Mitsubishi News

tiff_c · January 2008

Can't say much other than what I've heard but I have not met anyone who owns a Mitsubishi who hasn't had problems with either the car or the dealership which has steered me away from buying one. They might be better than before but the last one I owned was problematic. That was a long time back tho.
Big thing is I had to make a choice, neither the EVO or the Ralliart are out yet at this point so I will wait and see. I'm actually considering a Prius due to all the highway driving I do, now that th wife has a performance car.
I'll not be buying anything for at least 6 months so we shall see.

toomanyfumes · January 2008

I thought a hybrid was better if you did a lot of city driving, the mileage difference isn' t all that much on the highway compared to a gas vehicle.

iluvmysephia1 · January 2008

situation. I took it in to a local service place here in town to repair the left front tire. Turns out that is the same tire as was on the left rear before they did the 7,500 mile tire rotation. So that tire took a nail in the sidewall, was repaired, and eventually was rotated to the left front position. So, that knocks me down to technically just two flat tires so far on my '08 Lancer GTS.

This guy said that if I would've come in to him with that tire needing a repair, he would've just ordered a new tire for it, because sidewall repairs are kind of dicey and especially so with performance tires.

But, since the original repair was made with the "rope" type of plug (at another shop in town) and was already done, but now is leaking very slowly, they would try and repair the tire. So it has been done.

I will just drive it and see what happens, he said he would be happy to order one 18" Dunlop, just call him up and give him the correct tire size, and he'd install it, if that situation should be necessary. He will not guarantee the flat repair on that tire.

So there I go. I'll let y'all know what happens...still not what I would call a defect in my '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS. I do shudder to think what one of these Dunlop's might cost for just one of them. :surprise:

psychogun · January 2008

Not sure what's happening to your tire... In the past 9 months I've had to fix or replace three tires (one on our Civic, two on our Odyssey) because of nails and other road debris due to the incessant construction in the greater Phoenix metro area. Really frustrating...

tiff_c - Mitsubishi Reliability: Personal experiences with various brands will run the gambit from good to bad (be it Toyota, Honda or Mitsubishi). The reputation for Mitsubishi having poor (or less than average) reliability has more to do with the misinformed/ignorant/biased media incessantly trying to bash that misconception into average Joe's head. A lot of this comes from J.D. Power et al. type survey-based research. These surveys are very poor indicators of actual quality and/or reliability, since they essential test people's memory about their perceptions in regards to the experience with their vehicle. Margin of error, individuals' varying degree of tolerance to issues, age, minimal sample size requirements for bit players (like Mitsubishi, Subaru, etc.), etc. further erode the significance of these survey results.
A statistically more meaningful alternative (because a real numbers are used) would be the following:
http://www.reliabilityindex.co.uk/man_index_2.html?apc=3128339010848601&country=- - - - - usa&searchtype=relindex
This is by no means perfect (i.e. lack of detail, could be more transparent regarding methodology, etc.), but it is more scientific and based on real money spent, problems had and repairs made.
If you go to the British side of the site, important details like average age and average mileage of the vehicles by manufacturer can be obtained.
Hope this is of use and help.

iluvmysephia1 · January 2008

first of all, I have a question for you. Were you scared when those guys that were shooting at people were on the loose? Glad they found them, anyway. Talk about nutty and scary stuff from Phoenix.

So you've had three in the last 9 months in the greater Phoenix area and I've had two in Willcox and Cochise County in the last 10 months. There is a bit of new construction going on in Willcox, too, probably plays in to it.

Also, I agree with you on your comment about Mitsubishi perceived reliability. Kind of the same thing Hyundai/Kia go through due to bad experiences long ago with the Hyundai Excel. Although they've vastly improved people still think of the nasty days of the Excel and can't get over it. Although I can't think of a sling of Mitsubishi's with bad reliability problems, though. There is a group at my work that must have some great personal experience with Mitsu because they praise their reliability very much.

tiff_c · January 2008

I thought a hybrid was better if you did a lot of city driving, the mileage difference isn't all that much on the highway compared to a gas vehicle

No hybrids do pretty well on the highway as well. They owe it more to aerodynamics than anything. The hybrid system is pretty good but mostly with all the cops out even in the winter and the summer is worse, not much point in doing a ton of highway miles in a high performance car. i did it since 2002, but now the company is scaling back my mileage and in a year I'll have to make a change to something more fuel efficient for work. At least I'm down to about 30K a year for work. :sick:
Hopefully that will be less, in the future

tiff_c · January 2008

tiff_c - Mitsubishi Reliability: Personal experiences with various brands will run the gambit from good to bad (be it Toyota, Honda or Mitsubishi). The reputation for Mitsubishi having poor (or less than average) reliability has more to do with the misinformed/ignorant/biased media incessantly trying to bash that misconception into average Joe's head. A lot of this comes from J.D. Power et al. type survey-based research. These surveys are very poor indicators of actual quality and/or reliability, since they essential test people's memory about their perceptions in regards to the experience with their vehicle. Margin of error, individuals' varying degree of tolerance to issues, age, minimal sample size requirements for bit players (like Mitsubishi, Subaru, etc.), etc. further erode the significance of these survey results.

Sorry, but people I work with and friends as well as forums on the Internet tend to be valuable sources on info. Now if the Honda or Toyota dealer was saying that it would be different. Also JD Powers doesn't rank them too highly.
However the dealerships are their biggest weakness. Most are a pain to deal with and we have 3 Mitsu dealerships in my area 1 is very far and the others aren't too bad. Granted I haven't owned a Mitsu in a few years but bad experiences die hard. Take VW (please) for instance, no way I'd ever buy another after all the times they've burned me. Nothing could ever convince me to buy a VW again. I'd also have serious doubts about even taking one for free if I had to maintain it.
I'm hoping Mitsubishi has done a better job lately as I might just get a Ralliart, but the proof is in the test drive. We will need another car within a year.

psychogun · January 2008

Friends and family certainly are a valuable resource, statistically speaking however, their experiences may not necessarily be representative. I can't help but think of the DSM community that felt they could beat on their cars and then expect Mitsubishi to fix their cars.
Forums on the internet are of questionable value since it is very easy to misrepresent oneself as well as the experiences had.
Regarding J.D. Power, as I mentioned, they do not produce particularly meaningful research.
I do agree with you that Mitsubishi dealerships are the company's biggest weakness. Two dealerships I have dealt with have had very high sales rep turnover. Dealership customer service really needs to improve. With sales increasing, hopefully both Mitsubishi and the dealerships will not only attract better talent but also provide better training.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2008

I have access to a Mitsu dealer's warranty statistics and I can assure you these cars do not accrue very much warranty work. The bad image of Mitsubishi is a carry-over from their association with Chrysler back in the 1990s.

I would buy one without hesitation if I cared for their products, but alas, I don't.

iluvmysephia1 · January 2008

confidence in the Japanese carmaker and makes me quell with anticipation as to what they will build next. In particular, I am really interested in what Mitsu can come up with as far as all-electric vehicles. I am really willing to jump this futures traders crapwagon and fling the oil lead weight off for good.

I know that producing an all-electric rig will cause waste and pollution. That's not good but that's not the reason I'm excited about electric vehicles. I want to be able to charge my rig up and go. And not be tied to needing some ghastly station with overly-hyperly-inflated ghastly prices that are fake and temporary. Tired of it. Ready for a large change.

I think Mitsubishi may very well be my company to continue buying from, unless Kia can come up with something better. I remain enamored with South Korean Kia Motors and their new design Chief, Peter Schreyer(from Audi). He is coming up with some great new designs and one of the cars designed before he even got to Kia, the cee'd, is winning awards in Europe faster than Britney Spears can shed hair and clothes and sanity. Bank on it.

I will even buy one of those "bubble" shaped electric vehicles that I have seen Mitsubishi concepts of. I'll sacrifice some body design beauty, as in the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, yes, as a prime example out of any rig on the open market today, for some forward-reaching thinking. Thinking that will fling the tight hold of oil and ghastly away like an errant Allan Iverson 3-point shot. Bring 'em on, Asian dudes.

If Ford can build the new Verve/Fiesta(based on the Mazda2 platform)successfully, intelligently and economically, and even create an electrically-powered Verve, I'm there for a test drive, too. The Mitsubishi hold on me now is as strong as a Kevin Durant jump shot, though.

Swish!

oldfarmer50 · January 2008

I'd like to thank all the posters on this board for all the valuable information they have shared over the last few months. It really helped me decide to purchase a 2008 Eclipse GT in Rave Red. Similar in color to iluv's Rally Red Lancer.

Car is beautiful and fast. Handles pretty well too. I've already left a few patches of rubber where I got a little too enthusiastic.

Mike, I can still come over and let you drive it but it only has two pedals (thank my bad knee for that).

mikevegas06 · January 2008

Congrats oldfarmer!!!! Did you get it without the sunroof and with stability control (I think that's what you were considering)?
Hey man, the sportsshift (or whatever Mitsu calls it) actually gets better MPG than the manual -- but you knew that

I can't fault anyone for opting for today's automatics since they're vastly better than the ones available 10 years ago plus, most of them have the manual gate. Besides, driving a stick in traffic is no fun.

oldfarmer50 · January 2008

"...Did you get it without the sunroof and with stability control..."

I would have loved the sunroof option because it's part of a package that has that 450 watt sound system. I even gave it one final try on the test drive but my big head kept rubbing against the headliner. So I went with the base model. The stability control option only comes on the SE trim. That's the psudo-pimped out Eclipse with the stupid big wing on the back. I didn't want to drive a clown car so I had to pass on that.

As to the transmission, I considered a standard but I drive a manual shift school bus on my other job and that really kills my knee. (thank you farm work). Besides, my boy-racer days are pretty much behind me now. I wanted a sporty car rather than a true sports car. The Eclipse is faster and handles better than any car I've ever owned so I'm happy.

Great deal on the purchase too. 0% for 5 years. I put $100 deposit on my credit card and drove it away. The Mitsu sales staff didn't try too many tricks. The only thing they told me that I didn't quite believe was that they couldn't order the car because production on the 2008 Eclipse has stopped :confuse: . They used that to justify doing a dealer trade which I guess was OK because I got the car 6 weeks earlier.

toomanyfumes · January 2008

Congrats on your Eclipse. I know what you mean about sunroofs on cars, they pinch the headroom on most I've tried. I was checking out the new Malibu's the other day for a possible replacement for my '95 T-Bird, but it had a sunroof and my head almost touched the ceiling.

Luckily my '07 Outlander has a sunroof and plenty of headroom.

mikevegas06 · January 2008

"The Mitsu sales staff didn't try too many tricks"

Cool. Do you plan to take it back to the dealer for service or will you use an independent/chain auto service shop?
If it weren't for the constrictive service hours (8:00 - 6:00) of my local dealer, I'd consider it. There just seems to be more flexibility with the repair shops when it comes to service hours. The place I use is a chain and they're open from 7 am to 8 pm Mon - Fri and something like 8 am to 6 am on Sat/Sun. And the prices are better.
The other thing that bothers me (and this goes for my local Honda dealer as well) is that the dealership always applies pressure to buy more services that I want. Why can't I get an oil change/tire rotation every 5k miles without the dealership telling me that I'm gonna ruin the car? They want you to maintain your car according to the "severe conditions maintenance schedule" no matter how the vehicle is driven. Just a peeve of mine.
Has the wifey driven it yet? How do you like that adaptive transmission? I thought it was just sales talk, but it actually works.

oldfarmer50 · January 2008

"...Do you plan to take it back to the dealer for service..."

I'm willing to try them. The dealer is near one of my jobs and they provide loaners so that's a plus. For routine stuff I might use my local independent shop. My family has been doing business with them for 3 generations so I trust them. Cheaper too.

"...Has the wifey driven it yet?..."

No she hasn't and I'm kind of peeved at her. She told me "I don't dare drive it because if I ever scratch it you'll kill me". She better damn well drive it. I gave up a 6-speed for her. How's that for true love?

"...How do you like the adaptive transmission?..."

I'm wondering how that works. I usually drive like an old fart but every once in a while I like to let 'er rip. Can the transmission tell when I'm in the mood or will I have to drive like a maniac all the time? I'm still reading the owner's manual so I don't know.

toomanyfumes · January 2008

I'm taking mine in for Oil/Filter tomorrow. I got a notice for a 7500 mi. service, whatever that is (probably tire rotate and overall inspection) but I'll tell them just the oil change. I plan on using my independent mechanic for most routine stuff, also. He said he'd do the 30K service, which requires fluid changes in the Trans. and transfer case, among other things.

For the oil and filter, it's only a few more dollars at the dealer, plus I know I get a genuine Mitsu filter, and they wash it, too.

mikevegas06 · January 2008

Sounds like a good plan to me. I guess you're right, though -- having the dealership perform the oil change/tire rotation is not gonna break the bank. Especially since you get the complimentary car wash.

mikevegas06 · January 2008

You and toomanyfumes got me to thinking about the dealerships, and I guess it's not such a bad idea to give them a few dollars on the basic stuff every now and then. They do have good doughnuts at my local Mitsu store

Oh yeah. My wife speaks that Venus language too. Every time, I think that I'm understanding and considerate, the curve ball is thrown! Once your wife finally drives it, you might not be able to get her out.

"I'm still reading the owner's manual so I don't know..."
I thought that I was the only one on Earth who read the owner's manual! YES! I'm not alone!!!
The adaptive transmission works well. If you drive leisurely, then it shifts early. If you feel like being more aggressive, then it shifts late. The manual gate works well, too. It will not upshift on it's on, so you can bang on the rev limiter if you want. It will downshift automatically as to prevent the car from stalling.
Enjoy and keep us posted oldfarmer.

iluvmysephia1 · January 2008

the complimentary car wash after my last oil change at the Mitsu dealer was an awesome wash...the car has stayed clean for a week afterwards!

Congratulations oldfarmer on your brand new Mitsubishi Eclipse. Great choice! And what a color, huh? You'll be happy with the color I think.

Yeah, today I was playing with my Lancer's paddle shifters. Really getting the motor to growl and revving it up, great fun this CVT with 6 paddle shifter "speeds."

The car handles so well. My left front tire, the last one to need a repair, is holding air like a champ and the only thing I might do for my Lancer GTS in Rally Red now might be to clean it some more, including vacuuming out the interior, wiping down the interior surfaces, buffing out the dog claw scratches on the right C-pillar, shining up the wheels with some of my wheel and rim wipes, and even touching up a few paint chip spots on the car that I'm watching like a hawk. Just some basic detailing work. Some honey-do projects in the kitchen and putting a shed up in the yard will need my immediate attention as I start my week off from work now.

How 'bout the NY Giants upsetting the Pats this weekend, too? Would that be nice or what?

mikevegas06 · February 2008

This is all the Mitsu website reported...

Mitsubishi Motors Reports January Sales
February 1, 2008 -- CYPRESS, Calif. --
Mitsubishi Motors today announced January 2008 sales of 7,226, a 23.0% decrease compared to January 2007.

Galant was the volume leader at 2,144 units sold, an increase of 29.6 % over January last year.

Eclipse Spyder sales were 686, up 124% from last January.

Mitsu Meida Website

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

new car sales industrywide will be down 8-10% from 2007 sales. I pulled that figure right off the top of my head from several articles I've read in the past several weeks, so, if you know better than this do chime in and correct me. Point being that Mitsubishi Motors North America is expecting that industry-wide new car sales will be diminished in 2008 right from the get-go.

I'll have to go study that report later, I wonder if people are holding off a bit on buying new '08 Lancers, maybe waiting for the new '09 Ralliarts or '09 Lancers or '08 Lancer Evolution X's.

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...You'll be happy with the color I think..."

Yea, I wanted something dramatic. There's one thing about a jazzy color I never considered. As I was driving home from the dealership a BMW 325i which had been following me for several miles pulled up along side at a light and began to rev his engine. I hadn't owned it for 15 minutes and I was being invited to race! LOL.

As for the Giants beating the Pats I don't see it happening. We have some rabid Giants fans at work and they are going to be impossible to live with come Monday.

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...January sales of 7,226..."

That's a bit of a disappointment. I hope they do better next month. I did my best to help out.

I think the Galant was the top seller because they had a $2500 rebate. Rebates that high are not a good sign. Perhaps they want to move units because they don't want people waiting for the 2009 redesign.

My salesman said that they are seeing a lot of deadbeats coming in lately. I guess anybody with good credit is holding on to their money and not buying cars. This may be a bad year for all car makers, not just Mitsu.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

yep, that's the early prognosis, that 2008 is gonna be a creepy crawler year industrywide, as was 2007 for that matter.

Did you engage in to that race, oldfarmer, or let it go? Your Eclipse does look like a racecar.

That rebate was necessary for the '07 Galant(or perhaps you meant a 2008 Galant, even) because Mitsubishi really needs to build a new Galant, one like that concept I posted a picture of on this thread a few months ago. Something bold, modern and new for the Galant. Actually, I kind of like that current Galant body design, but if I wanted that size of car I'd wait for the new Galant design to come out, yes.

As for the NY Giants upsetting the NE Patriots, no, I agree, it ain't gonna happen. 18-0 and then an upset...by the NY Giants in the Super Bowl. Nope, this is an instance where desire will not be able to overcome superior talent. Cheating on teams practicing an outstanding sin does not erase an incredible season so far, and Brady to Moss and the rest should prevail and cap the season with a Big Boy victory tomorrow. Gonna be fun to watch as the Giants are severe scrappers on defense and Eli Manning is really coming on and maturing this season. Enjoy it everyone!

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...Did you engage in that race..."

No, I had to let it go. It says right in the owner's manual: "Please do not behave like a dang fool during the break-in period."

BTW, the $2500 rebate is for the 2008 Galant including the Raliart Galant. I was tempted because my dealer had one in Rally Red on the lot. I still went with the Eclipse because the 0% financing will save me over 4K.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

and if a coupe will work for you guys all the more better for saving any cash on the initial purchase. I need 4 doors(or 5-door hatchback models)like my Lancer or I would also be interested in vehicles like the Eclipse, Tiburon or even the hot new Genesis Coupe.

The new Galant concept that Mitsubishi was showing about a month or two ago on the net looks interesting, as do some of their new hatchback concepts. They both have the new Lancer's kind of nose to them, that is a definite new design direction for Mitsubishi, one that I find particularly pleasing, too.

Everybody enjoy the Super Bowl, I'm pulling for the Giants to upset the nasty Patriots. I don't like the NY Giants any more than I like the Dallas Cowboys, but it's just not right for any NFL team to go undefeated throughout an entire season. :surprise:

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

Chicago Auto Show. Here's a look at the new coupe:

Updates include revised front and rear styling.

The big change for the coming year is a new dual exhaust system for the Eclipse GT, which will bump its output on the 3.8L V6 engine to 265 hp and torque to 262 lb-ft. The V6 can be connected to either a standard 6-speed manual or an optional Sportronic five-speed automatic with manual shift ability.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse GT will also feature standard stability control, HID headlamps and a large rear spoiler, that is shown above. All of the Eclipse models feature standard four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution. The GT will get larger ventilated rear discs.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

there is also a new Mitsubishi Galant model debuting at the Chicago Auto Show. There's lots of new Galant feature information and you can read up on that introduction here. It should look much like the old Galant to you but I would recommend reading the story and looking at the pictures to get all of the scoop on it. Here's a link to that information:

http://paxtech.blogspot.com/

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...Here's a look at the new coupe..."

Sure...now you show me.

Actually, those photos make me glad I got the 2008. That blacked out grill looks similar to the one on the Eclipse Raliart concept they did a few years ago. Looks like some of the products from Audi and VW. I hate that wing on the new one, yuck. Better rear brakes and a few more horses with dual exhaust sounds nice.

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...There's lots of new Galant feature information..."

What about that Lancer prototype-S? That looks like what the Eclipse should have been. Very sharp.

rcpax · February 2008

The Lancer Prototype-S (to debut in Geneva) is the new Lancer Ralliart for Europe, which from the pictures, is a hatchback, while the US will initially have the 4 door sedan version (debuted in Detroit), though the hatchback might make it to the US if the demand is strong.

The new redesign for the Eclipse will be what the Concept-RA is to become. It is possible we will see another prototype concept prior to the final model. The new Eclipse might be the very first "clean diesel" car from Mitsubishi for the US market, hinting from what's powering the Concept-RA.

mikevegas06 · February 2008

Hey, "iluvmymitsu"

Thanks for posting that site. I really like the revised back end of the Galant. The front is OK. I'm really not feeling the chrome surround though. Guess it's an attempt to grab more attention.
Yep, 2008 is gonna be a tough year for the everybody. At least Mitsu's January decline was significantly less that that of December.

psychogun · February 2008

The decline was not as bad as December, but it sure is still quite ugly.

I'm guessing a lot of potential buyers are sitting on the sidelines for a few reasons:

1) 4-cylinder Outlander

2) 2.4l 4-cylinder Lancer GTS

3) It's the economy stupid :P

PS: Sorry, I just had to out that last one...

Mr_Shiftright · February 2008

My local dealer did okay in December. He's dealing with the economy by taking in a bigger stock of used cars.

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...My local dealer did okay..."

There are two Mitsu dealers in my area. I recently saw some local sales figures that indicated that between the two of them they sold a little over 300 new cars in 2007. That's sad.

They must be leaning heavily on used cars too. I don't know how you could stay open on 150 new cars each.

mikevegas06 · February 2008

Mitsubishi Motors Announces 3Q FY2007 Financial Results & Full-year Forecasts.

Click here for entire press release
Did not want to fill this post with the entire press release so here are some excerpts:

Mitsubishi Motors reported that consolidated net sales in the first nine months of fiscal 2007 (April 1 through December 31, 2007) totaled $18.25 billion (one trillion 947.3 billion yen), a 26 percent increase of $3.78 billion (403.2 billion yen) over the same period last fiscal year ($14.47 billion or one trillion 544.1 billion yen). The gain stems principally from higher sales of vehicles in Europe and in Asia and other regions and from favorable yen exchange rates.

In North America, the company sold 134,000 vehicles in the nine months from April through December, up 11,000 over the same period last year. Sales in the United States for October through December were down 3,000 units year-on-year, impacted by increased market competition stemming from growing uncertainty about the future of the United States economy due to the sub-prime loan problem. The gain in sales for the period is attributable to factors including continued firm sales of the new Outlander and new Lancer models and to higher sales in Canada. In Europe, Mitsubishi Motors sold 254,000 vehicles, a 23 percent year-on-year growth in volume of 48,000. This gain was attributable to fast sales of the new Outlander and new Lancer, with the fast expanding Russian, Ukrainian and other East European markets acting as the main engine driving the growth.

Mitsubishi Motors leaves its full-year net income forecast of $187 million (20 billion yen) unchanged as it expects to make up extraordinary losses incurred through the closure of its production facility in Australia by raising the profitability of its operations.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

one can be proud of!

Here again is the new 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse. That color of yellow with that front grille treatment, the Mitsubishi logo in chrome kind of disappearing inside, is growing on me here. Nicely done, Mitsubishi!

An observation...clearance with the bodykit, like on my '08 Lancer GTS, is not a whole lot. When coming to one of the street crossings in my little town, I have to slow down a lot. If I don't, I hear the "crunch" of the overhanging kit scraping the street. Never a severe "crunch", just a little scrape to let you know the kit is there.

mikevegas06 · February 2008

Oh, I agree, the updated Eclipse is a nice "evolution" of the current generation. I think that the non-GT models will have a body colored front bumper. It's gonna be interesting to see how that contrast impacts the visual cohesiveness of the front end. The only Eclipse that didn't really appeal to me was the third generation.

Hey iluvmy..., I got to take a long look at a Lancer GTS yesterday while I was in a fast food restaraunt. Man, it certainly is a good looking machine. The guy was in the drive through (that had a long line) so it really gave me a chance to admire it. Blue is not one of my favorite colors, but it did look good on the GTS due to the nice angles/creases that it has.

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...one can be proud of..."

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. I don't care for the new grill. Maybe it will look better in person but in the pictures it looks like a big empty hole. I've got a problem with that wing too. I suppose it will appeal to the younger driver but old farts like me like the more subdued current one.

Maybe I'm just biased because I have a 2008 but I would like to see Mitsu do something more than cosmetic changes to the Eclipse. Get rid of the cast-iron engine block to get weight off the nose, for example.

Eclipse sales are down to about 1000 per month (from a high of 2500). I think they have to do more under the skin.

mikevegas06 · February 2008

"...I would like to see Mitsu do something more than cosmetic changes..."

Mitsu has upped the horsepower from 263 to 265 by adding that dual exhaust! Imagine the oohs and ahhs of others whenever they see that 09 Eclipse and think -- "That car's got a whole 2 more horsepower under the hood"

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

treatment of the '09 Eclipse GT that has grabbed me by the eyelashs and gotten me to do a double-take. I like how they shaped the gaping black hole in the center diammetrically off to each side, with the Mitsu logo in chrome inside the black area. Looks very shagadelic to me.

I agree, mikevegas06, it will be fun to take a gander at the '09 Mitsubishi Eclipse non-GT models and see how they do the front end. It was the last picture of the yellow Eclipse I posted above that just grabbed my attention...it grew on me the more I looked at it. The rear spoiler is large, but heck, the rear spoiler on my '08 Lancer GTS is substantial, too, but I think Mitsu did a good job with it and although it's not something I pine for, I would rather have it than not have it on my '08 Lancer GTS.

fintail · February 2008

That's a big gaping maw of a mouth there. Surely something else could have been done with that black bar. The headlights remind me of pokemon eyes, too.

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...a whole 2 more horsepower under the hood..."

Good point. But at least that is an effort to change the car itself rather than just the look of the car. My problem with Mitsu's efforts is that the criticism of the Eclipse by enthusiasts has been very consistent, they fault the engine, the handling and the weight. I've never heard anyone bashing the looks.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

tough crowd.

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

"...tough crowd..."

Just tough love.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

I wanna share something with you's. Take a look at this Mitsubishi link. It tells a lot about the company we have given a bunch of our cash to. Notably their intense love for racing their vehicles and not only racing them, but winning the races. I like that racing heritage and the fact that they engineer in changes from things they learn on the racecourse. Check out the different decades and what has happened in each of them.

Note the original Mitsubishi motor car in production came out in 1917 and was based on a Fiat not a Ford, this being strange because of the Henry name designation Mitsubishi gave it. The write-up says that Mitsu learned from Italian Fiat because they were huge and out ahead of everyone else(in their humble opinions, of course)in the 1910-1920 time period. Humm, that was news to me but looking at the early Ford's and Oldsmobile's maybe that is truth. Check it out--I think you'll enjoy the read.

http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/corporate/museum/e/index.html

oldfarmer50 · February 2008

I noticed something strange when I looked at my Eclipse registration. It say the weight is 3381. All the media says the Eclipse GT weighs between 3472 and 3528 depending on which source you use. I can't figure where the extra weight went unless the reviewers were counting the weight of a full gas tank.

Iluv, do you see any difference in your Lancer's weight between published and actual figures? The only reason this is of interest to me is that the Eclipse has been bashed because of it's weight. I'd hate to think the auto press was making up numbers. :confuse:

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

hey, I'll pop in to my glovebox and look at the weight on my Lancer's registration later today. We're doing some yardwork so I'll check it out a tad later. Kind of interesting, though, I forget what the press has said my '08 Lancer GTS weighs.

That shouldn't be hard to find online with all of the reviews I've bookmarked on the '08 Lancer in my 'Favorites.' I'll check it out and get back on here to let you know.

I know that the day before yesterday we drove to Sierra Vista, AZ, and it was very windy on the freeway. The Lancer GTS held tight to the road and didn't even start to blow off track. A side attribute to weighing a bit more is steady tracking in blustery winds.

iluvmysephia1 · February 2008

I hopped in to my Lancer GTS and grabbed my vehicle registration and...it didn't have my Lancer's weight listed! Why not, I ask? You may ask, too.

I looked on the driver's door sill and I got what my Lancer's tire pressure is supposed to be: 32 p.s.i. Ok, kinda knew that already.

I looked in my Lancer's manual and they also don't list my '08 Lancer GTS' weight! They do, however list what the GVVR weigh is, and, when I subtract the maximum passenger weight from that weight I get 3,252 lbs.

I then went to all the online articles I've bookmarked and to some others I Googled. Here are some interesting weights from the reviewer's articles on the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS.

Car Connection says it's curb weight is 3,032 lbs. Autobytel and Edmunds say the Japanese compact's curb weight is 3,109 lbs. Road and Track says 2,999 lbs.! Motor Trend lists the curb weight as 3,032 lbs., which matches what Edmunds and Car Connection says. So, in conclusion, I can say my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS weighs approximately 3, 085 lbs. That is computed by adding all the weights up and dividing by the number of sources sought and found.

What is perplexing is why my vehicle registration doesn't list the car's weight. Isn't that something you can count on, like death, taxes and an occasional Led Zeppelin reunion tour? Well, I'll find out soon because March 2008 is my license renewal month and hopefully the new paperwork will show the '08 Lancer GTS' weight.

From looking at these numbers it appears the press got conflicting numbers. But since my initial vehicle registration does not show my car's weight on it I can't make a complete comparison. :mad:

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