I used to drive a Ford Focus, and now I'm driving an Outlander. The Outlander is smooth on flat roads, but there's a noticeable lag when accelerating. The Focus would respond immediately when I stepped on the gas, and the steering was precise. The Outlander's steering feels a bit heavy, and when going uphill, it makes a lot of noise but doesn't move much. Even if I increase the throttle, the engine noise is quite loud.

What brand of engine oil are you guys using?

The 2021 Ford Focus and the 2018 Outlander just passed by. The throttle tuning is really sharp on the Outlander, typical of a classic Japanese car with a sluggish tuning. At low speeds, it takes off with just a touch.

Before I switched to the 2.4 Outlander, I had a 1.5 Honda Fit. One time, a friend borrowed it to pick up some people from the village. He had four adults and himself in the car, making it five people in total. After coming back, he complained non-stop about the car having no power going uphill. When I checked the dashcam, I realized he was quite something! On a long, steep hill with the car fully loaded, he used only the D gear from start to finish. When he returned the car, I pulled his ear and pointed at the L gear inside the car, asking him if it was just for show. Didn't he know how to change gears? It's sheer luck the transmission didn't get wrecked. He was completely clueless and said he always drove his CR-V up that hill the same way, and never felt it was underpowered in five years! I almost wanted to smack him with a shoe. Having a brain is a good thing, but some people have one that, like a car, rusts if not used. Both are Honda's naturally aspirated engines, but comparing a fully-loaded 1.5 with an empty 2.4? And he claims to have been driving for over five years, yet doesn't know what the L gear is for. Can't he use his phone for more than just calls and look things up? The next year, I sold the Fit with 80,000 kilometers on it and got the 2.4 Outlander. And from then on, I never lent my car to anyone again.

I drove a 2.4 4WD today, not kidding, it really doesn't feel as good as my current 1.5 Mazda Axela. It also doesn't feel as powerful as the 1.5. [I need a moment]

When going uphill, release the accelerator and then press it down harder; that's how CVT acceleration works.

Eco mode is off, acceleration at over 4000 RPM is sufficient.

Naturally aspirated engine + CVT, what kind of effect are you expecting? [I want some peace and quiet]

Switch to sport mode and use low speed on steep slopes.

I used to drive a 1.8 Focus, now I have a 2.0 Outlander. The Focus had a better overall driving feel compared to the Outlander. But the Outlander has lower fuel consumption and more space.