Test Drive - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer MX
After 2 days absent from work, thanks to hyperacidity (thanks to an overdose of ascorbic acid - my fault) and headaches (thanks to, well, tension, I guess), I've finally driven to work our new family car.
So what does the MX have? It's got a 6-speed shiftronic transmission (you may call it semi-automatic, Mitsubishi calls it Invecs-III), a 1600 4-cylinder powerplant capable of producing 110 horsepower, and a luxurious interior.
I'm starting to think that there's no doubt many of these Lancers suddenly popped out of nowhere. The exterior boasts both elegance and aggression at the same time. Its front, triangular lights and swooping grille (which, thankfully, replaced the squarish one) boasts strength. The body is more rounded, and is pretty much reminiscent of the 2004 Honda Accord.
Inside is a delight, starting off with the Mit-Air air conditioning system, something Mitsubishi is really boastful of. Then the cozy leather interior. Then the hands-free phone answering system. Then the 6-speaker sound system. Then the overhead sunglass holder and map lights. Then, well, that is if we decided to dish in another 80 thousand pesos, a LCD monitor (the package comes with a 1800 4-cylinder engine as well).
Legroom is also outstanding. My family has an average height of 5'8", and all five of us are seated comfortably. For its class, it sure has lots and lots of legroom -- lots more compared to a 2005 Nissan Sentra or a 2004 Mazda3.
Then, I drove it. Pure comfort. That's what you get for driving a car with CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission), having belts doing the shifting for you instead of gears. What do you get? Shock-free upshifting. In fact, all I had to do was step on the pedal, and watch the tachometer hit 2000 revs and see it stay there. If you think that means lesser fuel economy, think again -- it's already in its optimal powerband, which means you won't need to step deeper into the pedal to get the engine speed up.
I mentioned that it featured Invecs-III. It allows the driver to shift from automatic to manual mode. The plus-minus fun of the arcades can be realized in this car. Although this feature is available, I still prefer the automatic function to do the shifting in city driving (you don't need this unless you intend to rip beyond 4000 revs).
On a performance viewpoint, it's not too impressive. Although steering is very responsive, thanks to gummy 195/60R15's wrapping the wheels, it's bulky 1150-kilogram weight makes it more of a comfort car than a performance car (but compare this to the competition right now, and this Lancer still is a relatively light car). Acceleration is smooth, and can sometimes be deceptively quick, but not as quick as a 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi (which has the same power rating, but only packs 1025 kilograms). One thing to note here is the MX's better straight-line fuel efficiency; it can travel 6th gear at 80 km/h at 2000 revs (as compared to the GLXi's 70 km/h at the same engine speed).
Verdict: Having four Lancers in our family since 1980, there's no doubt my parents picked this car. It's classy and comfy, thanks to leather seats and automatic transmission. But being me, I still prefer something with a manual transmission, so I could have more control over acceleration and more playtime with the heel-and-toe.
Alternatives: If you prefer a model that would save more fuel in city driving, try the 2004 Honda City. It features a 7-speed CVT powered by either a 1.3L or a 1.5L engine, and has lots of room.
So what does the MX have? It's got a 6-speed shiftronic transmission (you may call it semi-automatic, Mitsubishi calls it Invecs-III), a 1600 4-cylinder powerplant capable of producing 110 horsepower, and a luxurious interior.
I'm starting to think that there's no doubt many of these Lancers suddenly popped out of nowhere. The exterior boasts both elegance and aggression at the same time. Its front, triangular lights and swooping grille (which, thankfully, replaced the squarish one) boasts strength. The body is more rounded, and is pretty much reminiscent of the 2004 Honda Accord.
Inside is a delight, starting off with the Mit-Air air conditioning system, something Mitsubishi is really boastful of. Then the cozy leather interior. Then the hands-free phone answering system. Then the 6-speaker sound system. Then the overhead sunglass holder and map lights. Then, well, that is if we decided to dish in another 80 thousand pesos, a LCD monitor (the package comes with a 1800 4-cylinder engine as well).
Legroom is also outstanding. My family has an average height of 5'8", and all five of us are seated comfortably. For its class, it sure has lots and lots of legroom -- lots more compared to a 2005 Nissan Sentra or a 2004 Mazda3.
Then, I drove it. Pure comfort. That's what you get for driving a car with CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission), having belts doing the shifting for you instead of gears. What do you get? Shock-free upshifting. In fact, all I had to do was step on the pedal, and watch the tachometer hit 2000 revs and see it stay there. If you think that means lesser fuel economy, think again -- it's already in its optimal powerband, which means you won't need to step deeper into the pedal to get the engine speed up.
I mentioned that it featured Invecs-III. It allows the driver to shift from automatic to manual mode. The plus-minus fun of the arcades can be realized in this car. Although this feature is available, I still prefer the automatic function to do the shifting in city driving (you don't need this unless you intend to rip beyond 4000 revs).
On a performance viewpoint, it's not too impressive. Although steering is very responsive, thanks to gummy 195/60R15's wrapping the wheels, it's bulky 1150-kilogram weight makes it more of a comfort car than a performance car (but compare this to the competition right now, and this Lancer still is a relatively light car). Acceleration is smooth, and can sometimes be deceptively quick, but not as quick as a 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi (which has the same power rating, but only packs 1025 kilograms). One thing to note here is the MX's better straight-line fuel efficiency; it can travel 6th gear at 80 km/h at 2000 revs (as compared to the GLXi's 70 km/h at the same engine speed).
Verdict: Having four Lancers in our family since 1980, there's no doubt my parents picked this car. It's classy and comfy, thanks to leather seats and automatic transmission. But being me, I still prefer something with a manual transmission, so I could have more control over acceleration and more playtime with the heel-and-toe.
Alternatives: If you prefer a model that would save more fuel in city driving, try the 2004 Honda City. It features a 7-speed CVT powered by either a 1.3L or a 1.5L engine, and has lots of room.
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