2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart: Looks, handling — at a price

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 19 May 2011 10:47

Long a bit player in the U.S. automotive market, Mitsubishi has overachieved on occasion — its Outlander has been one of our favorite small sport-utility vehicles — but much of what Mitsubishi has brought to America has been nondescript. Its entry-level Lancer, in particular, has tended toward cheap without actually being inexpensive. But the 2011 Lancer Sportback Ralliart is a departure from past Lancer models we’ve driven, with high power, sporty handling and efficient design.

Our last Lancer was a sedan that was noisy, uncomfortable and unexciting, with seriously inadequate front leg room. We remember it for a sore right hip that resulted from a relatively short drive from western Connecticut to Giants Stadium in northern New Jersey. The Sportback is taller and roomier; we drove it about twice as far with no complaints.

Like the sport-tuned Evolution, the Sportback handles crisply and predictably, but without the Evo’s harshness. The Ralliart’s strong, turbocharged Four delivers 237 horsepower, with no discernible turbo lag. Mitsubishi has done well to improve the Lancer’s drivability. It’s also nicer looking; the old Lancer was about as eye-pleasing as a base Toyota Corolla, with less value.

The Sportback Ralliart’s extra dose of performance and comfort comes at a price. While the base Lancer Sportback ES starts at under $17,000, Ralliart trim jumps the base price to $27,895. With options and destination/handling, its sticker price came to $31,755. That’s a lot of money for a Japanese-built compact car, even with the Ralliart badge to give it a degree of cachet.

Standard equipment on our Apex Silver Sportback included full-time all-wheel drive, twin-clutch Sportronic transmission with paddle shifters on the steering column, sport-tuned suspension, automatic climate control, Sirius satellite radio, 18-inch alloy wheels  and rear spoiler. Our test car had the $3,100 Ralliart Touring Package: leather upholstery, 710-watt sound system, HID headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats and power glass sunroof.

The transmission took some getting used to. We found we could drive the car comfortably as an automatic after acclimating to the car’s personality by using the paddles, which enable the driver to execute much quicker upshifts and downshifts than a typical automanual transmission would allow.

Fuel economy is a mediocre 17 mpg city, 25 highway, on premium gasoline. We managed about 25 mpg on highway trips along Interstate 84 in western Connecticut.

There’s lots of competition in this segment. A year ago, Motor Trend magazine compared the Lancer Sportback Ralliart with the Volkswagen GTI, Mazdaspeed3 and Subaru Impreza WRX. The Mitsubishi seems to match up best with the Mazda, which overcomes its somewhat quirky exterior styling with a clear advantage in refinement. The Mitsubishi is roomier, and we quickly acquired an entirely subjective preference for its styling, especially its blunt, bold front end. Both handle exquisitely.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the current generation of front-wheel-drive Lancer models (not the AWD version) as a Top Safety Pick. Consumer Reports magazine hasn’t received enough data to predict the Lancer’s reliability, but the Outlander has been much more reliable than average.

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.

Price: $31,755

Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged Four, 237 horsepower, 253 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 6-speed twin-clutch Sportronic

Drive: All-wheel

0-60: 5.5 seconds

Weight: 3,596 lb.

Suspension: Four-wheel independent, MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear

Wheels: 16x6-inch alloy

Tires: 215/45R18 89W

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 13.8 cu. ft.

Maximum cargo capacity: 46.6 cu. ft.

Fuel capacity: 14.5 gallons

Fuel economy: 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway

Fuel type: Premium

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