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Many of you may be surprised to learn that we here at Chez SKM, are a one car family. Yes, even with my work commitments and children, because Mr. SKM rides a motorbike for the most part, we have only one car between us.  We’ve gotten along fine for quite a long time this way, but the last twelve months with all my weekend work and travel commitments, it is getting harder and harder to manage. Of course this means I’ve been dropping blatant hints left right and center about all the gorgeous cars I love. The problem is though, that while I would LOVE to go out and buy me a Cadillac Coupe DeVille, it just isn’t going to work as my day to day car. So I’m attempting to find out what my options might be for practical, safe options that are still remotely cool.

When Mitsubishi offered to give me one of their new ASX range for a week to test drive, their timing was perfect. Although they didn’t know I’m in the market, they asked me to put the car through the paces of my day to day life and see how it measured up.

Before I give any kind of critique though, I will say this. When it comes to cars, I have been spoilt. My first car was a 1967 Chevvy Impala, and that number along with others, gave me a taste for cars that sound like cars. I currently drive a luxury station wagon as the amount of stuff I’m forever hauling in the boot (thank you late night auction furniture purchases), is quite alarming.

1967 Chevy Impala, two door, pillar less. This is exactly what my first car looked like but in black cherry and minus the hot actor leaning on the side. You could fit about four bodies in the boot!

The day I went to pick up the Mistubishi ASX, I had Miss Four with me and had to make sure I could fit both her and her sister’s child seats in the car. We just managed to squeeze in. Now when I first get into something new, I want to make sure I know all the little features that I am likely to need in a hurry. So I checked with the salesman that this model had headlights that turned off automatically so I wouldn’t end up stranded like the last time I did this. I was very relieved to hear they did.

Before we headed off on our inaugural ASX adventure, I sat in the car park to figure out how to do some simple operations. Yes, I could work the radio, the hands free phone set up (bonus!), the mirrors and even find the wipers. I wanted to find out how intuitive the features on the car were, without having to open the manual (which is my first instinct with any new purchase). This approach went well, even finding the window washer by touch alone, but darn it if I couldn’t figure out how to move the seat forward! I was impressed that the seat adjustment the salesman showed me, had the option of moving up and down height wise, because being shorter in the torso, I often have trouble seeing the nose of the car. I resorted to the handbook for answers and felt decidedly silly when I realized it was a lever under the front of the seat, old school style.

 The ASX has a number of very cool features for a small car, and I intended to put them all through their paces.

Pros:

Reversing sensors are excellent in carparks that have stupid invisible bollards. They are also excellent for making sure I don’t park so close I can’t get my equipment out of the boot.

Hands free Bluetooth with controls on the steering wheel. I loved the ease of this. It would automatically connect each time I got into the car after the initial set up. The only improvement would be using it on a headset instead of over the sound system, because with kids in the car, quiet and privacy are an issue.

 Folding mirrors. The side mirrors fold in each time you lock the car which means they are less likely to get knocked in car parks. Also there is the added bonus of amusing yourself Homer Simpson style; Mirror go up, mirrors go down!

Ground clearance. The driving position is higher than in a standard sedan, but not as high as a full on 4×4. In comparison I did feel like I was driving a truck, but the benefit of the clearance and shock absorption was that I could take speed bumps without the usual jolt. (I swear I didn’t do anything too Top Gear). Mind you the extra ground clearance meant that the smaller of the two girls had trouble getting in or out of the car without assistance.

Fuel Economy. I didn’t do anything mathematical to figure this out, I just looked at where the blue line was at the end of the week of my usual driving and I had another 100km’s to go than I do in my usual car.

Head clearance. I didn’t squash my big beehive hair do on Monday, which is excellent as I usually smack it into the roof of my own car at least once before I remember its there!

 The rear parcel shelf in the boot was a great addition. Not only did I have the boot space to fit my kit, it meant I could safely carry my garment bags on top of them without fear of anything getting damaged, and it could all lay flat.

Cons:

Rear seat space. Remember I’m used to driving a station wagon, so when I go smaller it takes me a while to get used to it. However, the legroom for the back passengers was minimal. When you add children in child seats to that space, it becomes quite a challenge to reach in over them and buckle them up. You also wouldn’t want to try and fit more than two children or passengers in the back at once.

 Boot space. This is a tough one because it is a big pro when you consider the size of the car, but in my case I only just fitted. For the usual family groceries or school runs, the space is excellent; but add in anything else and you won’t make it.

 For me, I have to fit all my hair & makeup kit, wardrobe, and chair – that’s just for a start. Consider that I also have to drop children at school or day care on the way and lowering the back seats for more room is no longer and option. I also couldn’t fit the school bags and my gear together, so their bags had to be stacked on the front seat.

 Verdict:

I really liked the ASX as a good, city sized car but it simply didn’t quite fit my personal needs as a stylist and mum. I simply have to haul around far too much stuff everyday to make it a practical option.

For a child free couple, second run about car or even as an excellent first ‘real’ car option, it is great. It is very versatile in a lot of situations and the seats are very easy to put down to fit more in; you just can’t do it with extra passengers.

For the quality, features and price range the Mitsubishi ASX is a great option in its class and I sure did have fun pretending to be Jeremy Clarkson for a week!