The Stuff You Need to Know:
Mitsubishi is a carmaker that deserves a lot of credit for the way it delivers results across the whole range. Its cars are not always the flashiest, not always the most luxurious. However, its Japanese reliability, excellent built quality and honest engineering has seen multiple successes in not only the World Rally Championships but also the gruelling Dakar rally. Dorset cannot claim to be much like the Dakar Rally, although there is a slight incline on the M27 heading into Hampshire. Nevertheless, nobody expects their Lancer to be an off-road king; what is most important is seeing whether it feels like the well-engineered automobile it should be considering its background.
I have only ever experienced Mitsubishi cars twice before now and in both these situations I was left very impressed. The first was a Mitsubishi L200 pick-up owned by a friend’s father, occupation: pig farmer. He had owned it for around five years and that car had been dragged through everything Dorset had to offer. It had carried pigs, people, animal excrement, shotguns and swill. It had been dented, knocked, scraped and thrashed; but was it phased? Not in the slightest. The second person I know with a penchant for Mitsubishis is my Grandfather and that just about settles it for me. The man swears by them. He once had a country-lane head on collision with a truck in his Mitsubishi Spacestar, driving it straight back to the dealership complaining Radio 4 had gone. The moral of these stories is that build quality has always been a focus for Mitsubishi and it would be build quality being the focus for our test.
Mitsubishi gave us the 1.5 litre MIVEC GS2 model which although basic was a good way of uncovering the true characteristics of the car. Of course at the other end of the scale lies the Lancer Evolution X, a viscous machine which regularly rips gold medallions from the hairy chests of Ferrari Owners. It would be interesting to see whether the grip and nail-biting ride of this World Rally Championship conquering car had filtered its way down to the GS2.
What is it like on the Road?
With such a small engine it is obviously hard to talk about performance and agility. What isn’t lacking is grip, a pleasant reminder of where Mitsubishi are coming from with their many successes in motor sport. It really does cling to the road in the corners, dealing with a sometimes frantic 1.5 engine most responsive at such high revs.
Where this car falls short is on the motorway; its engine being constantly worked hard at the national speed limit. Of course this model isn’t designed for long periods of high-speed travel, the bigger petrol and diesel engines on offer probably making light work of this. Ultimately the engine really doesn’t inspire confidence at speed when placed under such strain.
What is it Like to Own?
The Lancer Sportback comes with either a GS2, GS3 or GS4 trim level, our basic GS2 coming with 16” alloys, spoiler, CD player and iPod connectivity, seven airbags, climate control and all-round electric windows as standard. At £14,849 this car definitely represents great value for money, especially with its 5-star NCAP safety rating. However, in all honesty, my milk comes in plastic of better quality than some of the dials and switches inside – especially the climate control switches which feel as though they might come off in the hand.
This is pushed to the back of your mind when you consider the attractive way the dash is laid out, with the use of soft-touch black and silver plastics. A leather steering wheel and gear lever as standard complete the package, this car certainly feels extremely well put together. The whole driving experience can be described as ‘solid’, there are no rattles and squeaks in the cabin and the engine gives off a pleasing note when asked to push-on.
One of the best things about the Lancer is the sheer space available. From the outside its hatchback design fools one into thinking it will feel cramped and impractical, yet it is easily roomy enough for five people to travel in comfortably. The boot space could be better after the space inside; its rear wheel arches stealing most of the room.
How does it make you feel?
Unfortunately, while the back of the car benefits from a wide stance and spoiler details, from the side the Lancer is not pretty. Admittedly our model was not fitted with the ‘Ralliart’ packages on higher-spec versions, yet metallic paint, alloy wheels and the spoiler do nothing to help the situation.
The 1.5 GS2 is probably not the version to go for if you are worried about image, its 2.0 litre-turbo engines versions coming with more power, better standard kit and better styling packages. For younger people looking to save a bit of money on fuel and overall maintenance costs, this model would be a smart choice.
Final Judgement.
A good range of standard features, a high-revving engine backed up by impressive grip and brilliant styling all help to make this car a perfect choice for the younger motorist or those looking for good economy. What it lacks in interior refinement is overcome by an excellent overall build-quality. Unfortunately at high speeds the engine causes a twitchy ride, but for everyday usability and sporty styling at a feel-good price the Lancer is a very strong option.
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