Endeavor sounds like a good name for a space shuttle or a sailing ship. The Mitsubishi Endeavor is a mid-size SUV that was introduced as a 2004 model. In spite of its rugged appearance, the Endeavor is built more like a car than a truck.
Endeavor seats five and it's roomy and comfortable in the front and rear seats. The rear seatbacks flip down to reveal a big cargo area with a perfectly flat floor.
Underway, the Endeavor handles well and offers a nice, smooth ride. Its drive-by-wire setup offers responsive throttle response and its 3.8-liter V6 is delivers adequate power, though the Endeavor won't win many drag races. It's available with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, but we much prefer the AWD model.
Mitsubishi Endeavor is available either as front-wheel drive (2WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). Each configuration comes in three trim levels: LS ($25,399), XLS ($28,799), and Limited ($31,699); LS AWD ($27,699), XLS AWD ($30,299), and Limited AWD ($33,199).
All are powered by a 3.8-liter V6 making 225 horsepower. It's mounted transversely (sideways), and mated to a four-speed Sportronic automatic transmission with manual shifting capability.
LS AWD includes a 140-watt sound system with single-disc CD player, five-spoke alloy wheels, intermittent rear window washer, roof rails, steering wheel controls, remote keyless entry, remote tailgate release, and mud-and-snow tires.
XLS adds premium cloth seats, power driver's seat, 315-watt sound system with six-disc CD, a five-inch color LC display with time, temperature, compass and programmable function readings, crossbars for the roof rails, a cargo cover and chrome bumper caps.
Limited adds leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, sunroof, side airbags, rear seat climate controls, an anti-theft system, fog lamps and body-colored bumpers.
Safety features on 2005 models include dual-stage frontal airbags and front seat-mounted side-impact airbags. Curtain airbags are not available. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) are standard on all but the LS 2WD. AWD models get the active safety benefits of all-wheel drive. Mitsubishi Active Skid and Traction Control, an electronic stability control system, is available for the Limited AWD model. The 2005 Endeavor comes standard with a tire-pressure monitor. New Car Test Drive recommends getting all of the optional safety features, but more important urges you to wear your seat belts as they are your first line of defense in an accident.
Endeavor's styling is aggressively different. It shouts to be noticed. Mitsubishi calls the design "geomechanical," or "geometric shapes with a mechanical application." But it's not a blend of geometric and mechanical, it's an abrupt meeting: the geometric shapes are all on the top half of the Endeavor, and the mechanical application is on the bottom.
Endeavor is dominated by high, angular fender flares, which in the front are carried all the way up to the hood. It looks like they were designed for tractor tires, as the wheel wells seem to dwarf the standard 17-inch tires. The tires are mounted on either standard five-spoke or optional seven-spoke aluminum wheels, neither of which are memorable. The fenders are connected by a horizontal high beltline.
"Bold" is the word Mitsubishi uses to describe the front end, but it's not as bold as the Endeavor's sides. This is good. There's no chrome or metal, just two body-colored horizontal ribs in openings on either side of a wide vertical center pillar with a big Mitsubishi badge. The headlamp units are fairly ordinary, reflecting a missed opportunity for some drama. This grille section rides on a high bumper fascia which might be the part of Endeavor that best fits Mitsubishi's adjectives and design objectives. Mitsubishi's description, "imposing intake cavities," is a good one. The long horizontal opening gapes so broadly you can easily see the radiator fins inside. Skipping highway stones might be worrisome.
