WE LIKE
1. Evo-esque looks
2. Plenty of standard equipment
3. Quality of fixtures and fittings
WE DON'T LIKE
1. Uncompromising ride
2. Too much engine and road noise
3. Saloon limits practicality
There's no getting away from the fact that much of the Lancer's appeal lies in its close styling ties to Mitsubishi's road-runner Evo model. Some Evo owners may gripe about this, but for buyers of the Lancer it's good news all the way. For starters, the standard Lancer has the same squat stance as the Evo and all models come with snazzy looking 18in alloy wheels. There's also a fair bit of the Evo's front-end flair, though the standard Lancer does without its blacked-out grille. At the rear, the Lancer has a chippy little boot spoiler and the rear windows are tinted for privacy on all models.
So far, so good, and it gets better when you look further down the standard equipment list. Sports suspension backs up the Evo-esque looks to some extent, while climate control is fitted across the range of GS3 and GS4 models. The GS4 adds in leather upholstery, satellite navigation and a 30GB hard drive. Also included on all models are cruise control, CD stereo with MP3 connector and six airbags. Safety is further underlined by ESP traction control being fitted to every car in the line-up, so the Mitsubishi is right up with the very best small saloons for protecting its occupants.
There's plenty of space in the front of the Lancer's cabin and the driver is well catered for courtesy of plenty of seat adjustment. Finding a relaxed and supportive driving position is not difficult, but it would be made a lot easier if the Lancer had a steering wheel that adjusted for reach rather than just angle. Mitsubishi regains Brownie points for the uncluttered dash of the Lancer and the superb build quality, though it's a pity some of the cabin materials have a hard plastic finish that is not as pleasing on the eye as some rivals' soft-touch trim.
In the rear, there's enough room for a couple of adults, but taller rear seat passengers will find headroom restricted. The boot tells a similar story, where there's decent luggage accommodation, but larger items will be stymied by the intrusion of the rear wheel arches that makes the boot space long but thin. There's also the downside that access to the boot is restricted compared to the Lancer's hatchback rivals. The other downside of the Lancer next to many of its hatchback and small saloon rivals is that it lags behind their abilities to cosset driver and passengers on almost anything other than surfaces smoother than a salesman's patter. The standard sports suspension may seem attractive on the showroom floor, but on the UK's roads it introduces too many bumps and jitters to the cabin.
Some compensation comes from the Lancer's excellent grip in corners, though keen drivers will feel disappointed in the overly light steering. All drivers will be disenchanted by the amount of road and engine noise that can be heard in the Lancer's cabin, which makes motorway journeys much more of a chore than they should be in a car that is otherwise very easy to drive thanks to a light, precise gearchange. The engines that cause much of the row inside the car are a 1.8-litre petrol with 142bhp or a VW-sourced 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 138bhp. Combined economy comes in at 36.7mpg for the petrol and 44.8 for the diesel, which are middle of the pack figures, while CO2 emissions are much higher than they should be for this sector at 183- and 165g/km for the petrol and diesel respectively.
Overall, the Lancer is competitively priced considering the amount of kit that comes as standard, although the high-tax CO2 figures are a concern. If only the Lancer was quieter and coped better with rut-addled UK roads, it would be every bit as appealing as the Evo it so closely resembles.
Average
User reviews (11)
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Grisleyreg29 July 2009
Having recently driven from the Isle of Skye to Somerset in the GS4 model we found the comfort level superb although it may take some people a little time to adjust to the road noise, Excellant road holding with easy to locate and use controls plus an excellant sound and sat nav system make the car a joy to drive however when driven hard fuel economy leaves a bit to be desired.
Report as inappropriatecata10 October 2009
lancer is superb
Report as inappropriatesantto10 October 2009
lancer is superb , you test to many expensive car :)
Report as inappropriateTom Collignon08 November 2010
It is true about the road noise, but I don't agree about the engine noise (if engine is warm). And i don't agree about the suspension, its hard but not too hard and not as hard as my other car (Meriva). And I don't agree about the running costs. I do around 47 MPG easy (40000km a year). I think it is best value for your money. I love my lancer :-)
Report as inappropriateJan14 November 2010
To bad you did not test the Ralliart model. This is a great car, turbo 4wd technology from the Evo9 at a fraction of the cost. It has a fantastic transmission. You can drive it in automatic mode, perfect in town or drive it manually for more fun. Put it in to sport-mode makes the gearchanges rapidly fast. There are 3 modes for the differential depending on the surface, dry, wet/gravel and snow. I had my Ralliart for 6 month now and I love it, I think its the best car around for this kind of money. Only drawback is fuelconsumption, for me is like 106L/100km. But this is what you get from a permanent 4wd 240hp turbo I guess. Later I will optimize the ECU, this will make for a better mileage and also push power to about 300hp.
Report as inappropriateGEORDIE HALL18 May 2011
JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2011 LANCER SPORTSBACK AND TO BE HONEST IM REALLY GLAD I DID . ITS COMFORTABLE AND HANDLES THE ROAD WELL . IM PLEASED WITH EVERY ASPECT OF THIS CAR I CHOSE WELL
Report as inappropriateLes Abbott04 July 2011
Have owned lots of quality and run of the mill cars over the past 35 years and our 2010 GS2 Diesel Sportback Lancer purchased a week ago ticks most of the boxes. having covered over 800 miles in that week the fuel consumption (checked tankful to tankful) is in excess of 50mpg - far better than the 2007 Cmax 110 tdci it replaced. It is a very attractive tool for someone covering over 12000 business miles a year anda total mileage of around 21000 miles annually. The 6 speed gearbox is light and precise and at 50mph the car will pull away cleanly in top gear. Overall it is a good value for money well screwed together workhorse which is comfortable to drive.
Report as inappropriateJan10 September 2011
Had the RalliArt for a year now and I'm very happy about it. It put a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel. Did flash the ECU a couple of month ago. This really transformed the car. This is the way it should been delivered from the beginning. More horsepower and better mpg. I got the GST base map. Its free, you download it from the internet and I did the flash myself. Its not very hard to do. The RalliArt is a great value for money.
Report as inappropriateBen. Aquilina02 November 2011
I was confused at first what car I buy so many on the market, but I'm glad I bougnt the LANCER as it is a SUPERB, and it handles the road well.
Report as inappropriatechutz02 December 2011
jan have you link to download as im after getting a lancer ralliart but the mpg put me off abit would be great to remap for better mpg thanks
Report as inappropriateRoys55526 January 2012
I have owned a GS4 Lancer Sportback since new in March 2009. I love the styling of the car and yes it is very roomy especially when rear seats fold down. What was an absolute joy was finding out by surprise that the Multi-media system/Colour Sat Nav also has a built-in Hard Drive to immediately record to the hard drive every Music Cd that is loaded in, so far I now have a database of approx 146 CD'S so I no longer have to cart CD'S in and out of the car. The only thing I will say that the Petrol engine Manual is very gutsy on petrol, my computer instrument says on average I am only getting approx 26MPG not good at all but most of my driving is from cold, so obviously should return higher MPG figure on a long run. Can anyone out there also please post your MPG figures for a long and cold start please so I can compare, want to check if it is my engine or same for everyone I have the 1.8L Model. Many Thanks.
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