Arithmetic

iTrader: (9)

Article Courtesy of Automotive.com: LINK

Introduction

So much for the halo theory. You know how it goes: a company creates an awesome-looking sports car that goes fast enough to blow its own doors off. The car's status as a worshipped icon trickles down into the showrooms, the company's sales soar overnight, its name comes to define brand equity, and its products get signed as co-stars in the next zero-star Vin Diesel movie.

Didn't quite happen. While everyone under 30 wants a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII more than any other $30,000 sports car you can name, sales of other Lancers have been little more than a mirage. Despite sharing a brand, a body, and even a first name, it would seem that no one cares to investigate the similarities between a car with 276 horsepower and another with 120.

The Ralliart was called upon to add some respect to the front-wheel-drive side of the Lancer family. (Last year's Sportback wagons were quickly disowned after failing in this regard.) If it doesn't quite bridge the gap between a Lancer ES and a Lancer Evo, its sub-$20K starting price doesn't either.

Road Test

The Lancer has one of the most hardware-stratified lineups of any car on the market, and that's true even without the Evo in the picture. The Ralliart makes a meaningful upgrade to just about every piece on the regular Lancer. The SOHC (darn), iron-block (darn) 2.0 engine gets swapped for the Eclipse/Galant's 2.4-liter unit, armed with Mitsubishi's variation on valve timing, MIVEC. Unlike Honda's VTEC, MIVEC has three cam profiles that replace one big power spike with two smaller ones. Instead of the base Lancer's second-worst-in-class engine numbers, the Ralliart's 162 horsepower ranks second-best. Swapping the spongy drum brakes for discs (with antilock and electronic brake force distribution) does wonders for its feel and stopping ability.

Changing direction is more pleasurable for a whole rundown of reasons. The Ralliart gets a thicker 26mm front stabilizer bar and a 13mm bar in back (the ES has none). Wheels grow from 14s or 15s to 16-inch alloys, the steering gets more road feel, and the shocks and springs are stiffer all around. On top of that, the front end gets additional stiffening by a strut tower brace. Something shared by all Lancers is a multilink rear suspension that shames every competitor that thinks it can get away with sticking a cheap axle back there. Sentra, Corolla, Ion, and Jetta, explain yourselves.

It all adds up to what might be the most fun-to-drive of the non-turbo compact cars. (It's already the fastest.) The engine, blessed in power and torque, makes short work of any situation, the brakes have fine feel, and aside from the usual front-drive understeer, the Ralliart hangs on hard. Unlike the frustratingly quiet Mazda 6 I just stepped out of, the Ralliart's engine can actually be heard. But a nicer voice wouldn't hurt, and all that beefing up to the suspension lets a few more jolts through than you need at the end of the day. Lastly, with so much torque on hand, less-aggressive gearing would help in cutting down freeway engine drone and improving our unimpressive 24 MPG average. Fifth gear has a ratio of 0.82 - you call this overdrive? Let's not forget the Lancer's economy car roots, Mitsubishi. Also, big engine + small gas tank = short trips. The Lancer's dashboard starts to cry "feed me!" after a mere 242 miles.

One thing actually inherited from the Evo is the oh-so-right shifter. There's quite a bit of satisfaction in slamming the eager, crisp lever from one gate to the next, and the clutch is easily read. The Ralliart wouldn't be a bad candidate for first-time-drivers in manual transmission training. If Mitsubishi keeps this up, they can soon forget their reputation as the maker of shifters that feel like "moving a shovel through a pile of rocks."

If you know the significance of the letters "SE-R," the Ralliart's for you.

Inside and Out

The ergonomics show not one sign of deviation from the long-established Japanese car norm, which either means they're perfect, boring, or both. You know the drill: an air conditioner that has a fan speed knob, a temperature knob, a five-mode knob, and AC/recirculate/rear defroster buttons. A DIN-sized stereo. That right-hand cruise control stalk shared by five other companies, a light switch at the tip of the turn signal, etc. There's no denying that everything works and everything's where you expect to find it. And the radio is placed above the air conditioner for a change.

It's obvious that Mitsubishi chose not to follow Mazda and Volkswagen's lead in equipping its entry-level model with upscale, unique fittings. The Lancer feels a lot like the Mirage it replaced: plasticky. The seats have an unimaginative red-squares-on-black-background pattern, and there's only one. The steering wheel shines at you in all its vinyl tackiness. The seats move stiffly on their tracks, making them hard to adjust precisely. Thumbs up for including a height adjuster, thumbs down for missing a telescopic steering wheel. On first impression, you think "basic," but since the things you're apt to touch the most have a high-quality feel, the interior isn't a disappointing place overall. One impressed 12-year-old boy called my car "tight," proving that the Lancer's body panel gaps and solid construction have an appeal that transcends demographics. Hopefully, that occasional dashboard squeak I heard on the freeway (at only 5,000 miles into this test car's life) was bad luck.

I had no complaints with the front seats, other than their tendency to accumulate mass quantities of static electricity that make every entry and exit a shocking affair. The back seats, usefully enlarged from the last Mirage, have plenty of space but also a low cushion. The Lancer was the last Japanese car to make the jump from subcompact to compact; at just over 15 feet, it's now the longest of them all.

Mitsubishi has always turned to Infinity for its high-end audio needs. Sure enough, the Ralliart optionally offers a 315-watt system with seven speakers. Infinity did its part; Mitsubishi, less so. The stereo's head unit, while easy to use, lacks a manual tuning mode, and its automatic seek literally misses the mark due to spotty reception. And Mitsubishi could use a smack in the head with the Ralliart's 10-inch subwoofer for forgetting MP3 playback. Again.

Other Thoughts

Helping to elevate the Ralliart above its less competent brothers is a full load of equipment. There is basically one option: the $1,500 Sun/Sound/Side Air Bag package, consisting of exactly what it implies. (Head-saving curtain airbags are not included.) Now in 2005, ordering that also requires the purchase of a $131 "Rally Package" that gives a cargo net, scuff plate, and chrome exhaust tip. Great.

Sunroofs, sound systems, and side air bags have nothing to do with each other, and combining them into one pricey package pushes the MSRP higher than it should be: $20,705 (or $21,605 with the $900-higher automatic). That's not the most envious place to be with the Mazda 3 s staring at it on the correct side of the $20,000 barrier. Similarly equipped, a 3 s comes out to $18,865. That's an initial savings of $1,840, which is guaranteed to be dwarfed by the 3's even greater superiority in resale value. Personally, I like driving the Ralliart a tad more, but it's no surprise that the Mazda's the one flying off dealer lots.

One area where the Lancer can't be beat: warranty. Though Mitsubishi hasn't made much noise on the matter, the company recently upped the ante to match Hyundai and Kia with 5 years/60,000 miles on the basic warranty and 10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain. (Hint to Mitsubishi: it might be worthwhile to update the 2005 owner's manual literature, which still quotes the old 3/36K warranty numbers.) Keeping the car long enough is a perfect way to avoid the resale value problem, and the only way to get the benefits of this warranty. But then, you may not need it. The Lancer has always been one of the reliable Mitsubishis, sharing none of the build quality issues that plague its Illinois-built cousins, the Galant and Eclipse.

Final Word

It looks good, drives better, and has plenty of room for four. Though the price could use some work, it is the fastest and most fun-to-drive among all non-turbo compact sedans. The Ralliart need not stand in the Evo's shadow.

My Opinion: Good Review

sobe

iTrader: (1)

Yes. I agree with the lack of MP3 playback. The reviewer didn't seem to like the "tacky" dash, but I like where everything is placed. Plain and simple. Nice find though. Good review.

BLKRalliArt04

iTrader: (18)

I dont know how you guys have problems with mp3 playback, ive been playing 5 year old cdr's and they play them without a problem.

no1v2

Agreed on the lack of MP3 CD support - that should really be part of any upgraded sound system on any car these days. On the other hand, it made me install an aftermarket deck. The installation was fun and taught me a few things, and the deck is probably better than any stock MP3 CD player as far as the controls and display go (SQ-wise I doubt I could tell the difference between most decks).


The stock deck simply doesn't support MP3 playback. It has nothing to do with how new or old the CD-Rs are

EvoVIII_MR2005

iTrader: (2)

This is Mitsubishi's Entire sales strategy, Maybe this is old and was put out way before the whole 10 year 100,000 mile deal came out of Mitsubishi, but from what I see on TV, the warranty is the only thing they are pushing.

sobe

iTrader: (1)

Oh, and the lack of a pause button. Unless I somehow missed it.

Supposedly the best backed cars in the world.

CF-Ninja

iTrader: (2)

good write up... Very true about the dash... may not look the greatest but at least stuff doesnt break when you touch it *cough Focus* *cough Neon*

sobe

iTrader: (1)

Surprisingly the interior would probably last longer then the transmission. I used to own a 1996 one and the tranny went at about 50 000 km. Well... not quite went, but it wouldn't shift into 3rd. Oh yeah, and it was leaking anit-freeze.

bigdoggy_dog

iTrader: (1)

How bout you just push the power button. It works just the same.

sobe

iTrader: (1)

pfft, who pushes the power button in this day and age?

Lightfighter

agree with the article. I've been driving for 22 years and after driving this car for 3 months, I'd still pay too much for it.

I think the RalliArt is a great middle of the road car that allows you have a useful car and still be a whole lot of fun.


As for the MP3 play back... just use Windows Media and copy the tracks to CD... it should convert them. I do it all the time. Usually the conversion will net 20ish songs per CD. I would like a bit tighter response from the sub with less voice, but I'm not going to ***** about it... great sounding system for OEM and these near 40 ears...
Moreover. Satelite radio > all

BMW_traitor

if you need an MP3 player you could get a RF mod CD-MP3 changer. JVC makes one for 150.00ish, 12 disc even

no1v2

Well said


Right, 20 songs a CD vs several hundred, and not even a quality advantage since they came from MP3s too What I'd *really* love would be an in-dash MP3 DVD player, but AFAIK nobody makes one or has any plans for one. Then again they might charge enough for one that you might as well just get an iPod and full control adapter.


I gotta disagree that that's a good choice. I'm far from an audiophile and even I clearly hear the difference between RF broadcasted MP3s (from within the car) and MP3s played by a wired-in deck/changer or even, say, a tape adapter. IMO it's worth the extra time (if you install it yourself) or cost (if you pay for installation) to have a properly wired setup if you're gonna spend any serious amount of money on car audio in the first place. Not to mention the possibility of an overlapping station...

mr96gsx408

i'd rather get a *cough used integra typeR, they handle & look better hahahaha
but for sedan, the ralliart has the appeal i guess. Other options i'd look into would probably be the srt4, altima ser, and the subaru legacy, but that's turbo
no offense, it's just my perference

no1v2

Right on the handling, but as you suggest many of us want sedans. Looks that's subjective, but personally I could go either way between an Integra coupe and a Ralliart. As for getting a used car, that opens up a whole slew of nice options in or under the Ralliart's price range. But none of them will give you the same feeling and assurance that having a warrenty and being the first owner of the car will.


The Altima and Legacy are bigger and more expensive cars. Make that _much_ more expensive in the trim levels you listed. Personally for the money there's many other cars I'd get before the Altima as I'm not a fan of it in any trim level, let alone the most expensive one. The turbo Legacy is definately appealing, but it's even pricer than the Altima SE-R IIRC.

The turbo Neon is another story. If speed for the money is your top priority then the Neon is definately the way to go. But if anything else tops your priority list then I'd say pass on it. IMO the Ralliart is simply a better car in every other respect, and it's a a good several grand cheaper to boot.

Btw, I think I am something of a cheapskate compared to many on these boards. I can easily afford, say, an Evolution, and could even afford one back when I bought my Ralliart, but I just didn't feel the need to spend nearly that much money on a car when I could get one as practical and fun as the Ralliart for so much less. Don't get me wrong, it was tempting , but...