Eclipse permits enthusiasts to rev up, be gone
Lead-foot drivers might push speed limit in powerful coupe not likely to be mistaken for family car
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
July 22, 2005
ATLANTA — The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse is not a large car, but it carries a heavy load — perhaps the future of its maker in North America, according to several usually well-informed sources.
It is a nifty little car, to be sure. One that's fun to start up, rev up, zip away and off through traffic or two-lanes. It's easy to say the 2006 Eclipse GT is the best one since Mitsubishi introduced it in 1990.
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Unfortunately, the 2006 Eclipse is in much the same situation as a would-be-good kid coming from, say, a William Faulkner sort of Snopses family.
It gets respect from this and other reviewers, but some cast it in bad situations because of its parent company's woes.
Motor Trend, doffing the kid gloves and mixing the metaphors, poses the 2006 Eclipse under a 6,000 pound wrecking ball and says, "The Sword of Damocles hangs over Mitsubishi's future — can its new coupe keep the blade from falling." Want more?
Consumer Review, normally a bit kinder than the run-fast-or-go-home crowd at Motor Trend, allows, "As with other Mitsubishis, the Eclipse is covered by a fairly generous warranty, with five-year/60,000-mile comprehensive and 10-year/100,000 powertrain coverage. The company hopes Eclipse sales will generate enough revenue so it will still be around to honor that 10-year warranty."
Ouch.
Frankly, the 2006 Eclipse GT deserves better. It has a nicely flowing body with a powerful-looking rear end just waiting to spring.
It will, too.
Amp up the revs and hurry through the gears — careful with the two to three shift, though, it can be a bear — and you're gone.
Motor Trend credits the 263-hp Eclipse with a zero-to-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds and a quarter-mile clocking of 8.3 seconds at 100.9 mph.
Obviously, these are not numbers you want to try to match on the street, and putting this type of performance in the hands of an unskilled or risk-taking driver — young or old — is a no-no.
Besides, if there is only one or two riding in the Eclipse it can be a very enjoyable car at cruise-along speed. The easy-to-read instrumentation is backlit in blue at night, the standard stereo is decent and the optional 650-watt CD/MP3 stereo with nine speakers is capable of irritating the folks in the next car or the house you're passing.
So what's not to like? Well, no surprise, there's the lack of rear seats useful only for cargo. Head room is 34.6 inches in the rear and leg room is 229.2 inches, or next to none.
However, it's not likely any potential buyer is going to approach the Eclipse thinking it's a family car. Not even the base GS with its 162 hp four-cylinder engine is going to slot into that category. In either form, the Eclipse is going to fall into the mid-$20,000 range (the test GT had a base price of $23,699 plus $595 for delivery with a bottom line of $27,834.
There is a lot to like about it, though, starting with the solid handling Eclipses have exhibited through the years, their visual/visceral appeal to the young and/or enthusiastic at heart and — as Motor Trend notes — it is something a little different for "streets thick with Mustangs and Nissan 350s."
SPECS:
• Test vehicle: The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT front-drive coupe
• Price as tested: $27,834 (base price: $23,699 plus $595 delivery)
• Safety features: dual-stage front air bags, seat-mounted side-impact air bags, dual head-protective side curtain air bags, side-impact beams, power anti-lock disc brakes, switchable traction control system
• Other standard features include: air conditioning; power windows and locks with keyless entry system, power mirrors; CD/MP3 stereo with six speakers; high center dash-mounted display with compass, outside temperature, clock and stereo information readouts; 160 mph speedometer and 8,000 rpm tachometer with ice blue lighting; height-adjustable steering column; six-way adjustable driver's seat with adjustable lumbar support; 50/50 split folddown rear seats; power outlets; drinkholders; automatic headlamps; LED tail lamps; independent suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars; 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/50 all-season tires
• Options on test vehicle: package with sunroof, 650-watt, six-disc CD stereo with nine speakers and subwoofer and steering wheel-mounted controls, automatic air conditioning, heated mirrors, leather seating, heated front seats with power driver's, alloy pedals and wheels, $3,270; package with alloy fuel door, cargo and floor mats and cargo net, $270
• EPA figures: 18 mpg regular unleaded city; 27 mpg highway
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