Last June when I went to drive the new 2006 Eclipse I had a choice: four-cylinder manual or V6 automatic. Given my strong preference for a stick, I tested the former, and found the car in need of more power.
Recently I had an hour to kill near the Mitsubishi dealer, which now had two V6 six-speed Eclipses on the lot. They handed me the keys to one of them, and off I went.
My original review contains more detail about the car. It can be found content_186848611972. This review will focus on the effects of the V6.
Exterior Styling
The previous, third-generation Eclipse was an eyesore. More Pontiac than any Pontiac, it had heavily grooved cladding that simply ended when the front door did. I for one didn't get it. Other aspects of the car's styling were similarly tacky and crude. Actually, the same could be said of many Mitsubishi's, including the otherwise competent Endeavor SUV.
Well, the new, fourth-generation Eclipse hardly represents a return to tastefully conservative styling. Its ultra-swoopy sheetmetal resembles a late 1990s second-generation Eclipse on some serious steroids. (The new car's bulging fenders just can't be natural.) There are still some wild details, most notably a clear spoiler that visually connects the clear lens tail lamps. And yet it all hangs together reasonably well. It won't create an Audi TT- or 350Z-like sensation, but it will stand out without thoroughly polarizing opinion. If you ever felt anything for the sports coupes of the early 1990s, you'll like this one.
I'm often compelled to discuss the aesthetics of a car's wheels, and the Eclipse is one such case. The 17-inch standard with both engines are an attractive if fairly standard five-spoke design. Their only fault is that the new Eclipse's huge fender openings require equally huge wheels to visually fill them. And with the V6 18-inch wheels are optional. However, these optional wheels have seven relatively thin spokes that look emaciated within the car's voluptuous body. An even larger, more thickly spoked wheel is called for.
Like other automakers, Mitsubishi has been rushing to upgrade its interiors. While I truly wish they'd get around to the Lancer, the Eclipse's turn came first. The new car's interior is a very pleasant place to be. The instrument panel has a stylish curve to it and is composed of a fairly high-grade soft-touch material. Eye-catching details have been sprinkled about the new interior, chiefly around the shifter and the sport-bikesque instruments, and they do their job without offending the standards of taste. Think Nissan, just with somewhat better materials.
And yet Mitsubishi couldn't quite keep its designers under control. Interior upholstery is very much hit and miss. Hits include the dark leather in the V6 car I drove. The light-colored, untextured cloth standard with the V6 is iffy. And the combination white leather / red ultrasuede displayed in the brochure is flat-out "What were they thinking???" Those without a white suit in their wardrobe need not apply. I've seen red-white combinations in cars from the 1960s, and they worked there, but in this swoopy hyper-futuristic coupe--no. Especially not with the ultra-suede. If a Detroit manufacturer put a similar interior in one of its cars it would be the laughingstock of the industry.
Accommodations
Enough about style. How about function? Well, the front seats are comfortable, and shoulder room is very generous for a sporty coupe. The standard well-located and -shaped lumbar adjustment deserves some of the credit. The seat's sizable bolsters provide good lateral support in hard turns.
The driving position isn't so good. The swoopy exterior translates into a Scion tC-like distant, steeply raked windshield. While a distant steeply raked windshield is better than a steeply raked windshield that puts the A-pillar in your face, and it makes the car feel larger and roomier than it is, it also distances the driver from the machine and the road. Not my preference. I'd rather a less distant, more upright windshield.
With the seat all the way down the steering column and instrument panel are positioned too high. Yet even in this position both armrests are too low. Unless you have extremely long arms, forget about having a hand on the wheel and an elbow on an armrest at the same time. This could prove tiring on lengthy drives.
Visibility is limited to the side by a high beltline and small TT-ish side windows. Finally, we have rear visibility. Actually, we don't. There isn't much to speak of, especially to the quarters. Gonna just have to trust the mirrors.
The Eclipse's exterior has expanded over the years, but its rear seat hasn't benefited much. Getting back there is a chore, and once there an adult male of average height (me) barely fits. Unless you're short, count on having your head against the hatch and your knees against the seatbacks. Sure, it could be worse, but the rear seats in the Scion tC and Mazda RX-8 are far superior.
The Eclipse remains a hatchback, so cargo capacity isn't bad, especially not with the rear seats folded. That is, unless you get one of the option packages. Did I neglect to mention that there are no standalone options, that every factory option is included in two packages, one for the four and one for the six? Well, that's the way it is. And one of the contents of these packages is a stompin' 650-watt Rockford Fosgate system. Said system includes a huge ten-inch subwoofer whose enclosure occupies a good chunk of the cargo area immediately behind the left rear seatback. If you require, say, a sunroof, leather, or power seats, then you're losing a good portion of the car's versatility in the bargain.
On the Road
The four wasn't quite up to the task of moving 3200 pounds of sport coupe. The six brings another 101 horsepower to the party, for a total of 263. Big difference. The large, 3.8-liter V6 pulls strongly even at low RPM. The car rockets from a standstill till at least 80. The engine could make sweeter noises, though. As is, both the sound and the feel of the engine remind me of GM's big sixes, just stronger. Quick shifts chirp the tires not only when going from first to second but also from second to third.
The downside of the extra power is predictable, to a point. Torque steer is plentiful. Hit the gas while changing lanes, and there's little need for the steering wheel. And these are the minor niggles.
My primary problem with the car is that it's very hard to apply even part throttle in turns without taking a few hundred miles off the inside front tire's tread life. Exiting the dealership I involuntarily squealed a front tire not once but twice. It might seem a simple matter of going easy on the gas, but I find I frequently have to accelerate while turning. Trying to enter a busy road from a parking lot? Either burn some rubber or wait for a big gap in traffic. There isn't much middle ground here.
This isn't just because the V6 is so powerful. I noted a similar problem in the much less powerful four cylinder.
The first two Eclipses made a name for themselves largely by combining a powerful engine with all-wheel-drive. During my test drive I could not help wonder how amazing the Eclipse V6 would be with such a system. With it, far more power could be applied in turns. Without it, the car is strictly a straight line performer.
The shifter in the new Eclipse has moderate throws and a fairly notchy feel. I liked it well enough, though some might prefer a smoother mechanism. In sixthe gear the big six turns very slowly, enabling it to earn an EPA highway rating in the high twneties.
The steering is quick and lean in corners is minimal. I noted less understeer with the V6. Wider front than rear tires, as on the Grand Prix GXP, would still be a very good idea. Aside from the inability to apply power in turns, my largest issue with the Eclipse as a driver's car is that it feels very large from the driver's seat. It's as if they took a 1990s Eclipse and enlarged it 50 percent. The reaso is that the Eclipse has always been based on the Galant sedan platform, and this platform has grown too large to form the basis for a sport coupe. The next Eclipse should be based on the Lancer platform.
Ride quality leaves much to be desired. While the Eclipse's ride is never harsh, it is often quite busy even over roads that appear fairly smooth to the naked eye. Around town the interior isn't too loud, but at highway speeds road roar creeps in through the rear cargo area.
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT Price Comparisons and Pricing
Base to base, adjusted for feature differences but before rebates:
Mazda RX-8: $3,100 more at MSRP, $2,400 more at invoice
Nissan 350Z: $4,700 more at MSRP, $4,200 more at invoice
So, before incentives, the Eclipse GT is clearly the least expensive of the three.
Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)
TrueDelta's page for the Eclipse:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/Eclipse.php
Last Words
If you want anything in the way of driving thrills, you're going to need the six. And even then count on most such thrills occurring with the front wheels pointed straight ahead. Looking through the brochure, I see only one photo where the new Eclipse is in motion with the front wheels turned. What do you know, truth in advertising.
Mitsubishi has long been the Pontiac of Japan. With a big six overpowering the front-drive chassis and an overly wide interior, the new Eclipse V6 may be the most Pontiac Mitsubishi to date.
A Note on Mitsubishi Ecplise GT Reliability
I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.
Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy an Eclipse GT rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Mitsubishi Eclipse GT reliability comparisons.
Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the Eclipse GT--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive
free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.
For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.
A link to this website and alphabetized links to
my other vehicle reviews can be found on my
profile page.
Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Mitsubishi Eclipse review (4 cylinder)
Ford Mustang GT review
Mazda RX-8 review
Nissan 350Z review
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