Mitsubishi Eclipse

Price Paid:  $28000.00 from Mile High Mitsubishi

Year / Model Reviewed:
2006 Eclipse GT

Summary:
Already owned a 93 Honda Prelude si when I purchased Eclipse. The Eclipse feels bigger, mainly wider, & obviously stronger engine performance. The Honda beats Eclipse in handling being much more nimble & tighter round the corners. The Eclipse sways more round corners, although it still a very acceptable GT feel. However, the oem tires squeal at the first sign of any agressive cornering, well before they should. Hopefully aftermarket tires will kill the premature squeal. Brakes are fab, even with the oem tires. Gearbox is a little notchy & slow but very solid quality feel.
Only warranty issue I have had is an intermittant electrical problem with the left channel up/dwn control on the steering wheel for the stereo control...it wrongly adjusts the volume and/or adjusts the channel/track select in the wrong direction. Dealer replaced left control but it's still faulty on many occassions of use. They also upgraded the ECU firmware as part of a recall on damaged warm up cats. I'm also not too impressed by the integrity of the body/paint work. My Honda seems to withstand front stone chips to better degree on the front hood area.

Strengths:
Engine, brakes & overall value. Decent 26+ mpg considering big V6.

Weaknesses:
Intermittant electrical problem with steering controls for the CD/Radio. Tires squeal at first sign of any hard corning. Body/paint work maybe a little fragile.

Similar Products Used:
Honda Prelude.