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by azote

Car Review – Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT – “A Stylish Ragtop With a Dash of Panache”

I love this car.

Its look is, as you might imagine with any convertible, sexy. In my opinion, the Spyder GT from Mitsubishi is hotter and more fun to drive than any of the other convertibles on the market. They amped up the look with a distinctive sleek design, even with the roof retracted.

The front bucket seats fit an average size person comfortably and even have room to spare for above average. The seats have adjustable lumbar support and the steering wheel has a touch height adjustable model with audio controls. Being a convertible, the rear bench seat is typically small. Like most convertibles, they have very little leg room and comfort is not easily found. The back bench is best for short drives with smaller people. Take it from me, and my contorted passengers.

The roof, ah what can’t I say about the rag top? It’s powered by hydraulics that stows or erects in about 20 seconds. You will have to clasp the windshield frame yourself, as well as push a button. Personally I prefer the hands on approach; it’s quick and easy, and gives you the sense of a secure connection because of the hands-on touch. A hard panel helps to hide that “bloated” look in the rear, when the roof is stowed. This gives it a clean line, and a great profile. When the roof is in use, it looks stunning. The material is a dyed acrylic cloth which is a big step up from the vinyl on some cars of the same price point. The headliner is cotton, with a natural rubber layer between it and the acrylic. On older convertible cars, the rubber, called ‘butyl’, was cheap and its rubber led to a ballooning or bubbling look to the convertible roof. The natural rubber, on the Spyder holds its shape and resists stretching or shrinking even during the most extreme weather.

With this great top and quiet motoring (even on concrete freeways), I found the car was relatively draft-free. The door seals are similar to more-expensive cars, adopting a short stroke mechanism. This is great for wind noise reduction, and improves the atmospheric sealing leading to better heater and air-conditioning containment.

Driving is very smooth and tight. With its short wheelbase and low curb weight, you would expect the convertible to be agile, and it was. It was surprising to find that there was a high level of neutral handling and accurate steering too. The suspension was great, smooth with great cornering.

It has a 5 speed manual transmission, which helps it get 0-60 in less than 7 seconds. It’s not the fastest sporty convertible, but it is good competition to the other v4 or v6 front wheel drives in its class and price point.

Mitsubishi also retuned the exhaust system for a quieter rumble. It lost 3 horsepower because of this, but I don’t personally feel the difference. It still sounds and drives sexy so don’t worry.

A warning though, the v-6 is so strong at low to medium revs, it looses some grip. I suggest leaving the traction control on.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT is a great convertible for the cost. Yes it is a high value index; it is a convertible after all. At a base value of ,942, and a premium model being 50 more, the Eclipse Spyder GT, is a great purchase.