Sasaki Time's 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander GT Vehicle Review

Hi everybody! It's time for another Sasaki Time Vehicle Review! This time I will be taking a look at the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander GT! I love the rally red color with the silver accents!

I had previously reviews the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander LE Sport nearly two years ago and was disappointed in its performance. How would the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander GT compare? Let's find out!

The first thing I noticed about the 2015 Outlander compared with the 2013 model is that they got rid of the ugly flat grill and changed the design to be much friendlier and stylish!

From the side, the Outlander looks pretty much the same from the one I tested two years ago.

The HID headlights are super-wide and cover so much ground! You will appreciate their strength on a bad weather day!

I love how large the side mirrors are! It's so easy to see everything next to you! There is a lane departure warning but I wished that there was a blind side monitoring system like many vehicles have now.

I love the rims on the 18-inch wheels! It's like a large snowflake!

Easy entry into the driver's seat! I love the leather powered driver seat! Super comfortable and hugs you like a sports car seat would!

Paddle shifters on the steering wheel! With the 3.0L V6 engine, those paddle shifters come in handy as you open the Outlander up! The Outlander feels more like a sports car than a SUV! It gets 23 MPG and averages 20 in the city and 28 on the highway! Pretty good gas mileage for a SUV!

The gauges are bright and simplistic! Everything is easy to read even in direct sunlight as you can see in the above photo.

The large 7-inch HD entertainment/navigation screen is easy to use. I love that you can even get the gas prices at nearby gas stations. I was sad that the SiriusXM Satellite Radio went out during the review but gave me reason to use the Digital HD radio. The 710-watt Rockford Fosgate Premium sound system with 9 speakers and a 10-inch subwoofer is powerful and crystal clear! I listened to everything from hip-hop to jazz to talk radio and the audio is crisp and clean. I almost didn't want to leave the Outlander.

The environmental controls are easy to use.

Lots of leg room for your rear passengers.

There is even a third row! It is a little difficult to climb inside but you can haul a lot of friends or a large family in here with ease!

The back of the Outlander is very stylish and I love the silver accents!

Not a lot of cargo space here but you can drop the third row seats with no problem. The tailgate has a power remote that you can turn off if you would like.

And now it was time to hit the road and test the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander GT out! And what better way than to cruise the Southern California freeways on a Friday! The plan was to hit several iconic fast food locations in the area.

The first place to go is a Southern California landmark, In-N-Out! But this is no ordinary In-N-Out, this is the replica of the historic first In-N-Out location.

Located near the original location, this replica is only open a few hours, four days a week. I asked for permission to drive on the drive-thru and got an amazing tour from Karen, the In-N-Out employee working there that day. She was friendly and super knowledgeable about the history of the building.

To learn more and see some black and white photos of this location, read my tour of the In-N-Out Replica here: Sasaki Time Tour of the Replica In-N-Out's Original Drive-Thru. 

Then it was off to Inglewood and Randy's Donuts! The massive donut sign has been featured in many movies and TV shows but my favorite is in Iron Man 2 when Tony Stark is eating donuts while laying back in the donut hole.

Randy's Donuts is located at 805 West Manchester Avenue in Inglewood, California.

Then it was off to the oldest operating McDonald's! This is located at 10207 Lakewood Blvd, at Florence Ave. in Downey, California! The restaurant has no indoor seating or a drive-thru but has enclosed outdoor seating and a small museum.

Plus, they are one of the only McDonald's to still offer the original fried apple pies, not the current baked ones! I wonder how many can fit in the back of the Outlander? Hmmm....

Fully loaded the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander GT that I reviewed comes in at $35,145! It's a fantastic vehicle for you and your family and your friends as well!

Hope you enjoyed the tour of some of the most iconic fast food locations in the Southern California area!

Tour of the Replica of In-N-Out's Original Drive-Thru in Baldwin Park, CA!

As a huge fan of food and In-N-Out, I decided to take my review vehicle, the 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander to the replica of the original In-N-Out Drive-Thru in Baldwin Park. The original location is now where the 10 Freeway runs through so this location was used starting in 1954.

No food is served here but it is a fantastic museum and tribute to the history of In-N-Out! But if you are craving an In-N-Out burger, have no fear, there is an In-N-Out literally a block away as well as their Company Store if you want to do a little shopping for souvenirs from one of my favorite places to get a burger from!

After asking how close I could park the vehicle to the hamburger stand, I was told I could drive it right up to the window!

As this was the world's first drive-thru, this sign was out to let drivers know they did not have to leave their car to order and get their food! What a revolutionary concept when this stand opened on October 22, 1948!

I wonder what people thought of speaking through a box back in 1948 and how we have come to take it for granted today.

Take a look at those prices! And the menu was so simple and no secret menu items yet like the 4 by 4 or animal style fries!

The black and white photography was a given. It felt like stepping back into time!

You could even buy cigarettes while you waited for your order! My how things have changed today!

Taking a look around back and you come across these great glass soda boxes! These are some of the sodas served here!

Take a look at the fryers and the grill. All were gas powered so in case the electricity went out they could still cook and serve food! At the end of the near the window is the final prep to add the lettuce and tomatoes. The wood paneling was the same as basketball hardwood floors and still is referred to as "the board"!

This small 10 foot square space had as many as 6 people working here at the same time! The fridge on the right was an original found in a warehouse and restored.

Coffee was always ready!

Where all the glass bottle sodas were stored.

Here is a sample of the glass bottled sodas that were offered. This was way before the soda fountain machine was invented!

This plaque gives you further insight into the history of this location.

One last photo before I drove off this historic property!

To visit the replica of the In-N-Out original drive-thru, they operate Thursday through Sunday from 11am to 2pm. And they are located at 13752 Francisquito Avenue, Baldwin Park, CA.

Thank you to In-N-Out employee Karen for all of her time and knowledge about this location!

Copycat Recipes: In-N-Out's Double Double Animal Style!

Ingredients

yield: two 1/4-pound burgers

• 1/2 pound fresh beef chuck with plenty of fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 soft Hamburger buns, preferably Arnold brand
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 dill pickles chips
• 2 quarter-inch-thick slices ripe tomato
• 2 leaves fresh iceberg lettuce, white core section removed, torn to bun-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 4 slices deli-cut American Cheese

Procedures

1. If using a meat grinder: Place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die of meat grinder in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm.
2. Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Grind meat and refrigerate immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible. Proceed with step three below.
3. If using a food processor: Place bowl and blade of food processor in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece, and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm, but not frozen.
   
   
4. Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Working in two batches, place meat cubes in food processor and pulse until medium-fine grind is achieved, about 8 to 10 one-second pulses, scraping down processor bowl as necessary. Refrigerate ground meat immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible.
5. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees while you cook the onions: Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally until onions are well browned, about 15 minutes. Once onions begin to sizzle heavily and appear dry, add 1 tablespoon water to skillet and stir. Continue cooking until water evaporates and onions start sizzling again. Repeat process, adding 1 tablespoon of water with each iteration until onions are meltingly soft and dark brown, about 3 times total. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
6. Make the sauce: Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sugar, and vinegar in small bowl. Stir to combine.
7. Place closed buns in preheated oven for 2 minutes until slightly darkened and crisped. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until shimmering. Open buns and add face-down to skillet. Toast until dark brown around the edges, about 1 minute total.
8. Form ground beef into four 2-ounce patties, using damp hands to press each into a patty about 3/16ths of an inch thick and 4 inches wide. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil to pan, swirl to coat, and heat over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add burger patties and cook without moving until well browned and crusty on first side, about 2 1/2 minutes. While they are cooking, spread 1 tablespoon mustard on raw side of each patty with a spoon. Meanwhile, top each bottom bun with up half of spread, 4 slices pickles, 1 slice tomato, and lettuce. Flip patties with a thin spatula so mustard side is down and continue to cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with a slice of cheese. Divide onion mixture evenly between two patties. Place the other two patties directly on top of the onions , sandwiching them between the beef. Transfer patty stacks to bottom bun. Top with top bun, and serve immediately.
    

Source: Serious Eats
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/in-n-outs-double-double-animal-style-burger-recipe.html

In-N-Out Burger will come to Denver...for a price

By Lori Midson, Cafe Society Editor Fri., Oct. 28 2011 at 5:45 PM

Sorry, that headline is cruel. In-N-Out Burger, which now has locations in California, Nevada, Dallas-Fort Worth and Utah, is not opening a store in Denver, but if you don't want to drive the 350-plus miles to get your double-double burger fix, you can have it delivered straight to your door in Denver -- or anywhere else in the United States.
For a price.
A website called Midtown Row, which insists that "yes, we are for real," is capitalizing on the In-N-Out phenomenon by offering to ship two "frozen-fresh" classic double-double In-N-Out burgers "with all the trimmings" -- or two "Animal-Style" burgers -- to your panting household for what it would typically cost to fill up a midsize SUV with gas. Yes, that's right, for the price of $50, plus $6 for shipping, you can haul out your best china, sliverware and table linens, watch Super Size Me on Netflix and wrap your jaws around what some consider the best burger on the globe.
The website, however, makes no guarantees that what you get will satisfy your In-N-Out addiction. "We will ship with proper refrigeration via overnight mail, but heat and consume at your own risk," it warns, adding that "Midtown Row bears no liability for any damages caused by improper handling of these burgers." How's that for reassurance?
Your burgers, should you choose to blow the bank on beef, will be shipped on November 1 via overnight, express mail -- and you can order up to ten. To do just that, go to www.midtownrow.com and sign up for an account (it's free), and hope that your burgers don't get smashed in transit -- or worse, that you wolf them down like a heathen and keel over.

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