Mitsubishi Eclipse
The Mitsubishi Eclipse earned a reputation for itself in the last decade as a powerful and sporty car that could take all challengers. More recently, it has moved in the direction of a sedan with less complicated engineering and a more comfortable interior. For those who want to Eclipse to return to its roots, you'll have to wait. While the new Eclipse is faster than its predecessors, a feature that's sure to please, it seems that the rest of the car can't handle what is under the hood. Although it can go from 0-60 in 5.8 seconds, faster than any previous model, its handling leaves something to be desired. Front-wheel drive severely limits its performance, along with the weight of the car itself. Competing models from Honda and Toyota weigh much less. The manual transmission and brakes are both similar to a sedan in feel, but this can be a downside for those who want the quick response and tight feel of a sportier car.
Mitsubishi offers the Eclipse in seven different colors, but charges extra for the most eye-catching one, Sunset Pearlescent. The sleek and distinctive shape of the body will also grab a lot of attention. The interior is comfortable and user-friendly. Temperature controls are easy to use and well-placed, and the stylish aluminum pedals and two power outlets are very nice additions. You'll be pleased to find controls for the stereo on the back of the steering wheel, a big plus. And the stereo itself is more than decent. With the Fosgate CD/MP3 compatible stereo pushing 650 watts through nine-speaker system (including a 100-watt subwoofer in the trunk) Mitsubishi seems to be targeting a younger, hipper crowd. You certainly wouldn't find a system like this in a sedan. While the seats are comfortable and the steering wheel is positioned well, they could be a lot more ergonomic for the price. And the back seat is a joke. As if getting into it weren't painful enough, the lack of space once you're in is paralyzing. Backseat passengers have to straddle the front seats that leave no room for feet to go underneath, and there is no headrest to stop you from hitting the very low rear windshield at every bump. Also, all of the six airbags are used for the driver and front passenger.
The Eclipse comes in either the 4-cylinder GS or V6 GT. The GS can be either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic Sportronic that can be shifted manually. The GT has one more gear in either format, and automatic transmission costs an extra $900 in both the GS and GT. The $1500 Sun and Sound package for the GS is self-explanatory, and the Premium Sport Package for the GT comes with those features plus heated leather front bucket seats with driver-side controls, aluminum pedals, heated mirrors, auto temperature control, and alloy wheels for $3,270. Overall, the Eclipse has a good deal of attractive features that are packaged in an impractical design. The large body design would be tolerable if it meant more space and comfort than the average coupe, but unfortunately this is not the case.
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