Faults:
I Bought this car in September of last year.
This car was (and still is...) in Pristine Shape - Only 4 Owners, Full-Service History and Certified by Mitsubishi.
Problems:
Sunroof refused to close at 70.000.
Dealer took a week to replace the entire Sunroof sliding motor. The part is imported from Japan and the dealer didn`t have one spare in its stock.
Dealer fixed the sunroof under the Mitsubishi used car warranty.
NOTE TO ALL POTENTIAL MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE BUYERS:
The sunroof in these cars is very fragile and tends to work erratically.
Reverse light stopped work at 74.000, dealer fixed under the 3 month used car warranty.
Front tires replaced soon as I bought the car and needs to be replaced again!
Watch out with the heavy tire wear in these cars!
General Comments:
Previously owned for Two years an Unreliable 1995 Volkswagen Golf GTi 2.0 8V.
That was a fine car, but spent most of the times in the shop and dealers were less than helpful.
I Wanted an Used imported sporty coupe, that could be just a bit more reliable than my previous Golf.
And since Mitsubishi rated well in Satisfaction Surveys, I knew it, that the Eclipse would be the better choice than an Opel Calibra for instance, nice car thou the Calibra.
This the first year of the Second Generation Eclipses, to be sold in Brazil.
What can I say... It may have its problems, but this is the first year of production, so any car will have its reliability issues.
Plus points:
It`s a very nice looking car. Mine is white and it may not be very cool, but still a handsome looking car, that gets positive comments, even though this is already a ten year old car. My Girlfriend likes the way it looks, and so do I...
Handles Very well, apart of a bit of Torque Steer due the 213 Bhp going through the Front Wheels. The AWD version probably might handles a lot better, but still my Eclipse is very fun to drive.
Fast car, but it seems to suffer of a little Turbo Lag at low revvs. But when the Turbo kicks in... boy oh boy... is it fun! The engine even makes a nice growling noise and the Turbo whistle when changing gear is an addictive to the driving experience. The gearbox is butter smooth and very easy to handle.
Negative points:
A Gas Guzzler! Average only 6,0 Km/l! My father`s 1999 Mercedes-Benz C280 (2.8 V6) average even better consumption than my car. His Mercedes can average 6,5 Km/l.
Eat tires! Due the torque steer, this car has a VERY HEAVY Front tire wear.
Not Very Comfortable. Seats are OK and the driving position, ain`t too bad. But the headroom is tight for tall people: I am 6"2 (1,88) and my head touches the celling. The back seat is claustrophobic and the trunk space is very small.
Very stiff ride. It`s a boneshaker indeed... specially when driving on the Horrible Brazilian roads with its huge Potholes and crappy Tarmac. he road noise is loud and intrusive, probably due the lower profile tires, but you get used to...
Conclusion:
The car overall does what it promises. It excites. Just make sure to have enough money for the costs and patience to deal with Mitsubishi dealers.