Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I think Mitsubishi should have waited until the quality was good instead of rushing this to market.
" Mitsubishi launches 2006 Eclipse early; automaker counting heavily on new model's success
5/19/05
LOS ANGELES -- Mitsubishi, in an urgent need to revive sales and its brand image in this country, is putting its redesigned 2006 Eclipse coupe on sale 10 days earlier than planned."
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102418
Jason
I wonder if mitsu wouldn't be better off trying to position the eclipse into a more mature sports car offering (I liked the FWD because I drove it year round, but the younger crowd does not like it). I think the spyder should be offered in GT only, make it a true roadster, drop that useless back seat, and compete it with the z4's...
Develop that lancer evo into the tuner car. give it all those things that the tuners want, keep it light, keep it less costly.... I think they are co-mingling them somewhat when it comes to marketing and it just doesn't work for them.
That's not good. On the intro of the G3, there was an almost immediate recall on a battery cable, IIRC, and also on a tranny cooler hose coupling. It affected Dodge and Chrysler variants as well.
Mitsu has an unfortunate history that way. It's part of the overall problem, especially with regard to resale numbers, lease residuals, etc.
Really though, I think that their more recent problems have come from a complete lack of brand identity, and some serious blundering in search of a marketable presence. Certainly, from 2000 up until this Eclipse, I thought their styling direction was abominable at best.
They really did try to position the G3 as a boomer car. Going to a V6 and abandoning the turbo, deleting the AWD, styling to a new audience, easing the cockpit (major mistake to me; the G2 cockpit is the best of any car IMO), etc., all was aimed at broadening the appeal.
The EVO definitely fits the mold: seriously pre-tuned. They have to upgrade the safety ratings on that platform, though. Take the least safe mainstream Japanese sedan available and pump its engine up on steroids? Not a great combo, to my mind! ;-}
But that really leaves them w/o a great sport coupe. I'd keep the V6, only instead of a 3.8, I'd try to massage something smaller and lighter, I'd take some length and height out of the package, and look to shave a good 700 pounds off the finished product. The styling is mostly in the right direction, IMO, but it's still kind of busy. The G2 was much cleaner, with less gratuitous trim and no icky chrome (that's a personal pet peeve, chrome spells t-a-c-k-y to me). I definitely would offer the AWD again. It's the wave of the future, I believe.
So let's see, there is no more Camaro, Celica, 240SX,Prelude, ahhhh, the list goes on and on. Mustang is the last soldier of sporty, great looking and affordable coupes??? Heck, I may get a used sports car again. My used Miata has served me well - a little on the smallish side, but once shoe horned in, fun to drive.
Loren
Im in Ohio. Each dealership around me got 2 cars in over Memorial Wkn......look but cant drive. Didn't even have brochures available yet...still dont. Waiting, waiting waiting for stock to drive/buy but no one can give me a firm date but Im told mid june. Wonder if this has to do with break thing I read above. Prices seemed a bit higher than before. A loaded GT for $28,700. One dealer even mentioned a 5000 markup....I told him thats nuts. Was hoping to wheel and deal a bit but its gonna be tough...dont see them going down for a while, however kinda glad as maybe it will deter the teenagers.....for a while there, thats all I saw driving them and I kinda felt like I was driving a "kid" car. Any thoughts?
Personally, I would not put penny one into any new Mitsu without incentives like crazy, and I'm somewhat of a Mitsu fan!
Oh well, sad to see another car line leaving America, but it is not always an easy market as they think.
Loren
Loren
Although I am also Mitsu fan, this really make me sick. With a lot of choices on the market : Acura RSX, Mazda RX8,...the 2006 Eclipse is really a Rotten deal. I am leaving without turning my head,......Mitsu just lost another customer.
Eclipse is no limited edition exotic car, whats all the rumors about mark-up at the dealer? In fact, there is still a parking lot full of unsold Eclipse (previous model) at the Vancouver dealer, what make them think that this model can sell ?
Right now, all car dealers have problem selling their cars & are giving away discounts & incentives. Don't worry, I am not going to pay any mark-up.
I have to drive my car everyday & I need a reliable one. Mitsu....I would rather have a short factory warranty but I never have to use it, than a long warranty because I really need it (i.e. have to use it all the time). I don't want to get a car which will spend more time in the repair shop than my driveway.
the last generation of the eclipse (2000-2005) lost a lot of fans because it just was not as aggressive as the 1gs or 2gs. A lot of people called it a girls car. again, not trying to be sexist, but most of its buyers are females. i dont wanna offend any men out tehre that are driving it either, looks aside, it still packs a pretty good punch under the hood.
the last generation was a lot less aggressive-looking than the 1-2g. what do you guys think about this new one? does it reclaim its attitude, or is the eclipse just turned 'cute' forever.
PS Most of the eclipses in my area are driven by men (i'm talking 00 & up). 2 spyders both owned by men.
Recalls don't bother me terribly, provided I know the facts and the remedies, but they are potentially a coffin nail for a struggling company. I really think Mitsu US qualifies right now as a struggling company.
I personally think this car is priced very well. I drove a crossfire when they first came out and there was no way I was gonna pay close to $40K to get another 5 to 10 hps (my 01 spyder had 200, but later gt models had 210, i think) and that cheesy pop-up fin-thing on the back, not to mention just outright UGLY! Our Chrysler place still has 3 or 4 2004 Crossfires and I know why!!
Really liked the new eclipse!!
The dealer I will eventually get an eclipse from has promised me that there will be no mark-ups from day one sales.
Don't ever give your business to a dealer that routinely uses ADM stickers. That's a slime tactic, IMO, and should be a warning sign as to what you can hope to expect throughout the sales and service experience.
Look, I'm all for Mitsu coming back and making things right, but no mfr should be propped up save on its own merits.
The bump stickers made me mad, the salesman called me "HONEY" which made me madder, I asked about the bump stickers and he told me I wouldn't have to pay it, I asked "why put them on then?", "Because all dealers do it!" I said not the ones I BUY from and LEFT!!
You'd think these dealers would be doing all they can to promote Mitsu and get things going for them instead of worrying about lining their own pockets.
EVERYONE WHO WANTS A NEW ECLIPSE - DON'T BUY FROM THESE DEALERS!!!!!!!!!!!!
At least the US salesman call him "honey" & told him he wouldn't have to pay it. The Canadian salesman (West 2nd Ave in Vancouver) told me "we don't care how much they are selling in US...that is company policy & there is nothing he can do". :mad:
They are not even going to carry any GS....because GT have fatter profit margin.
lhess did say the salesman was a he, so I am going to assume that lhess is female. If a salesMAN called me (a male) honey, I had better be getting a heck of a bargain price!!!
PS lhess - SHE NOT HE!!
Good for you on going in with the guns loaded. I hate to see dealers do this and I hate even more for people to actually pay it!!!!!!!
Look like all Mitsu dealers (US & Canadians) treat all customers (male & female) alike....bump up the price & slap with a hugh mark-up.
I will let them play with their own coffin nails....I am turning my eyes to RX8 or RSX.
Although the new BMW3 is a bargain (extra horses at no extra bucks), the coupe won't be available until next year. The new Eclipse looks nice, but I was really pissed when the the Canadian dealer in Vancouver slapped an extra 25% mark-up on the US MSRP.
When both BMW3 & RX8 take pride in achieving the perfect balanced weight distribution of 50 - 50. I also wonder how the Eclipse will handle with 260hp...but with a weight distribution of 65 - 35?
The RSX only got 4 cylinders.......Right now, I am turning my attention back to the RX8.
Look hard at the 8 and get a 6 spd, not the auto!!
People that get upset by ADM are hopelessly niave. If the car is truly in short supply, the first adopters do get to pay a premium price...we call that " the market place".
Enjoy your Eclipse. I'm a convertible fan and will probably wait until next spring for the spyder.
The Avalon, a full size vehicle with gobs of passenger space, weighs but 23 lbs more. The two essentially tie in all acceleration measures, except the Avalon has a higher top speed by 4 MPH. They stop nearly identically, from 70 MPH in 182 or 183 feet. Oh, but the Avalon tested with 8 MPG better than the Eclipse. The Eclipse does pull in an amazing two hundreths of a G better on the skidpad.
This is a sports car worth my $28 grand? Id rather spend another two grand and get the Avalon Touring, that way, I'd have allegedly sports car performance, and be able to take my friends to the Jersey Shore instead of needing two cars. And gas would be cheaper too.
Not impressive on paper. Hopefully, I'll have time to test drive soon, and the paper impressions will disappear.
~alpha
PS-whats up with those awful taillights?
Personally, I'm thinking neither, but I have to laugh that one would be shopping the other, alpha. I think you may be having a Toyotaclismic episode there...
[-P
I dunno, Chris, maybe you could get me in an Avalon, but I think it'd have to be bound and gagged and in the trunk!
}-]
1) A weight distribution of 65 - 35 ?
2) Front wheel drive ?
3) Weight 3538 lbs ?
What type of car weight over 3500 lbs, have a weight distribution of 65 -35, driven by the front wheels & have 260 hp ? mmmm...I am actually looking at a Honda Accord Sedan.
(....and the Eclipse GS only has 162 hp ? mmmm...quite similar to a Mazda 3 sedan).
Hey, I am a reasonable person and I don't expect the Eclipse to have similar gas mileage, build quality, reliabililty or the resale value as a Honda Accord Sedan,....I just hope that they will sell them at a reasonable price.
On the new Avalon, C/D has stated that "The Avalon has abandoned its Japanese Buick spot for a position in the Sports Dept." and "This thing has moves".
Aside from that, my point wasnt that people are cross shopping the Avalon and Eclipse, as Im sure they arent. Duh. My point is that the Eclipse GT comes across as a pretty pathethic sports car when a full size passenger sedan weighs but 20lbs more, is faster, brakes similarly, and has very similar adhesion limits. (All this while being able to carry more people and acheiving significantly better fuel efficiency).
I could have also used the Nissan Maxima to prove my point, as that vehicle actually weighs less than the Eclipse and also outperforms it.
All Im thinking is.... this is the vehicle thats going to save Mitsubishi? Dont think so.
~alpha
I read plenty well. Two reviews that say "nice - big improvement, but, like, yawn". Paraphrase of course.
You want to compare the car, do so to another two-door with a V6 at $26K+. Thus far, the reviews on the Eclipse are that it drives as a GT should, even though the torque-steer intrudes and the bias is to the nose.
No, it won't save Mitsu. I think Mitsu USA is toast at this point. And being a Mitsu fan, I'm bummed. This is a company with resources and impressive engineering know-how whose management has let it down in a way only GM could possibly eclipse, so to speak. Too bad.
Avalon. Sheesh...
[-P
~alpha
Weighting over 3500 lbs, front wheel drive & a weight distribution of 65 -35,....the design of the 2006 Eclipse is primitively "sedan-like" & shamefully far from the league of modern sports car.
Although I like the Eclipse new handsome look....deep inside, it is no more than a crude sedan with 2 doors missing (& very small back seats).
The brake recall & dealer mark-up add to my disappointment.