First Impressions
Just in case you hadn’t noticed, Mitsubishi is having a tough time in the U.S. market. The Mitsubishi Lancer (view photos), arguably the most important vehicle in the company’s North American lineup, possesses the bones of something magical and the proof lies in the existence of the high-performance Evolution variant of this compact sedan. Unfortunately, there’s little hint of that car’s technical and performance prowess in the Lancer for the masses.
With few exceptions, everything about the car is utterly average, occasionally bordering on unacceptable. The drone and boom in the cabin while rolling down the expressway, the tinny way the door handles sound when opening the doors, the flimsy way the doors judder in their frames when closed, the huge and totally useless rear wing that collects car wash water and cascades it down the lid and drip channels onto the bumper for 48 hours after it’s received a bath, the hard plastic interior fittings, the way the radio display completely washes out in direct sunlight, the cheesy sunroof gasket, the indifferent installation of the glove box door. These flaws and more constantly remind the Lancer’s owner that the car is built to a specific price, and profit, point, striking a discordant note especially when measured against our Lancer GTS model’s optimistic $23,150 sticker price.
Is it the worst car in its class? No. But the Lancer is far from the best vehicle in this class, and it’s about to face seriously upgraded competition from Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen.
On a positive note, the Lancer’s looks, inside and out, are terrific. This compact sedan boasts plenty of sheet metal character, an aggressive face, and gorgeous alloy wheels on the GTS model, combined with a simple and pleasing dashboard design. The Lancer is also a Top Safety Pick according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and it comes with an impressive 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Plus, dealers are usually discounting these things, so it might make a great choice for a young driver more concerned about looking cool rather than actually being cool.
Pricing, Trims and Options
Our well-equipped Lancer GTS stickered for $23,150, with a manual transmission, but it was filled with features. The starting price for the least-expensive Lancer DE sedan is $15,550 for the DE model. Add $2,200 if you want the optional continuously variable transmission (CVT) on this version of the car. Yes, you read that correctly: $2,200.
The Lancer DE is very basic, available in black, shades of gray, and white, and is visually identified by its 16-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, black door handles, and black power side mirrors. You also get power windows, power door locks, a 140-watt stereo with a CD player, a tilt steering wheel, a rear defroster, and intermittent wipers. Unusual standard features for an inexpensive car include side turn indication markers, a trunk light, a knee airbag, a traction control system, and stability control. Options are dealer-installed. Air conditioning is not one of them.
Our advice is to learn how to operate a clutch, and blow the extra $2,200 you might otherwise pay for the CVT upgrading to the Lancer ES, which is $17,750. It comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, nicer interior and exterior trim, and other features such as air conditioning, cruise control, remote keyless entry, floor mats, a height adjustable driver’s seat, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat with cupholders, and an anti-theft security alarm. Speaking of alarming, the Lancer ES’s additional standard features help to underscore what is actually missing on DE models: rear heater floor ducts, a front seatback pocket, a rear coat hook, a front upholder cover, a front center console storage armrest lid, and Bluetooth pre-wiring. Need the CVT? It’s only $900 extra on the Lancer ES.
Clearly, the Lancer ES is the model Mitsubishi wants people to buy.
We test drove the $19,750 Lancer GTS, which comes with a bigger engine, bigger wheels with bigger tires, bigger brakes, bigger suspension stabilizer bars, and a big-ass rear wing on the trunk lid to make sure everyone knows you have the sporty model. Handsome 18-inch wheels are wrapped with capable 215/45 Dunlop SP Sport 5000 tires, and it’s not just for show as the Lancer GTS also gets sport suspension tuning. Automatic climate control, Bluetooth hands-free communication, upscale interior trim, sport fabric seats, additional stereo speakers, and leather for the steering wheel, shifter, and parking brake handle are also a part of the package, along with fog lights, a front air dam, and a chrome exhaust tip. The gauge cluster is unique, and features a full-color LCD information display with all kinds of trip computer information such as average fuel consumption, distance to empty, low fuel warning, outside temperature, and a vehicle service reminder. When equipped with the optional CVT, the GTS includes magnesium paddle shifters to manually control transmission ratios.
The top Lancer sedan – not including the Evolution, which is not included in this review – is the Ralliart at $27,950. Equipped with a turbocharged engine, sophisticated Twin-Clutch SST transmission, Yokohama Advan summer 215/45 tires, all-wheel drive, a front helical limited slip differential, a rear mechanical limited slip differential, and suspension upgrades, the Lancer Ralliart is all about performance. Special exterior styling cues set the Ralliart apart from other Lancers with an aluminum hood perforated by heat extractor vents and dual exhaust outlets, while the interior contains a sport steering wheel, premium sport fabric seats, and Mitsubishi’s Fast-Key keyless entry and ignition system.
Learn more about the Ralliart by reading our test drive of the 2010 Lancer Sportback Ralliart.
Interior Features
There’s not much to discuss in terms of the Lancer’s interior features. It has a knee airbag complementing the usual dual front, front seat side-impact, and side curtain airbags that are the modern standard. There’s impressive space for four occupants, five if the trip is short, and a substantial trunk with a light for illumination after dark. The Lancer’s cabin is refreshing in its simplicity, and we like the choice of tones and textures for the GTS model, if not the actual materials themselves.
However, this car just reeks of cheapness. Hard, unyielding plastic is everywhere you look, and most places you rest your arm. Lean just a bit on the thinly padded spots on the door panel and center console armrest, and you’ll feel it. Worse is the shiny metallic dash trim, which looks good but sounds like the crushing of saltines in the palm of your hand when it’s pressed upon.
The Lancer LE can be outfitted with a Sport Package that gives it a visual treatment similar to the GTS, but without the GTS model’s 18-inch wheels and performance tires. Better to spend your money on the Sun and Sound Package, which includes a 710-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system, a power sunroof, and Mitsubishi’s keyless entry and ignition system, called Fast Key. The Rockford Fosgate audio system includes a free three-month subscription to Sirius satellite radio and a 10-inch subwoofer tucked into the trunk.
The Sun and Sound Package can also be added to the Lancer GTS, along with a Touring Package that provides leather seats, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, Xenon high-intensity discharge headlights, and sound insulating windshield glass. Another exclusive reserved to the GTS trim level is the Navigation Package, which installs a 40-gigabyte hard disc drive navigation system and music server into the Lancer’s dashboard, complete with an auxiliary video input jack. Diamond Lane Guidance is also included with this package, and it helps the driver to find the fastest route to a destination using high occupant vehicle (HOV) lanes. Mitsubishi calls it an “industry first,” but we think it’s just a gimmick.
Ralliart models are exclusively available with a Recaro Sport Package, which adds Rockford Fosgate audio, Xenon HID headlights, and Recaro sport seats to the Ralliart’s interior. Based on the time we recently spent with a Lancer Sportback Ralliart, we’d recommend avoiding this option unless you spend an inordinate amount of time taking curves at high speed. They are not worth the trade-off in terms of comfort or adjustment.
Safety, Quality and Reliability
If Lancers are anything, they’re safe. Crash tests performed by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) demonstrate 5-star protection for the driver in frontal and side-impact crashes. Front seat passenger crashworthiness rates 4 stars in a frontal impact and 5 stars in a side impact, while rear occupants are protected with a 4-star side-impact rating. All Lancers receive 4 stars for their resistance to rolling over in a lateral slide.
Better than its performance in NHTSA tests is the Lancer’s achievement in those conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Lancer receives top scores in the frontal offset, side-impact, rear crash protection, and roof crush tests, making it a 2010 Top Safety Pick.
By now you’ve read about some of our complaints about the Lancer’s quality. According to respondents to J.D. Power and Associates quality surveys, owners are also dissatisfied, with below average ratings in terms of initial quality. The research firm also says predicted reliability is expected to be slightly below average for the Lancer. Consumer Reports provides no ratings data for the Lancer (view photos). Presumably, subscribers to that magazine, the people who fill out the surveys, don’t buy them.