Put the pedal to the floor, and the Lancer will definitely get out of its own way, but it never feels quick and the engine’s loud operation and lack of refinement further detract from the driving experience. We drove CVT-equipped models (Mitsu expects these to make up about 85 percent of sales), including a GTS with paddle shifters. It’s hard to imagine distinct shift points from a CVT, but click the paddles and you can indeed feel a response from the transmission. Though the paddles don’t move with the steering wheel, they’re tall and are usually within reach even when turning hard to the left or right. We saw 17.2 mpg in hard driving and about 25 mpg on the highway.