Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire Diesel vs Honda CR-V VTi-L

The top-spec model has keyless entry and start, touchscreen satnav, leather trim, heated front seats, 18-inch alloys, electric tailgate and full-size spare tyre slung under the rump. Mitsubishi has reverted to manual seat folding. But there are seven of them.

The flagship CR-V carries similar features to the Outlander, plus a sunroof and power adjustment for the heated front seats. There are leather trim, full-size spare, touchscreen nav and climate control with rear vents. Seats (five max) are more comfortable than the Outlander's.

The Mitsu falls behind here. The new model looks unwieldy and out of proportion with the wheel and tyre package. Cabin is decent overall, space is good although the third row is strictly for tweens. Front pews look to have more lateral support than they do.

A more cohesive exterior design than the Mitsu, it's a nimble little family wagon around town with good comfort, interior space and 556 litres of cargo capacity. Honda's one-touch set-up drops the seat to expand the boot. Child anchor points on the roof are not ideal.

The 2.2-litre turbo diesel is good for 110kW/360Nm, using direct injection and a six-speed auto to get 5.8L/100km (we saw 7s during our stint). The 4WD set-up, biased to front-drive, is more versatile than the Honda's and can be locked for dirtier work.

The 2.4-litre four-cylinder has Honda's variable valve timing and produces 140kW/222Nm. It's a willing performer even though matched to a five-speed auto and on-demand 4WD. Honda claims 8.7L/100km but, having to work it a little harder, we had returns in the realm of 11L.

ANCAP plants five stars on the Outlander, thanks to crashworthy body structure, plus seven airbags, reversing camera, stability and traction control, hill start assist and the ability to run variations of 4WD depending on the conditions.

Five-star rated, the Honda has six airbags, stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, front and rear parking sensors and reversing camera, active xenon headlights and auto-dimming centre mirror.

The Aspire is a capable kid-carter, although boot space (with a temperamental electric tailgate) suffers with seven on board. Ride is good, handling is ponderous and so is throttle response when, on occasion, the diesel and auto conspire to delay.

The 2.4 and auto drivetrain must be worked for solid progress -- it has no qualms about the task but the effort shows at the pump. That said, it's smooth both in drivetrain and ride quality. It is nimble and makes the most of not having any off-road pretence.