Despite my emphatic warnings to travel by livestock if needs be, sharp looks and a flea-market sticker price have helped the Mitsubishi Lancer GTS to sell out in the U.S. The sportier version of the Lancer is leagues ahead of the regular ES that was the target of abuse in the June review posted on TTAC. But it still bites, especially with the Communist "every RPM will suffer equally" continuously variable transmission. Still, this is fabulous news for Mitsubishi, which only a few years ago was considering switching from building cars to panhandling for change in Manhattan. Escaping from the domestic-auto love nest has been great for Mitsubishi, and makes it yet another manufacturer to be better off away from GM, Ford, or Chrysler, along with Subaru and Suzuki. But three questions linger: can Mitsubishi bring over more Lancers to satisfy demand before too late? Will Mitsu use the new cash to upgrade to Playskool plastics? Can Mitsubishi revamp the Eclipse and Galant, two monstrously important cars for the brand?
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hmm didn’t Mitsubishi already update the Eclipse for 2006?
regarding the Galant. On TTAC the oft heard refrain is that domestic sedans just can’t compete against Camry and Accord.
The Galant is also clearly struggling against the two class leaders. Possibly even more than the domestics. It’d be interesting to what the Galant is doing wrong vs what the domestics are doing wrong.
Maybe we should have a consolation car review shootout between the class non-leaders.
What the Galant is doing wrong is that it’s acting like a Diamante, but then again, that is an unfair criticism because the Accord and Camry have similarly grown in proportion.
If anything, the biggest fault of the Galant is its funky styling. While it was a risky gamble to move away from the boring conservative styling of the previous Galants, this move clearly has not paid off. My hope is that with the new design style that we’re seeing with the Lancer and Outlander will bring forth a kinder, gentler Galant.
Had a good look over the Lancer GTS the other week while the wife’s Eclipse was being serviced; that’s one sweet car. If the upcoming Ralliart version has AWD as rumored then it’s gonna kill Subaru, ‘cos there’s no way I’m replacing my current WRX with the new pugly one.
Quasi, you’re more generous in your assessment of the Galant than I am.
I’m hard pressed to think of anything at all that the Galant has to recommend it. It’s an ugly, incoherent collage of others’ styling cues on the outside, unrelievedly cheap on the inside, and while I plead guilty to not having driven it, opinion seems to be unanimous that it’s devoid of any unique virtues over the road either (including a V6 that’s thirstier, rougher but no faster).
The car doesn’t need to match the relentless all-around competence of the Accord to be viable, but it does need something to hang its hat on. Hyundai does “average” better and for less than Mitsubishi does.
I’ll be interested to see if Lancer sales can be maintained once the styling isn’t so new and minty fresh anymore.
One thing Mitsu does have going for the Lancer is that the car is not nearly as goofy-looking as the Subie WRX.
One thing I will say about my drive in the GTS is that it had one of the best electronics features set in a vehicle for the price. Bluetooth, a mutha-thumpin Rockford audio system, iPod socket, big-Gig hard drive, Sirius, keyless start. And it all worked well.