Mitsubishi: Outlanderishly plentiful

Mitsubishi Outlander XLS. Photo / Supplied

Foot almost goes through rotten piece of decking. Can't delay repairs any longer; thank heaven for my hammer, saw, box of nails and the Mitsubishi Outlander XLS.

I show the yard man a sorry sample of the rotten wood. "Is that a bit of decking?" he asks, squinting, sneering. "Looks like a piece of crap to me, mate."

When he shows me the lovely new stuff, I understand what he means.

Although a ute would seem best for bringing it home, a typical double cab's short tray is not the best for handling 2m lengths of decking. Many utes even lack a headboard to tie the wood to, so that it protrudes well beyond the tailgate.

But an Outlander SUV is near-perfect.

First, this is the mid-spec XLS at $45,990, so I don't feel like a bastard for even thinking about loading lumber into it, as one might with a posher, leather-trimmed model.

Second, with the front seat pushed forward, $100 worth of premium decking barely extends past the tailgate.

Thirdly - and this is really good - the Outlander has a two-piece rear door; a big part that opens vertically and a little one that flips down and can be used as a seat or a load-extender. Range Rovers costing over four times as much have a similar arrangement.

I leave the little tailgate in place to provide a nice ledge against which to rest the decking, with a few degrees of elevation so it won't fly out going up a hill.

Not that it would, because I have secured the load to a rear seatbelt with a ratchet tie-down strap, then fixed down the main tailgate with strong twine and tacked an old tea towel to the end of a piece of timber as a long-load warning. At least I think it's an old one.

Is there no end to Outlander's versatility? Because the rear seat split-folds, I could have brought two helpers to the yard, or one helper and the dog. Because it's easy to load the cargo area with the smaller tailgate piece lowered, I'm looking at all sorts of other possibilities: bags of cement, garden mix, a new barbecue, an assemble-it-yourself garden shed?

And just when you think it couldn't be more versatile, look at this: more seating is hidden under the cargo deck. A push here and a pull there and presto, a seven-seater.

The seats are small though reasonably easy to get to, but they trash the cargo space. If seven go shopping, don't plan on buying more than a couple of bags' worth.

As for the rest of the Outlander all-wheel-drive, it looks good despite a cartoon-like grinny nose that I assume is supposed to suggest power and authority; the interior feels a bit cheap; and the 2.4-litre petrol engine is uninspiring, more so with the CVT automatic gearbox.

On the other hand, the CVT has six "shift points" that can be accessed via the gearshift or paddles and, when used, liven things a bit. It handles and rides well, too, even with a load of decking.

Who needs a ute when you can bring it home in an Outlander?

And here are some comparisons (indicative prices): Holden Captiva 7 2.4 SX (FWD), $41,890; Honda CRV Sport five-seater, $53,200; Hyundai Santa Fe 2.4 five-seater, $53,990; Nissan Qashqai Wagon (FWD), $40,800; Toyota RAV4 2.4 five-seater, $43,290.