KELSEY MAYS
Living Editor
Anela Holck/Assistant Photo Editor
The folks at Mitsubishi’s design center in Cypress, Calif., want you to remember the 2006 Eclipse. They’ve scrawled those seven letters on metal, plastic and digital surfaces all over the car, so the Eclipse says Eclipse in no fewer than five places. These include a requisite label across the rear deck lid, plus plastic carvings in each door sill and another across the cargo cover. Finally, to remind even the most comatose drivers, the word “Eclipse” appears in block letters on a dash-mounted LCD screen when you turn the key.
Really? I thought I was driving a Suburban. Thanks for clearing that up.
Fortunately, there’s no mistaking this car for anyone who cares to take more than a passing glance. The 2006 Eclipse coupe, now in its fourth generation, closely mirrors Mitsubishi’s Concept-E prototype introduced at the 2004 Detroit auto show. The ’06 Eclipse’s exterior looks nearly the same as the Concept-E’s, with curvaceous styling that pushes the cabin forward to give the vehicle a pounce-ready stance. Inside and out, it’s not shy about bringing the future to us today.
The famous second-generation Eclipse from the mid- to late-1990s featured an all-wheel drive variant and an optional turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. Mitsubishi canned it in 2000 with a new Eclipse that went with a front-drive V-6. The move toward a “Grand Tourer” vehicle (think Chrysler Sebring or Toyota Solara) had begun. This year, Mitsubishi says it’s complete: They call the 2006 Eclipse “a full-fledged Grand Touring coupe.”
Starting at $19,994, the base Eclipse GS has a 162-horsepower, 2.4-liter inline-four. Worth mentioning are the six airbags, ABS and basic power accessories included at that price. For about $24,000, the Eclipse GT upsizes to a 263-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6. Manual and automatic transmissions, the latter incorporating a manual-shift mode, are available for both trims, and a fully-optioned Eclipse GT tops out around $30,000.
My test vehicle was an Eclipse GS with a five-speed manual transmission, though I did briefly sample the GT, with a six-speed manual, this past summer. Due to its large size (most car-based V-6s are between 2.5 and 3.5 liters), the 3.8-liter V-6 has abundant torque and pulls strongly from just about any gear. It features MIVEC — Mitsubishi’s variable-valve timing system — and felt smooth and durable, but I could have done without its noisy exhaust.
The Eclipse GS is no slouch, though. Its 2.4-liter engine, introduced originally in the 2004 Galant sedan, is also MIVEC-equipped. Though it isn’t as powerful as, say, an Acura RSX’s 2-liter engine, it scoots off the line much quicker, thanks to 162 pounds-feet of torque at a comfortable 4,000 rpm.
The stick shift feels straight out of the ‘05 Eclipse. It seems a bit tall but goes easily from one gear to the next and matches with an agreeably light clutch.
Steering is tight and communicative, but it doesn’t turn that far. Mitsubishi claims a turning circle of 40 feet, curb to curb — that’s even worse than the previous four-cylinder Eclipse, and puts it well beyond its competitors into SUV territory. Be prepared to make plenty of three-, four- and five-point turns.
Still, handling is a high point. Body roll is minimal, and the standard 17-inch wheels with 225/50 tires would be impressive on a $40,000 car, let alone one at this price.
The high-style interior looks mildly futuristic. A curvy, soft-touch panel spans the dashboard, integrating audio controls and air vents. Mitsubishi says the center stack was intended to resemble a home-audio system, and it does a decent impression. The layout is simple, with large dials and flush-mounted buttons integrated into a dark silver-painted panel, and the whole system lights up blue and red at night.
But there are enough lapses — the center air vents don’t pivot far enough to blow air toward drivers, and there is some atrociously low-quality switchgear — to keep the cockpit from being a true standout.
The one-piece sport seats are quite comfortable, though, and the durable fabric doesn’t allow much slip. Getting into those seats is a bit of a chore, as there are no grab handles, and the cabin is situated very low to the ground. The rear seats are tiny, and behind them is a pair of fuselage-size C-pillars that make backing up an act of faith, but those are typical sacrifices asked by today’s compact sports coupes.
Ultimately, that’s what the 2006 Eclipse is: another compact sports coupe. Stylistically, it fits that market dead-on. It looks far too boyish to pass as a Grand Tourer, but it does take something from those roots in its easy-driving demeanor. Perhaps that’s its trump card — all the flash of a sports compact car, but still enough torque and standard features to avoid too many of the segment’s drawbacks.
10-27-2005
