By James Bergeron
Day 1:
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Well, lucky me: two back-to-back sedans in the $20,000 range, the last one being the Chevrolet Cobalt I reviewed about a week and a half ago. I can’t ask for anything better than having two similarly equipped cars in the same price range to compare back-to-back; it really makes my job much easier than trying to remember what the last car was like from my notes.
The 2008 Lancer was revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and its aggressive stance and sharp looks garnered praise from almost all who attended. The new Lancer really is a huge step up in the styling department from the previous generation. And with Mitsubishi’s promise to bring the EVO to Canada, Mitsubishi proves they are serious about our market, now more than ever.
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My test model is the DE version, which is the no-frills, base model. Added to my tester is the only option package available on the DE, the $1800 ABS and Air Con package. Which, surprisingly enough, adds ABS with electronic brake distribution and air conditioning, as well as power windows with driver side auto-up and down (all Lancers get power windows with driver’s window auto down) with safety function and power door locks.
Lucky for me, my test model also comes with the standard 5-speed manual transmission, which is mated to Mitsubishi’s DOHC, 16-valve 2.0L in-line four cylinder engine that produces 152 hp at 6,000 rpm and 146 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm.
Only slightly less expensive than the Cobalt I test drove a few weeks ago, the Lancer comes packaged with a very similar set of features. Add an automatic transmission to the Lancer and you are essentially at the same price range. At first glance it seems like the Lancer is missing a few features that were present in my Cobalt tester, the most obvious being keyless entry, which one would think would be standard across the board these days.
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
MSRP as tested: $19,643
For more information on Mitsubishi and the Lancer visit Mitsubishi Canada
