2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS from the April, 2009 issue
| Reviewed By: | Paul Duchene |
|---|---|
| Price: | $18,915 |
| Likes: | Moderately nippy compact that looks a lot like the insane Evo pocket-rocket. New 2.4-liter, twin-cam four boasts 168 hp, 16 more than the wheezy 2-liter it replaces. Dash is simple, though info screen is clunky. 5-speed shifter quite slick, back seat OK for adults, splits and folds down. Good brakes, excellent handling, turns in quickly. |
| Gripes: | Boy racer spoiler blocks rear vision, interior feels cheap—too much hard plastic. Hard suspension bushings transmit a lot of road noise (even on snow). Much too easy to break loose the front wheels on takeoff. Lots of torque-steer—I thought the engineers figured that one out decades ago. 20.2 mpg is very disappointing |
| Verdict: | Not fast enough to share the Evo’s silhouette without embarrassment. Mitsubishi has gone too far down market; I’d rather pay another $3k and have all-wheel drive, or maybe $5k and have a turbo and all-wheel drive. Or just buy a Mazda 3, which feels more sophisticated overall. |
| Fun to Drive: |  |
| Fun to Look at: | |
| Overall Experience: | |
