For all of its less-than-spectacular features, Outlander rebounds in several areas.

From driver's seat, visibility is good. The vehicle's leather seats are comfortable and front and rear seat access is spacious. Despite Outlander's compact SUV status, there's plenty of cargo space behind rear seat. And rear lift gate is nicely designed and functions with ease.

The Outlander's best feature, though, is its vast array of standard features, particularly in limited edition. Consider: air-conditioning, cruise control a 210-watt Infinity AM/FM stereo (six-disc CD and MP3 features), power doors, windows and sunroof, remote keyless entry, leather seats, heated front seats, a 10-way adjustable driver's seat, dual visor vanity mirrors, integrated fog lights, a nicely designed roof rail, a 60-40 split reclining rear seatback and daytime running lamps.

Still, Outlander doesn't have workmanship of other vehicles in its class and its resale value can't match more well-recognized SUVs offered by Ford, Honda and Subaru. Further, Outlander is an SUV with an underpowered engine. Isn't that a contradiction?

2005 Mitsubishi Outlander

Safety features -- Dual front and front side airbags, antilock brakes, daytime running lamps.

Fuel Mileage (estimates) -- 21 mpg (city), 25 mpg (highway).

Warranty -- Bumper to bumper, 5 years/60,000 miles; Powertrain, 10 years/100,000 miles; Corrosion, 7 years/100,000 miles; Roadside assistance, 5 years, unlimited miles.

Base price range -- $25,179.00.

James Raia, a journalist in Sacramento, Calif., syndicates the column, The Weekly Driver Review and is co-author of the e-book How To Buy A Car Without Getting Ripped Off

Mechanical Leaks - Look for ANY signs of leaks, particularly from Automatic Transmissions. Some Allison transmissions used in diesel motor homes have wimpy front seals and leak constantly when transmission gets too hot. Don't buy an RV with a leaky transmission. A replacement Allison can cost $3,000 parts and labor to replace. Leaking brake components or hydraulic systems can be expensive to repair also.

Leaky radiators can be expensive to repair or replace on larger coaches especially if labor to pull them involves pulling a lot of other items. Same goes for leaky dash air-conditioning systems.

Body Style - Check out visibility differences. The entrance door positions vary as well. The rear pusher buses offer a quieter ride. Fifth Wheels usually do not have flat foors inside and almost universally offer "split level".

Transmissions - Get an automatic unless you really like absolute control of a standard and never intend to resell it. Standard shifts are MUCH harder to sell as conversions because retirees are most common motor home buyers and they don't like to shift. Allison makes best transmission systems in world. Many older gas RV's were mated to inferior transmissions that just cannot handle extra weight and pull issue.

Some RV's have engine/transmission setups that are so underpowered you will never be able to afford to use them. These transmissions are forever blowing seals, leaking, overheating, and breaking down. Buy a replacement transmission and guess what? Your only option may be a rebuilt version of problematic transmission you already own.

Engine - If you are going to be traveling through mountainous areas regularly get biggest engine you can afford. There is NO substitute for size (raw cubic inches) I don't care what ads say. My car has a 440 in it. Why would you buy a 34' RV with a 318 in it? Check carefully how many miles on engine or since engine rebuild. Gas engines last about 60 -100,000 miles, depending on whether they are driven stop and go in mountains or over long stretches of flat highway. Diesels can often approach 200,000 miles before needing much of anything with proper maintenance.

If economy is a major concern, look for a good affordable coach with a great miserly engine/transmission combination. I bought such a coach with a Cummins 190 HP 6 cylinder diesel engine mated to an Allison 4 speed automatic transmission. Over course of our 31 day, 7,980 mile trip, in mixed traffic, tough mountain and city driving, we averaged 10.6 MPG in our 34 foot fully loaded class A liveaboard coach with 4 people and 2 kayaks.

NOTE: After evaluating information above on SPECIFIC issues related to this particular platform you may find prepurchase checklist found at http://busforsaleguide.com/bus_prepurchase_checklist.htm helpful. It covers GENERAL issues you should be aware of for ALL platforms. It will serve as a very valuable resource to assist you in evaluating a bus, motor home, or RV for purchase. Take a copy of it with you when shopping.