I warmed up to this Eclipse Spyder real slowly, but solidly. Yes, it’s a 2001 model year car and yes it seems a little early, but welcome to this Mitsubishi. For the dough, folks, this is a must drive car for the sports car enthusiasts looking for a change. It’s just the right size, although for my taste they could enlarge the trunk a tad.
I’m high on this one because it is a very capable sports car and covers all the bases well. Sure, you could pay two to three times as much and get into a Porsche but is there three times the difference? As for the comparative lineup below, there is no competition in my view. This is the best of the bunch. That’s a bold statement but I really feel good about this sports car. The rest are either two seaters or will seat 4 but not as well, all things considered.
Handling & Performance:
Very nice and a lot of fun to drive.
Styling:
I really like the lines of this car and the size is almost perfect. It can carry 4 folks but is still small enough to be sporty.
Fit and Finish:
Of course time is the test of all things and I can’t vouch for this car standing up to time, but relative to other new cars, attention to detail is good for the money. The materials, like most cars these days, are lots of plastic and if you swing the door closed a little hard it sounds a bit tinny.
Conveniences:
Real good array of goodies included as standard equipment. Options include ABS brakes, upgraded stereo for cassette and CD, leather front seats with power driver seat and side airbags for an additional $2,370. I can live without the ups and extras. However, the ABS should be standard.
Cost:
Great pricing for this level sport vehicle.
Recommendation:
If you drive the competition I think you’ll come to the same conclusion I did and opt for this Spyder.
The Competition:
BMW Z3 $31,300-36,900, Chevrolet Camaro $17,040-28,715, Ford Mustang $16,805-27,845, Honda S2000 $22,000, Mazda MX-5 Miata $20,545-25,055, Pontiac Firebird $18,690-31,050, VW Cabrio $19,990-23,300.
Good News:
Priced well, fun to drive, a lot of room for a sports car, great power top with one button control, good gas mileage.
Bad News:
Components are a little cheap, standard equipment excludes ABS brakes, not much power to pass without gearing way down.
Standard Equipment:
3.0 liter V6 engine, 5-speed manual trans, dual air bags, anti-theft system, power assist steering, 4-wheel independent suspension, power assist front disc and rear drum brakes, power soft top w/ glass rear window, air conditioning, power windows, and door locks and mirrors, stereo and CD player, keyless entry with alarm, cruise control and more.
Gas Stats:
20 City and 27 Highway MPG.
Pricing:
MSRP $25,237
