RVR Roadtrip

If you have been following along recently, reliving the last year in my Dodge Dart, up to the "Day of Doom," was the topic of my recollection. Before I complete that tale, I have decided to throw continuity out the window and share a recent road trip in the new-to-me Mitsubishi RVR.

In brief, I don't own my 2014 Dodge Dart anymore (that part of my story is still to come) and traded it on a 2015 Mitsubishi RVR. Despite a compromises in features and options, I have enjoyed this Japanese CUV for the last two weeks of around town, stop and go driving. However, I wanted the chance to take the RVR on a much longer trip, really putting the power-train and electronic technology package to the test.

Now, before starting any truly Canadian road-trip, one has to live up to a certain cliché....

The main portion of the trip was to be taken on a route called Highway 97C. This time of year and on that day in particular, it was bare and dry road conditions, with a sunny and cloudless sky overhead. The biggest environmental hazards that could occur during this adventure was strong winds, sudden rain and rockslides. Another thing to be mindful of is breakdowns (either us or some accident that has closed the road in the past) and having a newer, low mileage vehicle doesn't make one immune to that occurring.

Good thing this is late Spring and almost Summer, because the Winter can bring....

 

 ....dangerous to deadly travel conditions (despite the clear road conditions you see in the last picture).

The road itself brings other unique challenges too, one of them is the changes in elevation. I couldn't tell you what a 6% Grade is other than it's steep and can put a real strain on engines and transmissions going up them, cause premature wear and tear on tires, brakes and driver's nerves coming down them.

Leaving home-base in Kelowna, the drive was mostly uneventful to the halfway point of Logan Lake. Other than driving into a few sections of strong wind, the RVR seemed to perform rather well. Of the three driving modes available, 2WD, 4WD Auto and 4WD Lock, I went with 4WD Auto since it claimed enhanced traction, high speed stability and predictable handling. Cruise Control was engaged and a guiding hand on the wheel took care of the rest.

It turned out, the mileage returns were less that what I was expecting.

Not to make excuses for this, but there are a few rational factors to consider up to this point. One, I have no idea what the driving habits were for the previous owner (who leased the vehicle) or where they went. If the RVR had spent the first part of it's life in the stop and go traffic of a city, yeah, this could be seen as a real surprise and a good, long highway run should set things right again.

Two, 4WD Auto might not have been the best mode to drive in. With a smooth surface and clear weather/road conditions, 2WD might have made the better choice and I selected that for the rest of this first part of the trip.

Three, the 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engine and transmission combination just isn't up to the task of "under a load" highway driving. The RVR isn't really built for speed, putting your foot down, either from a standstill to trying to get the transmission (in Automatic mode) to kick down and pass someone will produce disappointing results. I believe a newer model, with the 2.4 litre and associated transmission might be a better choice that I didn't have/make.

In case I didn't mention already, I wasn't doing this trip solo, my wife and son had decided to tag along. I don't believe having their added weight had that much of a bearing on the road results, something to consider in the grand scheme of things, I suppose.

Nevertheless, we stopped off at a quaint Greek restaurant in Cache Creek for a stretch and some food.

I think the Fuel Averaging Computer was having issues.

I wasn't too impressed with the fuel situation, given the fact I was driving a 4 cylinder powered vehicle in a reasonable fashion (with a family onboard, there are a few things I didn't try while on the road, such as take pictures of things while in motion). At this point, I just shrugged and went off to eat.

A short ways out of Cache Creek was our final destination, a place called Hat Creek Ranch. The plan was to meet up with some other my-side-of-the-family members and hangout for the afternoon. Yeah, that didn't happen and without going into any great, emotional detail, we just left.

From Cache Creek to Kamloops, the drive was equally uneventful as the trip up. I experimented with engaging the Manumatic mode in the transmission and using paddleshifters to drop down gears while passing on hills. That, combined with easing my foot down on the gas seemed to be the thing to do, not mashing the peddle into the floor and going nowhere really. A learning curve I suppose.

We stopped at a gas station in Kamloops for a bathroom break, stretch, drinks and snacks to cover our return trip to Kelowna. Oddly enough, I spotted an older, first generation Mitsubishi Outlander in the parking lot and took it as a photo opportunity and practical comparison. Once all of that was done, back on the road for home.

A minor detour in Merritt for fuel and nothing but clear roads and blue skies the rest of the way. A few more hills and using the new procure to climb and pass was showing that I was doing things correctly, at least according to the RVR.

I am not sure what they put in their gas in Merritt to give me this kind of range, or is the RVR humoring me once we arrived home?

On a side note, if you happen to be looking for a 2014 Dodge Dart, formally owned by yours truly, I can point you in that direction.