent.


Performance: All Ford Edge models come with the same engine and transmission. A 3.5L V6 that's mated to a 6-speed automatic. This V6 engine is capable of producing 265 hp and 250 lb.ft of torque. This means the acceleration from 0-100 km/h is about 8.3-8.4 seconds which is reasonable. The engine is rather quiet and refined making it a rather smooth and comfortable vehicle. The fuel economy is acceptable, not particularly outstanding but its better than the Explorer. All in all its a nice engine although it won't excite a performance oriented driver its good for regular calm driving.

My Score: 8/10 - Reasonably performance, alright fuel economy, quiet and smooth.

Handling: Being a tall, heavy vehicle the Edge is not an ideal vehicle to take corners too quickly. I was sort of hoping it acted close to how the Mazda CX-7 did but it seems Ford would rather focus on ride comfort over cornering ability. By taking the Edge in the corner while it will do it, you'll know the understeer is coming and the roll is very present. If you wanted a more agile vehicle its best to look at the Mazda. The steering is good for this sort of vehicle meaning it should communicate enough to allow confident driving.

My Score: 7/10 - Its good enough for most, ride comfort is good, noticeable understeer and roll.


Interior: Being a new key product for Ford this was where we would see whether they were capable of surviving. As a result Ford did spend a lot more resources on the interior where in the past they wouldn't. The interior in the Edge is rather simple and straight forward. It didn't have the cheap knobs we were used to seeing in less expensive cars although on the earlier Edges the stereo was mediocre. Interior materials are reasonable, nothing that looks out of the ordinary but crucially nothing that looks cheap and nasty. There's a lot of space for the 5 passengers in the vehicle while also having a big tailgate area. The interior is very easy to work with and if you have the limited the power options make things even easier. Some Ford Edges have a rubber mat for the tailgate area which means its easier to preserve the carpet if you know you'll put something that will make it messy. There's a leather parcel rack but not being solid it doesn't look that good and with the high tailgate ultimately useless. Knowing its visibility with the C and D pillars is not great, the mirrors provide two angles one for the blind spot and one to see the car's side. Its a well thought out interior despite it not being flash and interesting to look at. I've never seen a build quality issue on the Edge so it shouldn't fall apart. The Edge is assembled in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

My Score: 8/10 - Well made, well thought out, well designed but slightly lacking in aesthetics.

Styling: I must admit the Edge is a rather distinctive vehicle. Ford went with a rather egg shaped vehicle which is risky since the last time we saw an egg shaped vehicle was the Previa and it didn't succeed on styling. Its not my favourite tri-bar grille vehicle but its the interesting shape that draws your attention to it being a Ford and not some random CUV. The rear doesn't have much interesting details but the front does have unique headlights in an attempt to match the grille.

My Score: 8/10 - Pretty noticeable, unique shape, the rear however doesn't is rather ordinary.

Value for money: Pricing for the Edge is rather high considering its supposed place in the Ford lineup. For much of the same money you could have a Taurus X which is bigger. The Toyota Highlander actually starts out less expensive as well. Its not as practical as a minivan since it only seats 5 which is as good as the Escape. The Ford Flex offers more seating capacity again for the same money. With these things in mind, I don't see the Edge offering much to a consumer looking purely at statistics. What the Edge does offer is the unique styling. It appears many liked the way it looked because evaluating the Edge against even other Fords it seems overpriced mainly since it doesn't offer anything special.

My Score: 5/10 - If you like the looks it'll do well, if you're not as interested in that the Flex is better or you can save money with the Escape which is just as good.

Overall: 36/50 - Its a good CUV on its own merits, its done rather well. Value within the Ford lineup is the only part where I'm a bit confused at its success.

2008-2011 Ford Focus SE and SES

I noticed that I've been doing a lot of crossovers, today I will post a car for a change. Unfortunately there are still quite a lot of crossovers still to do.


Introduction: As I stated in my old Ford Focus review, it had a bit of a bad start. When Ford brought it to North America dealing with 21 recalls in its first three years, most in its early two, gave a rather negative perception to the car. Alan Mulally the CEO of Ford, decided that in order to not only rid the company of excess waste but also to improve quality with more focused global vehicles. He was going to unite Ford of America, Ford of Europe and Ford of Australia by making sure that no matter where you went the Ford lineup is pretty much the same in each country. Ford of Europe doing very well would have the most surviving models, this left Ford of America to shed much of its excess like the Mercury brand. When it came to the North American Ford Focus, since Ford was redesigning the global vehicle for the 2012 model year, it appears they decided to not import the Mk II Focus design from Europe but rather redesign the current Mk I to keep it fresh without investing too much into it.

I wasn't sure about the changes, having driven cars on the C1 platform I knew it wouldn't be as good since its still on the aging C170.


Performance: Due to the way Ford has only intended this Focus to be a stopgap for the upcoming 2012 Focus this car doesn't get any interesting engines. It still makes do with the old 2.0L Duratec you get from the previous Ford Focus. Its not entirely the same it does gain 4 hp meaning in total 140 but with the same 136 lb.ft of torque. Still the old car wasn't very slow so the new car with its newer body accelerates from 0-100 km/h in about 8.3 seconds. When it comes to noise, it can be a but buzzy but its more quiet than it used to be. Its pretty respectable even with an aging motor.

My Score: 8/10 - Very much the same engine as before, still reasonable.

Handling: Now I remembered the old Focus having a steering wheel that moved like an anvil, it never seemed like they had any power steeering. This car has changed this, while its still not the lightest wheel out there its a lot more manageable and therefore it was much easier to find out if it had any feel to it instead of getting tired and not really enjoying the drive. Taking this car around a corner it didn't seem to feel as good as I was hoping. Its competent so you shouldn't crash that easily but somehow it didn't excite me. It was a bit dull. In removing some of the crude feeling of the old system it didn't inject much life into it. The ride comfort is quite alright, its reasonable but not as cushy as you might get on softer riding cars. It also made no difference in the SES version, supposedly the sporty one which is a shame.

My Score: 7/10 - It cleans up the problems of the old system, but sadly its not very lively.


Interior: This is where I see the biggest improvement from the older car. I remembered how puny the seat levers were in the older car, this one has a proper lever. The cup holders are no longer ugly and come off with little effort. The door handles are much nicer. The stereo is better and the controls have much better touches than they used to. The seats depend on the trim level, on lower grades like the SE you get cloth and they're alright. The SES and SEL provide leather and its a bit nicer. The SYNC system is alright to use as well. While I haven't explored everything it could do, it handles most of what you need without too much complications. Nothing about the interior is luxurious but its functional and overall pretty simple. Trunk space is pretty good for its class and it was reasonable with interior space. There is something to note though, they left out the trunk release button in 2008 models, I thought I couldn't find it but when a 2009 model came out it was under the fuse box meaning they really did leave it out. Silly mistake by Ford to leave it out, at least it was rectified though. The build quality is alright, much better than before although I've found some of the plastic covers like to come out. The Focus is made in Wayne, Michigan in the United States.

My Score: 7/10 - While not luxurious it fixes the old interior's massive problems.

Styling: This is probably the most controversial thing about this Focus. I rather liked the previous Focus, this one attempts to marry the current tri-bar Ford grille with something a bit radical. In coupe form it looks terrible especially with the spoiler. In sedan form its a bit better but I don't think the tri-bar grille worked on this design. The rear I don't think worked out either it kept some of the triangles from the older design but left the trunk with a blank space full of badges. I don't find the car very appealing, this is the redesign's biggest problem.

My Score: 3/10 - Styling didn't work out too well.

Value for money: One of the things Ford left out this time unfortunately was a Focus wagon or hatch. This design thus won't appeal to the new growing hatchback segment and must wait until the 2012 model to see if they left that intact. This is also a very fiercely competitive segment meaning it has a lot of competition to deal with even if its not an entirely new design. That said, the satellite radio being equipped starts it off ahead of the older designs out there. The new SYNC system might also intrigue some people. The styling will keep others away. The handling while not bad, its much less exciting than a Mazda and considering the SES is the sport package but makes nearly no difference that might disappoint. Its not spectacular but against its Detroit rivals its significantly better. It could have been more convincing if it were based on the European Mk II Focus, but we'll have to wait for the 2012 Mk III for Ford's real Focus. In the end it could have been better, but for a vehicle coming from a Detroit automaker its not a bad buy.

My Score: 6/10 - Overall its not spectacular on many areas, but it doesn't exactly flounder either.

Overall: 31/50 - Its a decent car, but we'll have to wait for the 2012 to see what Ford's really capable of in this segment.

2009-2010 Ford Flex SEL & Limited AWD

I'm still trying my best to get 2 reviews a week. Today is yet another crossover review.


Introduction: The Ford Flex was introduced in 2009 as Ford's replacement for the Freestar minivan. Unlike most crossovers, the Flex is Ford's attempt to combine the minivan and the SUV. Much of the whole design came from the 2005 Ford Fairlane concept, the differences between concept and production vehicle are minor. Initially Ford anticipated 100,000 units of sales for the Flex, unfortunately Ford hasn't come close to meeting this. Still Ford wants the Flex to live on despite its modest sales now offering incentives.

This is the first of the new Fords I've come across. I was glad it wasn't a minivan but I wasn't so sure about it as a crossover. I thought it looked interesting so at the minimum it seemed creative.


Performance: The Ford Flex is given 2 engines the standard 3.5L V6 which this review will be focusing on. The other engine is the Ecoboost 3.5L twin turbo V6, the same engine available in the Taurus SHO. The standard Duratech V6 produces 262 hp and 248 lb.ft of torque. On acceleration the Flex is capable of getting from 0-100 km/h in about 8.5 seconds. Considering how big and heavy it is, this is reasonable performance. The engine is particularly quiet on highway drives and overall is pretty smooth. Fuel economy isn't great but what did you expect from a vehicle this big. Despite being the base engine its a good one.

My Score: 8/10 - Reasonable performance, quiet and smooth.

Handling: There are small differences when you choose SEL and Limited, the SELs get 18 inch wheels while the Limited gets 19 inch wheels. Despite having rims this large, ride quality doesn't actually suffer. Due to its weight, its not able to take corners as quickly as cars can. If you push it, you'll feel the understeer very early. It does well for a vehicle that's heavier than 4500 lbs much to my surprise which might have to do with how short it is compared to SUVs of the same size. Steering is weighted well making it a pretty easy vehicle to drive. Its certainly nicer to drive than any minivan.

My Score: 7/10 - On the whole its pretty good at handling but its weight means it also suffers from major understeer in a corner.


Interior: One of the things you'll notice inside the Flex is how spacious it is. First things first, a lower range model will have the 6 seater arrangement, while a higher one will have a 7 seater arrangement. Both are fine, the 6 seater is just the easier one for getting people into the back as its layout is much like a minivan's with space in between the 2nd row unless you decide to have the 2nd center console added. With 7 seaters to enter the back you need to fold a seat, fortunately Ford thought of this and decided this should be done with a single push of a button. To put return the seats in position is very easy and straight forward, no muscle required. To fold the 3rd row its not electrically done like a Explorer but its still pretty easy by pulling the straps as indicated on the seats. The 3rd row is spacious enough for medium sized adults and since the Flex can still carry cargo they don't sit so close to the tailgate. The tailgate itself is rather heavy, but Ford again thought about this and made opening and closing easy with the use of a button. I didn't really find much difference between the cloth and leather seats, of course the leather is softer and smoother but neither is a bad choice. Driver control layout is much as what you would expect from a Ford, everything is pretty much where you'd expect it to be. Visibility isn't great I'm afraid, the D-pillars are particularly large but most Ford Flexs come with rear parking sensors which will help. Interior materials are of modest quality, none look or feel particularly awful. Build quality is very good, the Ford Flex is assembled in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. The most impressive thing about this interior is just how user-friendly it is, Ford hired someone who has made a crossover very easy to live with, everything annoying on most crossover interiors seems to have been addressed in the Flex.

My Score: 10/10 - I've never come across an interior that should be complicated to work out, made so easy with little effort to understand how everything is done. The overall interior is good, this just stands out as excellent interior design, because its so well thought out.

Styling: This appears to be the Flex's biggest problem when it comes to its sales. It does look a bit like its been shaped from a tetris block. Much of the exterior tries to emphasize how square it is. Some people think it looks particularly ugly, I'm not one of those. I think it looks alright, it just looks even better if you bought the rather expensive Titanium package where it looks a bit like a Range Rover. It may be polarizing, but I'd rather have a vehicle that tries too look different than your typical minivan.

My Score: 7/10 - Its a bit square but its more interesting than the shapeless blobs that many cars are.

Value for money: Sales for the Flex aren't as hot as Ford wanted so when it comes to value its going to start off well with employee pricing discounts. The Flex's target is primarily minivan drivers who don't want a boring vehicle to drive but still want much of the capacity and flexibility of a minivan. On this front the Flex does well, the interior is much easier to work out than any minivan I've encountered. The problem with most minivans, they require muscle to get their full use either by removing heavy seats or operating a rickety contraption that's in the floor. Unlike many crossovers it has room for full passenger capacity and some room for luggage like a minivan. The only places where the Flex does scare off people is the price and the styling.

My Score: 8/10 - A bit pricey if no discounts are available and it depends on how it looks to you, otherwise its the best alternative to a minivan.

Overall: 40/50 - A very good crossover, with a clever interior. If all crossovers were done like this, perhaps the minivan might be extinct.

2007-2010 Mitsubishi Outlander

I know updates have been lacking this whole year so I'm trying to make up for it. Today's car is the Mitsubishi Outlander.



Introduction: The Mitsubishi Outlander originated in 2001 as the Mitsubishi Airtrek. This vehicle was derived from Mitsubishi's ASX concept. The idea behind this was to make a crossover that had the off-road ability of the SUV but retain the standard car's emissions, size and fuel economy. The Airtrek name was eventually phased out in favour of Outlander which is the name most familiar with those outside of Japan. The Outlander was redesigned in 2005 being the first vehicle of the new GS platform which includes the Lancer and the rally racer Lancer Evolution. This second generation vehicle would only come to North America in 2007. The Outlander went for a redesign in 2010 taking the new Lancer and Lancer Evolution's front end.

This is the very first Mitsubishi that I got the chance to drive. I was sort of excited but I was also wasn't sure what to make out of it. Nobody I knew ever drove a Mitsubishi and I didn't hear the greatest praise for them either outside. Yet with Mitsubishi's history of excellent cars like the Lancer Evolutions, I wasn't expecting terrible things.


Performance: The North American Outlanders only are equipped with a 3.0L V6 MIVEC engine. This engine produces 220 hp and 204 lb.ft of torque for the earlier Outlanders. The 2010 updated engine is the very same engine but now producing 230 hp and 215 lb.ft of torque. Its acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes about 8.5 seconds on older Outlanders, the new one strangely is quite a bit faster in under 8 seconds. Having driven both I honestly didn't realize the newer ones were that much faster. In low speeds the engine has a slightly annoying whining sound, its a lot better when taken to highway speeds. Still it pulls rather well and is surprisingly quick despite not being turbocharged or having a high displacement making it a rather clever engine. Fuel economy for this crossover is rather average if you notice you need to fill up often, its not bad fuel economy but rather the Outlander has a rather small fuel tank(50-55L) for some strange reason.

My Score: 8/10 - A bit noisy at slow speeds but surprisingly quick

Handling: When you take the Outlander into a corner I was rather surprised at how much of a car it felt. You don't seem to feel the higher center of gravity as much as some of the taller small cars. Steering feel is actually very good, in the corners its rather crisp in its changes. This crossover isn't as happy in the corners as the Mazda CX-7 but feels very competent. Normally crossovers are nowhere near as good as their car counterparts, the Outlander despite its bulk doesn't feel that far from its Lancer roots. The ride comfort is a bit firm than most of the other crossovers but that's expected for performance like this.

My Score: 9/10 - A surprise, car-like feel in an area where most crossovers are not so good. Ride comfort suffers a slight bit.


Interior: Well, I haven't said as many nice things about the previous Mitsubishi interiors and this one isn't any different. Once again the materials appear to be the worst offender here. The plastic just don't have that quality feel you get on say a newer Hyundai. Its not the most inviting interior either as its full of dark plastic and black carpets. The stereo is alright but the knobs are very small which may be a problem for those with larger fingers. On the bright side, it actually feels a lot bigger inside than the vehicle seems on the outside. I don't know if Mitsubishi focused on space efficiency but it felt cavernous inside. It has a split folding tailgate which I think is very good. Higher trim levels feature the 7-seater arrangement, for small children I don't think they're too bad but a large adult won't like them. Having the second row fold is actually quite easy, holding the lever is all that has to be done. Higher trim levels also have key-less start which is neat at first but I find a bit gimmicky. I think this is the best interior Mitsubishi has designed mainly due to the engineering. The build quality is very good, its built in Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.

My Score: 7/10 - Very clever designed interior, feels spacious, built rather well but has cheap material and isn't very pleasant inside.

Styling: There are two styles the original and the refreshed style. I personally prefer the original as that style fit with the entire car without looking like everything else. I didn't find the Lancer Evolution X's front end fit with the car very well but some people like it. The rear remained the same regardless of which version and is a bit more original. Its the side profile where I find the newer front a bit awkward as it has a slight overbite while the older doesn't and flows smoothly. I can see some of the appeal of the newer front but I think it looks better on a car.

My Score: 7/10 - Nice styling particularly the older design which flows very nicely, newer is more aggressive if that's your thing.

Value for money: This is one of the better crossovers I've ever driven. The clever interior, the rather good driving dynamics and overall good styling. I found the Outlander drives a lot better than many of the alternatives. If you get the 7-seater arrangement its not as great at carrying passengers as a minivan and its a bit more expensive. For that extra expense however you are given the 4WD and a easier and nicer vehicle to drive so its a bit of a trade off. If you occasionally need the 7 seats, the Outlander is a better choice than the minivan. Another nice bonus, it has Mitsubishi's industry leading warranty. I can't think of a great reason for buying any other crossover unless you want a nicer interior.

My Score: 8/10 - If you need this sort of vehicle its one of the best, with a great warranty and presents great driving dynamics. It only falls short if you constantly need a 7-seater or want a nicer interior.

Overall: 39/50 - Some minor flaws cannot deny that this crossover is a very good vehicle.