2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Lancer, and includes Mitsubishi Lancer safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

A compact car with an excellent warranty (except Ralliart), the 2012 Lancer is one of the more compelling reasons to visit a Mitsubishi showroom.

A new Lancer SE model debuts, combining Mitsubishi’s All-Wheel Control all-wheel-drive system with an appealing entry price. The base Lancer DE is upgraded with a new wheel cover design and an upshift indicator light, while the ES model receives these improvements plus an ECO light, new interior fabrics, and a modified Deluxe Package that includes soft-touch upper door panel trim and nicer instrumentation. The Lancer GTS is renamed the Lancer GT, and it gets standard 18-inch aluminum wheels and the same front styling as the turbocharged Ralliart model, along with redesigned seat fabric and new black instrument panel trim. The GT and Ralliart Touring Packages add a reversing camera and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

It is clear that Mitsubishi is, for now, focusing on the Lancer lineup as the company decides how best to tackle the American car market. Not only has the company invested in improvements to the Lancer for 2012, this model is offered in Lancer Sedan, five-door Lancer Sportback, and rally-inspired Lancer Evolution format. This review is focused on the five different Lancer Sedan models that are for sale: DE, ES, SE, GT and Ralliart.

The Mitsubishi Lancer DE is not the car you want to buy. It is a basic and cheaply outfitted vehicle, riding on 16-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, and equipped with nothing more exciting than a stereo with a CD/MP3 player and four speakers. Power windows, power side mirrors, power door locks, air conditioning, and a tilt steering wheel are included on the DE model, along with auto-off headlights and variable intermittent wipers.

The Lancer ES is, at a minimum, the model you should consider. In addition to noticeably upgraded interior materials and exterior trim, the ES model includes such luxuries as rear heater floor ducts, a coat hanger, a seatback pocket on the back of the driver’s seat, a front cupholder cover, a center console storage console with an armrest, and map lights. The ES also gets a manual seat height adjuster, a 60/40-split folding rear seat with a center armrest and rear cupholders, an anti-theft alarm, remote keyless entry, and steering wheel controls for the stereo and optional FUSE Bluetooth connection.

FUSE is included in a Deluxe Package that also adds FAST-Key keyless entry and ignition, a power sunroof, an upgraded sound system, a USB port, and satellite radio with six free months of service. The Deluxe Package also contains a leather-wrapped steering wheel, soft-touch upper door panel trim, and chrome lower grille trim. The ES can also be equipped with an Alloy Wheel Package that adds 16-inch aluminum wheels, rear disc brakes, and a rear stabilizer bar.

The Lancer SE is new for 2012, equipped like the ES but unavailable with the ES model’s appealing Deluxe Package. Instead, Lancer SE buyers must be content with a larger and more powerful engine, standard all-wheel drive, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, and unique black-and-beige fabric seats. The SE also includes 16-inch alloy wheels, rear disc brakes, a bigger front stabilizer bar, a rear stabilizer bar, and chrome lower grille trim.

Next up is the Lancer GT, which adds more aggressive front styling for 2012. In addition, the GT is equipped with the SE’s more powerful engine, as well as handsome 18-inch alloy wheels, a big wing spoiler, a sport suspension, sport front bucket seats, and fog lights. The cabin is treated to black dashboard trim pieces, chrome door handles, and leather wrapped around the steering wheel, shift knob, and parking brake handle. The Lancer GT also gets six stereo speakers, a USB port, FAST-Key keyless entry and ignition, and automatic climate control.

A hard-drive navigation system with a music server and real-time traffic reports is optional on the Lancer GT. A Touring Package is also available, and it adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power sunroof, and a 710-watt Rockford Fosgate Punch premium sound system with a six-disc CD changer and three months of free satellite radio. The Touring Package also includes a reversing camera, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic bi-Xenon high-intensity discharge headlights. You can tell when a Lancer GT is equipped with the Touring Package because it comes with a more discrete lip spoiler in place of the “look-at-me-I’m-speeding” wing spoiler that comes standard.

At the top of the Mitsubishi Lancer lineup is the Ralliart, a car that actually does encourage speed. Think of the Lancer Ralliart as a stepping stone toward the legendary Lancer Evolution, and you won’t be far off the mark. The Ralliart is equipped with a turbocharged engine breathing through an aluminum hood equipped with heat extractor vents, and the power flows through a sophisticated automated manual gearbox to a standard all-wheel-drive system. A front strut tower brace and Yokohama ADVAN summer performance tires improve handling, and the Ralliart is equipped with premium sport fabric on the seats, a sport steering wheel, aluminum pedals, chrome side molding, and a unique rear bumper design. Options for the Lancer Ralliart mirror the Lancer GT.

Additionally, Mitsubishi offers a wide variety of upgrade packages on the Lancer models, none of which contain anything you really need to buy. You can get rear park assist sensors as a dealer-installed option, which helps you to “see” hidden objects behind the car while reversing.

The standard engine for the Lancer DE and Lancer ES is a 148-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is optional. Fuel economy ratings are 24-mpg city/34-mpg highway with the manual, and 26/34 with the CVT.

The Lancer SE and Lancer GT have a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 168 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 167 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm. The SE model includes all-wheel drive and a CVT, while the GT comes with a five-speed manual or an upgraded Sportronic CVT with real magnesium shifter paddles driving the front wheels. Fuel economy estimates are 22-city/31-highway for the GT manual, 23-city/30-highway for the GT CVT, and 22-city/29-highway for the SE AWD.

Ralliart models are equipped with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making a healthy 237 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 253 lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 4,750 rpm. A six-speed automated manual transmission that Mitsubishi calls a Twin-Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) is standard, and this model also has All-Wheel Control AWD with an Active Center Differential, a helical limited-slip front differential, and Hill Start Assist. Premium fuel is required, and burns at the rate of 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

The 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer is equipped with seven airbags including a driver’s knee airbag, antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, and a traction and stability control system. A reversing camera and rain-sensing wipers are available on GT and Ralliart models, and Mitsubishi dealers can install rear parking assist sensors as an option.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2012 Lancer is a Top Safety Pick, though the Ralliart model is not included as the IIHS evidently feels it is different enough that the standard Lancer’s scores don’t necessarily apply. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not performed crash tests on the 2012 Lancer, but does assign the car a 4-Star rollover resistance rating.

In terms of dependability, Consumer Reports makes no predictions as to how the Lancer will hold up over time. J.D. Power and Associates, in its most recent round of reliability predictions, said the Lancer should prove average in this regard.

Just in case you’re worried about how the Lancer might last, Mitsubishi covers all but the turbocharged Ralliart with a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and five years of free roadside assistance with no mileage limit. Ralliart owners get a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty, a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and five years of unlimited roadside assistance.

The Lancer’s trunk measures 12.3 cubic-feet for the DE, ES, and SE models. A subwoofer shrinks space on the Lancer GT, dropping it to 11.8 cu-ft. The Ralliart model’s cargo area is even smaller at 9.1 cu-ft.

Not only does the Ralliart version have a tiny trunk, it adds a whopping 528 pounds to the Lancer GT’s base curb weight. Isn’t weight supposed to be the enemy when crafting a performance car?

The Lancer Sedan lineup certainly offers a diverse range of choice, from a cheap and basic economy car to a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sport sedan. A Top Safety Pick rating never hurts, and the Lancer’s warranty is impressive. But once you get inside, the Lancer’s inexpensive looking and feeling parts are disappointing, even if the price on the window sticker – or the price actually paid – masks the scent of cost-cutting.

By Christian Wardlaw