2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Review

Specifications

As Close as Most People Will Ever Get to an EVO

I had just parked the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart over town, put money in the meter and started to walk away when two young chaps on bicycles stopped behind the silver sedan. One exclaimed “Whoa, look, its a Lancer Evolution!” The other replied with hopeful curiosity, “Is it?” I then remarked, “Close, its the Lancer Ralliart and its the closest thing most people will ever get to an EVO VIII.”

We all engaged in car talk for a while and my closing remarks included something along the lines of “the Ralliart handles amazingly, has a lot of zip, looks good and overall is a great sedan. I can only imagine what the EVO would be like.”

My editor had an opportunity to drive the street-legal EVO VIII (which to this day I still envy) and had nothing but good things to say. In the case of the Ralliart, I feel the same way. Although its not laced with 276 smooth galloping stallions under the hood, or a boisterous rear deck spoiler, my test Lancer did have a smooth-revving 2.4-liter 16-valve, MIVEC SOHC 4-cylinder engine producing 162 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, not to mention a humble rear spoiler.

What I particularly liked about the engine was the generous amount of torque. Recently I tested the Honda Civic Si-R and Toyota Corolla XRS which provided more horsepower, both making 170, but lacked torque at 132 and 127 respectively. Therefore, each required higher revs to get off the line. The Lancer Ralliarts 2.4-liter made a world of a difference during acceleration, improving the cars overall ease of driving. Compared to Volkswagens GTI 1.8T, for instance, or Hondas Civic SiR, where power kicks in at a higher rpm, the Ralliart offered a comfortable range to operate in, whether driving around the city or out on the highway.

Its handling is great too. The Ralliart offers up a modified suspension in the form of front MacPherson struts and a multi-link rear setup to provide its driver with optimal road-taming skills and a firm but not-too-rough ride. The rack-and-pinion steering further adds to its tight ride, exhibiting quick turn-in and excellent stability at higher speeds.

That responsive steering wheel works in concert with the cars extremely slick 5-speed short-throw manual gearbox and semi-stiff clutch, making the top-line Lancer a user-friendly yet ultra-feisty sports sedan. Its nice to get behind the wheel of a sporty car and not be beaten up by an overly harsh package. Shifting a notchy gearbox, depressing a heavy clutch and sustaining a rigid chassis can sometimes be rough on the system, but not in the Ralliart. In this case, I was the bully and the Lancer my latest victim!

Four 205/50R16 all-season radials combine with 16-inch Euro-flange aluminum alloy rims to enhance the cars driving dynamics. The rubber commendably grips dry roads in tight turns and winding roadways. In the rain, however, traction was not as impressive. The tires didnt grip as well as I thought they should when accelerating from standstill. Braking in both wet and dry conditions, mind you, is short, quick and to the point, due to power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBD.

The Ralliarts driving attributes arent all that is performance oriented, however, as it features a slamin audio system. I am not one to crank the tunes up in order to get attention, but I was inspired to push the limits of the optional 315-watt, 7-speaker, Mitsubishi/Infinity AM/FM/CD sound system diggin deep with an 8-inch trunk-mounted subwoofer. Its fantastic. Even the songs from my favorite soft rock radio station almost sounded cool enough to pump up the volume. I know, Ace of Base and Celine Dion arent the hippest artists on the block, but heck, this system even makes the old stuff sound good. OK, maybe thats a stretch, but the bottom line is that the sound quality rocks.

That audio system comes as half of the optional sun and sound package, a $1,400 add-on that includes a one-touch power sunroof with vent and sunshade. West Coast weather is very unpredictable, but when the rain wasnt pouring down the sunroof was open. Incidentally, the Sun and Sound package can also include side-mounted airbags for an additional $100, but for the life of me I cant figure out what airbags have to do with either sun or sound. Whatever, its a good deal.

As mentioned, I had to turn up the volume a little more than usual to get a few more heads to turn the Ralliarts way, which brings up the point of styling. While attractive, all on its own it doesnt exactly cause people to snap their heads around for a double take. As Johnathon, one of my temporary children and a huge car buff at 12 years-old said, “I like it, but it looks just like every other sedan on the road.” Hes right. This could work for or against the Lancer. Its modest good looks and generic curves allow it to appeal to all generations in an inoffensive way. That behind us, I would have liked a little more flare. The color-keyed front, side and rear body ground effects with rear spoiler and stainless steel exhaust did make it sporty, but the wimpy Ralliart badge pasted to the rear hardly shows off its many endearing qualities. Perhaps a distinctive color specifically designed for this trim, like the MazdaSpeed Protegés Titanium Gray or Blazing Yellow, would have had my motor revving a little higher, and maybe even some more badging on the sides would have helped.

On the contrary, the interior needed little to no nipping or tucking. The cabin layout is simple, refined and functional. The
4-spoke steering wheel feels great, while standard amenities such as air conditioning, power door locks and windows, steering-wheel mounted cruise control and climate controls, were all within arms reach. The faux carbon fiber trim added to the interiors basic design, giving it that extra flare that I yearned for on the exterior. I suppose you cant win them all.

Price-point wise, everyone wins. The Ralliart is one of the most economic in its class at $17,997, alongside the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V priced just below at $17,500 and Toyota Corolla XRS at $17,455. With the sun and sound package the Lancers MSRP came to $19,397. What a great price for a great car. Others in its class, like the $20,450 Dodge Neon SRT-4, $19,070 Honda Civic Si, $19,820 Saturn Ion Quad Coupe Red Line, and $19,899 MINI Cooper S, dont offer much more performance for the additional coin - OK, the Saturn and Dodge go like jackrabbits but the others dont feel as quick as the Ralliart. For the money, its a fantastic car. Only the $16,615 Mazda3 s GT offers as much for even less money. Choosing between the two would be tough.

When it all comes down to it, the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart proved to be one of the best cars that Ive driven in its class. Although I feel it lacks in exterior aesthetics, it looks a fair bit like an EVO, which is pretty awesome on its own. And like the EVO, the Ralliart compensates for its function-over-form styling in every other way.