It doesn’t happen all that often that someone yells across the road that they like my car as I’m climbing inside. They

The Eclipse coupe takes to the corners fairly well and looks great doing it. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

might stare if it’s an exotic, too intimidated to get very close, or they might nod as I sidle up to them on the highway, but it’s a rare thing to have someone I’ve never even see before actually engage verbally.

Such is Mitsubishi’s Eclipse, at this moment a bright yellow GT-P Coupe that complemented an earlier week spent in a metallic gray convertible, dubbed Spyder, in Mitsu-speak. They’re both eye-catching to say the least, the yellow popping out from a crowd of mundane silver and black appliances like a sunflower in a gravel pit and the GT-P Spyder not needing any colour to stand out from hardtop cars when its roof was lowered, envious stares during my hot and sunny test week becoming a regular occurrence.

There’s a distinct difference between the two cars that I wouldn’t have realized without testing them back to back,

The Eclipse Spyder doesn't manage corners all that well, but it still looks great. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

the Coupe being a decent performance car and the Spyder more of a casual boulevardier. Break them down to components and it really doesn’t make sense as they appear identical below the shoulder line, but when push came to shove the open-top car shoved something awful, meaning its front-wheel drive architecture allowed plenty of understeer at the slightest provocation, along with more tire squeal than you’ll get from trying to hustle a bread-and-butter four-door sedan around the same corner at the same speed. The Coupe managed the same feat with much greater ease, still no supercar but competent just the same.

Both cars were fitted with Mitsubishi’s peppy 3.8-litre V6, good for 265hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, which is up 5hp and 4 lb-ft from

A new wing spoiler for the coupe is a lot more aggressive. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

last year’s top-line engine. When this most recent Eclipse came out with this engine and six-speed manual combination it was considered impressive performance, but factoring in the fully-loaded (sans automatic transmission) Coupe’s 1,637-kilo (3,609-lb) curb weight or Spyder’s 1,707-kilogram (3763-lb) girth, and then comparing it to newer competitors with similar weight but more than 300hp being shifted through the rear wheels and it’s understandable that the two-door Mitsubishi struggles to match the levels of performance its racy bodywork suggests. Just the same, it’s a satisfying ride.

Understanding a car’s limits is critically important, not only so you don’t push it beyond those limits and end up mowing neighbourhood lawns with a wide, gaping grille,

Soft top looks good when up, unlike so many retractable hardtops that just look awkward. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

but also because fewer expectations can make for happier relations. I quickly understood that either in Coupe or Spyder form the Eclipse wasn’t about to set my world on fire with outrageous acceleration or breathtaking cornering, the throttle torquing the steering wheel aggressively when applied too liberally and tires giving way to quickly when speed and trajectory changes were encountered. Instead I satisfied myself in quick touring, the way most people will probably drive this car as it is. Kept to 7/10ths it’s a really nice car to drive, managing corners with confidence and stable when cruising on the highway. It’s fairly quiet, even in convertible form, with just enough exhaust note to feel sporty yet nothing excessive from the undercarriage. It’s actually quite smooth over bumps and undulations, a nice surprise that made its performance flaws forgivable.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi has tried to give the Eclipse an upscale look, and some soft-touch plastics and leather seating surfaces certainly help. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

went to great lengths to surprise inside when the car debuted, as I remember from discussions about it with project managers and engineers during the launch program a number of years ago. The dash-top is high-grade soft-touch plastic, wrapping right across and down to a curved lower edge where it meets up with some ancillary buttons and knobs at the driver’s left and glovebox ahead of the front passenger. At the time we were impressed, and to be fair there aren’t too many coupes or convertibles starting as far down the accessibility ladder that offer better. Any of the Big 3 muscle cars, Mustang, Camaro and Challenger, might go one step farther in giving another bit of soft-touch plastic somewhere else in the cabin, and Hyundai’s new Genesis Coupe might offer slightly nicer switchgear, but all of these models have been recently upgraded or introduced and therefore should be up to a new standard of interior quality. The Eclipse has held up quite will in this respect,

Rear seats in the coupe are relatively functional, although better for kids. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

and hopefully when Mitsubishi introduces the following generation it will upgrade some interior panels, such as the upper door trim, to feel a little more upscale.

The switchgear is integrated seamlessly into the dash so that no one would ever question if it’s OEM or aftermarket, and with the Rockford Fosgate audio upgrade there’s absolutely no reason to spend for anything more unless you’re a regular at sound-off competitions. The seats look great and are comfortable, with the driver’s offering manual lumbar support which was truly appreciated.

The Spyder’s roof

Rear seat of convertible works for smaller children only. And yes, that's the sub in the middle. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

mechanism isn’t the slickest I’ve tried, with two latches needing to be undone prior to a rather noisy lowering process. Once down it tucks neatly out of the way below a hard tonneau for good rear visibility and a nice, clean look, quickly wiping away the memory of the lowering process.

A few new items for the 2009 Eclipse include monotone front and rear fascias for base-level GS Coupe and Spyder, plus two-tone front and rear fascias for GT-P models. The latter in Coupe form gets a large rear deck spoiler too, a racy addition. Along with the engine output increase mentioned earlier, GT-P cars also get dual exhaust which sounds really nice, active stability control that’s important for performance and safety, and Xenon headlamps with obvious benefits.

Base

Coupe has decent storage space with rear seats that fold flat. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

GS models get a 2.4-litre inline-four that’s good for 162hp and 162 lb-ft of torque, conjoined to a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. The GT-P’s standard six-speed manual can be replaced with a five-speed automatic, if shifting isn’t your thing. Incidentally, the V6 isn’t too bad with respect to fuel economy, at least on the highway where it gets 8.0L/100km when cruising along in sixth gear. In the city that mileage jumps to 13.1L/100km, ouch. Of course, if you want fuel economy you’re best to opt for the GS and its four-cylinder, which achieves a much friendlier 10.5L/100km in the city and 7.3L/100km on the highway. The GS also uses regular fuel, whereas the GT-P requests premium.

GS models are nicely equipped for their reasonable $25,000 entry price, with manual climate control,

The trunk in the Eclipse Spyder is small, but better than offered by some two-door convertibles. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

fog lamps, power windows with driver’s side auto-down, keyless entry, heated mirrors, a AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system, tilt leather-wrapped wheel, cruise control, variable intermittent wipers, heated cloth seats, anti-theft alarm, hard tonneau cover, LED taillights, and 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 225/50R17 all-season rubber. The Spyder adds steering wheel-mounted audio controls plus a tire pressure monitoring system to the mix, while the Coupe includes a handy split-folding rear seat that’s easily accessible from the back hatch area.

Move up to the GT-P and on top of what has already been mentioned you’ll get 18-inch alloy rims inside 235/45R18 all-season shoes, automatic climate control, a front strut tower bar, aluminum scuff plates, steering wheel-mounted

Audio system is great and all other features are easy to use. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

audio controls in the coupe, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, six-way power driver’s seat, a top-line Rockford Fosgate stereo, Sirius satellite radio, an exterior temperature display, compass, and leather seats. The Coupe also gets a power glass sunroof, while the Spyder benefits from aluminum pedals. An iPod interface can be ordered on any model, while lesser GS cars can be had with a body kit and rear wing spoiler.

Under that spoiler is a really decently sized trunk at 445 litres (15.7 cubic feet), but the Spyder suffers from a much smaller cargo area at 147 litres (5.2 cubic feet). Such is life with convertibles.

Life with convertibles also dictates life without side curtain-type airbags, standard on the coupe. Side-impact airbags come with both, however, as do dual front airbags, of course. Another standard benefit to an Eclipse purchase is Mitsubishi’s unbeatable warranty, spanning five years or 100,000 km bumper to bumper and ten years or 160,000 km for the powertrain.

The Eclipse GT-P isn’t cheap at just under $35,000 ($34,798), however, and the top-line Spyder stretches the pocketbook further to $37,798 (the base GS Coupe starts at $25,998 and GS Spyder for $32,298). There’s not as much competition for the Spyder than the Coupe, although Ford’s Mustang targets its buyers, as will a new Chevy Camaro convertible and no doubt a Challenger drop-top too, at some point. No word on a Hyundai Genesis convertible but it seems a logical next step, whereas you should still be able to get a Pontiac G6 retractable hardtop convertible for a decent price (RIP) and VW’s Eos is also a respectable alternative. As for the Eclipse Coupe, there’s a host of worthy rivals that, no doubt, will force Mitsubishi’s hand, or at least the hands of its dealers, into selling for less, which of course is no bad thing for you.

If you want a good looking, sporty two-door hardtop or convertible with decent performance and a smooth, comfortable ride, an Eclipse Coupe or Spyder just might be for you.

Interior

Exterior

Mechanical

Safety

Dimensions

Misc

(P3) GS Sun and Sound Package

(X1M) Premium Paint: Sunset Pearlescent

(X1P) Premium Paint: Rave Red