Last year, the already very affordably priced 2010 Mitsubishi Endeavor crossover utility vehicle (CUV) saw numerous premium features such as a hands-free Bluetooth system with voice recognition added across the entire model lineup. But for the 2011 model year Endeavor, this capable crossover receives its most upscale, value-packed equipment package added to two of its most popular models completely free of charge: Both the 2WD and AWD versions of the Endeavor SE now include the Navigation & Sunroof package that consists of a touch-screen DVD-based navigation system, rear view back-up camera, power sunroof and a cargo cover at no cost to the consumer.
In addition to the front- and all-wheel drive iterations of the Endeavor SE, the 2WD Endeavor LS model that features a lower sticker price than its big brother but still packs a long list of standard equipment along with the same potent V-6 engine under its hood is also available for the 2011 model year.
The very convenient and richly-appointed Navigation & Sunroof package is now included as standard equipment on both 2WD and AWD variants of Mitsubishi’s top-of-the-line Endeavor SE model crossover. Lavish accessories included in this package are an informative and easy to use DVD-based touch-screen navigation system, a rear view back-up camera, a power sunroof and a cargo cover for the rear storage area.
The 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor mid-size crossover is an excellent combination of roomy versatility and capability with an impressive amount of welcome niceties.
Capable of carrying up to five people, all occupants will find the Endeavor’s comfortable and spacious seats, crisp handling and quiet cabin to be welcome relief from the cramped and/or noisy confines of some of the similarly-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) competitors of this well-engineered Mitsubishi crossover that don’t possess its solid unibody construction and confident handling capabilities.
Whether carrying groceries, a full complement of camping gear for a weekend in the woods or picking up several sheets of four-foot-wide plywood, the 2011 Endeavor can easily accommodate it all, thanks to hand its 60/40 split/fold-flat rear seat backs and a full 76.4 cu. ft. of cargo capacity (a plentiful 40.7 cu. ft. is available in the rear cargo section with the rear seat backs in the up position).
Endeavor owners and their passengers are further put at ease by the car’s impressive list of included features, among them air-conditioning (automatic climate control in the Endeavor SE); premium fabric seating surfaces (rich-texture leather seating surfaces in the Endeavor SE); and exquisite sounding 6 speaker AM/FM/CD sound system with MP3 playback capability (the Endeavor SE’s sound system is an even more amazing 360-watt Rockford-Fosgate 6 CD/MP3 sound system with digital sound processing and 9 speakers including an 8-in. subwoofer; steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a 3-month pre-paid subscription to SIRIUS satellite radio) and other convenient touches including a hands-free Bluetooth system with voice recognition; steering column-mounted cruise control; and numerous cupholders, front and rear map lights, a pair of 12V power outlets, carpeted front floor mats and, in the upscale Endeavor SE, heated front seats.
Other welcome no-cost features included on all Endeavors are eye-catching ice-blue LED illumination of instruments and controls; 17 x 7-in. 7-spoke alloy wheels (larger 18 x 8-in. 5-spoke alloy wheels on the Endeavor SE); large, easy to read gauges with chrome trim; auto-off headlamps; parabolic fog lights; alarm system; variable intermittent windshield wipers; tubular roof rails; chrome front grill; and an anti-theft engine immobilizer.
With its polished performance and proficient power, it’s no wonder that Mitsubishi’s engineers elected to use a single engine across the Endeavor line.
The 3.8-liter SOHC 24-valve V-6 that powers the 2011 Endeavor provides plenty of power to this stylish crossover vehicle with virtually no vibration, harshness or noise detected within the nicely-appointed cabin. Consisting of an extremely strong cast-iron engine block with light weight aluminum cylinder heads and featuring a compression ratio of 10.0:1, this 3,828 cc normally-aspirated powerplant produces a welcome 225 hp at 5,000 rpm and an even more generous 255 lb.-ft. of torque at a lower 3,750 rpm from its sublimely smooth operating six cylinders. Running on unleaded fuel, this engine has been granted the very clean Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) status for all 50 states. This engine’s bore and stroke measure 3.74 x 3.54 in. (95.0 x 90.0 mm).
All the 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor engines have been paired with an equally quiet and silky 4-speed Sportronic automatic transmission with INVECS-II technology that allows the driver to manually make gear changes with the gearshift lever when so desired. The FWD Endeavor LS and SE, along with the all-wheel drive version of the SE, engage identical gear ratios within their transmissions, save for the final drive ratios (the front wheel drive Endeavor has a final drive of 4.011 to the all-wheel drive model’s 4.316).
The Endeavor is equally at home on smooth ribbons of pristine asphalt on the way to the office as it is tackling a rough-and-tumble dirt road when venturing off the beaten path. A great deal of this on- or off-road driving aplomb is no doubt due to this crossover’s excellent, well-damped suspension design that features independent MacPherson struts with coil springs up front (including gas charge strut inserts) along with a coil spring independent multi-link with trailing arms suspension design and gas charged shocks at the rear of the vehicle. Further aiding the vehicle’s fine handling at speed on freeways or city streets are front and rear stabilizer bars that help diminish body roll that measure 24.0 mm thick at the front and 20.0 mm at the rear (an even thicker 22 mm anti-roll bar for the all-wheel drive Endeavor SE).
For even better handling and tractability in off-road driving, consumers would be wise to opt for the top-of-the-line Endeavor SE model with all-wheel drive. Its AWD system can provide an even 50:50 torque split between the front and rear wheels, thanks to a transfer case with a center differential that has a viscous coupling. In good weather or bad, on road or off, this all-wheel drive system vastly improves overall grip when compared to the levels of traction offered by a front-wheel drive vehicle.
The Mitsubishi Endeavor has achieved the highest test score of a 5-Star rating for both frontal (driver) and side impact (front and rear seat) crash tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the Endeavor its highest-ranking - “Good” overall - in the organization’s frontal offset crash test.
These well-earned scores from respected automotive safety agencies are the result of the company’s commitment to engineering excellence as witnessed by Mitsubishi’s patented Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) safety automotive body construction system that helps to minimize injury to its vehicle’s occupants as well as its inclusion of advanced safety features and technologies as standard equipment on the Endeavor. These include an advanced dual front air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) with occupant sensors; front seat-mounted side-impact air bags and rollover-sensing side curtain air bags; an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD); Active Stability Control (ASC) and Traction Control Logic (TCL); and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
Please read our comment policy before commenting.