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For those that are Eclipse fans as I am, this car drives like a dream. I currently own a 2000 RS, and before that had a 1990 plymouth laser RS, the 2006 GT is obviously a night and day driving experiance compared to those other 2 cars. Acceleration was fast, and the gears shifted smoothly. I even got the chance to test out the brakes because someone in a minivan thought they could beat me as they made a left turn out of a side street. The car slowed very nicely and I was able to make a quick turning manuever to avoid the van. This was nice because my biggest complaint with my 2000 RS is the brakes. That car just does not want to stop due to it's rear wheel drums. The interior of the car is much nicer than the 2000 model, and appears to have a much higher quality. The seats were extremely comfortable, and while the seat did have height adjustment, I think I read somewhere that is not available on the GS. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
There are a couple things I did not like about the car. The first being the gauges. They seemed much smaller than the older model, and a little hard to read. I've seen reviews that mention they are much easier to read at night time when they are lit up. I also did not like the placement of the side view mirrors. To me, it just felt like I had to turn my head too far to the left to see out of the mirror. I did not have any trouble seeing out of the rear view mirror, but there is a huge blind spot when looking over your left shoulder to change lanes. I feel it is even larger than the blind spot in the last version of the car.
I had narrowed my new car search down to the 06 eclipse and the 350Z. The eclipse costs about $2K less, and comes with a substantially better warranty. I test drove a 2004 Z last spring, and while the Z outperforms the new eclipse, take a look at the 350 Z forums and you'll see they plagued with a variety of problems. Factoring in my previous good experiances with Mitsubishi (I've driven the 2000 RS for 111,000 miles with no complaints), the better warranty and price, I will probably be calling up the dealer tomorrow moring to put a bow on it for me. The dealer was asking MSRP for the car and will not offer any deals on it, other than the manufactures $500 loyalty discount if you already own a mitsubishi.
Loren
As far as resale, no mass production car truly holds it's value that much better than another. I bought a 2001 Eclipse, used, for $19K, drove it for 4 years and got $12,500 on a trade. Everyone warned me about Mitsu resale numbers, but that's the best I've ever done on a car. I don't even consider resale when I'm shopping - buyers and the market are way too fickle to predict. Hence, I bought an rx8.
I'm a big fan of the Eclipse - I like the older ones, the model I had, and I think the new one looks great. I hope to be an owner of the Spyder when it arrives next spring. I'm busting my hump to pay off the 8 so I don't have to trade!!
Good luck with your purchase!
PS My Mitsu dealer is selling Eclipses for $1,000 UNDER MSRP.
You might also want to ask in our Aftermarket & Accessories Forum.
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In US, the 2006 Eclipse GS is MSRP US$19,399 (C$23,000) and the "Sun & Sound Package" is US$1500 (C$1770).
When I went to the Mitsubishi dealership in Vancouver, I was totally shocked that they simply add another 10% on top of the US price (i.e. C$25,500) and add another 69% on the "Sun & Sound Package" (i.e. C$3000).
I showed them the US price & asked the dealership how they can rip-off Canadian customers like this. Instead of giving me any reasons or try to negotiate the price, they simply tell me that it is their company's policy & I can either take it or leave it.
I was really astonished with the way Mitsubishi treat their customers. I can imagine what will happen if I buy a Mitsubishi Eclipse & have to put up with that type of treatment everytime I take the car to the dealership for repairs or service.
There are many choices on the market, I don't think I can trust Mitsubishi who treat customers like that. It will be sad to get stuck with them after buying the car from their dealer.
As for Consumer Reports not reviewing the Eclipse I don't think they have even test drove the 2006 Eclipse because its new and it just got on the market. I heard Hyundai dealers were demanding MSRP for the new 06 Sonata when it first and nobody is going to pay that for a Sonata.
I'm sure there's some pent up demand for the 2006 Eclipse from current Eclipse owners, but that's it. The 2006 Eclipse has received mediocre reviews which is why I've probably seen so few people driving them in Southern California. Eclipses were popular 3-4 years ago because Mitsubishi literally gave them away with the now infamous 0-0-0 financing. Many people literally walked away from the cars when they had to start making payments. Others were furious when they found out how much upside down they were on their car loans when they tried to trade them in after a few years. Consumer Reports said that the Eclipse has one of the highest rates of depreciation for any car--something like 75% in five years.
The Last CR issue I have is from from late last year. Does CR have the new book out already for 05 reliability ratings? I know 04 models CR did not have enough data to rate the Galant, Eclipse, and Outlander. They did however have a picture and a review from the Galant for the new Eclipse. The Galant and Eclipse are based on the same platform.
"I'm sure there's some pent up demand for the 2006 Eclipse from current Eclipse owners, but that's it. The 2006 Eclipse has received mediocre reviews which is why I've probably seen so few people driving them in Southern California."
Well the Eclipse gets the citicism its not the hot road machine that it was in the 90's. I know about the 0-0-0. I didn't see the high depreciation rate of the previous Eclipse in CR magazine. Reviews of cars are sometimes are misleading. Alot of Mazda's get great reviews but that doesn't equate to alot of sales except for the 3. Nissan gets the critcism for cheap interiors in their current cars but they may break the 1 million sales mark for the first time in their history.
As for depreciation on mitsus, i bought a 2001 eclipse spyder gt used in dec 2001, paid $20,000, drove it until march 2005, traded for a 2004 rx8, and got $12,500 for the eclipse on trade. I don't think that's too bad. You wanta talk depreciation, go out and buy one of these super-mass-produced so-so cars (like a grand am) and see what resale is. When there are a few thousand to pick from even in the smallest of areas, they are worth squat minus 10 !!
Nobody should pay over retail for this car. It will drop like a lead hawk the minute the rubber touches the street.
However, that is exactly the point :
You have to understand the reason why I want to buy the new Eclipse in the first place...it is not because the Eclipse is a good or reliable car, it is not because it has good resale value, it is not because of its performance......
To tell you the truth, the only reason why I was attracted to buy a new 2006 Eclipse is because it (in its own way) looks a bit "unique" & "handsome"....and I am a lusty kind of guy who want to be the first to own the first Eclipse when there is only very few of them on the street.
To be honest, once its new car smell is gone (i.e. if I see more Eclipses running around on the street), you will not be able to drag me into the dealership with a thousand horses.
In the past, I was a Mitsu fan. It is sad that Mitsu got lousy & greedy dealers in Vancouver. My lust to own the car has already been turned-off by their greed.
in volume. And next year the Saturn Sky starts shipping, and that is one sharp looking
sports coupe. Mitsubishi will end up having to discount the Eclipse by thousands of dollars.
I think the biggest hindrance to mitsu sales is the fear that the company will not be around much longer (entirely possible) and the lack of excitement for the company and it's cars at the moment. I have to say that I was very pleased with my 01 eclipse and my first dealership was a bad experience on service, but the 2nd was great to me and my car.
Loren
YTD '05 is 12,499, and again contains a fair number of closeout '05 sales, while YTD last year was 9,195.
25-30 age category. Can they afford a 2006 gt, which with tax and license is going
to cost them $27-30K? I think that one of the primary reasons for the eclipses popularity
before was that it was a relatively inexpensive sports car, especially with the 0-0-0
financing for anyone with a beating heart. Mitsubishi sales started their precipitous decline in 2003 when Mitsubishi had to stop selling cars to people with poor credit histories. We'll have to see what the sales are like over the next few months, but I'm remain skeptical when I can count on one hand the number of 06 eclipses that I've seen so far. And what happens when Mitsubishi needs to start diverting some of its meager advertising budget to the new Raider? Right now it seems that they can only afford to advertise one car at a time. I agree that the biggest hindrance is that many people don't expect Mitsubishi to survive in the US. That includes several friends of mine who work at Mitsubishi headquarters and have either sold or are in process of selling their homes.
As i said earlier, I will consider the 07 spyder when it hits the market. My buying or not buying will depend on: the reputation of the car at that point, the status of the company overall, and, of course, what the convertible looks like.
Yes, I think people in that age range can afford them. I'm 36 and have an rx8 which retailed higher and I am OLD for this car!!
zero down payment, no payments for a year, and 0% interest rate. On top of
that, you could qualify for the loans with a less than stellar credit rating. Remember,
Mitsubishi's sales dropped like a rock in 2003 when they had to stop offering loans
to people without good credit. The credit side of the company had to write off over $1 billion in bad loans, and ended up laying off virtually everybody, as well as selling most of the remaining loan portfolio at a huge loss. Needless to say, Mitsubishi can't afford to offer those same deals anymore.
I agree with you that the 000 probably attracted people who truly could not afford them. They see they can drive the car for a year for "free" and by the time they have to start making payments, well, something really good would happen by that time and they could make the payments when they had to. Not so = bad debt. And, i suspect the people who could afford an eclipse realized how stupid it is to not make payments on a car for a year while it's depreciating rapidly.
Ok, so when we look at all this, whatever possessed Mitsu to make such a stupid offer? To move cars? It doesn't take a Harvard grad to see that moving cars but getting no money is not smart. Seriously, what was the motive behind the 000?
Now you know I like Mitsu, but there is no secret about it: Mitsu USA is in deep, and has been for some time. Looks like it's continuing too, from those early returns on the Eclipse. It's maddening, considering what they can deliver.
The are directionless right now, and the new car, IMO, really emphasizes this. Ithas no idea what it's supposed to be. What's underneath in no way matches what's going on outside. The outside is slippery-stylish and recalls a real sporting image, yet what underpins it is mostly Galant ES in character, which is not all bad, but not a match either.
I wasn't keen on it when I first saw it, but this looks like something they could win a few hearts and minds with (from Autoweek):
Most likely, Europe will get it in early '07. If the current company trend continues, we'll never see it.
The
Civic Si should be out soon.
The Solstice....
xkss, "Pontiac Solstice" #919, 19 Sep 2005 3:39 am
Loren
If you buy a Honda Civic, there are dozens of dealers nearby & there are always someone with the spare part in stock in case you need them. You can shop around for better prices & better service.
If you buy a Mitsu Eclipse, there is only 1 dealer around & there are limited spare parts in stock waiting for your car in case you need them. Your Eclipse may have to sit in their repair shop for weeks waiting for the spare part to be ordered or shipped from hundreds or thousands of miles away. And when it arrives, the sky is their limit when they are preparing your repair bills.
If they are greedy & rip you off when they sell you the car, you can bet that they will be greedy & rip you off when you take the car to the dealer for service or repair.
I rather be boring when I take the Honda for service....than to get excited with the repair bills when I take my Mitsu to the dealer.
A number of posts were removed this evening. Please remember that civil, on-topic discourse is expected here. Posts that don't fit that description will be removed.
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Coupes & Convertibles | Vans & Minivans
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I intend on buying premium when I get my GT but since I will only have to fill up about once a month, the increase in cost isn't going to be that horrible.
The problem I had was over the weekend it started flooding the carpets under the dashboard on passengers side. Took it to the dealer, they said it happened because of a clogged air conditioning drainage. I told them, sice the day I bought this car I have not used the Air Conditioning, how would it get clogged so soon, if at all it does get clogged because of dirt. The answer from dealer was "Sometimes things happen and we fixed it and now you can take the car". I do not understand how they would like to take me a car whose carpets got flooded and bulges out due to dampness. Doesn't it lead to possible rusting and corrosion on the base board or even mold formation.
I am just not ready to take the car and they want me to pick the car by tomorrow.
Please guide me if there is anything that I can do to resolve this issue and get it replaced. I am very unhappy with the state of things with Mitsubishi, about how they train their dealers and deal with customers.
Thank you in advance for any guidance.
-Sunny
When I asked the dealer to expidite this case with Mitsubishi, first of they are reluctant and explains me that under warrantee they will fix the problem and give me the car back. When I asked the car is 12 days old, and they repeasted the same line "Sometimes things happen". I do not understand how would I understand the logic of this explanation.
The air conditioner unit is inside the dashboard & there are a lot of wires & electronic components inside, it is quite possible that moisture had condensed inside the dashboard & may cause rust & corrosion.
Beside rusting on baseboard & mold underneath the carpet, you will also have to worry about rust & corrosion inside the dashboard.
It is a brand new car only 2 weeks old, Mitsubishi should replace it with a new car.
The stated its a clog, and they do not know what was material that clogged it. Their guess was "it could be anything, maybe spider web or dust. But you said you car was covered all the time, so it could be spider web".
First of all I do not understand, if its a air conditioning drainage clog, why would it leak inside, and if at all it does leak it should be because of condensation and that happens only when the air conditioning is on. But in this case I have never switched on the air conditioning. So there is no question of condensation of moist air.
Secondly, if the leak was rain water because of the clog or not, the rain water entering the car itself is a problem in a long run as it is pretty caustic and impure. So I do not understand why the dealer does not think its a big problem.
Yes I had to pick up the car as the arguments with dealer were futile, and in fact the sales manager was off on the day when I was called to go and speak to them. So had to explain the whole situation anew again to Asst. Sales Manager and he said all he can do is pass the message to his manager.
All I am asking the dealer is to cooperate with me to take this case up to Mitsubishi and let the Mistsubishi answer this situation. I want to reach their General Manager, as I was told by the customer rep at Mitsubishi customer service. And that can happen only through the dealer.
I am running out of time, and resources and nothing looks positive. IT looks like a one bad decision to give a chance to Mitsubishi from its down trending business, and buy this PROBLEM.
PS I would, at the very least, make them replace my carpet and floor mats. After the problem has been fixed. Good luck!!
I want to know rain water entering inside, is it serious issue. Dealer says it is not.
I will try to get to that forum posts that you mentioned, but if you can get me any pointers to those popstings that would be great. Thank you very much for the posts lhess and bigal.