Mitsubishi ASX GLS SE 4X4 CVT: Designed for long leisurely drives

I first drove the ASX when it was launched out on track at the Clark International Speedway. Despite prodigious body roll, the chassis was supremely stable and even after spinning out on track and finding ourselves into the dirt trap, it never once felt like it was going to tip over at all. Impressive stuff indeed from the small, Lancer-based cross-over SUV.

The ASX also shares the Lancer’s basic front Macpherson strut suspension and rear end and the new-generation 4B11 2.0 liter 4-cyinder engine that delivers 148 ps and 197 newton meters of torque, it seems rather ho-hum in terms of acceleration especially when mated to the added burden of (in my opinion) unnecessary AWD and a CVT transmission that’s lazier than I am on a Sunday morning.

Interestingly, while the ASX is slightly smaller than its perceived competitors (the Honda CR-V, the Toyota RAV4, the Hyundai Tucson and KIA Sportage), it is almost as handy as the other SUV’s and is proudly built completely in Japan, explaining partly it’s huge P1.55 million price tag with an unusually and artificially strong yen at the moment. Mitsubishi actually views the Kia Soul as its direct competitor in terms of size, although now that Kia has discontinued its 2.0 Soul and the 1.6 selling briskly, the ASX finds itself treading across two very different markets, as the bigger Outlander should be the cross-over SUV competing head-on with the Koreans, Honda’s CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. Again we’re missing the Outlander due to the very high Yen-Dollar-Pesos forex rate.

In stop and go traffic, the ASX GLS SE is not for the impatient person. The CVT just takes forever to deliver any decent acceleration, even me walking with a bag of hotdogs would overtake the ASX on EDSA.

Thankfully, out on the open highway, things improve significantly. The ASX’s long-winded and slow-reacting CVT transmission just starts getting into its own groove and quickly delivers a mind-boggling 12-14 km/liter fuel consumption even when laden with four adults, their gear and while traveling right under the legal limit, overtaking slower cars quickly and inching past 120 km/h for a few seconds, then right back down to a hundred.

It is for this reason that I have somehow, in my mind, labeled the ASX as a girl’s car. Not because it is girly, but because it suits how most women drive, and look for in a car:

Copious amounts of cargo space for shopping and groceries? Check. Raised seating position allowing for a better, more commanding view on the road thanks to height adjustable seats? Check. Sleek, modern design that is non-aggressive but handsome nonetheless? Check. A painless, smooth and fuel-efficient powertrain combination with an equally smooth suspension suited to handle our poorly surfaced roads and that won’t upset a girl’s skinny latte? Check.

The ASX makes for a good long-distance tourer, thanks to the highly efficient CVT-engine combo, has equally good ride that should clear most sudden flash floods (anything more that the ASX won’t clear means you probably need to stay where you are, regardless of what car you drive) and a very light steering wheel, brake and throttle pedal means it is a painless everyday car especially while just sitting in traffic. Just avoid the stop-n-go traffic. During the time I had it, I regularly took it to my project site in Muntinlupa, passing through C5, SLEX and parts of Daang Hari and Daang Reyna and the ASX felt fantastic, steadily cruising at its own fast pace with lively tunes from my iPOD playing through the 6.1 surround sound system.

It has some nice toys too. GPS/SATNAV combined with a multi-media system and a CD/DVD player, Bluetooth integration for your mobile phones (up to 5 mobile phones) and the option to install a rear-view camera from the dealer or any aftermarket specialty electronics shop.

Interestingly, the front fenders are made from space-age plastics to help reduce weight over the pointy end and relinquish some understeer as well in the process.

The top model also comes with standard xenon headlights and a START/STOP keyless engine button and headlight washers, handy in incremental weather.

The ASX is perfect for new families with a single baby, or for people who are not exactly car guys but enjoy a good long leisurely drive. It doesn’t entice you to drive fast, or at least drive sportily even with the flappy paddles to change gears manually behind the wheel. But it is most comfortable to drive for long periods of time, to faraway places. If you can live with the slow-reacting CVT transmission from idle to quick bursts of acceleration, and the high price tag, I doubt you can find anything better to spend your money on.

As a tip: lose the AWD capability and for with the front-wheel drive GLS. It’s even faster off the line, has the potential to consume even less fuel, and has just as much space, utility and comfort for less.