Mitsubishi ASX review and buyer's guide
The ASX is a small SUV for a budget conscious buyers who need excellent value, good equipment levels and enough space to get all the small jobs done. ASX won’t do everything, but it’ll certainly do its fair share of family duties.
The Mitsubishi ASX is an affordable, frugal and compact SUV with just enough room for the essentials and the kids,l without blowing the budget.
It offers good value and just enough of the features you might expect of a modern-day family hatchback, but with the added capability of a slightly higher undercarriage.
The ASX isn’t perfect, but for the price, you’re probably not going to care much. We’ll get to that.
The biggest problem with its size is the cost. Obviously, the more materials used to make a vehicle, the more you’re going to pay. So you’ll pay significantly more for a higher-specification RAV4 or CX-5 medium SUV compared with an equivalent ASX. But you’re still getting five seats in both.
Let’s face it, consumers want SUVs for every reason they can think of. Some say they like a higher seating position, or the apparent loads of space they offer, it goes on. But how often would you spend with a full boot and every single seat filled? In terms of actual utilisation of the vehicle to its maximum capacity, there’s a good argument for an ASX being used to its maximum capacity than something bigger and more expensive being used to, say, 60 or 70 per cent, on occasion.
While it is a misconception that small SUVs offer you more space than a conventional hatchback, it’s also quite okay to want something that is as small, but that won’t scuff on shopping centre parking buffers, streetside kerbs or just the driveway at home. It makes sense. An ASX makes sense if you need that slightly higher ground clearance - a difference of millimetres - and having an excess of cargo and legroom isn’t your top priority. Sometimes ‘just enough’ is exactly what you want to pay for.
The Mitsubishi ASX finds itself in match-fit, rambunctious company, including the Hyundai Kona or Venue, Kia Seltos, Subaru XV, Mazda CX-3 or Toyota C-HR >>. All have strong features lists and excellent customer service at a brand and dealer level.
But the ASX is one of the oldest vehicles in this company. It’s almost as old as the Mazda CX-3, which started life as a Mazda 2 roughly 10 years ago. The others might have what you’re looking for in a modern small SUV which was never in the planning for ASX in the beginning.
Having said that, the ASX doesn’t exactly go into battle completely hamstrung, despite having a face that might suggest as such.
No, the ASX has been a consistently strong seller in 2023, and it’s easy to see why. It’s been consistently updated with autonomous braking safety tech, in both forward and reverse directions, which means it keeps up with late ANCAP safety rating changes and the rest of the mainstream small SUV cohort.
If you’re ready to buy an ASX, click on the red button below. But if you need a greater insight, let’s dissect the ASX range and help you figure out if you’re compatible.
FEATURES AND PRICING
The ASX range is a very busy thing. It’s something Mitsubishi does which can either be exactly what people want - variety and choice - but it can also be overwhelming and impractical.
Marketing and product departments within car brands tend to forget that consumers like you probably don’t have time to obsess over their products. So let’s see if we can save you some time here.
The ASX has 8 model grades - that’s 8 different levels of features. The small SUV segment is one of the most competitive in the new car market, so make life easier, not harder, Mitsubishi.
Here is an attempt to simplify ASX for you. Pricing is approximate/subject to change, obviously. Starting with the base model:
ASX GS (manual or CVT auto) $26,240 - $28,500
The GS is now the base model (instead of ‘ES’), and offers a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and either manual or CVT automatic transmission. GS is the only manual option for ASX - the rest are CVT auto.
You get an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB digital radio, rearview camera, basic cruise control and forward collision mitigation (also known as autonomous emergency braking) - this is becoming a market expectation now, so credit to Mitsubishi for falling in-line. You also get a driver’s knee airbag. We’ll do the full ASX safety gambit shortly.
It’s a pretty decent starting package for the price, although a space-saver spare wheel across the range removes somewhat. But it’s a minor compromise.
You don’t get an ES ADAS package anymore, which would be progression toward simplification if they hadn’t gone for an ES Street Pack (see below). Get the GS with the driver assistance package (CVT auto only) which includes lane departure/change assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, rain-sensing wipers, fog lights, and auto headlights (low/high beam).
It’s a question of how much you actually need these features versus whether they might save your bacon one day. I’d suggest the latter is probably the more likely case in point. A bit like lawyers: they can go to hell, until you actually need one.
ES: $29,740 driveaway
Adds 18-inch alloys, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing headlights, auto high beam plus front LED headlights, DRLs and foglights, rear parking sensors and climate control to the GS equipment in exchange for just under $30,000 driveaway, notionally.
ES Street Accessory Pack: + $2500
Black bits include the same-diameter 18-inch alloys, leather and a steering wheel in piano black (which will be as hot as the Mohave if you park in the sun), the large rear tailgate spoiler, front and rear skid plates, the tailgate protector and the obligatory sticker pack. Think of it as Batwoman’s uni-grad daughter’s first car.
ASX MR: $31,490 driveaway
If you’re still not interested into shelling out for the full fat Exceed, the MR is something of a happy middle-ground between adding funk without the junk-in-the-trunk.
You get slick black versions of the 18-inch alloys with 225/55R18 tyres, but with the same 2.0-litre engine and CVT auto, without having to go up to the pricier Exceed for extra tinsel.
You will gain rear parking sensors, proximity key, privacy glass, black mirror covers and front grille, an off-cut of leather around the park brake and contrasting stitching around the cabin.
ASX LS: $32,490 driveaway
This is probably the most pointless step up (if you can call it a step up) in the range.
All you’re adding here, on top of the ES, is black roof rails, the proxy key and privacy glass already given to the MR. It’s like two steps up, one step down - you’ve made progress, just half as much as previously intended.
It’s an extra $1000 over the ES ADAS, and is two grand over the MR with all is black tinsel bits. So, essentially, you’re paying $2k more to lose the black bits, and gain the lane departure/change assist and blind-spot stuff. Then there’s the GSR…
ASX GSR: $35,890 driveaway
Here it is very simply: it’s the MR’s black wheels, but with black roof rails, rear spoiler, door mirrors and front grille, plus the addition of a mirco-suede and synthetic leather seats.
Oh and you’re swapping the 2.0-litre engine for the slightly more powerful 2.4-litre turbo petrol FWD powertrain and the same CVT auto.
For an extra $2000 over the LS, including all the collision avoidance features. If you’re more engine/driving oriented, and less-so for glamour and doof-doof, GSR is a safe bet.
ASX Exceed: $39,140 driveaway
So, glamour and doof-doof are equally as important as the punchier engine. Right, kids?
Mitsubishi has taken a leaf out of Rolls-Royce’s playbook and added an LED “mood lighting” array to the retractable shade cloth covering the panoramic sunroof.
There’s also a dirty big subwoofer in the boot, connected to a nine-speaker sound system ideal for distributing sick beats to the masses. Whether they like it or not.
Just make smart life choices, that’s all I ask. Right, kids?
ENGINE
Two petrol engines, negligible difference in performance. They’re both four-cylinder petrol engines with multi-point fuel injection, both generating their peak power at 6000rpm - either 110kW (and 197Nm of torque) from the 2.0-litre or 123kW (and 220Nm) from the 2.4. ‘Multi-point’ basically just means it’s tuned for fuel economy, not performance.
Both engines only ask from 91 octane fuel (not that rip-off premium stuff), and a CVT automatic transmission driving the front wheels only. That’s right, there’s no all-wheel drive option for ASX, unlike the Subaru Crosstrek’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system which would be ideal if you live in hilly, rural areas where bitumen isn’t always the primary road type.
There are also on-demand AWD powertrains in the Mazda CX-3, Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos if you want a more reactive system which waits for traction loss before engaging drive to the rear. This is generally all you need for city driving, but AWD can be useful on steep slopes, in the wet, when visiting regional backroads or touring around.
However, Mitsubishi continues to stick by front-wheel drive, and it’s smart. Very rarely do you ever actually need all-wheel drive to engage in on-demand systems. And usually that happens because of an over-zealous accelerator pedal input on a compromised road surface like wet, with a chance of meatballs. Or something similar.
If you’re going to go all-wheel drive, do it properly and get permanent AWD in the Subaru, otherwise, it’s a bit of a cash throwaway. Or you could look at the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross - more on that shortly.
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TRANSMISSION
Not offering an on-demand all-wheel drive system for the ASX is, in my view, a curious decision. AWD just has to be better, right? Not necessarily >>
Yes it adds cost, both in R&D, and in parts/servicing, but leaving a front-drive layout the only option against strong-selling rivals like Mazda CX-3, Toyota C-HR and especially the Subaru Crosstrek, could be seen as a lost opportunity.
If you must have a small SUV from Mitsubishi, you can consider the Eclipse Cross LS (AWD) at around $35k. So you can see the sales strategy here - all-wheel drive is being sold as a premium alternative - which takes pits the Eclipse Cross against the formidable Subaru XV’s all-wheel drive system, starting $2k cheaper than the Mitsubishi.
Considering the ASX Exceed is asking $35,000 and the Eclipse Cross LS starts at that price, it seems counter-intuitive, or at the very least, puzzling to force the customer to go without safety tech (blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assist, rear cross-traffic alert) by going mid-spec Eclipse Cross just to get have AWD.
Why wouldn’t you spend the R&D budget by making AWD an option on the ASX? You can leave the clever, if unfortunately named, Super-All-wheel Control stuff (as found on the hairy-chested Pajero Sport) for the supposedly premium Eclipse Cross, but that means you have two AWD options against the mighty Subaru Crosstrek, and other on-demand competitors.
If AWD is a must-have, you might need to consider a mid-spec Eclipse Cross with the tricked-out Super-Select transmission.
DRIVING
ASX is nimble thanks to its light overall kerb weight, its low centre of gravity and it also sips fuel as a result - but so do its rivals.
It’ll weave in and out of city centres with high bluestone kerbs and sharp concrete carpark barriers, it’s going to slip under the shopping centre and apartment overheight barriers with ease and you’ll never have to worry about squeezing through back alleys.
Ground clearance is a surprisingly important aspect to consider when buying a small SUV because you’re paying a premium for it, compared with a regular hatchback car. So having the most against its rivals would be an advantage for whichever small SUV is the leader.
The ASX, unfortunately, is not the best on ground clearance. That title among the main group of small SUVs goes to the Subaru Crosstrek with 220mm. ASX comes in second at 205mm, more than the 170mm on Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos, and the belly-rubbing Mazda CX-3 at 160mm.
On freeways the tyre roar is noticeable but not intolerable, and the CVT is good for smooth if-peaky overtakes. Over bumps at lower speeds the ASX is okay without being great, while higher speed dips and expansion joints in bridges will be felt in your butt, but then it doesn’t have an Australian suspension tune like the KiaSeltos or Hyundai Kona.
But you do save thousands of dollars, so you get what you pay for.
INTERIOR
The ASX interior has long needed updating because previously you felt a bit like leftovers in a Tuppaware container. Fortunately, the semi-premium interior on the GSR helps the cause. The ho-hum face has been replaced by a much more striking greeting, which makes it look a bit more grown up like its bigger siblings like the also-updated, much bigger Outlander.
There is also no tyre pressure monitoring on any ASX variant despite being available on the European market model, nor even any Eclipse Cross variant sold locally, despite cracking a $43 grand ceiling.
What you get is a 360-degree camera system, which to me seems like less of a priority than helping millennials with the basic responsibility of keeping their tyres safely and adequately inflated.
If you still can’t park with sensors, reversing camera and mirrors, perhaps there’s a bigger problem going on here.
Regardless of which trim level you get, the design is going to take you back to simpler times because that’s when the ASX was last given an ‘update’. It’s five seats of mediocre accommodation which in many cases might be just what your kids or your elderly mother are looking for - nothing flashy, but a functional, practical and low-key vehicle to sit in and drive.
Safety and distraction conscientious parents will appreciate the touchscreen buttons that are dead easy to hit while you’re driving because they’re big icons, with lots of area, and clear labelling. And the screen is modest in size too. It absolutely looks and presents like a functional tool rather than a bright, showy centrepiece.
There are buttons to turn things on and off, dials to adjust things higher or lower, and an actual adult can access the USB ports without requiring a child to reach their tiny hands deep into the dark recesses of the transmission tunnel simply to charge your phone.
The Competition
Let’s compare the highest grade versions of the four main rivals to Hyundai Venue, all in turbocharged petrol, all-wheel drive (albeit on-demand) and with all the fruit their respective masters can adorn them with. Here’s how to buy the right SUV >>
Kia Seltos GT-Line: Locally tuned suspension, a full-sized spare, a big infotainment screen, live traffic and 10 years of free map updates, more luggage space than most rivals (rear seats up or down), tyre pressure monitoring (like Venue) make Seltos a strong option. Lagging CVT gear changes are a chink in its armour, however. Get’s same feisty 1.6 turbo petrol engine as Venue, but with more power. More conservative - perhaps, less aggressive - styling might be easier on the eyes. Full size spare for those who prefer safety over minimalism. However, you’ll pay a $10k premium over the Venue. Get the full Seltos guide here >>
Toyota C-HR Kobe: I try to avoid commenting on aesthetics because, you have eyes and can interpret design for yourself, but C-HR is undoubtedly the pug of the litter. Drives nice enough and boot space is decent for the category, engine feels mediocre up suburban hills but adequate on flatter roads and highways, especially the heavy hybrid weighing 1590kg (kerb). C-HR is the only option for a hybrid model, but you’ll pay $40k for that privilege and it demands premium fuel. Should you buy a Hybrid SUV? >>
Mazda CX-3 Akari: CX-3 is the city dweller’s slick, sexy laneway ally. It’s petrol-only and you will find CX-3 one of the nicest to drive in the group, and one of the best equipped in Akari top-spec. But you’ll pay another $10k more for features like Nappa leather, AWD, electronic park brake, 360-degree camera, traffic signal recognition, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats etc. Here’s why the CX-3 makes sense >>
Hyundai Venue: The range starts at $20k and stops before $30k. If that’s not value for money, I’m a Rastafarian. Not only do you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard, rightly so in 2020, so too is a reversing camera, and tyre pressure monitoring so the offspring can take responsibility for their own safety and save you having to replace their prematurely balding tyres (which is highly recommended because they’re already very skinny). Also offers a zippy 1.6-litre petrol engine, with a conventional automatic, and a colour palette inspired by Cheshire Cat. Learn more about Hyundai Venue >>
DRAWBACKS
All-wheel drive
If you’re looking for a small, economical and capable SUV offering all the bells and whistles, but you’re tempted to get an ASX and to do it what the Subaru Crosstrek is capable of, by taking your SUV off the bitumen, first know this >>
Secondly, the ASX is an urban-focussed runabout for day-to-day use in the concrete jungle - it does not have the same clever traction control computer systems controlling the Crosstrek in slippery, muddy or low-traction conditions. You might also want to consider sticking with a normal car >>
Think about what you’re actually likely to do with your small SUV and ask yourself if it’s likely you’re ever going to encounter a dusty backroad. If the chances are slim-to-none, then the ASX will do just fine.
Crosstrek: 22cm of ground clearance + X-Mode beats ASX
If you need something compact and capable in rural environments, the Crosstrek should be on your shortlist.
It’s arguably got the best CVT transmission on the market with a grunty boxer engine and excellent safety credentials.
You don’t have to have an orange one, but the more extroverted among you will appreciate a um…vivid colour palette.
That’s not to say the ASX is useless beside the Crosstrek, because the Subaru has an utterly tiny boot cavity: just 310 litres with the rear seats up). The ASX gives you 393 litres in the same seating arrangement. Drop the rear pews and it’s the same story. Subaru: 765 litres, ASX: 1143 litres. ASX might be outgunned when it comes to non-bitumen driving and let’s face it, there’s plenty of dirt roads in Australia, but the Crosstrek’s functionality as a shopping hauler is in the shade compared with ASX.
Also worth noting is the AWD Eclipse Cross only offers 374 litres of boot space, right in the middle of ASX and Crosstrek. The Subaru also doesn’t offer its full safety suite, including lane-change assist, reverse auto-braking, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alert, until the $40k 2.0i-S. Although, there is no adaptive cruise control on the ASX, keep in mind, and that’s a major deficit because it’s by-far the more useful of all the so-called collision avoidance features you’ll actually benefit from.
You do still get autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise in the Crosstrek from a cheaper $31k price-point than the ASX however, and the Subaru offers 1400kg of braked towing capacity (versus 1300kg in ASX), just in case that’s one of your need-to-haves. Tyre pressure monitoring is also standard on Crosstrek, unfortunately so too is a space-saver spare, but you can’t have everything.
Put simply, the Crosstrek’s X-Mode and AWD will take you through driving scenarios the ASX would be completely outclassed and you can have the more important collision avoidance tech at a more competitive pricepoint than the ASX if performance and capability are what you need. If you need a kick-arse American sound system, the ASX wins the Eisteddfod.
Camping becomes less stress-inducing if you have an AWD Crosstrek for those hard-to-reach places..
There are trappings on an ASX rival that Mitsubishi doesn’t offer you, and it goes beyond just the absence of any AWD system or turbocharging.
So despite competing against the Subaru Crosstrek, Kia Seltos and Hyundai Kona - all of which offer good AWD systems - the ASX is stuck with front-drive only. So if you or your kids will never leave the bitumen, that’s fine.
No tyre pressure monitoring on ASXs; standard on cheaper rivals.
There’s no tyre pressure monitoring on even the top-spec version, despite Mitsubishi becoming an SUV brand having killed off its cars division a long time ago.
Don’t be expecting a full-size spare under the boot floor in the event of a flat. It’s a temporary space-saver only. But don’t worry if you’re a city dweller because a tyre shop is always a few minutes drive.
SAFETY
The ASX has been around for 15 years now, so it’s important to know its safety rating is completely out of date, and it’s important to understand how that applies to you. Get details ASX safety rating details here >>
Unlike younger rivals like Mazda CX-3, Subaru Crosstrek, Toyota C-HR and Kia Seltos all offering five star ratings, the ASX’s five-star rating stretches back to 2014 - when Tony Abbott was running the shop. ASX was upgraded twice since: in 2016, and a second update late 2019. This means, structurally, the ASX has remained fundamentally the same in its design, roughly, since the global financial crisis. Unlike the later Hyundai Venue, or its futuristically styled brand-new sibling the Kona, for example.
Apart from a minor points deduction for test dummy injuries to the lower legs, the ASX got a good assessment across the destructive tests, scoring 34 out of 37 in 2014. The standard knee airbag has no doubt helped the ASX retain good scores in the upper legs, an area where other competitors were marked down at the time.
Since then, Mitsubishi has added autonomous emergency braking (in forward and reverse directions) with pedestrian detection which has kept it relevant, except we have no idea how effective that system is.
In the context of safety standards, the goalposts are constantly shifting and Mitsubishi needs to not just update the ASX but move onto the next generation with better destructive crash test protections for occupants.
ASX remains a reasonably safe car, even though its bones are much older than most rivals. It doesn’t have tyre pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise and speed-limiting features, but when it hits the fan, a standard knee airbag is good, along with the standard auto emergency braking. But every other ASX rival is going to be comparatively safer, just so long as the datestamp you’re comparing matches ASX.
Also, don’t be sucked into thinking an SUV is inherently safer than a regular car. Let me explain >>
Conclusion
The Mitsubishi ASX is one excellent option in a highly competitive arena, but the sales figures of 9000 units reported sold in 2023 show that it’s time for a major update, because the likes of MG are here and the ZS plays a hard volume seller game.
If you need a suburban runabout that is probably going into sales runout in 2024, with good safety credentials, a digestible pricetag, with the features and practicality you need for all the cafe breakfasts and car-pooling commitments your 20-somethings are likely to need it for, then the ASX fits like a glove.
You won’t want to take it much further than a interurban, unsealed gravel road, but that doesn’t render it incapable of getting out of the city.
It might still have an interior inspired by Sistema, but you’ll certainly have more cash in your pocket over other options in the market right now.
Mazda’s CX-70 is a large five-seat SUV with generous legroom, loads of equipment and a supremely comfortable ride. It’s one of four new additions to the brand’s prestige model onslaught, but for a fraction the price of a premium German SUV.