Just A Test Drive....

I have been itching to get into something different for some time now.

While still a very capable machine, I believe the time has come where I have "outgrown" my 2015 Mitsubishi RVR. To explain how I came to this realization, let me share a condensed version of events up to this point.

This adventure started almost 3 years ago, exactly. I made the conscience decision to break my reoccurring habit of buying old, still running and drivable vehicles that required minor to moderate repairs. I had always had these grand ideas of fixing them up to near new, but never had the time, money or ambition to follow through.

The first vehicle that piqued my interest was a 2013 Kia Soul SX, a fully loaded little hatchback with a pretty impressive turbo. Needless to say, the deal wasn't meant to be, read more of that here.

Instead, I wound up with a 2014 Dodge Dart SXT.

Despite all the negativity you might read on the internet concerning these cars (just Google Dodge Dart and look for the car pictured above in the articles), mine was a low mileage and trouble free experience. The 2.4 litre "Tigershark" four cylinder engine, mated with a 6 speed automatic transmission got the car up to speed rather quickly and I never had "passing" issues in traffic. A very modern and solidly built car....

It was only after disaster struck did I start to reconsider things with my white Dodge, not so much the car itself, but the "worse than bad" dealer experience that would follow.

With the Dodge Dart repaired, I swore I was done with Chrysler products and certain dealership.

I drove over to the local Mitsubishi dealer because they had a white Kia Soul SX on the lot. I discovered that jumping in to test drive a vehicle with a standard transmission after driving automatics for so long was....embarrassing. I do believe the salesman was truly trying to help me find the "right" vehicle and not just make a quick sale. After discussing what I was looking for, the Mitsubishi RVR pictured above became my ride for nearly 2 years.

I knew there was going to be trade offs between the Dart and the RVR.

I would lose horsepower and torque, 184 hp and 174 lb⋅ft vs 148 hp and 145 lb-ft, but gain AWD and a lot of ground clearance. Where the Dart hugged some pretty sharp corners at higher than posted speed limits, the RVR wasn't built for that and wasn't so forgiving towards that driving style. I missed the performance of the Dart and loved the utility of the RVR and I wanted both in one package.

Just a heads up, things are about to get a little more "long winded," if you know what I mean.

The first vehicle in my search to "make that happen" was at the local Subaru dealer.

For the 2020 model year, Subaru introduced a new 2.4 litre Turbo boxter engine, pumping out 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. I didn't have to apply a lot of effort to convince a salesman to take it out for a spin. To be perfectly honest, my turbo experience (rider or driver) was non-existent, so this was going to be a completely new chapter in my driving life.

I was impressed with the full time AWD system, the power and the grip of the Subaru Outback Outdoor XT (known as the Onyx Edition in the States). The premium leather padded interior, the quietness of the ride (pleasantly interrupted when the exhaust spoke up) and all the technology features was beyond my expectations.

However, there were two details that halted any kind of a deal going forward. First, the Outback was considerably larger than the RVR (the Forester is more in line with the size I was looking for, but it doesn't have that wonderful engine....yet). Although I guess it could have just got used to it....

....the second deal breaker was the price. The vehicle was "on sale" for just a touch over 40k CDN (that's before taxes, destination, dealer fees and rolling in negative equity from the RVR). Plus, being a brand new vehicle, there's all of the first year serving and instant depreciation. I suppose I should be thankful that reality set in real quick with this scenario and I walked away.

 Because the world is at my fingertips, I started my research into what I wanted, at a price that I could afford in the long run. I looked at all the makes and models of vehicles that fit my criteria, a small to mid sized SUV, ease of entry and exit, decent ride height, features, horsepower and torque, etc.

The benchmark I decided to go with is a base model Porsche Macan (with numbers far superior to my RVR) and coincidentally one was being offered from the same Mitsubishi dealer I got my last vehicle from. Tempted as I was to go down for a test drive, I knew that I would have allowed myself to get into a deal with it, so I chose the "academic" as opposed to the "practical" approach for narrowing the field down. 

I have no doubt you might come to a different conclusion then I have, but the "all in one" packaged vehicle that ticks the boxes for me was the Kia Sportage SX. Granted, a base model Porsche vs a top of the line model Kia might not seem like a fair comparison, so let me break it down through my thought process.

Macan 2.0 litre Turbo has 252 hp and 273 lb-ft torque. Sportage SX has 237 hp and 260 lb-ft torque. A difference of  15 hp and 13 lb-ft torque. Here are a few other numbers I found important....

Length: 184.90in Macan 176.40in Sportage

Width: 76.20in Macan 73.00in Sportage

Height: 63.90in Macan 65.20in Sportage

Ground Clearance: 7.80in Macan 6.80in Sportage

Wheel Base: 110.50in Macan 105.10in Sportage

MPG: 19 City/23 Highway Macan 20 City/24 Highway Sportage

The original intention was to find a Turbo Sportage locally and take it out for a "feel." The Kia dealer had one, in black and I automatically was transported back in time to the Kia Soul SX that started this whole adventure. Perhaps third times the charm?

The 2017 model I got my hands on was a little high in the mileage department, but I never would have guessed that on how it performed. Everything felt factory tight, no lag from the engine when I put the gas down, brakes worked without hesitation and all the features were slightly rivaling my Subaru experience. The black leather interior awoke the memory of my short time owned Mercedes 190E and the ride quality felt on equal terms too. I don't want to jump to any early conclusions, but this Sportage SX gives me the impression of being the culmination of all the positives I had from the vehicles I have owned over the last 5 years.

No, the plan wasn't to go out and replace my RVR that day, just to test the waters of what was on the market. Seems the undertow got the better of me....