Eclipse GS - Fun + Efficient

I'm currently in a quandary over my future vehicle purchase and have been keeping my eye open to test driving cars I'm interested in at leisurely opportunities. Since I'm not looking to buy for about a year, I'll go along with friends looking to buy (I'm the "car" guy in my social circle) and test drive myself. Being a single guy under 30, I've relatively few needs for a vehicle. I currently drive a 2004 Ford Escape, but I'm open to anything that I find interesting.

While a friend was test driving a used Passat, I took a 4 cyl manual Eclipse for a test drive. The following review consisted of about 20 minutes of suburban road and highway driving.

Appearance
The last generation Eclipse was faulted by many for its odd edges and creases. I certainly was no fan of it.

About nine or ten years ago, around the turn of the millennium, (when Mitsubishi still ahs some cash) Mitsubishi they had posited a number of concepts that were, to their eye, blends of science and machine. This was also around the same time as movies like Total Recall and Judge Dredd were being made. In these movies the future of automobiles was depicted as chunky machine-like forms, no doubt a reaction to the round, jelly-bean shapes that became ubiquitous in the 90's. The Eclipse fell victim to this idiom. While certainly unique, no one could describe it as beautiful. Combined with a surplus of black plastic inside there was little to bring butts to the seats except customers looking for a front wheel drive coupe, a body style that had been dying a slow extinction for the last decade.

The new model goes back to the 90's eclipse that was round and stylish, if a bit portly from the rear. Arguably the most attractive, it was also the most interesting, with turbocharged engines and the availability of all wheel drive. While lacking both these mechanical aspects, the new body is both supple and muscular. The front has the low wide stance of a true sport coupe; the eyes are wide and lend the front a snake-head like appearance. Below these are two false inlets where fog lights go if purchased. It needs them to look complete to my eye. The sides are mercifully clean and curvy, with a C-pillar that apes the shape of the 90's models. The rear is Audi-TT round but less architectural in design. It almost appears two big, and accentuates a wheels-to-the-corners stance that doesn't really exist in the spec sheet.

There has been a lot said about the size of the platform beneath the new Eclipse being both one size too long and one or two sizes two heavy. There is probably some truth to that, but maybe because of it's very round sheet metal, the Eclipse doesn't appear very large in person; it certainly doesn't feel as though it shares a platform with the much bigger looking and chunkier Galant sedan.

Most of the images you'll see in print of the Eclipse interior are of the Terra Cotta Leather/Suede in the GT. It's certainly eye-catching, but not available in the GS. Base models make do with grey or black interiors, and only in cloth. (For 2007 an SE model is available with leather and most of the available options, however unless you must sit on real cow to be happy I'd advise against it as the option packages force you into an incredibly ill-conceived subwoofer mounted behind the rear seat that comes with the upgraded stereo.) The grey interior is just like the black except the seat fabric and the curvy splash of vinyl on the dash is grey; the rest of the interior remains black. Either looks good, but I can't help but think a tan on black interior would look sharper.
Everything in the cockpit is close at hand, but the cockpit is coupe-small so it would be difficult to do anything contrary. It is wider than some, but not so much that it feels odd. Part of this goes to the excellent Recaro-knock-off seats. They're well bolstered and firm, with a fairly rich, grippy fabric. I could see long highway trips made a breeze with these seats. Material quality is on par with most import cars of the same price class, i.e. $20k-$23k.

Visibility is good forward and to the sides but limited to the rear. A high beltline and low seats do that; there's just no way around it. The side mirrors sit farther back than is typical but they work OK; side glances might not be clear enough or easy if you're a person of short inseam. I'm about 5'-9" and had no problem.

As expected with a sport coupe, the rear seat is just for show. The seats fold to expand cargo space, and since the Eclipse is a hatch, there is some usable space back there. I've often thought the Mustang would make a very smart looking hatch/lift back, and the added utility would make it a contender for me. If only. . .

Options and features
The base Eclipse comes with some equipment that some competitors, namely the Ford Mustang v6, charge extra for. Side airbags and antilock brakes with EBD are standard equipment, as are niceties like a leather wrapped wheel and shifter. Gauges light up a cool blue and aren't quite electro-luminescent bright but close. The display for the stereo is mounted on top of the dash, but again given the close confines of the car it isn't as far away as in some other automobiles. Once accustomed to the unit there's really no visual distance issue here.

A word on option packages - Mitsubishi bundles them into 3 groups, and of those three two require each other, so basically there are only two option packages. If you want a sunroof, you're getting the upgraded stereo with the aforementioned 10" subwoofer in the hatch. It looks like what it is, an added-on speaker, taking up a good cubic foot (at least) of space. Additionally you'll be required to get an alloy fuel door, redundant stereo controls (on a sport coupe this small inside they really live up to their name,) a cargo net and an updated trip computer.

Drive train and Dynamics
Others on the forums have much more experience with handling dynamics than I, so please see other reviews for more in depth discussion. My handling and drive train take is more general, so if you're a thrill seeker who likes to take cars to their handling limits, you'll like to look elsewhere.
The base engine in the Eclipse does better than the numbers would suggest, given the HP to weight ratio it has been saddled with. I was pleasantly surprised at its pull and its sound. It won't be mistaken for a V6 or a V8, but it makes agreeable noises that aren't too loud and it pulls well. The shifter is a bit long in throw but is precise; I hadn't driven a manual for over a year and I had no missed shifts of false starts; it felt very comfortable. Not as good as a Mazda 3 but close. The clutch wasn't notable, but not in a bad way - if anything it's a compliment as I don't recall it feeling long in travel of having odd take-up along its length.
Heading back to the dealership on an uphill grade the engine lost a bit of wind in fifth at 60 mph. The car didn't slow, but it was much happier with a downshift to 4th. This might not be enough power for some, but for me I'd rather have some higher revs over the penalty in fuel economy, and I enjoy rowing through the gears and playing out the power band of a smaller engine.

Price/Competition
I usually buy used, so comparing MSRP's doesn't mean much to me. This Eclipse was about $3000 below its MSRP, and was a year old. I've seen 2006 Eclipse GS's listed well under 18k in my area and they have one or two option packages on them, putting their MSRP's when new into the low to mid 20's.
The cars I'd compare to the Eclipse would be the Ford Mustang V6, maybe the G6 coupe, upcoming Altima Coupe, Accord Coupe, Camry Solara, and a used Audi TT. Of these, the TT is probably closes in concept, though far different in execution. Most are front wheel drive but a good deal larger and less sporty (at least in look), with the exception of the Mustang and possibly G6.
On fuel economy the G6 coupe is available only with V6's; the Eclipse beats both the Mustang and G6 in fuel economy. It likely beats G6 in price as a used car (the market for 2+2 coupes is relatively small) and washes out the same for the Mustang, though the 'stang is difficult to find with a manual and antilock brakes. Of these three, the Eclipse offers the better shifter and clutch, and if you're not a avid fan of Mustang styling, the more unique sheet metal. It also comes with a longer fully transferable power train warranty.