Mitsubishi ASX 2017 Review

Mitsubishi ASX XLS

A small SUV that feels sturdy but sluggish on the road, the ASX offers the perfect amount of space for a growing family. A seven-year-old model at its core, the latest iteration features modern comforts like keyless entry and ignition, and auto wipers and headlights, plus a particularly striking glass roof. But on-road the ASX has the ‘classic’ feel of a diesel-powered SUV.

If you’re looking for a status symbol, style statement or zippy about-town car, look away now. The Mitsubishi ASX is not for you.

But if you’re after a small, reliable SUV that feels sturdy and comfortable – albeit a little sluggish and old-school – you’ve come to the right place.

On the bigger side of the small SUV sector, the exterior design of the ASX is fairly unremarkable. It’s got a chunky front that fades into a fairly streamlined back, with a massive boot and excellent visibility all around.

However, my first thought pulling out of the garage in the ASX was: “I feel like I’m driving a tractor.”

That’s not necessarily a bad thing – whilst I’ve never driven a tractor I can imagine they are sturdy and reliable; qualities that can also be ascribed to the ASX.

The ASX does feel heavy on the road, a sensation not aided by the fact is has a diesel engine. At some points I thought I could actually hear it groaning.

The ASX is definitely noisy and a bit slow to get going, and I felt it was surprisingly bumpy for an SUV of its size and height off the ground. The transmission occasionally felt lazy when accelerating from a complete stop, but the brakes were amenable to sudden stops and sharp turns.

There’s something distinctly old-school about the ASX. It reminds me of the kinds of cars my parents drove when I was a child. The ones that usually had the family dog’s hair all over the boot, abandoned running shoes and food crumbs in the backseat and piles of Van Morrison CDs in the front. These cars felt like a portable house – a home even. They were lived-in and reliable, even if they weren’t showy or nimble.

To give it a bit more oomph, the ASX has an all-wheel-drive mode that’s activated by hitting a big fat button next to the gear stick – nice and simple. Since I didn’t get a chance to go off-road during my week of city driving, the only perceptible changes I found were improved wet-weather traction.

When I did some reading and discovered the ASX model has been out for seven years, I was far from surprised. Despite some modern updates, from the outside it looks like it could be an older car that’s just been well taken car of. But rather than deeming its design dated, I’d say it’s enduring and somewhat ‘classic’.

Inside, a leather steering wheel and seats are let down by plasticky finishes on the dashboard and door cards. They feel a bit cheap. But there is plenty of storage – and cup holders. Those with a caffeine addiction will be overjoyed to be able to store four cups at the one time.

The climate control works very well, but I found it a bit confusing to figure out whether it was on the Auto setting or whether it was off entirely – particularly when I was trying to manage it while driving.

On that note, I always find the mix of touchscreen controls and physical buttons unnerving – I think manufacturers should pick one or the other and stick to it. I always err on the side of actual physical controls, because they’re more intuitive to maneuver when you’re keeping your eyes on the road. The ASX has both. Thankfully, it also has physical steering-wheel controls for the radio and Bluetooth phone connection so there isn’t too much need to venture over to the touchscreen.

The voice control system in the car is excellent, but the Bluetooth connection – although easy to set up – dropped out a few times when I was calling people, and was a bit slow to pick up on volume changes.

Other than that, the ASX really does have plenty of creature comforts, like seat heaters and auto headlights and wipers. It’s completely key-free which is handy because I found myself embracing its spaciousness and using it to carry large loads. No one likes reaching into their handbag or pocket for a key when they’ve got heavy shopping bags to contend with.

One thing the ASX could do with is front parking sensors – while there are rear sensors and a reverse camera, the bulky front occasionally makes it hard to gauge how well the car is going to fit through tight spaces.

In terms of X-factor, I found a huge standout to be the ASX’s stunning glass roof – the description “panoramic” is not an understatement – which is rimmed by LED “mood lights” that give the car a golden glow. The latter takes a bit of getting used to. The first few times they came on I thought I’d left a door open somewhere.

With no idle-stop system (hurrah! I have a love-hate relationship with them) petrol consumption still clocks in at around 6.0L/100km – pretty impressive.

At $36,490 (plus ORCs), the ASX sits smack-bang in the middle of its competitors. Good fuel economy might even give it a leg up.

Although I was perfectly happy getting around town in the ASX, I see its target market being a young family in need of space, endurance and dependability.

After all, you don’t get to stick around for seven years without earning your place.

Also consider:
>> Mazda CX-3 Akari (from $37,690 plus ORCs)
>> Nissan QASHQAI TL  (from $39,990 plus ORCs)
>> Suzuki Vitara RT-X (from $35,990 plus ORCs)