2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse

   Welcome back to The Fast Lane! Today marks my first review for this blog. Today I took some time to drive a 2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse. I decided to write about this car first because it's one that I've admired from day one. I first saw the third generation in a tv ad while I was in high school. I remember drooling over the sleek elegant body, the impressive performance and the features that it offered. When I first walked onto the lot at Alan Webb Mitsubishi I made a beeline towards a third gen Eclipse and immediately took it for a test drive.

    The car that I drove was a fairly standard model equipped with the 2.4 liter engine and the automatic transmission with bump shift technology. Cool blue lighting illuminates all the gauges and dials on the dash, and hip hugging seats keep the driver and front passenger secure during cornering. The body on the 2012 was designed to incorporate designs from both previous eclipses with the blacked out roof and other current models with the front grill design hinting towards the Evolution. The 2.4 engine with the automatic transmission is suited for the driver that wants a stylish sports car with fairly good performance to cruise the roads with while maintaining fuel economy. For the driving enthusiast, I recommend the GT model with the 3.8 v6 with a manual transmission. Handling is decent with some under steer as can be expected from a front wheel drive car, the ride is average stiffness for cars in it's class. Unlike most sports cars in this class the Eclipse has a back seat that is tight but usable. Options included sunroof, heated seats, leather, Rockford Fosgate premium sound system, power drivers seat, climate control and more.
    Overall the Eclipse was more than I expected seeing those TV ads years ago. I wish there was enough back seat space for a baby seat, but I hope to someday own one of these great machines. I hope this review was thorough and informative and I only wish you could experience the car in person. Until tomorrow, stay in the Fast Lane.