2017 Mitsubishi ASX vs 2018

What's the difference?

Much like the Mitsubishi Lancer, the ASX continues to sell well despite its age, thanks mainly to a high level bang for your buck when it comes to size and equipment.

Not everyone wants or needs something from the smaller, more stylised crop of small SUVs on the market; sometimes, a good, honest, roomy workhorse does the job just fine.

The ASX will soldier on for a couple more years yet, and will continue to offer great value, if not leading performance or dynamics. A complete lack of all forms of modern driver assistance systems is a tough thing to reconcile, though.

It might be an ageing product, but if you're willing to treat the ASX gently then its practicality perks and five-year warranty could still make it smart buying. The top-of-the-range cars are expensive, though, so if it's simple load lugging you're after, consider shopping at the cheaper end of the ASX family.

The ASX’s pragmatic, undramatic exterior design may not garner it many sideways glances, but it has earned it a legion of owners who appreciate it for that very fact.

The 2017 update has added a new grille and bumper bar treatment to align with the rest of the Mitsubishi range, while the rest of the exterior remains as it has for the last four years.

Thin black plastic overfenders, lower door sills and rear lower bumper treatment add a little bit of offroader illusion, while the new grille and bar arrangement is in direct contrast to a softer, less bejeweled rear.

It lacks the sloping roof design currently favoured by some more modern small SUVs, which gives it a more staid appearance (and more room inside to boot).

The four-model range rides on either 17- or 18-inch rims.

Well, it looks big. And I suspect that’s the key selling point here. While most in the small SUV segment shoot for a compact and stylish exterior design, the ASX looks big, bulky and a touch old-school, especially parked next to a Mazda CX-3 or Hyundai Kona.

Viewed front on, Mitsubishi's 'Dynamic Shield' front end looks big and bold, while side-on, the high belt line and bulging wheel arches lend it a tough and rugged look.

Inside, you’ll find a simple and clean layout dominated by a touchscreen in the centre of the dash. Splashes of silver and gloss black lift the general ambience, but some of the materials used feel old-fashioned, especially the rippled rubber-plastic that lines the dash. The switchgear in the cabin - especially the heated seats switch - feel pulled from another era, too.

The big question for any SUV purchase is how many seats, and in the ASX it's five. Both the LS and XLS ranges share largely the same interior dimensions and features.

The top-spec XLS is much better equipped than others in the range, with satellite navigation as standard, along with leather trim, heated front seats and a powered driver’s pew.

There is very little in the way of features for rear seat passengers, with under-front seat vents and no power points. There’s sufficient head room back there, though, despite the presence of the sunroof, and knee and toe room are good behind an average-sized driver even for taller passengers.

The ASX’s rear seat is big enough for three teenage kids, and there is adequate headroom even for taller passengers. Two ISOFIX seat mounts are included.

There are no bottle holders in the doors for rear seaters, but there are cupholders in the centre arm rest. Front seaters get two cupholders and bottle holders capable of holding 1.5-litre beverages. The front centre armrest bin lid is padded and slides for ease of use, too.

There’s a fair bit of glare off the hard plastic dash, though, which can get annoying on a bright day.

Its 393 litres of boot space is around 130L larger than the smaller CX-3, while the LS’s rear extends to 1193 litres of luggage capacity when the seats are down. The two XLS models lose 50 litres of this dimension when all seats are folded flat, thanks to bulkier seats.

One irritation; when the rear seats are folded down, the seat belts remain in place, which takes away some of the usable load area’s dimensions.

The XLS’s driver's seat is good, though the short squab can dig into the driver's thighs on longer trips.

The XLS’s 7.0-inch colour touchscreen-based multimedia system sports digital radio, which is a nice addition, but the ipod connection is little more than a line-in device that offers limited functionality when compared to Apple CarPlay.

By comparison, the LS makes do with a smaller 6.0-inch system.

Ah, now this could be the secret to the ASX’s success. At 4365mm long, 1810mm wide and 1640mm high, the ASX towers above its nearest competitor on the sales chart, Mazda’s CX-3, in every significant measurement (the Mazda is 4275mm long, 1765mm wide and 1550mm high), and that means there’s a lot more space in the Mitsubishi for people and cargo.

It feels big in the cabin, with two cupholders separating the front seats. A storage shelf sits beneath the air-con switches, and there are two USB points and a power source in the dash, along with a second power source in a very deep storage bin the divides the driver and passenger.

In the back, there’s plenty of room for passengers (another perk of its size), but there’s no USB points or power sources, and no air vents, but there’s a pull-down divider home to two cupholders and there’s two ISOFIX attachment points, one in each window seat in the back.

Seats up, expect 393 litres of luggage space, but that number grows to 1143 litres with the second row folded flat.

Technically, the ASX range kicks off from about $25,000 plus on-roads, but sharp dealer pricing and drive-away specials means its rarely sold for that much.

Our car, on the other hand, is at the other end of the pricing spectrum, with the diesel XLS 4WD commanding a $37,500 price tag, which is a whole lot of dough whichever way you shake it.

Still, you'll want for little in the top-spec ASX, with 18-inch alloys, LED DRLs, roof rails and a chrome exhaust tip outside, along with leather (and heated in the front) seats, a leather-wrapped wheel and gear shift, climate control, cruise control and push-button start.

Tech is handled by an Apple CarPlay/Android Auto-equipped 7.0-inch touchscreen that pairs with a six-speaker stereo.

Engine size is typical for the class. A 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine is matched with a five-speed manual gearbox, available on the LS front-wheel drive (FWD) only, and an older-generation continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels in the ASX LS and XLS FWD models. It makes 110kW (147 horsepower in the old money) and 197Nm.

Mitsubishi added the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel from the larger Outlander to the both the LS and XLS grades in 2012, along with a traditional six-speed automatic transmission and an AWC all-wheel drivetrain.

Engine specs of the direct injection common rail oiler are rated at 110kW of power, along with 360Nm of torque from a low 1500rpm.

It can tow 1400kg of braked trailer in diesel form and 1300kg in petrol specification, which will cover light pop-top caravans and camper trailers, as well as smaller boats.

For those keen on grabbing the owners manual and getting their hands dirty, oil type for the petrol engine is 15W-40, with 5W-30 required in the diesel.

Our ASX XLS  was equipped with a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine good for 110kW at 3500rpm and 360Nm at 1500rpm. It pairs with a six-speed automatic transmission and sends its power to all four wheels.

Mitsubishi rates the ASX LS petrol at 7.4 litres per 100km on the combined fuel economy cycle, while we recorded 9.3L/100km after 330km via the dash.

The ASX XLS diesel is rated at 6.0 litres per 100km on the combined fuel economy cycle, while we recorded 7.2L/100km after 300km via the dash.

Fuel tank capacity is 63 litres for petrol models, and tank size in the diesels is 63 litres.

There is no LPG-powered model available.

Mitsubishi claims a fairly frugal 6.0 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, with emissions pegged at 160g/km of CO2.

The ASX is fitted with a big-for-the-segment 60-litre tank.

The front-wheel drive (FWD) petrol-powered versions of the ASX are showing their relatively old age, especially when compared to newer vehicles in the market. When you need to get on the gas it's clear no 0-100km/h acceleration records are under threat. The engine is an underperformer, the CVT is pretty awful and the steering system is not very pleasant.

Ride and handling are acceptable, however, and the ASX does little wrong – it just feels cheap and old while doing it.

The 4 wheel drive diesel cars, thankfully, are a much nicer proposition, with much improved steering, excellent ride, good noise suppression and reasonable levels performance thanks to the extra torque of the turbo-diesel.

The all-wheel drive cars also have a modicum of off road ability, thanks to decent suspension travel and Mitsubishi’s sophisticated AWC system, which can be turned on via a button on the centre console.

Although this isn't an off road review, it's worth noting the ground clearance of the AWD XLS is actually slightly lower than that of the FWD ASX at 180mm (versus 205mm), thanks to the AWD gear hanging under the car.

At the risk of sounding overly harsh, the ASX excels at mediocrity. But I really don’t mean that in a bad way.

It’s more that, should you never ask too much of it, the ASX is more than happy to navigate everything from suburban streets to freeways, the torque from the diesel engine keeping the Mitsubishi powering along smoothly and happily. It’s not the fastest nor most dynamic vehicle in its segment, but it does everything you would normally ask of it without fuss or bother.

But it’s when you delve deeper into its dynamic prowess that the holes start to appear, and the biggest by far is refinement, or lack thereof.

That diesel engine feels harsh under heavy acceleration, but more worryingly, the steering wheel can tug hard to the right when you plant your foot. That’s not too bad if you’re expecting it, but I suspect it could prove dangerous if it was to catch you off guard.

That said, there’s ample power on offer to shift the ASX away from the lights, and it’s a nice and easy drive in the city and further afield if you're gentle with it. Some might suggest the ride is a touch too firm, but I for one prefer to feel connected to the road rather than distanced from it.

And so the big drawback here is simply age, with the drivetrain feeling out-of-pace with modern rivals. A fact that appears to be hurting sales exactly not at all.

Expect seven airbags (dual front, front-side, curtain and driver’s knee bag), along with the usual suite of traction and braking aids.

A reversing camera, parking sensors and hill-start assist join the standard features list, too, along with forward collision warning and lane departure warning. The ASX scored the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating when tested in back in 2014.

Mitsubishi offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, four years of free roadside assistance and a three-year capped price service program for the ASX range.

Due at every 15,000km or 12 months, each service costs $350, $500 and $630 respectively for the diesel, and $230 for each of the three services for the petrol model.

The servicing arrangement will expire if the car travels more than 52,500km within the three-year period, though.

The ASX enjoys strong resale value and a reputation for being a low-maintenance, worry-free car, with little history of recalls, reliability issues or common problems to report. But for faults or complaints, including diesel problems, turbo problems, timing belt or chain issues, as well as transmission problems, please see our Mitsubishi ASX problems page.

Kudos to Mitsubishi for upping its warranty to five years (unlike Toyota, Mazda and others), meaning the ASX is covered for five years/100,000km. There’s also four years of roadside assistance, and capped-price servicing for three years - the latter limiting maintenance costs to $1130 for the first three services over 36 months.