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Wm. B. Sullivan Realty & Co.
Claudia Hommel
Cabaret Singer
Extraordinaire
Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 Mazda CX-7
 Mitsubishi Outlander
Mazda CX-7 & Mitsubishi Outlander by Cordell Koland While the overall SUV bonanza may have hit a soft spot in the market here and there, the manufacturers keep cranking out new ones at a steady pace. Two new specimens from second-tier brands landed on our test schedule. This affords a head-to-head comparison that affords insights into different market strategies. Both Mazda and Mitsubishi play in the popularly priced category with a wide selection of offerings. Both compete pretty much head to head with Toyota and Honda, which is like facing off against both King Kong and Godzilla. Mazda has been playing up its sporty car side as in those Zoom Zoom commercials. Mitsubishi has been contending with a lot of corporate problems and is struggling in this highly competitive market. The Mitsubishi is the more mainstream of the two offerings and gets our attention as a kind of reference point. The company has been actively marketing SUVs in the North America about as long as anyone. There was a time when its Montero offered a nice combination of luxury and off-road performance and got a fair amount of respect. But that time was more than a decade ago and Mitsubishi's nice little dog and pony show was soon flattened by the three-ring circus mounted by the likes of the domestic Big Three and Toyota. The new Outlander seems to be Mitsubishi's main focus for the 2007 model year and it is a relatively impressive vehicle for the family looking for substance and value. The Outlander's exterior styling is pretty generic. On the other hand, I like the Mitsubishi's interior. The design is very clean and simple. The center console in particular is well laid out with all controls well marked and easy to find. The Outlander provides a nice, quiet well-damped ride, which is very important to most buyers in this class. The engine is bolted to a new six-speed automatic transmission. The combination provides adequate acceleration and smooth power delivery. There is definitely a trend to six-speed transmissions in the SUV category and both of our test vehicles are so equipped. If the Outlander is aimed at the broad SUV market, the Mazda CX-7 is biased toward the buyer with performance expectations and some extra money to spend, the Zoom Zoom thing. Mazda would like us to think that the CX-7 is a sports car with extra room and all-wheel-drive. And that thought contains some truth. The CX-7 is built around a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 244 horsepower and an amazing amount of torque. When you step on the accelerator, it leaps forward. The downside is that the show of power is accompanied by a fair amount of engine noise. The other aspect that differentiates the CX-7 from anything else in its class is handling. Mazda has bolted on a suspension that delivers quick turn-in and responsive handling. This is the mid-size SUV for those who want to play in the countryside and who are more interested in the journey than the destination. There is a downside here as well. The CX-7's adroit handling is accompanied by a ride quality that many will find exceptionally stiff and uncomfortable. I was amazed to discover that the CX-7 could find and react to imperceptible irregularities on some of the best and smoothest Interstate freeways in California. Bottom line: The Mitsubishi Outlander may just help in the company's road to success. It seems to hit all of the important bases for the family-oriented buyer. The Mazda CX-7 takes a commitment. If power and handling is your religion, then it is the path to Nirvana. But be prepared to pay a hefty price. The list price of $33,000 is definitely in luxury car territory, a place where Mazda may lack the necessary brand cachet. Vehicle:
Mazda CX-7
Price as tested: $33,030 Engine: Type: Turbocharged 2.3-liter inline four Horsepower: 244 @ 5,000 rpm Torque: 258 lbs.-ft. @ 2,500 rpm Fuel economy, automatic transmission City 18 mpg Highway 24 mpg Curb Weight: 3,929 lbs. Vehicle: Mitsubishi Outlander XLS 4WD Price as tested: $28,815 Engine: Type: 3-liter V-6 Horsepower: 220 @ 6,250 rpm Torque: 204 lbs.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm Fuel economy, automatic transmission City 19 mpg Highway 26 mpg Curb Weight: lbs. 3,791  Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
