Hi all,

New to the forum here (I actually had posted a view times but its been awhile and I couldn't remember my login/password, so I had to re-register). Anyway, my wife and I are finally ready to take the plunge and trade in my '98 Eclipse GS on an Outtie. Now, I don't quite have the finances to buy a brand new '08, but I have been looking at low-mileage '07's or for a leftover '07.

I have a dilemma.

Because I wish to tow a small powerboat in the future (like 17' open bow), I am looking at the LS model with the 3.0 L and AWD (in case of any problems pulling out of the dock AND we get some decent winters here in good ol' Pennsylvania). Anyway, I've been doing online searches for a few months and my wife and I checked out the local dealerships today and I was surprised at what I found (and didn't find)...

In a perfect world, I am looking for a leftover '07 Outlander, charcoal grey w/ the grey/black interior and the Sun and Sound package.

I cannot seem to find this combo ANYWHERE...even just as a grey '07 with low miles! I called all the local dealers and have been checking autotrader.com in a 300 mile radius and couldn't find a single grey outtie with the sun and sound package.

Now, what I DID find at the one local dealership is a close second! A deep blue '07 Outlander LS w/ AWD, Sun and Sound, AND the rear seat, top mounted DVD player. I like the deep blue color...it is probably tied with the silver for second in my opinion. The ONLY hesitation I have is the tan cloth interior. I much prefer the look of the grey/black interior and I wish they would have made that an option on the deep blue ones. Now, what I want to know from you guys who have the tan interiors...are they hard to keep clean? It just looks like it would scuff so very easily. This seems sort of trivial in a way, but this is the first new/leftover vehicle I would have ever bought (my wife bought her first new car 5 years ago) and I plan on keeping this for a good 10 years, so I want to be happy with it. Also, does the deep blue leave spots after a car wash? My wife has a dark green Cavalier and it is terrible for that! I don't want to have to hand dry it every single time I wash it! My silver Eclipse is wonderful that way...it barely shows the dirt. Anyway, I can find a grey outlander without the sun/sound package, but my Eclipse has a sunroof and I'm afraid I am really going to miss it! Plus, I think this is actually a pretty good deal (you can warn me if it sounds like I could do better)....they say it lists for about $27,000 (with these options), they knock off $2000 (a rebate the dealership has for the leftover models), + knock off $2500 factory rebate for leftover '07's (I didn't see this on the Mitsu site, but they tell me its valid until July 1st), +$500 loyalty (with owning/trading in the Eclipse)....so that puts me down to about $22,000 for a leftover '07 LS model with AWD, sun and sound package, and rear DVD player. Plus they are giving me the Kelley blue book value for my '98 Eclipse GS (non-turbo, 123,000 miles) of $3000 (it is "good" condition). Now I just need to decide if having the power sunroof, 6 disc changer, rockford fosgate amp, and rear dvd player outweigh having my 2nd color choice and dealing with the tan interior. Sorry it's so lengthy...thoughts anyone?

Joe

Hey Joe,

I have some advice for you. I have the dark blue with silver accents style XLS outtie 2007 and it has the tan cloth interior. I was thinking the exact same thing you are when I was buying it; is the tan interior going to stain easily, will my two kids and dog trash it in a matter of days, etc...

Well, I've had the vehicle for about 9 months and I am very happy with the interiors quality and how well it stays clean.

I also had the class II hitch installed on it and I use it to tow my utility trailer, and it does a great job towing. The hitch I had installed is one from Draw-tite.

Also, just a little opinionated information for ya, I have the 6 disc basic factory stereo installed and as far as the FM tuner, it really lacks the ability to hold stations clearly. Ever experienced going down the road and having an FM station come in crystal clear, then not so clear, then crystal clear, then not so clear, and so on and so forth? This is what the FM tuner does all the time and it drives me nuts.

Also, when you test drive the Outtie, turn on the headlights and notice how dim the stereo display gets. It is really faint and tough to see. Yes, you can adjust the dash light brightness, but I still think the stereo display it very dim even with the brightness level at it's highest. If I were you and going through this process again, I would go for the indash navigation unit.

Needless to say, I'm already looking for an aftermarket deck to install.

Overall I love this vehicle. It gets awesome gas milage, and the ride is great. You won't be sorry by going with the Outlander.

Hope this helps,
Jamie

Thanks for the advice, Jamie! It is great to hear that the tan interior isn't quite as tender as it may look. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Jamie, you mentioned that you have the 6 Disc Changer...I forget, is that a seperate add-on? I know that it automatically comes with the Sun/Sound Package, but do you have that or do you just have the 6 Disc Changer? I messed with the stereo a little and I noticed the red indicator lights...I even mentioned to the salesperson that that might be hard to see on a bright sunny day. That is sort of minor to me...though I will look at upgrading the stereo if the radio reception gives me any trouble.

Does anyone have an opinion on the Rockford Fosgate sub-woofer? I have (2) 10" MTX subwoofers in an enclosure in the back of my Eclipse and I love it (I also have a Kenwood amp though too).

I'm really leaning towards this one....I can't wait to enjoy owning my own Outtie!! It's kind of funny...it's a bit of a compromise between my wife and I...she can't drive stickshift, so I'm trading in my manual shift Eclipse for an automatic SUV ...normally that would be a bummer, but you can manually shift the Outtie's anyway if you want, so that is a cool feature!

Thanks,

Joe