Garbage!!!! I was simply disappointed

I work for a Honda/Toyota dealership, so I have driven every vehicle (stick and auto) that has been on the lot. I also drive a lot of the trade-in vehicles that come in, so I have seen and driven plenty of cars in the past year or so. I know what good cars are, and I know what bad cars are. The Eclipse is simply not a good car, nor a fun car, nor a cheap car. There are a whole lot more options depending on what you want, and I suggest anything but the Eclipse.


First of all, the major feature that made me even want to drive this car was the styling. It looks sweet!!! The curves all looked clean, reminding me of some stylish Mazda's. I liked the older Eclipse rear-ends with the high arch, and it looks like they exaggerated it this year and added clear taillights for a very appealing look. On closer inspection, the car just looks too large for the sports coupe class. It is built up from the Galant frame, which gives it a large wheel base, but I didn't expect this to be so big. And weighing in at about 3700 lbs, that's insane.

I sat inside the car, and everything just looked too plain and simple. Not neat and classy, but just plain. The cd player was just stuck in the middle of the dash, and below that was the climate controls. Under my elbow was a storage compartment, in front of that were 2 covered cupholders, then the stick with e-brake to the left. Nothing had been planned, just put where it could fit. The guages seemed backwards to me -- the rpm's were almost dead-center, and the odometer was too far to the left to be practically seen. The numbers were small and hard to read, and the gauges looked waaay too plain compared to my expectations. The salesperson said they look sweet at night -- I thought to myself that I guess I'll have to wait until dark to pick up chicks in this car, and thus I'd need to find a bigger stick to beat them away all day long. But seriously, the car just didn't have that pizzazz that I had expected.

The dealership had a 4cyl 5spd, and a V6 auto, neither of which were exactly what I wanted, but I hoped I could get at least an idea of what the 6spd would be like. I drove both, first the 4cyl, then the 6.

The 4cyl was 'peppy' I guess, but if I wanted 'peppy' I would definitely get a Scion TC. I wanted to drive 'fast'. The clutch in there was terrible, very sloppy. I had to lift my foot more than halfway before it started to catch, and even then it was a very weak grab. Nowhere near the sportiness I expected. The brakes didn't feel strong at all, just simply ordinary. Steering felt tight, but hard to do. By that I mean that it was very responsive, but at the same time felt like the power steering system wasn't doing its job. I also had problems getting the car into 4th gear for some reason. The shifter was very tight and too slow to move between gears, but I personally had the most trouble getting into 4th -- I did actually grind the gears once, and that's never fun. Something just didn't feel right about it, not to mention the big ball wrapped in leather they called a shift knob was pretty hard to hold onto. Another thing I noticed was the lack of finely tuned exhaust sounds. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet, and it definitely did not sound good either. With an American-ly low 6500 rpms redline, I can't say I even noticed the 'mivec' kick in. I didn't hear a difference, and I definitely did not feel it either.


Then I tried the V6, and the salesperson kept telling me the automatic simply doesn't do it justice. I figured that much, but still. I went into an empty parking lot, and started from a stop, spun the wheels for a second, let off the gas until it caught, then hit the gas again and spun the wheels some more. There's a lot of power, but if the tires can't get it to the ground all it gets you is wreckless-op tickets. I felt like it needed some more technology between the engine and the ground before Mitsubishi should put it into customers' hands. Also, I did some hard cornering, and found a lot of body lean. I didn't feel locked-into my seat at all, as of course you expect from a sports coupe. Handling is obviously not what this car was built for. Actually, this car seems like its only purpose is to look amazing sitting in your garage, where it's safe. The sound was a little different in the V6, a little bit lower, but still nothing pleasant.

Overall, I did not find this vehicle to be what it looked like. I expected sport, and I found mediocrity. The price was too high for what it actually was. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!!!


Now I know it sounds like I am just simply trying to rip this car apart, and it's all well and good as long as I can provide better models for the purpose, right? Well here they are!

Scion TC - Much cheaper with the 'peppy' 4cyl, excellent interior layout, sportier and roomier interior, advanced safety features, Toyota reliability and resale value. The downside -- it doesnt look as good, and they don't make it with a V6.

Honda Accord EX V6 - More powerful but with better systems to harness it (stability control and traction control, front and rear disc brakes, 6 standard advances airbags), very much more refined, Honda reliability and resale value, available in the 6spd!! The downside -- a few thousand more $$.

Honda Civic Si - Fast 4cyl, 6spd, extraordinary handling, reasonably priced, tremendous sound, sharp interior, and it's another Honda. The downside -- very hard to find right now, so if you're interested just order one at a dealership and drive it when it comes in before signing the official paperwork. This is my top pick for a reasonably priced, sporty, reliable car.


Hyundai Tiburon GT V6 - Fast, sporty, and hella cheap. The downside -- it's a Hyundai with no respect in the market just yet. Down the road, I expect to see some great things from this company.


It's a tough class because it has a lot of expectations, but the 2006 Eclipse just missed the boat. Sorry guys!