Mitsubishi's Lancer Just Misses the Mark

It's sporty and inexpensive but it's up against stiff—and better—competition from Honda, Mazda, and Toyota

by Thane Peterson

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Price, sporty handling, innovative continuously variable transmission

The Bad: Disappointing fuel economy and interior, lack of optional equipment

The Bottom Line: A sporty new compact that doesn't quite top the competition

Reader Reviews

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Up Front

Most people don't immediately think about Mitsubishi (MMTOF) when shopping for a new car. The company, after all, has a low profile and relatively low sales in the U.S. But if you're looking for a compact car and you want to add a little spice to your daily driving experience, it's worth taking a look at the 2008 Lancer, which Mitsubishi has redesigned in hopes that it will compete more effectively in the cutthroat compact car market, which is dominated by models such as the Honda (HMC) Civic and Toyota (TM) Corolla.

The previous version of the Lancer didn't make much of a splash. In fact, the last version of the car was the '06 model; Mitsubishi didn't even bother to produce an '07. The 2008 Lancer, which started hitting showrooms in March, is peppier and better looking than the bland model it's replacing. In general, it's leaning away from a conventional compact and toward the sporty end of the spectrum, with driving characteristics similar to a Scion tC, a Mazda3, or a Subaru Impreza.

How many people end up buying the new Lancer is open to question. For my money, it doesn't have the edge it needs to lure buyers away from better-established rivals such as the Civic Si, the Scion tC, and Mazda3, though it may lure some away from sportier versions of domestic models such as the Ford (F) Focus and General Motors' (GM) Chevy Cobalt.

The new Lancer is based on the same platform as Mitsubishi's new Outlander sport-utility vehicle, as well as partner DaimlerChrysler's (DCX) Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber. The '08 Lancer is slightly shorter and nearly three inches wider than the previous model, and has far more distinctive exterior styling, with cat-eye front headlights, contoured flanks, and a poised, ready-to-pounce profile. The sporty GTS, in particular, is designed to look like a rally car, with extra cladding to bulk up the body along the sides, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a big spoiler on the trunk lid.

The Lancer comes in three trim levels, all powered by a 2.0 liter, all-aluminum, four-cylinder engine rated at 152 horsepower. The DE starts at just $14,615 but is very bare bones. Air conditioning and antilock brakes cost $1,100 extra, for instance (as part of a package that also includes power windows and locks).

The ES, which starts at $16,615, comes standard with those basics, as well as with power locks with remote keyless entry, steering-wheel mounted audio and cruise controls, fold-down rear seats, and 16-inch alloy wheels. A five-speed, manual transmission is standard on both the DE and ES, but you can get a continuously variable automatic transmission for an extra $900.

For drivers who like a vehicle with a little pep and pizzazz, however, the most interesting version of the '08 Lancer is the GTS, which starts at $18,115. In addition to the extras mentioned above it has bucket seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a sport-tuned suspension.

In the GTS, you can either go with the five-speed stick shift or (for an extra $1,000) a continuously variable transmission with a manual mode that allows the driver to do the shifting using steering-wheel-mounted paddles. That's unusual because the whole point of CVTs is that they don't shift; Mitsubishi engineers have programmed pauses into the Lancer's CVT to make it seem like shifts are occurring.