As car-based, pseudo SUVs proliferate, so too do the names suggesting adventures in the great outdoors: Pilot, Highlander, Rendezvous, Escape and so on.
Ironically, buyers of these vehicles rarely venture off-road and they live in subdivisions that are gobbling up the acreage suitable for off-roading. But these vehicles aren’t really meant to go off-road, being little more than minivans gussied up in the latest automotive fashion chic.
So even if the new Mitsubishi Endeavor doesn’t have a name that suggests some far-off patch of wilderness, it does toe the line in delivering what this market expects.
Styling is typically SUV, with some surprising Japanese origami-like angles thrown in for good measure. It’s bold and different, hard to accomplish in an ever-more crowded segment of the market.
But overall, that’s as much chance as Mitsubishi, the Japanese affiliate of Germany’s DaimlerChrysler, takes with the Endeavor.
The Galant-based Endeavor is a nice step-up vehicle from the smaller, Lancer-based Mitsubishi Outlander. Both vehicles are more refined than the traditional SUV set up of the Montero and Montero Sport.
There are three trim levels: base LS, mid-level XLS and the luxury-oriented Limited available in either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive.
Mitsubishi provided an all-wheel-drive in Limited trim for reviewing.
No matter which version you choose, there is exactly one driveline: a 3.8-liter, single-overhead-cam V-6 that yields 215 horsepower, less than most competitors. Yet, it is more powerful than the V-6 that powers the Montero Sport. It proves up to the task without feeling underpowered. Still, it’s less refined than its Japanese competitors and seems winded at highway speeds.
Ride is average for the class; handling is car-like. Steering is slow compared to a car, but it’s just right for an SUV-like vehicle. The body leans predictably in corners and grip is excellent thanks to all-wheel-drive.
The Endeavor has a very commodious interior, that holds five passengers in comfort. The seats are a bit flat, but otherwise they proved acceptable.
Mitsubishi tries for an industrial look, with a big, block design and metallic-like finishes, but the inexpensive plastics did little to enhance the feel. The center of the dashboard houses a readout for time, temperature, compass heading and audio functions that resembles a poorly designed boombox. It’s more flash than substance. Information that you would expect to find there, such as fuel economy, is lacking.
Another thing to consider is the vehicle’s price.
At almost $35,000, it’s too bad that the Endeavor doesn’t have features common in other vehicles at this price range, such as third-row seating, adjustable pedals, traction control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and rear-seat air-bags. If you consider a Ford Explorer, you’ll get all those features and a higher towing capacity.
But for some buyers, the Mitsubishi’s unique style will be all the reason that’s needed to purchase one. On that note, the Endeavor succeeds, even if its details disappoint.
