I basically was sick of the truck I was driving even though it was damn nice. It was my first car or truck I should say at age 16. It was a 1997 GMC Sonoma, basically a Chevy S10. I bought it one year old from the dealership in 1998. I spent a good amount of money modding it, and it looked great. The thing was pretty quick too, I mod'd the stock 4.3L Vortec V6 a little, and it moved pretty well. I was just about the only person in my town at the time to have a lowered truck that was mod'd. I had it for 3 more years during college, then came home and sold it. Everyone was starting to get into the "mini truck craze" so I decided that I'm either going to keep spending money on this truck or get rid of it, and basically spend money on something else. My truck was real sweet though so it was hard to give it up.

I ended up selling the truck for $8000 with 72,000 miles on it in 2003, pretty good resale, but then again I had well over $5K invested in it. I sold it to a kid in high school who lives around my area so I still end up seeing it here and there, and it's still well taken care of, which is nice to see.

So I figured it was time to get rid of a two seater American made car and time to hop into the new phase of my life... Imports. All my friends were getting them and I also wanted a 4-door car that got good gas mileage. My initial thought was to get a used Civic, I thought they look good and they are definitely ease to mod and find parts for. Although resale value on those bastards is high. I looked at and test drove a 97 Civic HS, it had 102,000 miles on it and it was clean, but the dealership wanted $8,400, and it had no A/C.

So my dad and I visited Mitsubishi dealership as our last stop on this long Saturday of vehicle hunting. I was introduced to the base model Lancer ES, there were only 4 2003 Lancer ES models left on the lot. The 4 colors being red, blue, silver, and white. All 4 were the same price of $9,995, all base models (ES). They were so cheap b/c it was August and the new models were to arrive soon, so they needed these off the lot. Test drove one with the salesman, it seemed pretty chill, especially for the price, and looks started to grow on me fast.

After the salesman and I tore up the streets in the silver one, I thought I'd pick out a less abused one, so I chose the White. I also had them add on the OZ spoiler, clifford alarm, and warranty. Walked out the door with a new Lancer ES with 12 miles on it for $11,200. Now I'm just modding the car to make it fun to drive. Still pretty satisfied with the purchase though.

 

knew we needed a new car. had been receiving different year end offers. finally got the right one. a free 1000$ (P.O.S.) shopping spree (worthless) and at least 1k in down payment. So we went to buy a used car. They were willing to sell us a new (05) lancer (this was last november). I used to drive a 95 turbo eclipse. The only reason I sold it was it got me lotsa tickets and thrown in jail. I like mitsubishi (as opposed to the KIA dealership we were at). These had been dropped off from the daytona dealership (guess they weren't selling) Got the black (so it'll look cool with tinted windows). No Trade in. They gave us 1000 rebate, 2500 down, plus the bogus shopping spree we won't use. Ticket price 15k.... So, sorry but I paid less (after rebate and free down pyt) for a brand new lancer. ALthough, I like the body styles (especially trunk and license plate placement) on the older ones better, but I got the 2.0 litre so :P. Now I'm just waiting for my jet hot coated RPW race headers, magnaflow high flow cat, greddy resonater and muffler (thanks RRM for a great deal) to be installed. Already go tthe SRI installed (yes, unfortunately its auto). Then I'll have the AEM wideband Johns Slow ES sold me installed with the SAFCII I just got installed too. and I'll eat honda's for breakfast - if not, (and down the road) RPW's modified intake with larger injectors and emanage to tone em down. The lancers are great (even the es which I got) I love the auto tuning transmission, and just a SRI provided a good sound, a little feeling in the butt dyno and a little pep in the throttle response. Once I get the intake, injectors, and (at least) 60mm throttle body, it'll be a stock looking sleeper for all the punk kids with hondas some cheap muffler (nothing else) sounding like chinamen (no offense) with gas.
Mitsu rules, Honda's drool. Twin turbod nissans are gods.

 

I work as a contractor for a courier service, so my car is literally my life for the time being. Had an 01 Ford Focus ZX3 that I loved, but since I'm a life-long car enthusiast, I get the bug every three years ( more or less, if I can afford it) for a new car.

I was using my Focus, which worked out OK. But it was a manual, which I loved, but not for everyday driving, especially when I could wind up doing 300 miles a day. And my wrist would bother me after a long day. But mainly, I had the new car itch and in my local paper there was an ad:

New 2004 Lancer Sportback. $13,999

Keep in mind this is July 2005. So I went to investigate. I could have had a Ralliart Sportback for about another $1000, but since I was buying the car to use for work, I wasn't interested in the stiffer ride and, more importantly, the cost of replacing 50 series, 16 inch tires. My car was the only one like it on the lot, an LS with the preferred package of cruise, alloy wheels and the roof rack ( like that'll ever be used)

I wasn't totally in love with the car, even when signing the papers, which is usually a bad sign. But I really like it now, it's been a great and reliable car. It's really great being one of the only Lancer Sportbacks around. If it had been at the $18,100 window sticker, I probably wouldn't have bought it. But for 14k, it's one of the best buys I've ever made. It's definitely got me looking at Mitsubishi in a new way.

 

Basically rich friend of the family didn't want it...so he sold it to me for $6,000...what are friends for

 

At the time I was driving a '94 Caravan. My girlfriend (now ex) bought her first car which was an '03 Lancer ES. A little less than a year went by and my van started falling apart, so I started to look for a new car. Well, I liked her's so much so I started doing research on the Lancers and I liked what I saw. I went to a Mazda dealership to look at what they had for used cars. They had it sitting in the back, I drove it, worked some numbers, and a week later I bought it. 2003 OZ. But I didn't do enough research on that particular car and I ended up buying a car with some problems. So now I don't even want to bother with it so I'm starting to put some money away for a Ralliart. I hope to have it by the end of this year or early next year. I originally planned on it being this summer, but after plugging in some numbers, I realized it's not going to happen. At least not now, but it will.

 

Friend had just bought a 2003 Evo for 40k (when the first came out). Took me for a ride and I was sold... sold on having a lancer... couldnt afford the evo, . I ended up getting a 02 es, silver and at... OH JOY! That was over 3years ago, my have times change.

 

i don't know if I posted on here before....

but my Pontiac got T-boned...used the money for a downpayment on the Lancer.

 

The lancer was the first car I ever bought "New" straight out of the dealer. I wasn't going to buy it, but My girlfriend at the time insisted it was a very sporty and nice car. Can't lie, it looked hot! Plus it was the floor model too... I should have gotten it stick, but I had to wait for it to be available. Before the "lance" I had 6 other cars.

 

Woke up.. turned on the pontiac around 6 am, the gaskets blew off, the headders, radiator cracked wide, and there was plenty of smoke... it died... i yelled alot and was at a Subaru dealership in a wrx by 1 that afternoon... lets just say that i had my mitsu in my driveway by 7 pm.... never had a second thought about it

 

Well, I had been driving a 94 Nissan Sentra that my parents donated to the game for about 2 years since the car I actually owned decided that putting a dump on me while i had a pregnant friend in the car with me in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter was a great idea. So, having been put on the side of the road by that POS, i didnt really mind driving a 94 sentra. It isnt a GREAT car, but it makes due. It had decent gas mileage for a 94 i would say. This year, though, It started to degrade in gas mileage. i think it had gotten to about 12 miles per gallon and i decided that it was time to get it completely tuned from top to bottom to go ahead and fix anything that was causing my efficiency problem. So i dropped $300 on all new expendables and performance parts and a new map sensor.

It drove great for about a week, then the gas mileage went back down and this time it started to smoke. BAD. i fouled out my plugs. when i accelerated it would knock and anybody behind me would instantly be engulfed in a thick white cloud. needless to say i was pissed. I was also broke. I kept trying to find out what had gone wrong, all the while having to drive this thing to and from work. I finally just gave up and decided to run the thing into the ground. I tried and tried and tried to kill that poor car. just to put it out of its misery. All the while, my girlfriend keeps coming up with cars she has seen in ads and stuff and wants to go look at for her, and one day she pops up with an ad for a 98 intake/exhaust civic. normally i would have scoffed, but the asking price was a little over 3 grand. So i told her i was going to go up there and look at it for me. It looked too good to be true, and considering i live in louisiana, i figured it had been submerged in the whole katrina thing, but it was being offered by a respected dealership so i figured we would give it a shot.

we drove up there and asked one of the salesmen about it and he said it had just been sold the previous evening. My girlfriend almost cursed him out. (damn asian chicks) Feeling a bit dejected, we went back to the car and sat. thats when i rememberd seeing another dealership right up the road that had a clearance sale. it seems they were consolidating with another dealrship and didnt have any lot space over there.

It was a honda dealership and we drove up and parked amidst gleaming S2000's and brand new decked out accords. we started to walk around the lot and sure enough here comes a salesman running out to steal our money. he asked what we were looking for, and i told him something decent and not too expensive, at most like 5 grand. so what is the first thing out of his mouth? "oh well here check out this nice little focus hatch, lemme go get the keys" when i buy cars i know better than to tell them exactly what i want. the stupider you act about buying a car, the easier it is to play the salesdummy like a violin. so he comes out with the keys and, lo and behold. the driver side door doesnt open. someone had traded it in the day before and conveniently failed to mention this. this was going to be easier than i thought, since i was planning on trading in the aformentioned nissan. I said, "well, nevermind on the focus, what else do you have?" so he tries to sell me a little chevy truck with the extreme package. I look at it, he tries to pitch it, i say, well. i want something a little less domestic and a little more import. and he says, well we dont have anything in your price range that is worth a crap.

about this time i see something that doesnt fit in on the car lot. among all the dull colors on the rear side of the lot, i see this bright yellow glow, so i moved over a little to see what it is, (i like flashy stuff) tada, its a lancer. it is liek the only used car on the lot that doesnt look crapped up. so i ask about it and he says again, he thinks its too much for me (i hate condescending salesmen), but he reluctantly goes to get the keys. I walk over there and start looking. tag says its an 02 lancer O.Z rally edition. I knew what an evo was. and i knew that the lancer was NOT an evo, more like the little bastard child, but sporty nonetheless. hmm, might be nice. look at the sticker price... HOLY CRAP!! nevermind, it says 10,999. ok so the salesguy is right, well here he comes, i might as well test drive it so he doesnt think im an asshat. at least i can say it doesnt drive well and i dont like it and be off the hook.

that was too much of a stretch, the smile that was on my face while test driving gave me away before i even opened my mouth. damn this car is fun to drive. we get back and i start to try and stutter a good reason i dont want it without admitting that im too damn poor, when he goes, oh by the way, the sticker price is wrong. they told me the asking price is 6,999 because everyone that comes in and looks at it doesnt want a 5 speed. WHAT LUCK! now were getting better. i ask him about the clearance sale and he knocks another 500 off. ok well i was hoping for more but i still havent told him about my trade in. i already had the go ahead from my parents to trade the nissan for whatever it would get, because they knew it was junked. so were starting to walk inside and i mention that i might be interested in trading my car in, so he wants to take a spin around the block. he gets in and checks the A/C. the only thing that actually worked right in the car..

heres where i get the biggest kick. we go around the block, he never tried to put his seat belt on or he would have realized it didnt have one. inspection is a month away and i knew i wasnt going to pass. the car wasnt smoking visibly that day either, so he never knew. he never popped the hood, he never popped the trunk. under the hood was solid black from leaking oil and road grime. in the trunk was mildew, no floor cover, and about 40 empty oil cans. the upholstery was thrashed on the back seat, but he couldnt see it from all my personal belongings. he said 500 bucks, i jumped.

we went inside did the paperwork and i went back outside and gather my belongings from the old car. i could hear the dumbass grimace when he realized that i had done him exponentially worse than the guy that traded the focus. he saw the thrashed seats. he saw the trunk. and im sure they wont be pleased when they find out it burns 5 quarts a week. i laughed my way off the lot in my lancer. now, I actually have fun driving. i can ride around for no reason and actually get good gas mileage. dont have to spend 12 bucks a week on oil and 30 bucks a week in gas. I love it, and now im planning on modding it out. not for pure power, but id say about 50/50 show. i want to look good, i already stand out from the civics and to tell the truth, now that i see what kind of community there is with the lancer on here, as opposed to the civic community (asshats) it was probably the best buy i could have made.

ok that was longer than i thought. sorry

 

Mine was pretty random. I had just moved back to the states from Germany (boo!) and needed a car for the first time since I joined the Army. Went to visit a couple of dealerships and didn't really see much I liked. Finally the last place I went brought out a Yellow 03 OZ. Fell in love at first sight. Bought it that nite. Its good that I'm single right now because every spare dollar is going into this thing, lol. I have the sickness full blown now. Gotta love it. Now if I can just go back to Iraq....I can join the exulted ranks of FI Lancers out there, lol.

 

I got mine on March 2005 for $14g'z with 22k miles with extended 100k mile warrenty

 

i had an 1999 infiniti g20 but i was paying about 800 a month with car & ins $$$.. so i sold it.. in August 2003, I went to a vw dealer cuz my dad just bought a passat. but they didnt have any vw golfs that i like.. but over all i've been a mitsu lover (gran turismo hahah) and im into aviation and mitsu makes some kick *** engines for all types of planes.... and at that same vw dealer they had an 03 outlander (blue by you type color) and a couple of 03 lancers. I liked the outlander (when i used to like suv's) but at that time i was 23 and single what was i gonna do with that! hahah.. so my brother said.. look at that red lancer over there (RIO red.... of course)... i loved the color... it had 12K miles on it.. and the sticker price was 11,999. the previous owner was enterprise rental car . so i knew this was all hiway miles and well maintained. so i took a drive in it.. the interior was still fresh and not a trace of wear... took it for a spin around town with the salesman. i liked the throttle response... even though it wasnt fast like my '99 G20... i liked the car. and drove away with it 2hrs later for a little under 13K. i only put 500$ down cuz thass what i had at the time.. so my monthly payments were stupid high.. like 345$ a month.. i took it anyways because i knew i could get it refinanced... with the help of mom dukes lol.. we got it refinanced 2 months later and im payin only 195 a month for it and my ins is only 140 a month.. so my gamble paid off... now i just gotta drop this turbo in (thats just sitting im my storage lol) and i'll live happily ever after haha

 

my Geo metro was dying fast adn i needed a car so i went to the first dealership i saw and it was a hyundai and i started looking at a used tiburon. well i tried to get a salesman but they must have thought i was a bum so they ignored me. so now im mad and i start looking around and off in the distance i seen the triple diamonds so im like hmm i like mitsubishi( even tho i knew nothing about them) and i drove over and as soon as i pulled up i seen her
bright yellow tinted windows and i said ooooo
salesman was there by the time i got out and frst thing he says "wanna drive it?" hell ya lets go. so we go out and up some hills and through some twisties and i said sign me up! i got raped but i love my car anyway. i drive Hard and ive never had a problem.. i dont even have the flaky paint on the ground effects that lots of people were talking about. i even crashed into a barrier at a rediculous speed and walked away without a scratch. got it repaired and its exactly like before. love it !

 

Thats true. I paid $11,000 for an 03 with 15k miles