2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse Gs Spoiler Alloy Wheels 29k Mi! Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mitsubishi off-road concepts head to Tokyo Auto Salon

While the focus on this side of the Pacific has been on CES and the Detroit Auto Show, over in Japan they're gearing up for the Tokyo Auto Salon. Most of the other Japanese automakers have already shown us what they have in store for the tuner expo, and now it's Mitsubishi's turn. This year, Mitsubishi will showcase two pairs of custom creations. They're all focused on the great outdoors, but two take more of an adventuring approach while the other two are geared towards camping. Two are based on the Outlander PHEV and the other two on the Delica D5 minivan. The Outdoor Gear concepts feature matte pearl white paintjobs with orange trim, black interiors with orange trim, and mesh fabric seats with grippy suede trim. The Outlander version rides on 20-inch wheels with off-road tires, a spoiler, and a bike rack on the roof. The Delica gets a carbon-style front bumper, LED daytime running lights, brush guards, and 16-inch wheels. The Active Camper concepts feature 20-inch wheels and matte silver paint with a black camo pattern – a treatment which continues inside. Here the Outlander features a new body kit, adjustable suspension, a roof box, and 1,500 watts of auxiliary power. The Delica version features a sportier grille, brush guards, and a convertible cabin space with room for two. They'll be displayed alongside a replica of the Outlander PHEV rally machine which Mitsubishi is fielding at the Baja Portalegre 500. But these are just some of the goodies in store for the Tokyo Auto Salon this year, which promises all the JDM action you could shake a carbon-fiber stick at. The doors open at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba City on Friday and will stay open through the weekend. Featured Gallery Mitsubishi at 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon News Source: Mitsubishi Tokyo Auto Salon Mitsubishi Crossover Minivan/Van Concept Cars Off-Road Vehicles mitsubishi delica

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

2014 Mitsubishi Outlander earns Top Safety Pick+ award [w/video]

The Mitsubishi Outlander officially is a safe vehicle, earning a good rating in all of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test categories - good enough for the agency to give it the Top Safety Pick+ award. The small sport utility vehicle's little sibling, the Outlander Sport, received the Top Safety Pick award earlier this year.
According to the IIHS, to earn the Top Safety Pick+ rating vehicles must be rated good in at least four out of the five crash tests (including the difficult small overlap front test) and earn no less than acceptable in the rear crash test. The Top Safety Pick rating requires that vehicles be rated good in the moderate overlap front, side, rollover and rear tests, but there's no minimum rating on the small overlap front crash test.
Mitsubishi designed the Outlander to have greater roof strength (the roof now can support up to five times the SUV's weight) and to withstand the moderate overlap front crash test and the recently introduced small overlap front crash test, both of which evaluate the ability of vehicles to protect their occupants in crashes that bypass the traditional front crumple zone. Crumple zones are designed into vehicles to allow them to deform in a way that protects passengers in the event of a crash. The Outlander was one of two small SUVs to earn a good rating in the small overlap test, the other being the 2014 Subaru Forester. The Subaru earned a Top Safety Pick rating.