Excitement in an Eclipse

Sporty Mitsubishi vehicle is often mistaken for more expensive car

One evening this week I was northbound on Interstate 55 between Scott City and Cape Girardeau when a fast-moving car caught my attention in my rearview mirror. As the speeding car closed the distance between us, I imagined it was an $80,000 Dodge Viper -- the fastest American production car on the road. The car slid over to the right lane, swooped past me, and I stared in disbelief at the Mitsubishi emblem on the hood's leading edge. "Oh my gosh, it's an Eclipse," I gasped. I had just test driven an Eclipse the day before, and I was embarrassed that I'd mistaken the sporty speedster for a Viper that costs nearly four times more!

And, as it turns out, Eclipse's strongest feature is styling that turns heads and grabs attention. Distinctive styling, an abundance of standard equipment and enough power to make an exciting driving experience is what the Mitsubishi Eclipse is all about.

In 1990 the Eclipse competed directly with the Ford Probe, a frisky sport coupe that could be had with a turbocharged engine and a GT suspension. To distinguish itself, the Eclipse had all-wheel-drive and a turbocharger, which gave it performance exceeded only by its styling. Fourteen years later the all-wheel drive is gone, but the Eclipse is a more refined sportster known for exciting styling and respectable performance at an affordable price.

The Eclipse is offered in four trim levels: RS, GS, GT and GTS (which I drove). Standard equipment on every model includes power windows, mirrors and door locks; anti-theft; air conditioning; height-adjustable driver seat; CD player; auto-off headlights and alloy wheels. The GS gets 16-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, cruise control, remote keyless entry, lumbar support and a split-folding rear seat. The GT adds 17-inch wheels, four-wheel disc brakes, ground effects, a chrome exhaust tip and fog lights. In addition to the infusion of more power, the top-dog GTS also packs a sunroof, leather seating, a power driver seat, rear window wiper and washer and a 210-watt, seven-speaker audio system.

The 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine found in the RS and GS models produces 147 horsepower, the V-6 in the GT makes 200 horsepower, but the responsive 3.0-liter V-6 engine in my test vehicle made a smile-inducing 210 horsepower! All models can be ordered with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

Impressive interior

The Eclipse's interior is just as impressive as the exterior, with unusually supportive seats for a car in this price range. The instrumentation is legible and complete, and all controls are logical and convenient. Cleverly designed round dash vents swivel and turn to direct airflow just about anywhere you could want it, then fold flush and snug when they aren't needed. But what is needed is a bit more headroom in the back seat, unless you don't intend to carry a full-size person back there. I'm only 5 foot 10 inches tall and I couldn't sit upright in the back seat, but the front seat room was quite adequate and the power adjustable seat and adjustable steering wheel made it easy to find a comfortable driving position.

But where the Eclipse skimps on back seat comfort it makes up in highway manners. Eclipse has a smooth, quiet ride. The steering is precise. The transmission is slick. The engine is responsive. The exhaust note lets you know the car is alive. This car was made for the open highway!

Interesting to all ages

While the torque and horsepower of the V-6 engine gives immediate satisfaction, the sporty exhaust note really tells the story. Whoever designed the exhaust system for this sports car knew what he was doing. It's not loud or irritating, but mellow and pleasing. When my daughter Liz cranked up the engine she said, "Dang, check that out, that's awesome!" She thought the Eclipse would be a perfect car for her age group, and wasn't a bit put off by the head-cramping back seat. "People my age don't care about things like that," she said. "It's definitely a fun car, I love how the dashboard looks É it's like looking into a tunnel, very cool. I love the interior!"

So what we have is a vehicle that bridges two generations, pleasing the 20-somethings with its cool styling and great stereo sounds, and satisfying the 50-somethings with its great exhaust tone and delightful road manners. Oh, did I mention the outstanding warranty? Buy one of these cars for your college kid, and 10 years from now she'll be carrying your grandkids around in a vehicle that's still under factory warranty, unless she puts more than 100,000 miles on it between now and then (very probable). This GTS, with power moon roof, leather and automatic transmission lists for $26,394, and should get 27 miles per gallon on the highway. Talk to your dealer about available financial incentives.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at srobertson@semissourian.com.