The exterior styling of the Mitsubishi Lancer, even in the bog standard spec of the test car, is unique, striking and yet not particularly controversial. So it is not derided like some past Renaults or Citroens, nor does it enter you in the ‘Toyota Corolla Look-a-like contest’that Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Kia and Hyundai are all determined to win. (Which they won’t because Toyota’s Auris has got it sewn up.)
Obviously, a professional road-test never judges a car by its bodywork, but subliminally, somewhere in the cerebral cortex of my mind, the sharp styling raised my expectations – only for them to be dashed.
The Lancer’s engine is clearly audible in the cabin. Depending on who you are, it’s either a petrol-head pleasing throatiness or a cheap and tinny din – you’ll have to drive it to establish which camp you’re in. But either way, the car feels pedestrian off the line and up through the gears unless you rev it a bit. And then, my gosh, will it go.
Turn into a corner with some of this pace and you find that while the Lancer is not much of a communicator, it never lets you down. There is little or no feeling in the steering and as you turn in at speed this complete lack of sensation continues with unflappable consistency. If the car is not turning in sufficiently, you just turn the wheel more and in it goes.
So it’s not the same experience as a BMW, where you feel in control and at one with the wheels on the road, but it’s not like a Hyundai Coupe that just goes straight on even if you are on full lock.
Inside, the experience is like a Kia or Hyundai. The seats are not quite big enough or supportive enough to genuinely rival Vauxhall, or even Renault. The dash is easy on the eye, well made and ergonomic. But the radio has to intermittently search to get a signal and the driving position favours those with short legs and long arms.
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So, on balance, I would buy a Lancer for the looks, provided the price were less than the better warrantied Kia Cee’d and the better-to-drive Astra and it had a better spec than a Renault Megane. But, given the number of cheap Renaults and Vauxhalls in the market, it won’t be easy to find that deal.
What’s the market like?
There are around 400 of the latest shape Lancers on the market. Mainly they are the petrol engines;there are less than 100 diesels. This makes petrol the logical choice for most, even though, as the price pages show, the prices are not dramatically softer than the diesel counterpart.
The standard cars are all holding very firm residuals for their first 2 to 3 years. But if you look at the older model, which is an indication of future residuals on the current model, there is clearly potential for dramatic drops ahead.
Anyone looking at buying the high-performance EVO editions will need to be buying for love as they show some dramatic drops and erratic market values.
What else can this market buy?
If you look at the 1-year-old GSR FQ-330 or 360, you are looking at premium sports saloons that cost £24,000 to £34,000. Which means you could also have an Audi A4 SLine.
If you look at the more mundane 1.8 petrol or 2.0D models, like the car tested, then 1-year-old cars are available from £11,000, but £12,000 plus are a more sensible target. This means that if you like unassuming cars you can have not just the top-of-the-range Vauxhalls and Fords, but alsoa carsuch as a Kia Cee’d, which has a longer warranty than the others put together.
If you shop around, or buy a 2-year-old car, you can also get on the bottom rung of the premium brand ladder, with cars such as BMW’s eponymous 3Series.
Summary
A striking, edgy-looking family car that can be specced up into a boy-racer’s rally dream. But at heart, the Lancer is a plain family car that can compete with the market leaders on all the fundamentals – space, handling and economy.
By: Matthew Tumbridge