In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- When it the Toyota Stout coming?
- Leave Mitsubishi alone!
- TFLEV’s new cross country record established!
The first question comes from a major Toyota fan who knows (for sure) that the rumored Toyota Stout is coming to the United States.
The original Toyota Stout, circa 1967. Toyota’s early steps into the U.S. market. (Image: Toyota)
Q: (Via: AskNathan@TFL.com) Regarding the Toyota Stout
Hi again Nathan, when do you think deliveries of the Toyota Stout are coming? I’m also a bit of a Toyota fanboy and we’ve had good luck with them all our lives. Now it’s time for Toyota to take on Ford and Hyundai with the Toyota Stout! A few weeks ago you covered the Ram Rampage and I think it will be a big hit. Trucks are getting too expensive so this is a good way to keep prices down while giving people what they want.
I KNOW THE TOYOTA STOUT IS COMING BECAUSE I SEE IMAGES OF IT EVERYWHERE! It’s like the worst kept secret!
– Alfa88
A: The images you’ve seen of the Toyota Stout are artist renderings.
Most of the images, which look pretty cool, are of the body of a Ford Maverick, with the nose of the Toyota Compact Cruiser concept. There has been no official announcement of the Stout, and if/when there is, it will be a bit in the future. Toyota just unveiled their new Tacoma, and it will take about a year before they are sold off dealership lots. The last thing Toyota would want to do is sabotage the Tacoma sales with this new possibility.
Now, in a year or so, things may change. We still haven’t even driven a Tacoma yet, and development time for a small pickup takes a while. Wishful thinking can only take you so far, and you have to think like Toyota. I have to say, Toyota is one of the most pragmatic automakers in the world, and they have a rather full plate right now. I think their priorities are elsewhere.
Still, if there is enough clamor from consumers and fans, they might speed up its development.
IF it’s being developed.
Once again, I wish I had better news.
- N
The next question comes from a fan who wants Mitsubishi treated with some respect.
Q: (Via: Ask Nathan) Leave Mitsubishi alone with your misplaced hatred!
I’m not mad at you Nathan, or TFL either, but I’m sick and tired of people in the automotive journalism community taking swipes at them. There is a long list of people that casually throw Mitsubishi under the bus for simply existing or because they used to build aggressive boy racers.
Almost a year ago I bought a 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL PHEV for about $50,000. It replaced my 2011 Outlander GT which had over 229,000 miles on it, and not a single mechanical issue. I know you had one like this and I would like to know what happened to it. Anywho, my purchase was way more expensive than I wanted it to be, but I’m glad I did it. I’ll probably never make up the cost of getting the equivalent non PHEV for ten thousand less. But I like my amazing range and the utility. I backpack and camp with my three big muttlies every chance I get and the PHEV allows me to use it as a proper campsite. I use all electric cookware and its clean and simple.
The interior of my Outlander is as nice as my father’s 5 Series and way more comfortable too. It only took me a few days to get used to the high tech and it’s built like a vault. The only thing I wish they would have done is established a more off road friendly version with smaller wheels and bigger off road tires. I really wish people were more enthusiastic about Mitsubishi.
– P. Grant Redwood City, CA
A: I hear you, and agree. Mitsubishi deserves more love.
Their reliability numbers, many of their safety scores and their value are all well documented. Sure, the Mitsubishi Mirage is a popular joke for many in the trade, but some of their other offerings (especially the new Outlander) are outstanding.
The unfortunate part is their thin portfolio in the United States. I was hoping they would dominate the PHEV market with new offerings, or bring back a few notable names, but not like the Eclipse Cross. Maybe this will happen in time, but for now I think they deserve a lot of praise for their new Outlanders.
– N
The last question comes from my wife, who wanted to know what happened to out O to O, which became D to D (D2D) again. We did it again, this time in a Tesla!
Q: (Summarized) Did you guys do a D2D second run? If you did, who did it and did you manage to break the record?
- She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed
A: Hell yes! We not only did D2D again, we broke the record Roman and I established!
Tommy and Andre did the D2D run. This is a cross country run, where we try to get from Orange County, CA to Orange County FL in the quickest time. We call it “D2D” because we start in old Orange Country, California – near Disneyland, and finish near Walt Disney World. We wanted to call it “Disney to Disney,” but there could have been some legal issues, so we opted for D2D.
Yea, we tried O2O (Orange Country to Orange County), but some viewers complained.
Others have tried, and failed, to beat our record. This is a tough run with stops only happening at charging stations. Food, bathrooms and whatnot need to be taken care of during those stops. We start at a fountain in old Orange County, CA – film it – and we’re off. Then, the whole thing ends when we get to a similar fountain in Orange Country, FL. It’s harder than it sounds, and the first record was 46 hours and 46 minutes. During that run (in a Hyundai Ioniq5) we stopped for about nine-hours for charging. You can’t really speed, or you’ll eat up your range, and going too slow will eat up your time.
We thought that, with a different charging network, and driving a Tesla Model 3, things would be different. They were indeed. Watch the video to learn how much the former record was beaten!
