I had forgotten just how well behaved the Endeavor is on pavement. Most of the main roads were clear due to an army of road workers working through the night, which allowed a speedy trip back to my part of the city, up in the mountainous North Shore. Of course the majority of secondary roads were still ankle deep in snow (it rarely gets knee deep at sea level for some reason), which made a good proving ground for the Endeavor's all-wheel drive system.
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| I'm happy to report that Mitsubishi's new SUV is about as stable in inclement conditions as the best in this category, and better than the majority. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
How did it fare? I'm happy to report that Mitsubishi's new SUV is about as stable in inclement conditions as the best in this category, and better than the majority. Despite only wearing all-season tires, Bridgestone Turanzas to be exact, it was difficult to get off-line even on icy surfaces. I'm sure with enough speed anything would be possible, the continual pileup of crashed SUVs at the side of the road proof positive that the principles of velocity over friction, or lack thereof, continue to rule the road. Of course stupidity is still alive and well too, with many a hard lesson learned by those who were sleeping through high-school physics.
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| The Endeavor is powered by Mitsubishi's 215-hp 3.8-L V6 engine, producing 250 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
The Endeavor is quick off the line due to its 215-hp 3.8-L V6's delivery of 250 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels via a trick manual-shift-capable 4-speed "Sportronic" automatic transmission, but it nevertheless slides just as easily on ice as any ABS equipped 2WD car or truck when it comes time to brake. Maybe I should give Mitsu's sport utility a little more credit than that in this case, as its wide track and overall composure gives more control to the driver than the majority of SUVs. What makes it so toss-able in the dry also contributes to stability over snow and ice. Respect has to be paid to Mitsubishi's Active Skid and Traction Control system (M-ASTC) as well, a sophisticated technology usually reserved for premium brands.