Mitsubishi Lancer Problems

The current focus on petrol prices is apparently causing a shift in buying habits. If the latest new car sales figures are to be believed, there is a significant trend towards smaller, fuel-efficient cars like the Mitsubishi Lancer.MODEL WATCHCompared to other small cars, the Lancer isn't the most stylish. In an era in which the carved-from-stone look, with crisp edges and sharply defined shapes, dominates, the soft and cuddly Lancer looks as though it has been styled for an older, conservative buyer.The problem with styling, though, is that it moves in and out of fashion. But the Lancer has stood the test of time, and still looks appealing, even if it feels a bit like an old sock.There were three body styles on offer in the Lancer catalogue: the four-door sedan, wagon and two-door coupe. If the sedan and wagon find favour with young families and older couples, the sleek, sporty coupe is the one for younger buyers.The GLi opened the range in sedan and coupe form, and came standard with power steering, cloth trim, full wheel trims, and a fairly basic two-speaker sound system.For more, there was the GLXi sedan and wagon which came with central locking, power mirrors and four-speaker sound.  For coupe extras there was the sporty MR with alloy wheels, side body skirts, fog lamps, power windows and a rear spoiler.In the GLi, the power initially came from a 1.5-litre single overhead camshaft fuel-injected four cylinder engine, which pumped out 69kW at 550rpm and 126Nm of torque, but GLXi and MR buyers had the extra punch of a 1.8-litre SOHC engine which boasted 86kW at 5500 rpm and peak torque of 161Nm.A 1999 update saw the 1.8-litre engine replace the 1.5-litre unit in the GLi sedan and coupe. Both had the choice of a five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed auto and drove through the front wheels.IN THE SHOPThe Lancer has a reputation for reliability. Mechanics who work on them say they give little trouble. But they say it is important to change the cam timing belt at 90,000km, as per Mitsubishi's recommendation.  Generally, the Lancer is a strong little car that stands up well in crash testing, making it a safe choice for young drivers.The current focus on petrol prices is apparently causing a shift in buying habits. If the latest new car sales figures are to be believed, there is a significant trend towards smaller, fuel-efficient cars like the Mitsubishi Lancer.  If there's a down side, it is that they're noisy, which can trick you into thinking something is wrong. Again, experienced mechanics say it's not unusual for owners to think they've done a wheel bearing when it's only road noise. It's simply that car companies tend not to spend much on sound proofing small cars and in most that means there's a lot of extra noise.CRUNCH TIMEThe Lancer was rated about average in the latest annual survey of real life crashes. Crash protection improved with the addition of a driver's airbag in the GLi and GLXi in 2001, with the sporty MR coupe getting dual airbags at the same time.OWNER'S VIEWLouise Ryan bought her Lancer GLi coupe new, back in 2004.  She liked its looks, thought the performance was good, and preferred the idea of buying a new car rather than the risk of purchasing a used car.In the 11,000 km she has now done in it, she's had no problems and is happy enough with it to consider buying another one. Louise's only complaint is that there is little room in the rear, so it's a bit of a squeeze when she needs to carry passengers.MITSUBISHI LANCER 1996-2004Sporty coupe favoured by young buyersFour cylinder fuel economyZippy performanceSuffers a high level of road noiseReliable engines and gearboxesRating14/20 Reliable small car with miserly fuel

Style is important to all car buyers, no matter who they are or how much they have to spend.  It's one of the keys in decision-making and takes on even greater importance when the buyer is young and female.  A clear illustration of the importance of styling is the Mitsubishi Lancer CC Coupe.It was part of the Lancer family, which also included sedans and wagons, but it enjoyed an entirely different image to its less stylish cousins and appealed to a very different buyer.  Take note of who drives Lancer coupes. They're young and going places.The Lancer coupe had more credibility than the sedan and wagon, though it was still conservative in looks. But anyone who took a closer look found a real gem.  The Lancer coupe was attractive, with its simple lines and clean shapes. Better still, it was very competent in most respects.It took many road testers, many of whom had dismissed it before getting behind the wheel, by surprise.  The CC Coupe was based on the CC platform, which was new for 1992.At first glance its styling was described by some as coming from a jelly mould, but the more considered view was that it was clean and quite well styled for the market it was aimed at.  Women, in particular, were drawn to the Lancer coupe. It looked fashionable without making a big statement.There were two models, the GL and the GLXi.  The GL had a frugal 1.5-litre single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine. It had a single carburettor delivering the fuel and produced 65Kw at 6000rpm and 120Nm of torque.Powering the GLXi was a 16-valve 1.8-litre single overhead camshaft engine that was fuel-injected and put out a respectable 86kW at 6000rpm and 161Nm at 4500rpm.  Nothing remarkable, but in a car weighing 976kg, it was surprisingly willing.When pushed, it would cover the standing quarter-mile in less than 17 seconds, a creditable time when lined up against other small cars.  If there was a downside to the engine it was its harshness that set off a less than desirable cabin boom at high engine speed.Transmission options were a three-speed auto and a five-speed manual in the GL, and a four-speed auto and five-speed manual in the GLXi.  The autos were pleasant enough, and the manual had a reasonable shift and was well geared for the task.Steering was initially manual rack and pinion, but power assistance was added during the model run. Brakes were a combination of disc front and drum rear, and the wheels were steel.The GL had less attractive black bumpers, a mix of cloth and vinyl trim, AM/FM radio, carpets on the floor, clock, and an adjustable steering column. The GLXi was better equipped with cloth trim and cloth inserts in the doors. The driver's seat was height-adjustable and there was a remote boot release.An upgrade in 1993 saw power steering become standard on the GLXi, but it was another two years before it became standard on the GL.  A special-edition GL Limited Edition was released in 1995.  Based on the GL, it had full wheel covers, colour-coded bumpers, rear spoiler, decals and four-speaker sound system.Mechanics say they give little trouble, though it's important to change the cam timing belt as per Mitsubishi's recommendation of 90,000km.  Generally the Lancer is a strong little car that stands up well in crash testing, making it a safe choice for young drivers.  It is noisy inside, with lots of road and engine noise.Smart and reliable little car – one for a young woman on the move.Attractive coupe stylingSafe and solid body structureReliable mechanical packageCompetent ride and handlingChoice of frugal 1.5-litre engine or zippy 1.8

The current focus on petrol prices is apparently causing a fundamental shift in buying habits. If the latest new car sales figures are to be believed there is a significant trend towards smaller more fuel-efficient cars.That being the case there is no reason to believe there won’t be a similar shift in the buying pattern of used car buyers and cars like Mitsubishi’s proven Lancer could well be one of those used cars buyers turn to.The Lancer has been a popular small car for many years. The Lancer badge dates back to the 1970s when it was part of the then Chrysler family, but in the years that have followed it has become a well respected Mitsubishi name representing quality, reliability, affordability and style.Added to that a long history of success in rallying would have helped build its reputation considerably as well.Mitsubishi has maintained a steady as she goes policy with the Lancer, and why not when they’ve got a winner in their showrooms.The current car can be traced back to the late 1980s, although that shouldn’t suggest that it is mired in the past. The Lancer is a great little car that holds its own in the toughly contested small car sales race.Compared to other current small cars the Lancer isn’t the most stylish. In an era in which stylists are going for the carved from stone look with crisp edges and sharply defined shapes the soft and cuddly Lancer looks a little like it’s been styled for an older more conservative buyer.The problem with styling though is that it comes into fashion fast and can drop out of fashion just as quickly, and the jury is out on the current trend. The Lancer on the other hand, while making you feel like throwing on a cardigan, has stood the test of time quite well and still looks appealing even if it feels a bit like an old sock now.There were three body styles on offer in the Lancer catalogue, the four-door sedan, wagon and two-door coupe. If the sedan and wagon finds favour with young families, older couples, or those wanting a second car, the coupe is the one that younger buyers prefer.The GLi opened the range in sedan and coupe form, and came standard with power steering, cloth trim, full wheel trims, and a fairly basic two-speaker sound system.For more there was the GLXi sedan and wagon that came with central locking, power mirrors and four-speaker sound.If you wanted more in a coupe there was the sporty MR, which was standard with alloy wheels, side body skirts, fog lamps, power windows and a rear spoiler.In the GLi the power initially came from a 1.5-litre single overhead camshaft fuel-injected four-cylinder engine that pumped out 69 kW at 550 revs and 126 Nm of torque, but buyers of the GLXi and MR had the extra punch of a 1.8-litre SOHC engine that boasted 86 kW at 5500 revs and peak torque of 161 Nm.An update in 1999 saw the 1.8-litre engine replace the 1.5-litre unit in the GLi sedan and coupe.Both had the choice of a five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed auto and drove through the front wheels.The Lancer has an enviable reputation for reliability. Mechanics who regularly work on them say they give little trouble, although they stress that it’s important to change the cam timing belt as per Mitsubishi’s recommendation of 90,000 km.Generally the Lancer is a strong little car that stands up well in crash testing, making it a safe choice for young drivers.If there’s a down side it is that they’re noisy. Expect a lot of road and engine noise, which can trick you into thinking something is wrong. Again experienced mechanics say it’s not unusual for owners to think they’ve done a wheel bearing when it’s only road noise they’re hearing.It’s simply that car companies tend not to spend much money on sound proofing of small cars and in most that means there’s a lot of road noise.The Lancer was rated about average in the latest annual survey of real life crashes. Crash protection improved with the addition of a driver’s airbag in the GLi and GLXi in 2001, the MR coupe got dual airbags at the same time.Louise Ryan bought her Lancer GLi coupe in 2004. She liked its looks, thought its performance was good, and preferred the idea of buying a new car rather than the risk of purchasing a used car. In the 11,000 km she has now done in it there have no problems and she’s happy enough with it to consider buying another one. Her only complaint is that there is little room in the rear when she needs to carry passengers.• four-cylinder fuel economy• middle of the road styling that will last• sporty coupe favourite of young buyers• zippy performance• reliable engines and gearboxes• high level of road noiseA good reliable small car that will give good service with a good turn of speed with miserly fuel consumption.