PB 2013 MY Challenger review

[Pickle]

So I had the opportunity yesterday to pair up with well respected Author/Journalist and senior driver trainer Robert Pepper. http://www.4wdhandbook.com/rmp/author

http://www.facebook.com/4WDHandbook

Together we visited an old quarry out towards Bachus Marsh to put the Challenger through it's paces. A perfect place to find out how well the Challenger handles the rocky rutted track with the traction control disabled and no rear diff lock fitted. I think both of us were quite suprised how well the Challenger fared. We didn't let tyres down so basically drove it straight off the road and into some of the harder climbs and decents. Plenty of wheelspin on some rutted steeper sections but got up some of the more serious climbs.
Our thanks to Robert for the photos















Dave

[Gus]

Great Pics

[Pickle]

Some videos of the tests!

http://s92.beta.photobucket.com/user/paj4wd/media/MOVI0053_zpsc7028fd4.mp4.html

http://s92.beta.photobucket.com/user/paj4wd/media/MOVI0054_zpse599ec5d.mp4.html

http://s92.beta.photobucket.com/user/paj4wd/media/MOVI0057_zps71b708b5.mp4.html

http://s92.beta.photobucket.com/user/paj4wd/media/MOVI0058_zps1c7436f2.mp4.html

http://s92.beta.photobucket.com/user/paj4wd/media/MOVI0059_zps5332a354.mp4.html

Dave

[PeePee]

How is the front flimsy bash plate after that ant it's a wonder you didn't rip off the trailer plug. I have moved mine to the bumper above the tow bar.

[Pickle]

How is the front flimsy bash plate after that ant it's a wonder you didn't rip off the trailer plug. I have moved mine to the bumper above the tow bar.

Yep I really thought the plug would go but bit surprised it it's still there. Only one of the tracks did I drag the tow hitch and that was coming out of a small creek crossing, scraped the bottom of the towball. Good departure angles help!
Well it's back in the hands of the dealers now. Had a great drive in that Challenger for a week and have a new found respect again for it.
Will summarise soon on my thoughts of the 13MY Challenger.
Dave

[Pickle]

MY 13 PB Challenger ….The Report

So with a week with the vehicle and over 1500 klms I think I can deliver some opinions on the MY 13 base model Mitsubishi Challenger.
On road
The MY13 model has more noise suppression insulation in the rear cargo area and you can certainly notice it quieter in the cabin. You don’t need a load in the rear to muffle the sound and I got to have a listen when I was sitting in the back seat on a test drive. Even on the dirt it was an acceptable level although I think a tad more around the front and under the bonnet might just get the 2.5 HP turbo diesel to quieten down a few decibels more.
New seats are great. They are very firm and the new adjustable support lets you dial in your posture when seated. I have spent a few hours in Challengers over the years and my back is not the best so it tells me when it is time to take a break from driving and I can say I have never had a problem in either the old or new seats over a long drive.
Driving the Challenger is no chore. A very easy vehicle to drive and has great vision out all windows. The suspension is firm on road but you would expect that being a 4x4 the dynamics would be leaning towards off road bias. In a sense it helps the Challenger on road as with the lesser body roll on corners and tight bends it’s handling characteristics are pretty good.
Mechanical
The 2.5 HP in the Challenger certainly gets up and boogies when the pressure is on. It’s a spritely motor and with a variable vane turbo gets you up to speed reasonably quick. The auto is well suited to the motor and changes are smooth and positive. Even towing with a camper trailer on and a decent load in the rear the auto worked out what gear we needed and motor pulled it along nicely.
Offroad
Mitsubishi’s Super Select is one of the better combinations of all the other manufacturers for off road work. The ability to change from two wheel drive to four high on the move is great. To drop into low range you still need to stop and put in neutral but you will get a long way on the dirt before you need low range. In low range on a reasonable downhill run it will run away a bit. It’s an auto trait but I feel low range gearing could be a tad better. The dreaded change up to second once the revs have surpassed a limit was not there on this model and it will hold first all the way to redline if your so inclined. A genuine Mitsubishi towbar was fitted to this model and with the Challengers great approach and departure angle the towbar really isn’t a hindrance off road. We had a slight scrape coming out of a steep creek bed and touched the bottom of the tow ball but it was minor and more than likely driver error in not taking the right line.
But the news was not all good for it off road. Somewhere along one of the tracks we did I noticed some lights up on the dash. Specifically the ABS/Stability and Traction Control lights were illuminated. This gave me a clue as to what had happened and it was confirmed when we got back to base camp. Basically a wire to the rear passenger side sensor for the ABS had been ripped off. A mild track that we had been on suggested that a stick or debris of some sort had flicked up underneath and ripped it off. The wire was just hanging. With that wire disconnected it disabled the ABS system, Stability Control and more importantly the Traction Control. I don’t think I have to mention the importance of these systems on road but to lose Traction Control off road is a biggie. If you are halfway through a trip on the dirt and this happens you would more than likely be fine to drive out of wherever you are, but if it rains and you get into a situation where you need Traction Control in the wet , well I tell you now you will be relying on driver skill. This is the second time I have heard of this wire going astray and it really needs to be looked at by the engineers. On road it didn’t affect the dynamics of the vehicle and still drove fine for the next few days.
Gripes
Only a couple! Remembering this one was the base model 4x4 it’s not packed with features. For the average punter it has enough goodies to build a great tourer and family wagon that sees the occasional off road work.
I wasn’t happy with the quality of the plastic on the external mirrors . Two outings in the bush donated a few scratches on the mirrors that were hard to remove if at all. I have a PA Challenger that has seen plenty of close contact with the scrub and the mirrors are still in good condition. So using a different grade or cheaper plastic is not good on a 4x4.
Dash illumination during daylight. A feature on the higher spec models but not on the base model. I think we have enough tunnels etc in Australia to warrant them even for the lower spec models.
And finally exposed wires that are prone to off road damage. It is totally unacceptable! This really needs to be looked at by Mitsubishi.
The Verdict
The Challenger is not without it’s faults. But in saying that there is only one that really did concern me and I am sure you know which direction I am pointing to. Don’t let this one put you off as the Challenger really is a great car to drive and is very capable off road. I lived with the vehicle for a week and loved driving it. If you not into utes and need a bit more than an All Wheel Drive then the Challenger fits nicely into that gap. With pricing around mid to low $40k for the auto and even cheaper for the manual the Challenger represents good value on the market. Go have a test drive and get a quote. You might be pleasantly surprised what the final price could be.
Dave Howard


Fuel Economy
Highway Run.....Best 12.68 ltrs/100klms (Towing 1.25 tonne camper)
Off Road ....Best 13.5 Worst 17.6
City ....Best 9.2 Worst 13.2

[Pickle]

To finalise. Fuel economy run over Westgate Freeway but stuck in Fri night traffic along the way. Figure is probably better then Fuel Consumption shown.
Photo taken from phone so sorry about quality.


Dave

[Pickle]

Heard a little birdie tweeting in my ear this afternoon that something like 30 unregistered demos of the base model Challengers are raring to go out dealers front doors for $31990.00 (Manual).
They would be MY 12 models.
Man that is a bargain
See what a dealer knows about it!

[900canoes]

Hi Dave, I meant to ask when you had the PB, if it had a factory catch can installed?

[Pickle]

Hi Dave, I meant to ask when you had the PB, if it had a factory catch can installed?

Hmm to tell you the truth I didn't notice one when I had a sticky under the bonnet. If it is in at the dealers tomorrow I will check it out again.
Dave