2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS 2.4 from North America

Summary:

I love my very sexy Eclipse

Faults:

Clutch slave went at 80,000 miles; covered under warranty.

Replaced a bad O2 sensor at 86,000.

New pad at 91,000 miles.

I'm at the shop now replacing the timing belt, water pump, all belts and valve cover gasket. Preventive maintenance.

General Comments:

I love this car! For an RS it's fun to drive, great on gas, and I love the handling.

I love the car so much, I sold my 98 BMW 540, and gave my wife the Eclipse, just so I could purchase a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. I've always wanted a convertible, and the Spyder is beautiful in any model year. I will be purchasing my Spyder in 2 weeks; an 05 or 08. I'm test driving the 08 tomorrow.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd June, 2013

11th Aug 2013, 16:21

(Update) it's been almost two months now since I purchased my 07 Spyder, and though I love my 03 Eclipse, my Spyder is an amazing pleasure to drive, top up or down. The front is more roomier than my 03, it's faster, & when the top is down it feels amazing. Changing out the Rockford Forsgate head unit for the alpine IVE 535HD. It only has 45,000 miles on it. First I've owned 2 of the same model & make at the same time, & plan on buying a third this time; an 05 & V6. Love my Eclipses.

2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS 2.4L from North America

Summary:

Fantastic car. Fun, reliable, and gets me around, even in Utah winters

Faults:

Had to replace clutch, belts, and water pump at 116,000.

When I bought the car, the tires were unevenly worn. I took it to get aligned, and they said the back tires were cupping because of directional tires and lack of weight in the back. I got new tires and haven't had a problem since.

Seats stain easily.

Paint faded on hood and roof.

License plate light went out.

Must lift the trunk as it's being released... the weight of it prevents it from "popping".

General Comments:

This has been a wonderful car so far. It's also been super reliable.

Gas mileage fluctuates from about 22 in the snowy winter, to 32.5 on a good day on the freeway.

Does very well in the snow and on hills.

Fun to drive with the stick.

Downsides:

Not as fast as it looks.

Back seat is tiny, most people don't want to sit there.

It's red, and I've been pulled over more times since owning it than the rest of my life combined (but haven't gotten a ticket yet!)

The cup holder is right behind the shifter.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th March, 2011

27th Aug 2012, 22:25

This is an update from the original poster.

The car now has over 150,000 miles on it. It still runs great! The only thing I have had to replace on it that wasn't regular maintenance, was the inner tie rod on the driver's side and the rear motor mount.

Also, I recommend using mid grade gasoline. And the mixed average for gas consumption is usually about 27-29.

In reply to 27th Aug 2012, 22:25

28th Sep 2014, 22:22

My 2003 Eclipse RS just hit 150k, but now it is not going anywhere. When I try to drive I can't move the car till 4k RPM in first gear, and after a short drive a terrible stink is floating throughout the car.

Trying to figure out if maybe someone else can give me some advice on what to look for and what to check on. What happened before you had to change out the inner tie rods?

In reply to 28th Sep 2014, 22:22

16th Sep 2015, 02:39

It sounds like the clutch went bad?!

2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS 3.0 litre V6 from North America

Summary:

The Eclipse GT is lacking greatly in the performance department

Faults:

At 58,000 miles, my radiator blew.

At 59,000 miles, my heating core went out.

General Comments:

This car is completely misleading. The 0-60 time Mitsubishi posted is not even close. They claim the car can do it in 7 seconds. It runs 0-60 in 9.8 sec on a good day, and that's with custom exhaust and an Injen cold air intake.

The interior is nice. The two tone, black and blue leather option looks nice.

Visibility is very low. Rear visibility is nearly 5% with the stock spoiler on.

Cabin is small, and the back seats are a joke.

I would not recommend buy this car if you are looking for performance. 210 hp cannot sufficiently propel a 3200 lb. coupe. The car has no low end power, and only has top end power because of the intake.

Go V8! Don't waste your money on this Eclipse. Way too expensive to modify.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 1st September, 2010

9th Sep 2010, 08:45

There must be something seriously wrong with your car. I agree that it lacks some low end torque, but the 0-60 number is in fact just past 7 sec. I had a stock 3.0 V6 (just sold it), and it did consistently 7.2 to 7.4 seconds precisely measured with a G-tech accelerometer. If yours are doing numbers in the high 9 or 10 category, something rally must be wrong. With this 3.0 V6 I could easily outgun any Mustang/Camaro, besides the newest V8 versions. Older Mustang GT's would take the lead the first couple of seconds due to more torque, but would fall back after some seconds. New GTs would have course blast past me, having 300+ hp, but this really doesn't compare.

9th Sep 2010, 15:50

I agree with the above poster... I had a 2000 GT V6 and it was pretty darn quick. I could get a 7 second 0-60 time, or just a tick over that, and it was only 200 HP. It was a very fun car to drive, other than the annoying torque steer. You should really get yours checked out by someone, as you might have blown something if it is that slow.

29th Nov 2012, 21:30

Seriously... You bought a 4 cylinder Eclipse for performance and you're disappointed? This car is a daily driver with good MPG. It isn't meant to be modified. And about it not seating 4 people comfortably; it's a 2 DOOR. If you want to sit more than 2 people, buy a car that has more than 2 doors. This car can go well over 250k miles with all the maintenance done.

In reply to 29th Nov 2012, 21:30

27th Jan 2013, 17:46

I have a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GTS 03, and I can go from 0-60 in less than six seconds, and all I have is a cold air intake, and it's even quicker on the highway. I've kept up with Nissan 350Z and Honda S2000 on the highway.

It's a fun car to drive, especially the convertible. I think there's something wrong with your Eclipse man...

In reply to 27th Jan 2013, 17:46

6th Mar 2013, 21:08

HEY DUDE... I just bought a 2003 Eclipse GT Spyder and I'm wondering if you know how to use the auto stick transmission?

p.s. mine needs 2 oxygen sensors... You think that's why it takes 7.5 seconds to 60?