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BabyDrive Verdict

The Mitsubishi ASX is one of the oldest production SUVs in Australia and this year it will have been on the market for nine years! There is a good reason for that and BabyDrive wanted to give the ASX a good test run and find out why it is still such a popular little SUV after all this time!

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In this disposable world, the ASX is the disposable family car! It is so cheap for what you get and it comes with a five-year warranty! There are things I have gone into detail moaning about in this review but the ASX is forgiven for the price! I have found other cars much less practical and much more expensive!

Storage is good in the front, the glove box is big, there are two good size cup holders and decent sized central console box. The door bins will hold a large refillable water bottle and you have a good phone charging and storage area too.

It does seem Mitsubishi designers forgot somewhat about the rear passengers when storage was being given out! They just get a single map pocket and a couple of cup holders in the central fold-down armrest.

For a small SUV, the boot size is actually pretty impressive! The ASX holds 11 shopping bags from empty and all strollers up to double and twin all fitted in the boot with the parcel shelf in place and a few shopping bags alongside. With most SUVs of this size I find the parcel shelf has to be removed to fit the tandem and twin strollers in.

That's three more shopping bags from empty than both the Mazda CX-3 and the Hyundai Kona, but one less than the Honda HR-V.

There are ISOFix points in both the outer rear seats and top tether anchorages on the back of all three seats. The outer two top tether anchorages are within plastic guides that appear to be on the wrong way around so you have to attach them from behind and are quite tricky to disconnect. The central top tether anchorage is not within a plastic guide and is located up behind the headrest.

There was room for two child seats in the back and I could just sit between them but it wouldn't be an everyday solution because it was very tight. With a rear-facing child seat installed, we found a 170cm passenger could sit in front of it in the driver's seat.

The media system is good for such a cheap car, comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and is simple and easy to navigate.

The high-spec ASX Exceed I tested had an enormous sunroof that was definitely the highlight for our daughter, as was the fact you could illuminate its entire surround with orange lights at night time! Taking driving in the dark to a whole new level!

Visibility was excellent in the ASX, the higher driving position with the large windows, big side mirrors and reversing camera make reversing and maneuvering the ASX easy and enjoyable. Passenger visibility is very good too with the sunroof and large windows.

The interior of the ASX does have that distinct Mitsubishi black shiny plastic feel and the new car smell did seem more pungent than in most other new cars I test. The front seats are heated in this Exceed version, which is a nice feature but it means they are covered with perforated black leather upholstery, which would be harder to clean out the crumbs and spills.

The ASX is a very noisy car to drive, the engine struggles and accelerating is noisy so can be disturbing for small passengers. Up hills especially the ASX takes on the sound and speed of a tractor!

The ASX is a particularly noisy car! It was as if everything set off beeps and alarms! Just starting the car without having your seatbelt plugged in was a baby-waking offence!!

The Mitsubishi ASX was given a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2014. It has seven airbags as standard.

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Tace Clifford
About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.

12 Comments

  1. Hi there,
    I am looking at getting a car. I currently don’t have any kids or pets but will in future. Trying to decide between a Mitsubishi asx or a Mazda cx3. I love Mazdas but am worried about the boot room. Which do you think is better?

    • Hi Caitlin, ASX is much more practical than the CX-3 but feels cheaper, more old-fashioned and not as nice to drive. It is a lot of car for the money though!

  2. Hi
    I am curious as to how far forward the passenger had to sit with a rear facing baby seat behind their chair.
    Did the chair have to be pushed very far forward?
    Thanks
    Amy

    • It’s probably the best of the small SUVs we’ve tested so far. We make sure the 180cm passenger isn’t hitting their knees on the dash

  3. Hi there,
    Can I ask which Britax car seat you tested rear facing here? We’re getting an ASX soon and looking at getting car seat shortly. Looking to make sure the Graphene fits. Thanks heaps!
    Alana

    • With a rear facing child seat installed a 170cm passenger could sit in the driver’s seat, there’s a bit more room on the passenger side so if you’re that height or less you should be ok.

  4. Hey
    Am comparing a Eclipse Cross and ASX and VW t-cross for a family of 4 (though the eldest is only 3!) Was wondering your thoughts – largely as have been a pedestrian for the last 40 years of my life so finding cars daunting

    • Hi Kevin. Of those three, the Eclipse Cross is the most spacious, the second-most modern and probably the simplest to drive (given you have not driven much for a long time). Whichever you choose, our partners OnlineAuto can help you find one in stock (given the current supply shortages) and smooth the purchasing process including having a car brought to you for test drives so you don’t have to enter what can be a daunting showroom environment! https://babydrive.com.au/OnlineAuto

  5. Hello,

    I’m just wondering what the back leg room would be like? I’ve currently got an i30 and looking at upgrading. My boys are 3 and 2 currently but wanting to keep the car for a while, and knowing my boys are going to be tall, leg room is important.

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