Recent content by transpower

The skid pad rating is a measure of how well a vehicle handles around a 300 ft diameter circular roadway. The maximum value of acceleration without slippage, in terms of g, is the parameter. The best handling cars have a skid pad score of > .90 g. Most SUV's are in the range of .7 to .8...

They didn't test the PHEV; they tested the regular Outlander. What's interesting here is that they contradict what Consumer Reports said, which was that the new Outlander does not handle very well. Autoweek says that it's as fun to drive as the new Mazda CX-5. I'll reserve judgment until I...

There is no hump in my 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, and there was no hump in my 2001 Acura MDX. Therefore, it's certainly possible to have an SUV without one. For the rear middle-seat passenger, this makes a tremendous difference.

Porsche is bringing out a PHEV version of the Panamera, Cayenne, and Macan--the new baby Cayenne. But the prices will be much higher than that of the Outlander PHEV....

Is the interior trim of the PHEV aluminum or wood (as in the GT)?

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2013/04/video-redesigned-2014-mitsubishi-outlander-is-not-out-of-this-world.html I guess their opinion is "so-so."

Most of us in America have private driveways. It's just a matter of convenience--I don't want to have to plug-in and plug-out every day. It's sort of like my home security system--I don't want to have to type in the security code every time I leave or enter the house; all I do now is press a...

I hope that figure of 72.6 cubic feet is true! But then the question is: how could 10 cubic feet be lost in the PHEV? After all, there is no third row....

Does anyone know the brand and model of tires on the Outlander PHEV? What about the skid pad score?

I cannot tell from interior pictures (because of low contrast) whether or not there is a "hump" in the floor in front of the second row of seats. It appears to be small, but I'm not sure. If there were a big hump (as in most German SUVs) that would make things difficult for the middle rear...

I'm in America, and I think there could be a big demand for a PHEV compact SUV--but it's got to have inductive charging. The charging plate should be on the driveway, and you would just drive the PHEV over it, and current automatically is induced into the vehicle's batteries until fully-charged.

That's disappointing. Maybe by the time we get this vehicle in America Mitsubishi will have inductive charging available.

The previous Outlander model has 73 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third row seats folded down. I've read that the new Outlander model will have 63 cubic feet. Is that true? That's a bit disappointing if true, though not a deal killer.

Is anyone using an inductive charging system on their driveway to recharge the PHEV? I would be loathe to have to recharge the vehicle each time; I just want to drive over an inductive charger and have the recharging done automatically.

That's what I've read--it's the same system as in the Evo!