Whichever year i can get a better deal ill go with that.
Also besided the engine being 2.4 liter in 09 is their anything else the 08 GTS doesnt have compared to 09?

 

You can get the touring package on the 09's and the gauge cluster on the 09's is a little bit different... Thats all I can think of right now.

 

i dont thinhk the 4b12 will catch up when there is only one market working on it , unless they release the 4b12 in japan , thats one of the reasons why i got the lancer,made in japan, so the aftermarket for it i knew would eventually be pretty good , just takes time for the parts to come out, and we are already like 2 yrs ahead of the 2.4

 

Yea, I believe the only difference is the High Contrast Gauges and the availability of the Touring Package for 09s that came out after the summer.

Oh and this is from an Edmunds.com review:

"Saddled with the base 2.0-liter, 152-horsepower four-cylinder power plant, last year's Lancer GTS looked and handled like a compact sport sedan, but there was too much sound and not enough fury behind that sharklike snout.

Thankfully, Mitsubishi has taken steps to rectify this imbalance. The 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS gains a new engine, a larger 2.4-liter four-cylinder mill that generates 16 more hp and 21 additional pound-feet of torque. These aren't huge numbers, of course, but they're enough to make the GTS competitive with the peppiest sedans in this segment.

We recorded a 0-60-mph sprint of 7.7 seconds, a healthy 1.1 seconds quicker than the less powerful 2008 model. "

 

And if you were to compress all of that into one sentence describing how awesome the 09 is, it would be: " You won't want to stop driving this car." I love the 09. I test drove the 08's for a reference point, and the 09's do have a bit more kick to them, especially in the 5 speed. 09 FTW.

 

^ Manual is the only way to go, great knotchy feel, much better then other cars I've driven in the price range.

 

Even if you find a hundred engine/tranny mods for the 2.0, you have to think before buying it just because of that. The moment you start messing with anything major, your warranty is gone. Unless you have a deep pocket, it's not a smart thing to do when your car comes with a 10 years warranty.

If you want a little extra "go" with no mods, buy the 2.4L 5 speed manual.

 

also getting +16 hp may be easy but getting +21 ftlb tq will be much harder and its the TQ that people feel when they compare the 09 gts to the 08.


also consider trade in value and what the car will be worth.

you can get 08 gts with <20k for dirt cheap.

 

yea i mean if u want the cheapest lancer u can buy in the new body style, im sure u can get an amaaazing deal on an 08, but the 09 is really worth the extra money, cause ur getting the a good amount of added warrantied performance.

 

Get the 09 GTS 5spd, not CVT.

 

I'm driving the 09 CVT.. test drove the 08 CVT and decided to go for the 2009 CVT... if you're not modifng anything... go for the 09... the gain in horsepower really make the difference. Of coz, that will depend on how you drive your car. But I find that the 08 is lack of power to accelerate from 0-60KM. The 09 is much easier and faster to accelaterate to 100KM.

Many people say that there will are much more aftermarket for the 2.0L engine. But honestly... RRM already introduced a turbo kit for the 2.4L and K&N is developing the intake for 2.4L and it should be releasing soon..... other than these 2 parts... most of the aftermarket staff works fine for 2.0L or 2.4L.... so I don't see a problem with that...

if the price isn't that much a different... go for the 09.... ^^

 

With everyone telling you to go CVT or 5speed ultimately do what will make you happy. My OZ is a 5speed and I kick myself for getting it because I put 25K on a year and that is spread among AZ traffic and the oh so wonderful Southern California traffic. I would kill for an automatic in my car at this point. If you don't drive in heavy traffic drive both and pick which one you like more!