Cons: Disjointed steering feel, grabby brakes, no significant advantages over the competition.
The Bottom Line: With no major shortcomings, the Lancer is a safe, practical, and pleasant choice. But with no real outstanding strong points, it can't hope to unseat the best in class.
I test-drove a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 5-speed at a local dealership. My test drive lasted about forty-five minutes, and consisted of city streets, winding secondary roads, and the freeway.
Performance
Objectively, the Lancer's performance is just about average for its class--as are many of its other qualities--but its engine had an eager, easygoing demeanor that makes it feel better than the lackluster numbers suggest. Its 120hp is nothing special, and the Lancer's acceleration times don't sound like much (about 9 seconds from 0 to 60mph), but on the road the Lancer felt pleasantly eager and responsive to throttle inputs.
There was decent power at the low end to allow me to step confidently away from stoplights, and the engine's revs rose and dropped quickly, without the lagging of most econocar engines. But the Lancer's engine felt happiest charging up freeway on-ramps. There still wasn't a surfeit of power, but when I revved the engine above 4000rpm, it hit its sweet spot and developed a nice pull that lasted all the way up to the redline.
The best part was that the engine seemed enthusiastic and unstressed in the process. Its engine note was a crisp, clean metallic snarl, with none of the booming or thrashing of many economy-car engines. Although the engine was clearly audible most of the time, I didn't find the noise at all objectionable because the engine sounded so pleasant. It was also quite smooth, with very little vibration entering the cabin. It wasn't quite as silky-smooth as a Civic or Corolla engine, but it was close--and it had an eager, involving feel that you can't get from more isolated-feeling engines.
Transmission/Clutch
The Lancer's transmission was among its better features. I found its shifter one of the best in the economy-car class. Not because it's particularly short-throw (if anything, its throws are a bit long), but because it has a smooth, light, and precise action that made shifting extraordinarily easy. The lever moved slickly from gear to gear, and its gates were very well-defined. There was a cushioned feel to the linkage that kept it from being mechanically precise, but it was still among my favorite shifters in its class, bettered only by those in the Mazda3 and the Civic.
The clutch was also good. There wasn't much pedal feel, but its take-up was gentle and only a little bit mushy, and its throw wasn't too long. Combined with the engine's willingness to build and drop revs quickly, this made smooth shifting feel like second nature.
Steering/Handling
On this point, the Lancer slips from "average" to "just a bit below." It handles well enough to be a nice, easy-to-drive commuter, but it's not particularly satisfying outside of city surface streets.
The issue is steering feel. The weighting is about right (if a bit on the light side), and the ratio appropriate (if a bit slow), but on-center precision is a weak point. In the first inch or so of movement off-center, the Lancer's steering feels vague and numb. This becomes irritating when cruising in a straight line, because the steering requires frequent corrections to stay on course, but there's not enough road feel to get a good sense of what you're doing. It didn't really bother me around town, but it definitely did on the freeway. There, the uncertain path control was joined by a tendency for the wheel to shimmy and vibrate whenever there were truck ruts in the lane, further detracting from the sense of precision.
Once I exited the freeway and got onto a smooth, winding back road, the Lancer fared somewhat better. Its limits were modest, and its steering felt clumsy in quick transitions, but it had an easygoing, light-on-its-feet demeanor that made it more enjoyable than I had expected. The gentle suspension tuning let the body lean easily in corners, but it didn't feel wallowy--it somehow went about its motions in a way that wasn't obtrusive. Still, when I pushed a little harder, the tires felt tangibly short on grip, so the Lancer didn't really feel comfortable at anything above a brisk pace. It's really at its best on city streets, and seems a little awkward in other situations.
My only other gripe with the Lancer's handling had to do with brake-pedal feel, which was lighter and mushier than I'd prefer. It all adds up to a somewhat below-par dynamic performance compared to its rivals.
Ride
The Lancer fares better in this department. Its slightly sloppy suspension was clearly calibrated to deliver a comfortable ride before sporty reflexes, and that pays off in a ride that's at least midpack in its class. It hops and fidgets on patched pavement more than a Corolla, and doesn't feel as well-damped as a Civic, but it's generally comfortable and composed on most roads.
Part of this has to do with the stiff body structure, which feels solid and tight on rough pavement. But a lot of credit also goes to the Lancer's noise levels, which are well-muted. Perhaps more importantly, the noises you do hear are pleasant ones--the crisp sound of the engine and the gentle rush of the tires are all you hear most of the time. The Lancer always sounds refined, unstressed, and happy in its work, and that goes a long way towards making it pleasant to drive.
Interior
If the Lancer has an outstanding strong point, this is it. The Lancer's interior is roomy and well-designed, and it has an open, airy feel that makes the cabin seem bigger than it is. Also, the quality of the materials is better than most cars in this class. The dashboard is covered with a nicely grained, rubberized plastic that feels substantial to the touch, and the plastic trim on the console feels smooth and thickly-laminated. The door panels have soft mouse-fur fabric inserts that feel cushy every time your hand brushes against them--a nice touch.
I only had two issues with the Lancer's interior. One was the steering wheel, which had a thin-diameter rim and looked plain, as if it had been molded out of one big piece of rubbery plastic. The other issue is that Mitsubishi really needs to hire some kind of interior decorator for stylistic advice. While the shapes and textures of the interior are generally nice, there's too much going on. There's a strip of fake wood across the center of the dashboard, and directly underneath it, a large silver-plastic bezel covering the HVAC controls. What's it going to be, Mitsubishi, wannabe sports-car or wannabe luxury-car? Adding further visual confusion is the two-tone black and beige of the dash and door panels. It would really be a lot nicer in the Lancer if they picked a stylistic theme, instead of trying to include every possible one--as it is, it looks a bit busy and unfocused.
Still, none of that detracts from the quality of the materials, or the excellent ergonomics. The radio and climate controls are located high on the dash, just a hand's reach away from the steering wheel, and they feel smooth and precise in operation. The gauges look a bit plain, but they're easy to read and uncluttered. All the minor controls, like the column stalks and door switches, feel smooth in operation--evidence of attention to detail on Mitsubishi's part. Lastly, the seating is very pleasant, and well above-average in this class. The seats themselves are supportive and very comfortable, and the driving position is excellent. The windows are large and their pillars small, which not only makes for great visibility but gives the cabin a light and open feel. The rear seats seemed above average for this class, with a comfortable cushion and room to spare for my legs. So aside from minor stylistic quibbling, there's a lot to like in the Lancer's interior.
Practicality
The Lancer also competes well with the class leaders when it comes to practicality. As mentioned before, there's plenty of room in the front, enough in the rear, and a spacious trunk--and you can get a wagon (with a surprisingly huge cargo hold) if you need more space.
There are only two caveats worth mentioning in this department. One is the fact that a split-folding rear seat is not standard on the entry-level ES model. The only other car in the economy class that doesn't offer this feature standard is the Kia Rio, and that's several steps down in quality and price, so I have to wonder what Mistubishi was thinking on this one. You can get the folding seat as an option, but only as part of a $500 convenience package, which seems a bit much for a feature that virtually everyone else provides standard. The only other complaint I have is that there's no ES wagon. If you want to get a Lancer wagon, you have to move up to the LS version, which not only costs more but is also only available with an automatic transmission. Someone in product development needs a wake-up call.
Reliability
Consumer Reports has no reliability data on the Lancer yet, so there's nothing conclusive I can say here. However, it's worth noting that Consumer Reports rates other Mitsubishi models Average and above, so there's probably a good chance that the Lancer will fare well in this area.
Overall
The Lancer strikes me as the solid-B student of the budget-sedan class. It does everything reasonably well, but it never inspires superlatives: it's a nice little sedan, with decent road manners, offering pretty good value for the money. It's perfectly practical and adequate in every way, but at the same time, there's nothing really special or unique about this car to set it apart from the competition. In most respects, the Lancer feels like a rough draft of the Civic or Corolla, with the a similarly aseptic personality but a less-polished feel. So although I give the Lancer credit for being a pleasant little commuter, I can't say that I'd put it at the top of my own shopping list.
But maybe you might think I'm being too hard on the Lancer for being "just adequate." If it does everything decently, why be so critical? I realize my evaluation may sound overly harsh, so don't get me wrong: the Lancer is a very competent little car. It's even fun at times, with its zingy engine and cooperative shifter. But the thing is, the best cars in its class offer the same basic competence plus a little something extra: more refinement, more sportiness, more luxury, whatever--they all go the extra mile in at least one category. The Lancer settles for all-around adequacy, and in the face of its tough and talented competitors, that's simply not enough to win me over.
Still, if you're the practical type who simply sees your car as an appliance for the road, the Lancer is worthy of your attention. It's reliable, economical, and comfortable. It's safe, too, with excellent crash-test results. I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from looking at the Lancer, as it's a sensible choice, but its lack of originality and distinguishing features mean that there's little reason to choose this car over its Honda, Toyota, and Mazda rivals.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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