2004 MITSUBISHI LANCER NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer?
Major updates have been made to the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer lineup. Revised front and rear styling help the Lancer to fit in with Mitsubishi’s emerging corporate look. Also new is the Lancer Sportback, a station wagon powered by a 160-horsepower engine and providing 60.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat folded down. For those who wish not to spend thirty large on the Lancer Evolution, the new Ralliart sedan and wagon entertain with a beefier suspension, larger brakes, sport bucket seats and a 162-horsepower four-cylinder engine. All Lancers benefit from the addition of improved materials throughout the interior.

Advantages of the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer:

• Impressive interior space
• Comfortable seats
• Quality materials and construction
• Excellent brakes
• Smooth ride quality (ES and LS)
• Easy to enter and exit the vehicle
• Seven-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty

Objections to the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer:

• Base 120-horsepower engine lacks verve
• Standard wheels and tires are too small, resulting in sloppy handling (ES)
• No manual transmission for the Sportback Ralliart

Editor's Advice:
The 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer is one of the best-kept secrets in the industry. With this year’s changes, our main gripes about the Lancer, namely fuddy-duddy styling and a cheaply-trimmed interior, have vanished making it very difficult to conjure complaints. As a result, the 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer is now a leading contender in the economy car segment, and in Ralliart format it offers a legitimate alternative to the Ford SVT Focus and Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, among others. Perhaps not surprising given that this platform serves as the bones of the amazing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is a blast to drive, providing impressive power, braking and handling. You can ignore the lame-duck OZ-Rally trim – it does nothing for the car or your image. Better to stick with the standard-issue Lancer ES or LS, either of which will make you wonder why people spend thousands more on other sedans. Just one question though: Why doesn’t the enthusiast-minded Sportback Ralliart come with a manual transmission?