In “The Blue-Eyed Salaryman,” American author Niall Murtagh charts his fourteen-year career inside Mitsubishi Japan. When Murtagh gets transferred to Osaka, he concludes that the Tokyo part of the company focuses on large visionary research projects, while Osaka demands practical applications. And there you have it: the dichotomy that accounts for Mitsubishi’s progress in the automotive arena. You have visionary products like the Evo with very little practical purpose, and dull products like the Outlander with very little vision. So where does the new Lancer fit?

Never mind the subtext, check out those lines! Designing a good-looking compact car ain’t easy nowadays. You’ve got to maximize interior space, accommodate an expanding complement of airbags and facilitate fuel efficiency (with aerodynamics that force sheetmetal shapes down the slippery slope towards suppository chic). Things can go horribly wrong; reference the Honda Civic sedan. Or the previous Lancer, which was as sexy as dental floss. This one the Mitsubishi design team nailed.

The Lancer’s proportions and details are spot on. The high beltline adds to the impression of size from the outside, yet allows occupants to feel surrounded and safe. The Lancer’s new front fascia copies Audi’s current pig snout and makes it work, flanking the orifice with a set of angry eyes headlights and bisecting the otherwise gaping maw with a suitably wide bumper. Mitsu ripped off the tail lamp design from the Alfa 156– a gorgeous machine that Americans never got the chance to ignore.

The new Lancer is not a stunning design per se– it’s more handsome than drop-dead gorgeous. But it is a stunning development for Mitsubishi. The Lancer is to Mitsubishi what the Altima was to Nissan five years ago: a radical reskin that instantly elevates a plain-Jane model from zero to hero. Unfortunately, the parallel continues inside.

Thanks to Mitsu’s PR paparazzi, the Lancer’s cabin looks decidedly avant-garde. The flacks focused on the steering wheel, perfect in both diameter and thickness (though littered with stereo buttons and Bluetooth phone controls). They highlighted the Lancer’s sport bike-inspired gauges. They flagged its slick stereo, neatly integrated into the dash with precise, Teutonic buttonology.

Off camera, the new Lancer’s interior does the time-warp again. It’s a generic Japanese mishmash fabricated with some of the worst automotive plastics inflicted on U.S. consumers since A Flock of Seagulls first crapped on Top 40 radio, with bulbous switches that feel like they were attached with thumb tacks. The seats are nicely supportive, but why Mitsu decided to support the mouse fur industry by covering the Lancer's chairs and roof with rodent pelts is both an aesthetic and ethical conundrum.

Driving the base model Lancer is an eye-opening experience, especially when you realize that (1) the Evo X will obviously be celestial and (2) THIS is what they started with?

The Lancer is just an awful little car to pilot, for sportster and commuter alike. In the pursuit of a compliant ride, Mitsu has fitted the base car with a suspension made out of Twinkies. Potholes send the car bucking in a fit of confusion. And then there’s body roll. Lots and lots of body roll. Quick turns? Out of the question. (Fast corners make you their bitch.) Within minutes of assuming command, my need for speed did recede. I gave up trying to do anything more than get from Point A to Point B in the space of a single day.
Yes, I know: the Lancer’s an economy car. But it could be the only car sold in America that can make an entry level Toyota Corolla or Hyundai Elantra seem like a sports sedan. And the Lancer only achieves 21/29 mpg. How frugal is that?

The Lancer’s all-new 2.0-liter engine is rated at 152 horses (at an unattainable 6000 rpm). I swear a quarter have bolted for greener pastures. A wide open throttle simply kicks the CVT's droning tone up a notch. This isn’t about being a boy-racer. It’s about needing a sign to apologize to drivers while attempting merges.

What really sucks the life out of the Lancer (and sucks in general): its continuously variable transmission. Unless you opt for the top-o-the-line GTS with fake shift points, the CVT is forever locked into penalty mode. It's no fun at all.

The new Lancer is a research project gone horribly wrong. On paper, it’s a superb vehicle: 150 horsepower, loads of safety features (seven airbags, including the now popular driver's knee airbag), gadget options galore and racy good looks. But it’s all show and no go.

With Mitsubishi’s American operations just climbing out of sea of red ink, it’s too bad the company forgot to benchmark the competitions' driving dynamics. The forthcoming take-no-prisoners Evo version will no doubt sort that out, but after sampling the base Lancer, I highly doubt Mitsubishi’s ability to rescue its American ambitions from the dustbin of history.

So...does worth your money ??? Think..

So I guess the news that the GTS is sold out in US means the Lancer is doing really bad la

yo mitsusushi the reason you join this forum is to kena flame is it?

body rolls? if just copy n paste from unknown source like this.. everybody can do that bro... if wanna test body rolls or not.. come i'll give u a ride.. lets test lapping @ 120kmh...

if people says sucks... then we admit its 100% sucks?

from your "profesional" cut-paste review here to me totally rubish... no evidence.. really not a pro wording... just provocative word all over...

btw.. welcome to our club... and its not a prob if there are people disturbing others party... btw... i still didnt get your point of posting this here... to say that all of us is idot of making decsision of buying 116k vehicle and not putting 128k for seewid? hehehhehe...

or.. r u heart broken honda SA? if yes... pity on u bro... dont worry... honda still got their die hard fans...

I'm very sure that the person who posted it is very well related to the other thread on "upset with LancerGT".

They know we have this site and come in to pour shit and stir it.

He got it from here: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=3975

What a crack pot! Don't care what bad comments! I am enjoying my ride pretty much!!

Hi Poster,
Whoever you are, whatever you want to throw at the club members, whatever implications you are looking at, whatever your motives, whatever your sarcasms and remarks,
WE ARE NOT PERTURBED, WE ARE NOT DISTURBED, WE ARE HERE TO STAY; LOVING OUR GTs MUCH MORE THAN EVER!!!!!!!!

eh, ular_king - it's been a while huh..

At least we know, the LancerGT creates healthy competition, unsuspectingly from other brand car owners. That is true motoring spirit. Hooray for LancerGT.

if people don't like lancer for what ever reason.. it's their problem. The most important thing that I love my ride and I love myGT!! Viva GT...

yea...!!! we can't judge cars, unless we own lambogini or ferrari rite ?? lolz

Dear Mitsusushi.
Great comment, when you are not a fan of Lancer. But this forum is for fans. I would like to wish you GOODBYE FOREVER. Don’t need to unregister, we will do it for you.

Yo sushi, welcome to the club!!!

Guys, actually I guess the only motive this Sushi placed his "copy-n-paste" review from other site here is want to make us feel angry with him!!! We should just ignore him la... pity him, probably he is too envy on the new Lancer GT & no $$$ to buy or someone working in Mitsubishi had something offended him.

Actually, something in my mind for long time, why a normal RM116k Japanese Sedan car launched does make so significant chaos from those peoples around the town? What is in their mind actually? For other countries, like Singapore, I do ask my friend, any comments of the new Lancer EX (FYI, Singapore called it as Lancer EX)? My friend who owned a new Audi A6 2.0 Turbo just said,"well, it is a nice car!" That's all!!! Probably Lancer vehicle is quite a common ride in their country. But for our Bolehland, probably due to those Mitsu Wira and Wajalution culture, that makes a certain group of uncivilized people thought Lancer is belongs to the same category.

For me, I am a Honda die hard fans till today. In fact, I am one of the co-founder cum vice president of the 7th Generation Civic Owners Club (Team ES) in Malaysia. If you want to know how success the club is… Try flip on the back issue of Hypertune (Issue 56), Extremekars (Issue Jun 2006), Traffic (Issue 22, July 2006) or visit Zerotohundred.com. Hell what, I get bored with my Civic and now I want to switch my taste to Mitsubishi. To me, car is car… it must suitable for my daily use. I can afford for a recon E46, GT-4 or EVO 7, but how practical is the car served your daily used, this is another significant issue! If you really enjoy racing, why don’t you just buy an RM15k Honda Civic EG and dump in the legendary B16B inside. I can say 80% of the cars on the road in our Bolehland unable to tail you!!!

Everyone has their own taste and standing. I really hope those “uncivilized” people won’t come in to other people’s “home” and take a free dinner some more complaint on the food is bad!!!

Frankly speaking, I think all of our members are come from the intellectual group and definitely know how to differentiate between good and bad stuffs. Sometimes, it is difficult for us to control those uncivilized people who join our forum to promote their Bolehland knowledge here (bro Sushi, I really feels shame on you as you only copy-n-paste the review from other site to here, you not even paying some little effort to modify the wording!!! If I were your lecturer, sure I will give you 0% mark and fail your paper!!!)

So, bro Sushi, I hope after you read this post, you will sit down and think about yourself. If you still feel Lancer GT irritated you; don’t worry, I know plenty of Psychologist and Psychiatrist in Malaysia. I will definitely refer you to the best one and probably can ask some reputable drugs company sponsor you as their sample. Don’t worry; it will be totally free-of-charge!!!

Cheers!!!

Lets face it. This is some civic fan just upset with the lancer and the ppl who were lucky enuf not to buy a civic before the lancer came out. I thoroughly tested my friends civic 2.0 before putting my money down on my GT. Ppl are not stupid, we have minds of our own, if the gt appeals to me but not to some stuffed up writer, sod it. Remember it was the same UK autocar team that first branded the bugatti veyron as soulless and uninspiring, now they can't stop heaping praises on it. nuff said.

mr sushi,
i really hope u'll change ur attitude as not everyone in malaysia is as calm and forgiving as us. . .

Brother Prodmar.

Ya...just got back from Europe......good to know there are so much activities!!

Nomatter how worst u said Mitsubishi is,i also will support it I WILL NOT DOUBT Mitsubishi Ever and Forever!!! I support wt i like,u chui meh?

he has the guts to post that in the first place but don't have the guts to defend his post...YOU GOT NO BALLS MATE!!!

Dear sushi,

NA….NA…..thanks for your " sucks " comment.

Whatever you said I still love my GT and I am sure and confident that our GT club will get
Stronger and bigger in future.

Don't worry guys, no more "dramas" in our club from now on. His account has been suspended temporarily now. We will give him one more chance when the suspension is over. But we will remove him permanently if we don't see any changes from him.

No point continuing this topic then. Topic closed.