2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse Review

Specifications

Va-Va-Voom!

I, for one, think that Mitsubishi is going in the right direction. While Japans oldest automaker experienced some rough waters last year, sales for the first quarter of 2005 are up substantially. Its new cars are wonderful to drive and offer superb value, especially when factoring in its “best backed” warranty claim.

So I suppose I went to San Diego last week expecting a lot from the new Eclipse, a car that is critical to Mitsubishis future profitability and brand image. Fortunately, I was hardly let down. More so, the Eclipse is such a solid effort that it could, along with Fords new Mustang, reinvigorate the sagging personal coupe market segment.

The first thing I want to say is that the Eclipse isnt really a direct competitor to the Mustang. There could be some that might be debating which coupe to buy, and in the end choose one over the other, but traditionally, import sports car fans stick with imports, and domestic enthusiasts buy Mustangs. I suppose now there are other entries, such as the Pontiac G6 coupe, but for the time being Im going to forego the temptation to compare any domestics to the Eclipse, as for most potential buyers it would be an exercise in futility.

Rather, the Eclipse will duel it out with an ever decreasing number of front-wheel drive imported coupes. Now, only the Acura RSX, Hyundai Tiburon and new Scion tC are left to do battle, with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry Solara coupes as potential rivals among less sport-oriented buyers.

The Eclipse offers more daring styling, essential in this class, than any of its competitors, which should go far to get it noticed. The bright red example that joined me for the first leg of my journey pulled quite a few heads, with some straining to see just what it was and others, made knowledgeable by reading internet publications such as this, smiling and nodding in approval.

I especially like the detail Mitsubishi has put into its jewel-like taillamps, which transform at their innermost edges into one of the coolest rear wings ever created. The cars profile starts tall in the rear, and falls in a wedge-like shape as its beltline approaches the front fender. Its overhangs are longer than the concept that appeared a year ago, but its a racy shape nonetheless and up to the task of winning fans.

And as it is with any of its cars, getting on the Eclipse on the radar screens of new car buyers will be Mitsubishis first hurdle. Because once at the dealership, sitting inside, there will be few who go elsewhere. The cars interior layout is open and airy, with more room than the previous model and seats that rival Volvos XC70 for comfort. I covered over three hundred miles during my drive, and my back never gave me any complaint. I heard similar comments from my colleagues.

The seats werent the only features that Mitsubishi got right, mind you, as the steering wheel, featuring audio controls, was also ideally suited to sporting applications, the motorcycle-like gauge pod with its “Ice Blue” illumination was easy to read, for the most part, and the general layout of all controls intuitively designed.

Settling in, I adjusted the mirrors via power remote, locked my seat into position and adjusted the rake and depth of the steering wheel, ready for action. Action is what I got as the upgraded 3.8-liter V6 came to life, now sporting 263-horsepower compared to 230 in non-MIVEC (variable valve control) equipped Galant and Endeavor. What a sweet engine! It pulls so strongly from any gear that it actually inspired a boyish giggle from my tired, overworked body.

As good as the engine is the cars new triple-synchro six-speed manual and 5-speed automatic transmissions are up to the task. The former is a real smooth shifter, featuring short throws and positive increments that immediately made swapping gears an afterthought. The clutch took only a moment to get used to, but after a block or two was as effortless to operate as the rest of the car.

What impressed me most, other than the Eclipses relentless acceleration, is its almost complete lack of torque steer - a tugging on the steering wheel that often comes with powerful, front-wheel drive cars. What does Mitsubishi understand about engineering front-wheel drive cars that eludes Nissan, for instance? Its manually-actuated Maxima can be a handful when hard on the throttle, darting into the opposing lane if youre not holding firmly onto the wheel with both hands. I cant say what the difference between the two cars steering linkages and drivelines are, but once again Mitsubishi got the Eclipse right, and resultantly its a joy to drive fast.

I powered the car up through the coastal mountains that line Southern Californias shoreline, impressed by the grip offered even at extremely high speeds. This is a well balanced car, but being that the chassis it rides upon is derived from the Galant and Endeavor, two of the best handling cars in their respective classes, it came as no surprise that the Eclipse would be good too.

I was surprised, however, at how compliant the ride was. Even with the optional 18-inch alloy rims and 235/45R18 all-season tires - 17-inch aluminum wheels on 225/50R17 all-season tires come standard - it managed bumps, dips and other road irregularities with ease.

Mitsubishi offers a four-cylinder version of the Eclipse dubbed GS, that I was unfortunately unable to drive being that few were available at the event. Rather than a six-speed manual, the GS features a five-speed gearbox, and its optional automatic is also downgraded from five to four forward gears. The journalists I spoke with who had driven it said the GS was very capable in manual and automatic guises, despite delivering nearly 100 horsepower less than the GT, but Ill have to reserve judgment to when I can get behind the wheel myself.

The base car comes with a sizable list of standard features, impressive expected fuel economy of 30 mpg on the highway, and an extremely aggressive starting price of below $20,000, so Im going to take the time to mention a few things about it just the same.

First of all, all of the items usually left unpainted on lesser models, such as door handles and outside mirrors, are color-keyed with the Eclipse GS. Those mirrors are power actuated, by the way, even in the base car. Other unexpected standard features include keyless remote access, power windows and door locks, air conditioning, tilt steering, a leather-wrapped shift knob, a six-way manually adjustable drivers seat with lumbar support, and a 140-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with six speakers.

The Eclipse GS also features standard four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, dual front multistage airbags, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, front curtain airbags, and seatbelt pretensioners, a full array of safety features that require no extra money.

Moving up to the GT, the subject of this test, includes everything offered by the GS as well as the aforementioned engine and transmission upgrades, plus traction control, halogen fog lights, a large muffler cutter and a strut tower bar. Inside, the cars center audio display features an outside temperature display and compass, optional as part of the Sun and Sound package on the GS.

Whats that include? The sun part is easy enough to figure out, being a power actuated tilt and slide glass sunroof. As for sound, it might be the best OEM audio system Ive ever heard. Developed with Rockford Fosgate, the 650-watt mindbender offers the deepest, richest bass along with sensational sibilance, enhancing any genre of music, plus complete personalization of preprogrammed sound settings, said to be an industry first. The package also adds a dash-mounted 6-disc CD changer to the head unit, audio controls to the steering wheel, plus an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

If you want to upgrade a GT with the same audio system and other features of the Sun and Sound package, youll need to specify the Premium Sport Package, which also comes with powered and heated leather front seats, heated mirrors, automatic air conditioning, aluminum pedals and 18-inch wheels and tires.

Will it be the car to bolster the brands beleaguered dealers and return the automaker to profitability? On its own, probably not. But it will do much to enhance Mitsubishis brand image, which should improve showroom traffic and in-turn sell more Lancers, Outlanders, Gallants and Endeavors. The Eclipse should sell well too, of course, but the personal coupe segment is a niche market, compared to small and midsize cars and SUVs, and therefore it can only do so well.

What Id like to see Mitsubishi do from here, is take advantage of its new MIVEC-enhanced V6 and 6-speed manual gearbox by dropping them into Ralliart versions of the Galant and Endeavor. While only a handful of carmakers offer powerful midsize sedans with manual gearboxes, none give the option of an SUV built for enthusiast drivers. Mitsubishi needs to be different than the other brands, to stand out and be recognized for building Lancer EVOs in every market segment. The new Eclipse will go far to do just this, and the entire brand will benefit.

In the end, the Eclipse is a car worthy of your consideration. It drives extremely well, is above average in perceived build quality, looks sensational and comes with a five-year, 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and ten-year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. Its a no-brainer, really. Add to that what should be a very aggressive price strategy, and the Eclipse looks destined to be a winner.