Built in central Illinois, about two hours southwest of suburban Chicago, Mitsubishi's Eclipse delivers stepped-up performance for sports coupe enthusiasts. The Normal Illinois facility, near I-55, is home also home to the Eagle Talon, sister car of Eclipse. Trim levels for 1996, two-door Eclipses include entry-level RS, GS and two turbocharged offerings: GS-T and top-of-the-line GSX. Turbo charging allows more air into the powertrain, increasing horsepower without escalating engine size. A new convertible version of Eclipse, the " Spyder," was introduced this past February at the Chicago Auto Show. It's the first Japanese flip top built on a United States production line. Spyder is available in GS and GS-T body styles. Eclipse received a major redesign in 1995. Dual air bags and side-impact door beams are standard. Antilock brakes are optional on GS, GS-T and GSX, but not offered on RS. Full-time, all-wheel drive is included in GSX editions. It's one of the few sport coupes with this design. Other Eclipse models are front-wheel drive. All trim levels include five-speed manual transmission with overdrive, rear window defroster, tinted glass and electronic sequential-point fuel infection. A rear spoiler is standard on all coupes except the entry-level RS. We test drove a top-of the line GSX loaded with standard items. Anti-lock brakes, multi-unit compact disc changer and power sunroof are a few optional available. All were included in our test car. With a $420 destination charge, the bottom line added up to $26,509. The GSX starts at $23,910 while the entry-level RS starts at $14,970. All GSX editions come standard with four-wheel independent suspension power locks and windows, power driver front bucket seats, fog lamps, tilt steering wheel and intermittent wipers. Eclipse offers no six-cylinder engines. Power for this sleek roadster generates from an assortment of four cylinder offerings, most built for Mitsubishi by Chrysler Corporation. Our 16-valve, 2.0-liter, turbo powertrain, coupled with manual transmission, delivered excellent acceleration with 210 horsepower. RS and GS editions deliver 140 horsepower. Outside, its large rear and slopped low profile create an aggressive look. Inside, occupants sit low to the ground. The cockpit-like drivers seat positions controls nearby, but some dashboard items are obstructed by the steering wheel. Also, one must maneuver around the five-speed manual transmission knob to reach some stereo functions. The two front bucket seats are separated by a flip-top storage bin. Large dials control temperature and fan direction. A smaller one controls fan speed. A rectangular, cruise control lever is found on the right side of the steering column. Headlights activate from the turn signal stalk. Windshield wipers are controlled from a right-hand side stem. Fuel door and hatchback releases are on the floor, left of the driver's bucket seat. The CD system, new this year, allows insertion of a single disc from the dashboard, while a ten-unit magazine stores selections in the cargo bay for play later. Being a four-seater, two riders should fit in back...at least in theory. But when the front bucket seats are positioned back on their track, which is usually the case to provide ample room for front seat comfort, legroom in back is seriously compromised. However, Eclipse is not the only sporty coupe guilty of shrinking back seats. Driver's need to be conscious of surroundings when switching lanes. Small side windows contribute to a left-side blind spot while the rear spoiler shows up too prominently in the rearview mirror. The rear seat backs have a 60/40 split, allowing access to the cargo area. A removable cargo cover lifts up when the rear hatch opens. Moving items into and out of the trunk takes a little extra effort because of a high-liftover design. Many new coupes and sedans feature a low-liftover arrangement, where the lid, including the entire lock mechanism, flip up. This allows easier movement of objects into the back at bumper level. The upside of Eclipse's low 51" height, is precise handling and road-hugging characteristics. The downside is prominent road noise and bumps being magnified. Our five-speed manual transmission was stiff, and more than once, had trouble locating gears. Estimated fuel mileage for the turbo engine was 21 miles per gallon city, and 28 mpg highway; a respectable figure for a performance vehicle, especially considering the all-wheel drive feature, which increases fuel consumption. Our test drive model, with 8,800 odometer miles clocked in with 23 mpg combined. Four-cylinder engines without turbo charging average 22 city and 32 highway. The tank holds 15.9 gallons of unleaded fuel. Mitsubishi is Japan's third largest automaker. |