Overview:
This week we’re looking at the 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT sport car convertible with a small rear seat. It will work for children and smaller people in a pinch, but it is really a two seater. Mom at 86 years old was able to wiggle into the back for a short trip.
She felt confined but didn’t complain all that much. If it had been the new and popular Pontiac Solstice (new in 2006) and sister Saturn Sky new for 2007 a third passenger would have been out of the question.
This Eclipse just gets better every time I test it, which has been a couple of years ago. You’ll love it as much as I did if you’re into performance. Perhaps the most memorable sport car (albeit only a two seater) for me keeps coming to mind and that is the Nissan 350Z. But neither of us would be likely to kick this Eclipse out of bed.
General Info:
Parts – U.S./Canada 51%, Japan 34%.
Assembly – Japan
Class: – Mini compact
Cars: – Eclipse, Endeavor, Galant, Lancer, Montero, Outlander and Raider.
Public Service:
I recently attended the National Energy Symposium at the California State Capitol. It was fascinating at the very least. But it was also interesting that one of the panelists, Petros Ioannou, Ph.D. stated that “efficiency is the key to solving the energy problem”. He pointed out that use of such devices as Adaptive Cruise Control conserves a significant amount of fuel. Dr. Ioannou is Director of the Center of Advanced Transportation Technologies , USC Viterbi School of Engineering in Los Angeles .
He also discussed his departments extensive research on transportation technology, where they concluded that accidents contribute to significant waste and pollution. Ok, so dah, is that what they get the big bucks to tell us? While waiting in traffic because of an accident we came to the same conclusion and it didn’t cost the tax payers nearly as much to discover that well kept secret. He suggested the use of GPS devices could assist in the quicker removal of obstructions from accidents.
Well Doctor, I’ve got a better solution – equip Highway Patrol cars with “Snow Plow” blades on the front of their cars so they can simply push the car off the highway to allow traffic to pass and clean up the mess after rush hour. As for the people, they can wait for the ambulance which, by the way, would be able to get to the accident site much quicker if traffic is moving. Sorry Doc, but most of us have a keen sense of the obvious.
Handling & Performance:
Outstanding and impressive with this way cool powerful V6. 0-60 in just 6.5 seconds is all you’ll need, and more than most of what the competition offers.
Styling:
This is the nicest design look and feel of any previous attempts.
Fit and Finish:
Very good.
Cost:
Pricey if you consider a Sky or Solstice sell from $16-23,000. But I’m always reminded there is no free lunch and the quality of construction and performance difference is significant. What I don’t know is if that difference is worth the $7-14,000 price differential.
Conveniences and comfort:
You’ll notice this one fits like a glove. Some will complain it is confining. But I like the feel a lot. My first impressions were after stepping off United flight 527 from Sacramento in the dark. I sank down into a comfortable seat, observed the beautiful blue and white gauges as I zipped down the freeway enjoying 9 speaker audio that capped off the day just beautifully. And I wondered more about those “Brain-iacs” at the Capitol conference.
Consumer Recommendation:
If you have little guys the back seat will work for quick trips or if you duct tape the little buggers you can drive further. If no children you’ll likely use the back seats for storage overflow from a small trunk. But this is a great option to a two seat sport car. Really nice and a must drive in your selection search. This is arguably the best of the competition in this class.
Recognized Competition:
Mitsubishi Eclipse $20-28,000, Hyundai Tiburon $16-21,000, Ford Focus $13-18,000, Ford Mustang $19-32,000, Infiniti G35 $31-34,000, Honda Civic $15-24,000, Subaru Impreza $18-33,000, Nissan 350Z $28-40,000, Chevrolet Cobalt $13-21,000, Scion tC $16,400, Mazda MX5 $20-26,000, Volkswagen GTI $22,000, Mazda RX-8 $26-31,000.
Good News:
Fun fun fun to drive, powerful, smooth and tight drive train and quick suspension for that driving on rails feeling.
Bad News:
A little pricey, small trunk and confining interior feel.
Standard Equipment:
3.8 liter 260 horsepower V6 front drive engine, 6-speed manual trans with overdrive, dual front and side air bags, engine immobilizer, anti-theft system, daytime running lights, power assisted 4-wheel ANS disc brakes, power steering, traction control, air conditioning, power cloth top with rear glass window, power tonneau cover, power windows and locks, cruise control, Rockford Fosgate audio system with 6-indash CD player, MP3 playback, steering wheel audio controls, clock, compass and outside temp on display, 6-way power driver seat, keyless entry, 17” alloy wheels, power mirrors, integrated rear spoiler and fog lights.
Gas Stats: $2.50/ Gal avg.
17 City and 26 Highway MPG
Pricing:
MSRP $28,269.
