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Mitsubishi's made-in-America Eclipse packs powerful hardware
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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The skin's so smooth it slices through still air at a rate that ranks in world-class stature.
The look's so fluid you cannot detect a single straight edge among so many arcs and curves and swept-back lines.
The cockpit's so laced with instruments and precise controls, a contoured bucket and padded wheel, that you feel like you're strapped into some supersonic skyship.
The powerplant's so lively you can whip almost anything that dares to challenge your track in the fast lane.
Then too the price's so fair that any test will invariably conclude with new insight into that stale automotive descriptive: More bang for the buck.
That's Eclipse today in a remake of Mitsubishi's buck-banging subcompact sportster.
Mitsubishi unveiled the original Eclipse in 1989 as a 1990 model. Now, this Japanese automaker's California-based designers have pulled off a second-generation rendition which, like the original, is coming together in Illinois at a joint-venture plant known as Diamond Star Motors.
Building a Japanese car in the American heartland and packing it with significant domestic content is Mitsubishi's method of hedging escalating car prices in U.S. dollars when factored against the Japanese yen.
Mitsubishi's pricing strategy, as measured against a slick design and available horsepower, makes the biggest competitive point with new Eclipse. In an array that includes four trim levels and optional turbo-charged horsepower, the base Eclipse RS edition with manual 5-speed transmission lists for $14,500.
An upgraded GS rendition with disc brakes and rear spoiler sells for $2,000 more, while the first of two turbo-charged versions -- the GS-T -- tallies at $20,000, as ultimate all-wheel-drive turbo GSX climbs to $22,900.
Power for all editions begins with a new 4-cylinder 2.0-liter engine which draws on four valves per cylinder and a dual overhead cam configuration. It replaces last year's single-cam intermediate plant and pushes horsepower up to 140 -- a 5-hp gain from that secondary engine and 48 hp more than last year's 1.8-liter base arrangement.
Adding a turbo-charged boost zips available thrust to a heart-thumping level of 210 hp. Considering the relative size and weight of Eclipse, that puts enough hoofers under the hood to launch this little land-locked rocket to stratospheric pavement dimensions.
My tests of pre-production Eclipses rigged with both naturally-aspirated and turbo-charged engines occurred last spring on Florida bayou routes and back lanes stretching south from Orlando. Over the course of a day, I was able to steer a series of 1995 Eclipses through the confusing crush of tourist traffic on crowded Kissimmee boulevards near DisneyWorld, but also push the peddle on desolate stretches leading off to Cypress Gardens and Lake Wales.
Following my tests several impressions surfaced, the most significant of which is that new Eclipse in any edition is a marked improvement over the previous generation.
Fun to drive, it is the kind of car you'd take for a spin simply for the pleasure of taking it for a spin.
The turbo kick from front-wheel-drive GS-T or all-wheel-drive GSX will pin you to your seat and pump up your blood pressure the first time you turn it loose.
The non-turbo plant should not be dismissed simply because its horsepower rating appears as a far lesser figure than the turbo. When mounted in a car weighing less than 2,900 pounds, this engine has a kick of its own and dollar for dollar offers an excellent value.
The 5-speed manual shifter -- thankfully available across the board for those like me who seek complete control -- feels tight, notchy, easy to shift.
The electronically-controlled automatic, featuring four forward gears, is sophisticated, unobtrusive, quiet and still controllable manually, if you so desire.
The steering system -- speed-sensitive power in a precise rack and pinion mechanism -- acts quickly and provides excellent driver feedback.
The seat belts, thankfully, eliminate that motor drive.
Like so many new models, Eclipse finally earns a set of airbags for front seat riders, therefore dismissing pesky mouse-driven automatic seatbelts. The 3-point manual belt system, which functions in conjunction with the airbag, is easy to buckle and release.
Also like so many of today's new models, Eclipse contains a variety of hidden safety elements like structural crumple zones in front and rear framework to disperse impact forces in the event of a collision.
The chassis of Eclipse has also been strengthened so it's far more rigid than the predecessor platform. This adds another safety element because it results in a car that drives and steers in a more stable and predictable manner, while also smoothing out the ride quality.
And when rolling, Eclipse is certainly a smoothy.
The 4-wheel independent multi-link suspension lets Eclipse perform stable road tricks like taking a tight turn at aggressive speed. Still, it communicates well with a driver regarding nuances of the pavement.
For brakes, a disc appears at each wheel on all models above the base RS. If I purchased this car, I'd pay a little extra for the optional anti-lock brake system because this is perhaps the most important safety element you can install -- and it's available for all editions.
That ultimate Eclipse GSX applies traction to all wheels and creates a stick-like-glue set of wheels designed to perform in maximum sport mode.
To fully appreciate this traction enhancement, fling GSX into a hard-set curve at significant speed, if you dare.
All sorts of interior perks appear inside the GSX, including soft leather seat upholstery and Mitsubishi's 210-watt Infinity audio/cassette system with eight speakers.
The base Eclipse R, by contrast, still carries important conveniences, like a tilting steering column, center console with cup and coin holders, remote releases for fuel and trunk lids, and more. Eclipse GS adds the rear spoiler and front air dam, a split on the rear folding seatback, power mirrors and various interior upgrades.
With Eclipse GS-T, air conditioning and power controls become standards, as do 16-inch wheels and that turbo boost.
1995 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1995 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE Specs |
| Description: |
Subcompact hatchback |
| Model Options: |
Subcompact hatchback |
| Wheelbase: |
98.8 inches |
| Overall Length: |
172.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.0-L I-4 16v
DOHC 2.0-L I-4 16v Turbo
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front, AWD |
| Braking: |
RS: Disc/drum
Others: 4-disc
All: Opt. ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
RS: 22/32 mpg
GSX: 21/27 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 14,500 to $ 23,000 |
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