White Bear Mitsubishi Suzuki

 
It's not terribly often that we have news to report coming out ahead of the Minneapolis Auto Show. We say that not to disparage the Twin Cities, which are lovely, but new product reveals are few and far between for the show. This year, however, it seems that event will play host to the debut of a rather special limited edition Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Though not coming directly from the Mitsu factory, we think the 311RS shows loads of potential for Evo fanatics.
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When you walk in the front door of White Bear Mitsubishi, it doesn't look like your typical car dealership. In a state where hockey is the dominant sport, this dealership is filled with record pennants that are hanging from the ceiling showcasing the dealership's journey the past two years. These banners proudly show they were the No. 1 dealer in Minnesota in 2010, the No. 1 dealer in the Upper Midwest in 2011 and a series of banners in 2012 that would raise the eyebrows of anyone knowing they sell Mitsubishis.

This year, White Bear Mitsubishi did something out of this world. In September 2012, they set the world record for number of Mitsubishi Outlander Sports delivered in a month. They also set the U.S. record in March 2012. White Bear Mitsubishi General Manager Richard Herod III said, "I'm very proud of the team at White Bear Mitsubishi; these hardworking men and women continue to make me proud." It took two-and-a-half years for White Bear Mitsubishi to transition from Saturn of St. Paul to the leading Mitsubishi dealer in the Upper Midwest.

White Bear Mitsubishi has done a great job of re-establishing the Mitsubishi brand in the TwinCities, as well as their own dealership brand. Their agency of record, Cuneo Advertising , launched the inventive White Bear campaign (comprised of a silent, seven-foot white bear ? an employee of the dealership) in August 2011. According to Ben Fruehauf, creative director at Cuneo Advertising, "By mixing a humorous message with great deals and incentives, we were able to strike the perfect balance of brand and retail. Utilized across various forms of messaging, this creative brand strategy was successfully executed to drive sales and ultimately help White Bear Mitsubishi set the Outlander Sport world sales record."

This series of commercials have the right balance of dealership offers and humor. The commercials are even season specific. For example, in one commercial called "Hibernation," the general manager is trying to convince their mascot not to hibernate because they'll need extra help selling lots of all-wheel-drive vehicles during the winter.

The dealership gives every customer who purchases a vehicle a miniature stuffed White Bear at delivery, buckled in the back seat of their vehicle. "We see customers come in for oil changes with their White Bear still in the back seat," Herod said.

When visiting their Website, everything is branded with White Bear elements. The Website also features engaging videos produced by Unity Works Media  showcasing the same marketing elements and treatments. White Bear Mitsubishi maintains a Facebook  page to better interact with their customers. Employees are encouraged to take pictures of new owners with their new vehicle purchase and post to Facebook. Large-scale marketing events, including the Minneapolis AutoShow  and Minnesota State Fair  displays, have also helped create the record-setting pace.

A strong television presence and White Bear stuffed animals aren't the only reasons White Bear Mitsubishi has success with selling Outlander Sports. Herod said the world record was set because, "My team believes in this product. Mitsubishi makes an awesome product, with a great warranty at a competitive price." The best part of this story is that most of the Saturn dealership employees remained, even though this store had a questionable future when the Saturn franchise was eliminated by General Motors. Steve Thureson, sales consultant at the dealership for 15 years who made the transition from Saturn to Mitsubishi, said, "Our customers come in and recognize the same people who sold them cars in the past when we were Saturn. Our values are like the heavy rocks in the river: The current may change, but our values never move."

White Bear Mitsubishi is part of the Rydell Automotive Group, which, as Herod said, "looks to be a Main-Street business, not a Wall-Street business."

To view this article and more visit
http://issuu.com/autosuccess/docs/as.dec12

Saint Paul Auto Group's 'Drive Against Hunger' exceeds goal for Second Harvest Heartland

Saint Paul Auto Group successfully collected more than weight of a vehicle in food (approximately 6,900 pounds) during its third consecutive "Drive Against Hunger" in support of Second Harvest Heartland over the holiday season.

Representatives from White Bear Mitsubishi Suzuki, Volkswagen of Inver Grove  and Rydell AutoOutlet  dropped off their significant donation to Second Harvest Heartland Tuesday, January 8. According to Second Harvest Heartland, the 6,917 pounds of food will provide 5,764 meals.

It took seven Mitsubishi vehicles to deliver all of the food: four Outlander Sports, two Outlanders and one Endeavor.

The need for food has never been greater for Twin Cities' families, children and seniors. Each year low-income Minnesotans miss 100 million meals and visits to Second Harvest Hartland's  network of distribution centers have doubled in the past five years.

The Saint Paul Auto Group's loyal customer base, were instrumental in reaching this goal. Along with social media

Second Harvest is the Upper Midwest's largest hunger relief organization, striving to end hunger through community partnerships.  They are known for distributing great amounts of food quickly and efficiently. This year they will collect, warehouse and distribute more than 70 million pounds of food. Second Harvest Heartland is also a member of Feeding America, a national network of more than 200 food banks serving all 50 states.  Membership means access to millions of pounds of surplus food and grocery donations from manufactures and producers throughout the country.

 Follow on Facebook: Volkswagen of Inver Grove, White Bear Mitsubishi Suzuki and Rydell Auto Outlet

A Victory & Reseda review of the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

There is a new kind of crossover coming to town. Be prepared to downsize a bit.

As if there were enough niches in the automotive marketplace, a new size of crossover will soon join the varying types of vehicles available for purchase in he coming years. This time, the next crossover you might buy would be considered a "subcompact."

The need for this is simple: parking.

If you live in an urban enclave where parking is a premium, you could find yourself in a pickle. There may be parking at your building, but even the spaces are limited. There will always be that neighbor who have to have some huge unnecessary vehicle parked in the primest spot at your building ? or, right in front of the building on the street.

If you are that person, please accept my apology. I am trying to make a point somehow.

There are already some choices in the market segment. The MINI Countryman and Suzuki SX4 represent the niche nicely ? even as they are on polar points of the price range. One could even include the Kia Soul and Scion xB into the mix in this segment. These segment busters will be soon joined by the Buick Encore and BMW X1 ? amongst others.

You might find that these smaller crossovers may not be as adequate as you like them to be. There could be not enough cargo space or rear seat room. Fine, you could always upgrade to the next level ? an already crowded segment ranging from the Suzuki Grand Vitara all the way up to the BMW X3.

However, you can find some middle ground. This is where the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport comes in.

The smallest Mitsubishi crossover was conceived as a global product for places where population density is even tighter than our own urban enclaves. It came to our shores as an alternative to the growing small-ish crossovers that have grown in size and stature over the past few years. The newest 2013 models are now being built at Mitsubishi's plant in Normal, Illinois ? a sign that Mitsubishi is serious about contending here after one of its rivals ceased to sell automobiles in this country.

The Outlander Sport may appear to be just right, but how?

It starts with a combination of current Mitsubishi design traits and some creative packaging. Up front, you can see the family resemblance that began with the Lancer compact sedan. In fact, the Outlander Sport is based on the Lancer. The creative packaging comes with huge doors that offset a normal (read: Lancer) sized hood.

If you are comparing the Outlander Sport to a Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox or Ford Escape, the cargo hold may seem comparatively small. That is another sign of creative packaging ? the liftgate is also quite large and accommodating of wider packages.

The SE AWC model driven for this review came with another cool feature ? a full panoramic roof. A touch of a button slides the shade to reveal an infinite sky. None of the panels open, but it might not be necessary. There is enough glass all around to make you feel as you are outside letting the sun in.

The truth about the Outlander Sport is its size ? only 169 inches long. These days, that means a lot. It means you can get into tight parking spaces on the street. It also means there is not a lot of crossover to tackle the mall or club. To put this in perspective, the Outlander Sport is exactly the same size as the upcoming Buick Encore. All other competitors start at six inches longer and beyond.

For the driver, sitting behind the wheel gives the driver a full view of everything ahead. The cowl is low, but the instrumentation is angled to the driver with an easy to read and comprehendible display. The switchgear is simple and straightforward, nothing too fancy and complicated here. Though the hard plastics around the cabin would put some people off, they appear to be quite durable.

Seating in the Outlander Sport is also simple and straightforward. Front seat occupants get bolstering in the cushion, the seatbacks would need a bit more. Manual adjustments are expansive for every body, though power adjustments would be better. The Outlander Sport would soon be available with power adjustments in the coming year. Once you get used to these cloth seats, they are quite comfortable and amenable for long drives. Lumbar support would definitely be the crowning touch for at least the driver's seat.

Rear seat room is a bit tight for long-legged occupants, but average-sized adults would have no problem finding a place back there. The cargo hold is quite generous, which is deceptive given the short deck of the Outlander Sport.

Rockford Fosgate supplies nine speakers of powerful sound from an audio system that incorporates AM/FM/SiriusXM, USB connectivity, a music server and Bluetooth audio streaming from your mobile device. Sharing the full screen are a nice navigation system and a rear-view camera. Not to mention that the Bluetooth connectivity with your phone is very easy to set up and seamless to use.

Under the hood is a standard 2.0litre four-cylinder engine straight out of the basic Lancer line. Though it is a noisy motor, the 2.0litre delivers 148 horsepower of smooth unapologetic thrust. Once it settles into a nice cruising range, the engine quiets down and let you relax a bit on the highway.

A Continuously Variable Transmission transmits power from the 2.0litre onto the All-Wheel Control four-wheel drive system that is switchable by a button on the center console. Needless to say, this system works very well to supply traction and grip to the eighteen?inch alloys shod with Toyo A24 tries. You could also use the column mounted paddle shifters to change ratios of the CVT, along with a side gear change gate on the console shifter.

The suspension on the Outlander Sport felt a bit soft than what would be expected from a sportier crossover. Road imperfections and bumps absorbed just fine without much impact to the cabin. Handling was quite decent in the bends, as long as you take them gently. The softer settings on the suspension may prevent one from driving an Outlander Sport enthusiastically. However, if you are one who prefers to drive leisurely, you will absolutely love this Mitsubishi.

What you love the most is the steering in the Outlander Sport. Not only does it have a tight turning radius, it has great on-road feel and feedback. One thing to look for is the off-center steering wheel position ? just a tad to the right of the center of your body. Do not let that detail color the steering system's ability to make the right moves when needed. Braking is smooth and to the point. There is no drama to the Outlander Sport's stopping power in both normal and panic braking.

One concern a consumer would have for any size of crossover is fuel efficiency. This was the case in the Outlander Sport as it averaged 23.3MPG on various roads throughout the metro area. It will do much better efficiency-wise once you get it out on the highway and beyond the trappings of the suburbs.

The Outlander Sport is also a good value. The starting point for a front-wheel drive, manual gearbox ES model is $19,995. There is quite a bit of equipment for that price. If you simply need more stuff to play with ? the navigation system, keyless ignition, improve lighting and panoramic roof as included with the SE AWC tester here ? the sticker climbs up to $28,570, as seen in this example. For even more goodies ? including leather seating ? you could top out an Outlander Sport SE AWC at about $31,495.

Sensible shoppers may want to consider something simple for winter driving ? such as the ES model with AWC ? for just about $25,405. That is one great value to drive away in, if you realize that your ignition will start with a key and there is a solid piece of headliner above you. If you could live with the simple things in life (plus some luxuries) to get through the winter ? the Outlander Sport is a great vehicle to choose.

There is another really cool purpose for the Outlander Sport. Recently, I hooked up with a local rallying group in the Twin Cities, who were associated with a couple of automotive groups in the area I became familiar with. This group usually runs a series of time-speed-distance rallies with lightly modified vehicles. The course is usually set in rural locations using both paved and gravel surfaces all year round. This also includes rallying in the snow.

The Outlander Sport would work as a rally car in this series. The ground clearance is just perfect, along with the AWC four-wheel-drive system, that Lancer engine and a good cabin to work in. Would you field an Outlander Sport in one of these grassroots rally meets? I would.

Otherwise, the small Mitsubishi crossover is a proper urban warrior. It can take your friends to the club, the family out shopping into the suburbs, and even take that holiday road trip to the parents. It would be safe to say that the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport can do it all, especially in such a nice, small package.

So, how would you bust a market segment, plus the ability to park in the tightest spot in town? Simple ? this vehicle.

See this review at:

http://www.victoryandreseda.com/2013-mitsubishi-outlander-sport/

White Bear Mitsubishi donated a car to the Century College Auto Service Technology Program. Students will use the donated car to learn about transmissions, brakes, emissions, electrical systems, steering, suspension and balance.

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White Bear Mitsubishi Donates A Car

US News & World Report has named the Outlander Sport the Best Compact Crossover for the Money for 2011! 

Outlander Sport also comes in at #10 overall (8.4 score) for Affordable Compact SUVs behind the likes of the new Chevy Equinox (9.1), Rav-4 (8.9), just a fraction of a point behind the Forester and Sportage (both 8.5).

The magazine says the rankings are based on 18 third party reviews.

Follow the link for the full report: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Mitsubishi_Outlander-Sport/

More than 250 total 2011 models were reviewed in 12 categories before the 2011 Consumers Digest Best Buys were announced on Nov. 1. The Kizashi, which was described as a ?home run? and a ?family car for the sports-car addict,? was named a Consumers Digest Best Buy in the ?Family Cars? category.

For the complete release, click on the link below:
http://media.suzuki.com/auto/index.php?p=780

Check out this article about the Suzuki Kizashi being one of the 'Top 10 Fun-To-Drive Cars!'

"The Kizashi is as fun to drive as it is to say. Smaller and nimbler than the reigning family cars, it packs road manners and ride quality that are both a cut above. The Kizashi is a refreshing break from the suburban troupe of Toyota, Honda and Ford sedans. If your neighbors ask why you got a Suzuki, a quick ride should turn them into believers."

Here's the complete article:
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&story=fun-to-drive-cars&subject=more