1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gst Hatchback 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | Affordable outlier

The $10,000 new car, truck or SUV is long dead, and the $15,000 price point is nearly so. To purchase a new vehicle and enjoy everything buying "new" implies (warranty, reasonably new tech, a long life and affordable financing), you have to spend $20,000, probably more like $25,000. We'll take a look at spending that $20K at a Mitsubishi store. If you've forgotten Mitsubishi, don't blame yourself. A generation ago, Mitsubishi's American arm had a financial meltdown, precipitated by a consumer financing plan offering zero interest and zero payments for way-too-many-months. When it was time to make payments customers simply returned the cars, leaving Mitsubishi holding a very expensive inventory worth substantially less than what was owed. Later, of course, the economy had its own meltdown, from which most of America's automotive industry rebounded. But Mitsubishi, with a sparse lineup and little marketing, is still working on that. A recent infusion of Nissan capital will help, as should Nissan's managerial oversight. Despite Mitsubishi's aging lineup, the Outlander Sport stands out - Mitsubishi continued to build it while other manufacturers were belatedly awakening to the subcompact crossover segment. And while its platform is old and its menu of standard and optional equipment dated, if you're on a tight budget you might find it attractive. Dimensionally, the Outlander Sport is a plus-size relative to Mazda's CX-3 and Honda's HR-V. For a detailed comparison of all three entries, visit Autoblog's comparison tool here. The CX-3 boasts the shortest wheelbase (101.2 inches), while the Honda sits at 102.8 inches and the compact Outlander Sport stretches to 105.1. In overall length the Mitsu is close to both the CX-3 (168 inches for the Mazda, 171.5 for the Outlander Sport and 169.1 inches for the HR-V). Finally, the Outlander Sport's 3,000-pound weight is within a belt notch of the Mazda's 2,900 and the Honda's 2,900 (front-wheel drive/manual). The Mitsubishi sheetmetal and stance is reminiscent of Audi's Q5, and while the similarity is coincidental, it's fun to have an upmarket look in a $20,000 car. Of course, once the Outlander Sport is turned on, that upmarket vibe is gone. For your $20K you'll get a 2.0-liter engine offering 148 horsepower, just north of Mazda's 146 and Honda' s 141.

Renault board names Ghosn stand-ins, as tensions with Nissan increase

PARIS/TOKYO — French carmaker Renault tapped its chief operating officer and a senior board member to fill in for embattled boss Carlos Ghosn, after an investigation by alliance partner Nissan led to his arrest on suspicion of financial misconduct. Thierry Bollore, Ghosn's operational second-in-command, will become deputy chief executive, while lead independent director Philippe Lagayette assumes the function of interim chairman, Renault said after a board meeting late on Tuesday. But the board refrained from firing Ghosn while awaiting more detail on the allegations — in a decision that could also buy more time for an accelerated, permanent succession process. "Mr. Ghosn, temporarily incapacitated, remains Chairman and Chief Executive Officer," Renault said in a statement. "During this period, the board will meet on a regular basis under the chairmanship of the lead independent director." Ghosn, one of the car industry's best-known leaders, was arrested on Monday after Nissan said he had engaged in years of wrongdoing, including personal use of company money and under-reported earnings. The Japanese company plans to remove him as chairman on Thursday. The French government, Renault's biggest shareholder, had begun to distance itself from Ghosn, calling for new interim leadership before the meeting, as the Japanese investigation expanded to include Renault-Nissan alliance finances. "Carlos Ghosn is no longer in a position where he is capable of leading Renault," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said earlier in the day. "Renault has been weakened, which makes it all the more necessary to act quickly." Statements by Le Maire, Renault and its board all echoed French preoccupations over the future of the alliance first articulated by President Emmanuel Macron within hours of Ghosn's arrest on Monday. Following talks between Le Maire and his Japanese counterpart Hiroshige Seko on Tuesday, the ministers reaffirmed their "shared wish to maintain this winning cooperation." But in a sign that Nissan may now seek to loosen its French parent's hold on the partnership, the Japanese company informed Renault it also had evidence of potential wrongdoing at Renault-Nissan BV, the Dutch venture overseeing alliance operations under Renault's ultimate control, three people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Nissan should kill the Quest and bring the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 to America

Enthusiasts don't have much reason to get excited about minivans. But if there were something cool to revitalize interest in the segment, I think American consumers would take notice. A quick browse through Mitsubishi's current catalog of global offerings turned up something interesting, and, now that Nissan has brought the diamond-star into its multi-headed global alliance, the Japanese automaker has a unique opportunity to throw caution to the wind and give America something fun. First, let's acknowledge that the Nissan Quest is a completely reasonable and current minivan entry. But it's not exactly a hot seller. The Quest was the seventh-best-selling minivan in the United States last month. The people-hauler's 209 sales in September of 2016 represent a 68-percent decline over the previous year. Granted, the Quest was trending upward for the year prior to last month's drop, but even the Quest's best full year of sales would just manage to match the number of Toyota Siennas or Chrysler Pacificas sold in a decent month. Put simply, the American market wouldn't miss the Nissan Quest if it were to disappear from dealership lots altogether. I don't think the Nissan Quest is a bad vehicle. The problem is that it's just like every other minivan sold in America. Nothing about the Quest stands out against its competitors, which basically makes it a redundant vehicle with no solid reason to exist. What Nissan really needs, in my humble opinion, is a minivan that stands out from the crowd. I offer the following solution: Bring the Mitsubishi Delica D:5 to the United States. Badge it as a Nissan to take advantage of that brand's larger dealer network; even call it the Quest Q:5 if you must. But don't change much else. I have a feeling Americans would show some interest in an eight-passenger, all-wheel-drive, multi-purpose vehicle like the Delica that's about the same overall length as the Nissan Rogue. As an added incentive to capture as many buyers as possible, offer both the 2.4-liter gasoline engine and the 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel that are available in other markets. Since the Delica D:5 is based on the same GS platform as the Dodge Journey, it could probably accommodate a Pentastar V6, too, but that doesn't really seem necessary. Instead of being a powerhouse, the Delica should be about fun and efficiency, with an adventurous off-road streak.