Hey everyone. So I'm looking to buy my first car, and I've been thinking of getting a used lancer (2008-10, depending on the price). I have a bunch of questions that I'm hoping you guys will be able to answer. I'll list out details of what I'd like, and then my questions.

My budget is (max) $15,000 Canadian, taxes included. I really don't have much more money to spend on a car. Obviously something cheaper would be better, but if a car is worth it, I'm willing to consider going up to my max.

Right now, I'm looking for an automatic car. I'll be driving in the city quite a lot, and it seems like too much of a hassle to get a manual car. I'd also prefer a car with sub-100k km mileage.

My main concern is with what trim to get. The two things that I'm curious/interested in are paddle shifters and keyless start. It's not the end of the world if I can't get either, but I'd be willing to pay a bit more money for them. Any recommendations for the trim? I'm not sure if the non-GT/GTS ones have even the keyless start, but if the price is right...

I've been trying to figure things out online, but I'm not really getting anywhere in terms of the GT vs GTS (09). Most sites only list one or the other. From these forums, I found one thread talking about them (https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/to...gt-vs-gts.html). I don't care about the 18" tires (especially with the negative comments about them), or the HVAC climate control, but I am wondering how much the difference in suspension is. Also, the difference in engines is something I'm not sure of. (I don't intend on racing the car, so I don't think it would make that much of a difference, but idk).

I've noticed a couple sellers claiming to have the 09 GTS, but in the pictures I see differences (no paddle shifters, no button on the trunk to open it...) so I'm not sure what exactly they have. The paddle shifters are easy to spot, but is there a way to tell if a car has keyless start? From my understanding, it comes with the S&S package, which these cars have, but I can't tell from the pictures. Do any other models have it, though?

Sorry for the long post. Any advice/answers would be appreciated.

 

I have an 08 GTS with the S&S package, the way that you can tell if it has key-less entry from the outside is if instead of a keyhole on the trunk there is a button with a silver ring around it. I added a picture of my Lancer so you can see what I'm talking about. Also, the engines are slightly different; the 08s have the 152hp MIVEC engine while the 09+ have 168hp. My car has the paddle shifters, they only come with the automatic CVT transmission. Personally, I think they're silly and don't use them, and there's always the 'manual' mode option on the shifter. Hope that helps a little!

 

Thanks! That info definitely helps.

 

Glad to hear