All this, and the Outlander is certainly no "ugly duckling" either. In fact, when you see one on the road, it is hard to believe that the Outlander can be purchased for so little (prices range from $25,498 - $ 36,998).

I can't help but wonder if this hasn't been what's held them back for so long. It's a little like asking someone how much Beluga Caviar costs. Most people couldn't even guess. They just don't know as it's not something that most people have on their shopping lists.

That's changing now for Mitsubishi, with the help of some very clever television advertising. Customer interest is building, and can be measured by the fact that the company's website traffic has jumped dramatically since the TV campaign started.

The Outlander is certainly one vehicle which will help them achieve their sales goals, as the small SUV market is a hotly contested marketplace, and they are sitting pretty with this model.

The Outlander offers standard and available features like Bluetooth, paddle shift 6 speed auto box, selectable AWD, Rockford Fosgate 650 watt stereo, Keyless Ignition, Sat Nav. The list goes on and on, and reads more like the option list on a premium badge vehicle.

Then, there are clever design items like the stow-in-the-floor 3rd row seat, and their segment-exclusive Flap-Fold rear tailgate, which makes loading heavy objects a breeze.

I know, all this sounds very nice, but what's it like to drive?

Well, let me put it this way...I'm not going to compare it to these vehicles, that wouldn't be fair, but it did put me in mind of the Mazda CX7, and the Acura RDX. To be fair, that was maybe because the interior of the Outlander tends to resemble them in many ways.

The all new 220 hp V6 model, which I tested, certainly moved, and the suspension setup had definitely been designed to handle that performance.

Being honest, I did notice one or two squeaks and rattles, but then again, I've managed to find a few of those on some big ticket items in the past, especially whilst pushing them through the twists and turns at speed.

This brings me to another plus-point for the vehicle. The Outlander has an aluminum roof panel which lowers the centre of gravity of the vehicle.

The Outlander also boasts extremely high levels of body rigidity. In fact, when compared with the CRV, it is 26% better in Torsional Rigidity and a whopping 139% better in Flexural Rigidity.

This maybe accounts for the handling characteristics of the vehicle, and possibly even the squeaks and rattles. After all, it is hard to make a vehicle perform, be comfortable, and quiet all at the same time, unless of course you put "big bucks" into it.

That is where I'm going to end my story...on the price. At the end of the day, we all choose vehicles according to what we "want", and what we "can afford". I'm not going to tell you that this is "the best little SUV on the planet". What I will say, is that "if you're in the market for a small SUV, and your name's not Rockefeller, then you have to check out the Mitsubishi Outlander".