Although I'd arrived in a 2007 Mitsubishi Endeavor rather than on a snorting charger, with my bag of Purina cat chow, I was a white knight to the abandoned barn cats at the Belleville Raceway shed row.
The track had closed the previous season, and my sister, a long-time horse trainer, had made it her mission to provide for the orphaned mousers until homes were found. Watching them devour their dinner - warily but grateful -was thanks enough for my promise to feed them on the way home.
Knee deep in barnyard soup, I looked at the mixture of mud and manure streaking the flanks of the off-white SUV with a sigh of resignation. It would take a good power wash to remove the straw and muck that had worked its way up into the fender wells and I was happy I'd remembered to bring an old towel to protect the floor mats. I doubted that the folks at Mitsubishi Canada would appreciate the rich earthy aroma the way those of us who've grown up around horses do.
The Endeavor, introduced in 2004, gave Mitsubishi a solid toehold in the very competitive mid-size SUV market.
Produced by Mitsubishi's California design studio, its chunky, blunt cut lines, muscular wheel arches, and rather prominent nose, impart personality enough to stand out in a crowded and sometimes bland segment.
It rides on a modified version of the front-drive unibody platform shared by the Eclipse and Galant.
There are a few minor changes for 2007. The Limited trim model has been replaced by the SE which features leather, power driver seat, heated front seats and a 315-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo with a six-disc CD changer, satellite radio and optional navigation system and sunroof.
Side curtain airbags have been added, along with stability control on all AWD models. Also offered is the LS trim package, which comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, power accessories, keyless entry, and a 140-watt CD stereo. Both trim levels offer an optional appearance package featuring side steps, a cargo shelf and a towing package.
My tester, a loaded AWD SE model was an off-white bone colour with black leather interior.
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| Introduced in 2004, the Endeavor has very distinctive bodylines. |
The track had closed the previous season, and my sister, a long-time horse trainer, had made it her mission to provide for the orphaned mousers until homes were found. Watching them devour their dinner - warily but grateful -was thanks enough for my promise to feed them on the way home.
Knee deep in barnyard soup, I looked at the mixture of mud and manure streaking the flanks of the off-white SUV with a sigh of resignation. It would take a good power wash to remove the straw and muck that had worked its way up into the fender wells and I was happy I'd remembered to bring an old towel to protect the floor mats. I doubted that the folks at Mitsubishi Canada would appreciate the rich earthy aroma the way those of us who've grown up around horses do.
The Endeavor, introduced in 2004, gave Mitsubishi a solid toehold in the very competitive mid-size SUV market.
Produced by Mitsubishi's California design studio, its chunky, blunt cut lines, muscular wheel arches, and rather prominent nose, impart personality enough to stand out in a crowded and sometimes bland segment.
It rides on a modified version of the front-drive unibody platform shared by the Eclipse and Galant.
There are a few minor changes for 2007. The Limited trim model has been replaced by the SE which features leather, power driver seat, heated front seats and a 315-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo with a six-disc CD changer, satellite radio and optional navigation system and sunroof.
Side curtain airbags have been added, along with stability control on all AWD models. Also offered is the LS trim package, which comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, power accessories, keyless entry, and a 140-watt CD stereo. Both trim levels offer an optional appearance package featuring side steps, a cargo shelf and a towing package.
My tester, a loaded AWD SE model was an off-white bone colour with black leather interior.
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| The Endeavor can accommodate five passengers and plenty of gear: perfect for a weekend camping trip. |