Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback road tests and consumer car reviews

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback GS2 DID 2010

This 2010 car was owned by the importer and chosen because of its low mileage , condition, value for money and perceived running costs (due to a high annual mileage -approx 21,000 of which over 12,000 are business). It was selected over a GS3 because of several factors: 1. It is on 16 inch wheels so tyre costs will be less 2. It is more economical and quicker on paper than the GS3 3. Road tax is £30 a year less than GS3. Despite specification lists that suggest this model doesn’t have front fog lights or 7 airbags our car has them and also is fitted with a front strut brace.It certainly is well specced with the benefit of cruise control. The bluetooth phone is far more user friendly than the factory fit system in our previos car (Ford C Max 1.6 tdci Titanium). Economy during initial ownership ( over 900 miles checked brim to brim ) has been a creditable 50.6mpg in mixed driving 4up and 53mpg on a 120 mile solo run. The ride is a little on the bouncy side. From cold the VW engine is slightly noisier than the last 4 Fords owned, but the rapid acceleration, effortless cruising and better economy make up for this (Cmax 48mpg). The car is nicely screwed together, the isofix fittings are easy to use with easy to reach top tether hooks on the seatbacks.The 6 speed gearbox is light and precise.The 3 year comprehensive warranty includes roadside assistance (unlike Ford’s penny pinching 1 year roadside and reduced warranty cover after the first year). Ignore the press and try one!

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Juro 2.0 DI 2010

Excellent specification, fun to drive, not your normal Euro box. The optional service plan for £315 is a bargin and can be transfered if you sell the car. General fit and finish above average, a little dark in the cab but comfortable. Fuel economy average for a car in this class.

Responses to this review

I had the same problem recently with my 2003 Polo. I don’t know if the fusebox will be located in the same place on a 1997 model but in case it is: Open the driver’s door to access & open the flat fusebox panel on the right hand side of the dashboard then check for a burnt 25amp blade fuse (replacement fuses available at most garages for a couple of pounds) - J Smith from England

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Lancer Hatchback 1.5 GS2 Manual 2010

Mitsubishi Lancer Hatchback 1.5 GS2 Manual With sporty styling, keen pricing and a motor sports ’halo’ provided by the forthcoming Lancer Evolution X, the tenth generation Lancer in ’Sportback’ form, provides a serious challenge to its mainstream competitors in the moderate size family hatchback range. Mitsubishi offer a full family of Lancers in either saloon or hatchback with prices for Sportback’s starting at just £14,449. and rising to over £50,000 for that devastatingly powerful, giant killing Evo. version that is the stuff of legend. In an era when the very concept of motoring is under fire, the superb ’Lancer Jet Fighter look’ stokes the flames for the true enthusiast. The Sportback is red blooded, vigorous and virile and is a dynamic example of cavalier charisma without going to extremes of performance. But back onto a realistic everyday footing, the new Lancer Sportback’s strength lies not in supersonic performance but in excellent value for money - and outstanding build quality that puts to shame much of the competition. As always with Mitsubishi, that quality seems to know no bounds and I can only suggest that if Napoleon had a battalion of these at Waterloo we wouldn’t be walking around in Wellingtons. We’d be swaddled in Napoleon nappies in slavish obeisance to the nanny state. Thank goodness for Japanese designers and the Samurai spirit. Tested here, the £14,499 GS2 Sportback with the 1.5 litre petrol engine represents remarkable value. Equipment levels are generous and you get air conditioning as standard, twin front, side and knee airbags, a trip computer and power windows all round - not forgetting a good sound system. There’s more room than in previous Lancers too, thanks to a longer wheelbase and wider track - so driver and passengers can stretch out and relax in an environment that totally belies the models tempting price. It’s able even in today’s hide bound motoring world to pack a punch, while of necessity retaining a plethora of safety conscious and economical money saving features in reserve: it’s close to having your cake and eating it. Despite the 1.5 litre engine delivering just 107bhp, this Lancer is a lively car if the engine is kept in the upper reaches of the rev. range. It’s a smooth unit that thrives on revs so gearing is fairly low and consequently the car feels faster than it really is, taking you to a top speed of around 115mph - yet at the same time returning overall fuel consumption of 43mpg - which is very acceptable in these straitened times. Driving dynamics, of course, reflect Mitsubishi’s rallying heritage and you can revel in the truly excellent handling, taking bends at speeds that would cause other cars to end up in the hedgerow. After my twisty rural road enjoyment I progressed to the usual interminable traffic jam. Glancing across to the next lane where - in contrast to my state of absolute comfort - I perceived that the planet saving driver of the squillion pound hybrid motor car next to me was looking pale and serious and much fatigued. To cheer him up I blipped the throttle of my Lancer but he was completely oblivious: caught in the bubble of his own benevolence. This is a car that makes its point by offering top quality and particularly attractive looks. Point it North, East, South or West it’s up with the best in its class. And as Sir Lancelot would say, ’I joust not’.