The incredible journey in a 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander

“I was always a Mitsubishi person,” said Heinrichs. “My wife wanted something reliable, fuel efficient and spacious. She didn’t know too much about Mitsubishis at the time, but we bought it mostly as a city vehicle.

The Outlander saw mostly pavement while the couple lived in Winnipeg for two years, but that all changed once they returned to French’s hometown of Sioux Lookout, Ontario, located about 100 km northeast of Dryden (and nearly 1,800 km north of Toronto).

Heinrichs and French still use their Outlander for commuting to work and regular trips to the city (Dryden) on paved roads, but it has also become a frequent off-roader through the challenging terrain around Sioux Lookout.

“Out in the bush it has done extremely well,” Heinrichs said. “Maria grew up on the backroads, so she knew them very well. When we first started taking it out, she tested it on the easier routes and loved it. Since then, we’ve just taken it as far as we can take it.”

In its 275,000 km of use, the couple’s Outlander has been up steep, rock-covered inclines, through deep water, mud and snow, and across as many dirt and gravel routes as the family has been able to find. It has even been used to pull a few ill-prepared southern Ontario tourists out of the snow.

“My wife told me after the first year driving it here that it was the best vehicle she had ever driven. For someone who grew up in the bush driving 4x4s, that’s a big compliment,” Heinrichs said.

A particular highlight is off-roading with all seven seats occupied.

“We get some looks from people,” he said with a laugh.

For some, nearly 300,000 km may be cause for concern, but Heinrichs said other than a few minor wear and tear repairs along the way, the Outlander has been rock solid.

“There’s a lot of life left in this thing,” he said. “I think 500,000 km is easily accessible.”