ASX Experience

[Dug1]

My first post! After getting some great ideas from the site, I thought it's time to give something back...

I bought an Aspire diesel last August and have travelled 21.5K klms since. I live on a dirt road in the Snowy Mountains NSW and travel each day to work in a ski resort. I have a Prado and needed a smaller capable and cheaper to run 4WD which could handle snow .

Small petrol 4WDs really struggle on the hills and the ASX really fitted the bill. My experience so far:

• really good engine- heaps of torque and gearing is well matched
• fuel use is 6.3l/100 going to work (uphill) and 4.7 going home (downhill)
• trips to Sydney average about 5.9l/100 (real not off computer)
• really good on highway- never have to change out of 6th ('cept for towns) and overtakes really well. Will even hold 6th all the way up the mountain if I want without labouring! Use 5th now as speed limit has reduced to winter limit- 80k
• no problems at all once I sorted DPF- no faults but I struggle with the concept of having a toxic waste incinerator under the car which would blow more smoke than a worn out FC Holden! Very embarassing in a $40K car!
• EGR taken care of and oil catch-can fitted
• I am doing interim oil changes at 5K myself as 15K is too much of a stretch- particularly with the cold and dusty road
• started it yesterday morning in -7C no problems
• fitted one of Keith's override cables and iPod cable which work well. Sat Nav works fine and the sound system is pretty good
• excellent drive system on snow and ice- mostly use 4WD Auto and only use locked on really slick stuff- much better than Subarus which I drive regularly
• note different tyres fitted- Toyo CUVs really good on snow- stock ones garbage
• suspension tends to crash over potholes- will be sorted down the track with springs and shocks
• good brakes
• good handling in the twisty bits
• lights are not up to it- fitting driving lights later this week on Unibar- will see how much vibration I get on dirt as the mounting point is just flexy plastic. If too much, will look at ECB nudge bar

All in all a pretty good experience and I am very happy..... so far!

[Pickle]

Looks like a good honest appraisal Dug. I didn't mind the ASX and thought it wasn't a bad package overall. What really impressed me was the 1.8 motor and the six speed box. A great combination.
Dave

[Dug1]

Drove to work this morning on the back end of a blizzard. Road varied from deep snow to polished ice- it didn't put a foot wrong.

[Gus]

Good to read about.. My Wife may find 1 of these the ticket when she decides to get out of the VW Polo...

Gus.

[Dug1]

Gus,

I made the mistake of letting my wife drive it for 2 weeks and it took another 3 weeks to get it back.

[Gus]

not worried about that mate love my Paj..

[capemanifold]

Is it available with an auto ?.

[Gus]

In Petrol yes, Diesel Auto on it's way.. from memory either late this year or early next..

Gus.

[Dug1]

I would have liked an auto (not CVT) but I have to say the manual is one of the easiest & best I have ever used and the torque of the engine means no (or very little) gear changing on trips for hills or overtaking. It will comfortably hold 6th on hills here in the mountains at highway speeds.

If I was in the city might be a bit different. Although on a few trips around Sydney I found it easy to use.

One interesting thing I found- creeping along in heavy traffic I didn't need to touch accelerator- it just kept idling and wouldn't stall.

[Dug1]

Now clocked up $30K. Still going very well and I am happy with the performance and comfort on trips. Time to air some gripes:

- premium paint- chips very easily leaving the light undercoat visible. Body shape means front of rear wheel arch looks like it has been sand blasted back to primer!
- Had front mudflaps fitted as an extra at purchase- what a joke- they only extend about an inch below sill.
- at first service, dealer washed it and there are very fine scratches like swirls all over
- drivers electric seat rocks back and forward about an inch- feels weird! Anyone else got electric seats in Paj etc that does the same?
- Mitsubishi really skimp in some areas eg a lot of exposed wiring where sheathing ends before connectors and they couldn't even fit a 50c piece of tube to coolant overflow
- I don't have much faith in local dealer for servicing
- suspension provides excellent handling on highway but still crashes over even small bumps- I drove an Outlander on my road a few times and I was very impressed.
- exhaust system has serious rust due to salt used on roads. I expect some rust but all my other vehicles' systems have survived much better by a factor of about 10! For example, my prado's factory system is still original after 12 years- the last 5 on the same salted roads!

Shudder to think what it would cost to replace the ASX's system!

In summary, I know they don't market the ASX as a full on 4WD but it is a reasonable expectation that it should handle maintained dirt roads without all the thumps and paint getting destroyed- after all, it is sold with lockable 4WD.

It's a shame a potentially great vehicle is spoilt to some extent by skimping.

[Simone]

Hi Dug1, thanks for all your feedback on your ASX experience. Great to hear that you're enjoying most aspects of the car, and as for the gripes, I'd like to put you in touch with our Customer Advocacy Group to discuss them if you'd like to.

PM sent.

Cheers

Luke
Mitsubishi Motors Community Manager

[Gus]

Hi Dug1, thanks for all your feedback on your ASX experience. Great to hear that you're enjoying most aspects of the car, and as for the gripes, I'd like to put you in touch with our Customer Advocacy Group to discuss them if you'd like to.

PM sent.

Cheers

Luke
Mitsubishi Motors Community Manager

Great stuff Luke...

[Dug1]

I had a call from the Customer Advocacy Group. Just a 'Talk Fest" as I predicted.

They listened to my issues then said thank you very much for the feedback and hung up. Note I was very friendly and happy to provide the feedback.

End result- my paint is still getting sand blasted in front of the rear wheel arch and my supension still crashes over bumps.

Obviously MMA think this is acceptable on a $40K+ vehicle with 4WD that was obviously not desigend to be driven on maintained gravel roads.

Really spoils what is otherwise a good car for the sake of $2 worth of plastic stone chip protection just likeevery Subaru and some basic suspension tuning ( note it thumps and bangs on sealed roads as well).

[Merts]

- drivers electric seat rocks back and forward about an inch- feels weird! Anyone else got electric seats in Paj etc that does the same?

The electric drivers seat in my VRX doesn't move at all. (Apart from when I use the controls to move it of course )

[Dug1]

Thanks Merts. Next time I'm near a dealer I'll check another ASX to see if it's the same a mine.

I had actually almost forgotten about it- probably because it rocks me to sleep.