2024 Mitsubishi ASX Street review
Mitsubishi’s ASX is one of the oldest cars on sale, making it a safe if uninspiring option for Aussie motorists.
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Mitsubishi’s ASX is one of the oldest cars in showrooms today.
Can a special edition lift its appeal?
VALUE
The ASX is the cheapest car in Mitsubishi showrooms. Basic – and they are truly basic – models start from $24,490 plus on-road costs (about $26,200 drive-away), making it one of the cheapest cars on sale.
First introduced back in 2010, the ASX is an old car. The freshest model in the line-up is the Mitsubishi ASX ES Street accessory pack, which starts out as the ASX ES.
It has a fairly modest features list including 18-inch wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen stereo with smartphone mirroring, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.
The Street pack brings cosmetic changes including black alloys and dark exterior trim with red highlights, along with decorative decals and badges. It adds $2500 to the cost of a standard ES, taking the total price to about $30,000 drive-away.
It’s not a flash ride, but it does come with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty that doubles to 10 years if you have your car serviced by Mitsubishi dealers.
COMFORT
Creature comforts are thin on the ground here. The ASX has basic cloth seats with manual adjustment that get the job done without pampering occupants.
The same goes for conventional single-zone airconditioning with rotary dials for the temperature and fan speed – it works, but it ain’t special.
It’s not a whole lot better on the road. There’s more wind and road noise than you might find in more modern machines and the suspension has the noisy action and occasionally abrupt ride of a car with six-figure mileage on the dash.
SAFETY
The ASX Street has a basic safety package including seven airbags, auto emergency braking and a lane-departure warning system.
But it misses out on hi-tech additions such as blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assistance and rear cross-traffic alerts that are reserved for the more expensive ASX LS.
The ASX earned a five-star ANCAP score a decade ago, but that rating has expired.
DRIVING
Every journey in the ASX starts with a classic metal key – not even a flip-out key – that you insert into the steering column. That’s a rare anachronism these days.
A twist of the key ignites a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that uses 7.6L/100km to make 110kW and 197Nm. Like the ASX itself, it’s a basic unit that gets the job done without excelling – it’s louder than turbo or hybrid alternatives and needs to rev hard to deliver its best.
The motor never feels particularly smooth or powerful but it will get you where you need to go. It sends power to the front wheels through a stepless CVT automatic transmission intended to prioritise fuel economy over driving pleasure. The result is a car that drones along while trying to keep the engine in its sweet spot.
It’s not a particularly engaging car to steer but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Noisy suspension in our test car didn’t match its relatively low mileage. It’s easy to imagine that tooling and tolerances designed to build the ASX years ago might be a bit loose today.
ALTERNATIVES
Haval Jolion Lux, from $28,990 drive-away
Much more modern than the Mitsubishi, the Haval Jolion Lux has plenty of toys but is disappointing to drive.
Suzuki Vitara from $30,990 drive-away
Sweeter to steer than the Mitsubishi or Haval, the Vitara has fewer features than some alternatives.
VW T-Cross, from $34,990 drive-away
Slightly smaller and more expensive than the ASX, the T-Cross combines modern tech and a turbocharged engine with a polished drive.
MITSUBISHI ASX STREET
PRICE: About $30,000 drive-away
ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4-cyl petrol, 110kW and 197Nm
WARRANTY/SERVICE: 5-yr/u’ltd km, $1905 for 5 yrs
SAFETY: Seven airbags, auto emergency braking, lane departure warning
THIRST: 7.6L/100km
BOOT: 393 litres
SPARE: Space saver
VERDICT
2.5 stars
Though cosmetic changes make it easier on the eye, the ASX Street falls well short of motoring excellence. Dated – even antiquated – this SUV is overdue for replacement.
Originally published as 2024 Mitsubishi ASX Street review
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