Cons: Cramped back seat, Can Get Pricey w/ options
The Bottom Line: With plenty of great choices in the sporty coupe segment, the Eclipse neither wows nor disappoints. V6 with a 5-speed turns a snoozer into a pocket rocket.
BrianCam's Full Review: Raymarine E120 12"Display Model#E02013
I’ve always liked American cars, the bigger the better. My first car was a 1964 Buick Skylark with a 300 cid V8 and glass packs to make sure everyone knew I was coming. Then something curious happened in the 1980s. While I was driving my 20-year-old Buick to high school, making fun of those losers who drove new Datsun B210s, and Toyota Corollas, I started to take notice of these curious little boxes that were lightning fast and had a hatchback instead of a trunk. “How can these little toys be so quick with nary a V8 to be found anywhere under the hood?” I asked.
The first such car I noticed was the VW Rabbit GTI – fast, handles well, and kinda cool looking to boot. Next, along came the Turbo Colt, and Toyota Corolla FX-16, both real pocket rockets. Next, it was the Dodge Omni GLHS, and on and on it goes. Those odd-looking econobox/sleepers began a trend in the US that is only now coming into its own.
Those of us that swore by our SS396s and GT Mustangs had no idea what lie just over the next rise; a bunch of import cars that could out corner, out brake and sometimes out accelerate our precious V8s with half the displacement and double the fuel economy. Of course, this trend continued in to the 1990s with the Isuzu Impulse, Mitsubishi Starion and of course the Mitsubishi Eclipse and its twin the Eagle Talon (sort of the Subaru WRX of its day).
Today, these hot hatchbacks are now a fully realized, competitive segment in the new car market. The Civic Si, Focus SVT and Beetle Turbo S are just three examples of really great, very fast and fun little three-doors. But where does the new Eclipse fit in?
Many say the current Eclipse has outgrown its “hot hatch” heritage. True, it no longer sports a turbocharged engine. There is a 4-cylinder version available, but that 147 hp motor isn’t the hot ticket. Mitsubishi recently dropped the turbo in favor of a V6, and weight has increase as well. Most of the pocket rocket hatchbacks we admire come equipped exclusively with high revving, 4-cylinder engines – even the WRX has a 4 under the hood, sure, it’s a flat 4, but a 4 nonetheless.
The 2003 Eclipse is not vastly different from the 2002 model, but there are some changes. The V6 powered Eclipse is now named GTS, and that engine now produces an impressive 210 hp; for those counting at home, that is 10 more hp than last year’s car. Rear taillights now have a definite street look with a clear shell housing, very aftermarket looking round turn signals and separate brake/running lights. The front styling has been revised ever so slightly to incorporate a more round theme. Inside there is a mild two-tone look, but it is mild enough not to offend most shoppers. Finally, there are new exterior colors and new wheel choices available.
So, has the Eclipse lost its “hot hatch” status? I don’t think so. Frankly, I appreciate the V6’s flexibility and honestly prefer it to the frenetic, high-revving turbocharged Eclipse of a few years ago. Yes, the older car felt more sports car-like, but the current Eclipse, especially in GTS form, is a car you can live with everyday. There certainly is no lack of power, 210 hp in a car this size will bring out the street-racer in anyone.
The current Eclipse feels more like a touring coupe than an all out sports car. On fast sweeping corners, the Eclipse feels right at home, but on tighter twisties, the car can tend to feel a bit soft and overweight. Quick inputs to the steering reward the driver with sports car like grip, but rear end feels as if it wants to step out, especially in situations where there is a lot of momentum built up – even if you finish all your braking before you turn (which should be always), the back end acts as if it could come around. As an amateur driver’s assessment, the car feels like it has super sticky tires, combined with suspension that is slightly too soft. Curiously, the Eclipse exhibits little understeer. This is curious given the front-wheel drive nature of the Eclipse, and the somewhat heavy V6 sitting over those wheels. It does exhibit some understeer when pressed, but not as much as in other front-drivers. Could this again be due to the sticky 215/55 V rated tires on 16-inch rims?
While the new generation Eclipse has grown in size and cylinders, it still has enough spunk and sport to remain in the pocket rocket category. The question is, how big is this proverbial pocket we're speaking of? With a ride tuned more for comfort than cutting edge handling, the Eclipse could very easily slip into the dreaded "secretary's car" realm, but that doesn't seem likely given the Eclipse's history and current demographics.
4-wheel discs are almost touchy, but in a good way. Brakes engage without much pedal travel and have a reassuring firmness.
In practical everyday driving, the GTS’ 3.0L V6 feels incredibly refined and smooth. This is a wonderful motor and has a pleasantly broad torque range. Both around town, commute driving and aggressive quick shift driving are fun. Many multi-valve OHC engines have a tendency to leave most of the power near the top of the rev range, but the Eclipses V6 feels strong off the line, as well as in the higher rpms. This engine really shines when mated to the 5-speed manual transmission – it’s a lot of fun. There is a pleasant exhaust note with the GTS Eclipse; many of today’s cars with sporting intentions seem to have forgotten how rewarding a mild exhaust note can be. The pleasant purr only adds to the sporty feel.
The main pitfall of this wonderful engine is how much torque steer it seems to produce in the front-wheel drive Eclipse. Torque steer is not limited to hard launches in first gear, but is apparent all the way up to third-gear even during moderately aggressive driving. Sadly, this one factor robs the Eclipse of an all out victory in the “fun to drive” category.
Although the 5-speed adds significant fun to the Eclipse, it doesn’t come with the best shifter in the world. Reverse is difficult to engage, and it’s hard to judge whether or not you’ve actually made into reverse or not – there is no click or definitive drop to let you know the “R” is engaged. In forward gears, the throws are short, but the shift lever seems to balk at the very thought of snicking into 2nd cleanly. None of these criticisms is enough to lower the fun-meter too much, but slight changes could really add to this already spunky performer.
As expected, interior space is tight. Rear seat is room is for dogs or small children only. The similar Dodge Stratus offers more rear-seat room due to its coupe configuration versus the Eclipses hatch layout. A normal sized adult will be forced to ride with his/her head tilted to the left, as there is not much headroom. So little is the rear headroom that more than one passenger had to suffer the indignity of having their head bump up against the rear hatch glass when the spatially challenged Eclipse rolled over a speed bump (sorry Dan, sorry KJ, hope your melon heals quickly).
Luckily, those rear seats fold all the way down to make an already adequate storage space even larger. Front seats are supportive and reasonably comfortable, two-tone leather adds a colorful touch to the interior. Getting in and out of the Eclipse lacks the ease we have been spoiled with on SUVs and crossover vehicles. The Eclipse is low and sporty; there is just no getting around that.
Most controls are placed within easy reach and offer the ergonomic clarity of a cockpit. The only “but” in all this is the clock/CD display. The CD track readout, clock, outside temp., and compass function all reside in a separate, small, recessed screen that sits above the center vents. It looks cool, but changing the display requires a rather long stretch.
Infinity sound system sounds very good but occasionally lacks bass response. A 6-disc, in-dash CD player is almost expected in a $25,000 car, and it works well in the Eclipse. Audio controls are large enough to use without taking eyes off the road, and redundant steering wheel mounted controls also work well and are very intuitive in how they function.
All in all, the ’03 Eclipse is one of those cars that do so much so well, you almost forget its minor flaws. On the other hand, today’s new car market is chocked full of just plain wonderful sub-$25K sporty cars. The VW GTI is great fun, as is the VW Beetle Turbo S, Subaru WRX, and Dodge Stratus R/T. So, there is no shortage of quick and affordable sporty cars, and the 2003 Eclipse is one more example you can add to your shopping list - it's a good middle of the pack sporty coupe.
While the Eclipse GTS is not the end all, perfect sports car, it is powerful enough, fun enough, and nimble enough to run with the others in its class. It's not a front runner, but when all is said and done, the Eclipse is an average sporty hatchback. Sure, that makes is 10 times more fun than an Impala, but when compared to the other offerings in this class, it is neither the best nor the worst.
The ‘03s main drawbacks are a cramped interior and excessive torque steer. The pluses are more numerous and includes such kudos as an awesome V6, rewarding exhaust note, capable handling, civilized ride, and lastly but maybe most importantly, FUN! The Eclipse packs a lot of fun into a small package. The 2003 version offers minor improvements over the 2002 model, an extra 10 hp and mildly restyled taillights make it worth the wait should your local dealer have only 2002s on the lot.
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