Tell me about the 4G (serious).

[theGeneral]

I bought a 3G WAY back when and I seriously liked the car a lot. Even though I did not have the 6cyl. I added some mods and really enjoyed the car. I even raced it SCCA (did not do very well in its class). Aside from the HUGE wheel gap that Mitsu seems to like putting in its cars my 3G was a great car. I was very upset when I had to trade her (my wife and I had a child and the 3G was not practical).

Now that I have been a Subie guy for ten years I still check out the Eclipses when I see them but know little about them. YES they still have that HUGE wheel gap and I know that they are not offered in a turbo version (big mistake in my opinion).

So, how are the new ones after (I forget how many model years), are they holding up? do people like them? Are they still a pretty inexpensive car in its class?

Why the hell does Mitsu still have a wheel gap in its "sports car" that looks like it is five inches to big?

[tomsoutdoor]

My neighbor has an 07 spyder 4cyl. and is holding up very well, still has no back seat but it has not had any problems. My sons friend has a 09 with the 6spd tranny and has had clutch failure but i would say it was his fault! He has around 20k in it and the only upgrades are wheels and exhaust, i like my eclipse alot but would not get a 4g instead i would go for a awd wrx turbo!

[chavezeclipse]

a 4g is what, $28000. there are better cars fro close to that kind of money.

[theGeneral]

Originally Posted by chavezeclipse

a 4g is what, $28000. there are better cars fro close to that kind of money.

Do they still do the zero zero zero deal? I bought my Eclipse with that deal and it was great. Paid it off with no interest in a year and a half.

[chavezeclipse]

my fiance just bought a new lancer this year. they had no 0% financing

[ccarrillo717]

I've seen used 4g for under 15 unless you get a brand new 2011 then your not spending 28k. If I had the money I wouldn't get another eclipse, I know a lot of members hate on it which is sad. I love my eclipse but for the money I could of gotten a different one. I do love Subi, the 2011 sti are sexy, some kid at school has a brand new one...

[chavezeclipse]

a v6 is now $30000 and only comes in an automatic. that's lame. the ralliart is faster, corners better, comes with more stuff and costs less. someone tell me why that's not better?

[tomsoutdoor]

This thread needs a real 4G owner to step up and tell us how they feel!!
My spyder still has the window sticker in the glove box and it says $29,999 on it and that was in 03!

[theGeneral]

Originally Posted by chavezeclipse

a v6 is now $30000 and only comes in an automatic. that's lame. the ralliart is faster, corners better, comes with more stuff and costs less. someone tell me why that's not better?

Because some people want a car that is good looking and is more comfortable.

The Ralliart is a shitty little tin can.

[GeminiKevin]

Well they feel pretty decent in my opinion, i have an 07 4Cyl GS model and i suppose its definitely not the most powerful car in its class but if you wanted pure drag power i doubt youd get a 4g in the first place. Im building mine up more for weekend time attacking while having a reliable day to day get me to work and school driver. Pretty much if your getting a 4g your not planning to throw 20k into upgrades in the first place, more like you want a nice looking car that adds some flair to when you take your girl on a date and at the same time you can put in enough power to intimidate the srt-4s on the freeway lol. To be honest though when i run into the older model eclipses on the street that are well modified i dont even try to do anything id get smoked, if you want power out of the 4g be sure to get the 6 cyl GT model to begin with ive seen some 600hp, the best GS model ive seen with plenty of mods still is only pulling like 400hp and thats enormous for my model.

[Silvertune]

The 4g is an extrapolation of the 3g's issues and then some. The 3g handles like its a big car, the 4g is a big car, and it handles even more like a big car. The fuel economy sucks though the 75 is quite peppy. If you want something that looks and rides decent in the 4g family you'd be looking at a GT. The auto is a slushbox but I quite enjoyed the 6 speed when I drove one.

While I might sound like I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth remember why I'd buy it vs why you would buy it. If you just want something to play with a little bit and have some fun with that doesn't have to beat a bunch of locals then I think you'd be right and happy with it.

[GeminiKevin]

You can definitely still beat the locals if you put money into your car, but the same can be said of any car i suppose...

[theGeneral]

Your car looks good Kevin.

[White Knight]

Originally Posted by tomsoutdoor

This thread needs a real 4G owner to step up and tell us how they feel!!
My spyder still has the window sticker in the glove box and it says $29,999 on it and that was in 03!

i thought the spyders cost the same as the coupes? guess not. i bought my 03 gts fully loaded in august of 02 for $27k

[3genGT]

My mom got her 2009 GS brand new with 0% financing. Around 20k I believe.
I have driven it plenty of times to know exactly how it compares to my old 3g GT.



1. The car handles really well considering the size and weight. My old 3g's handling didn't feel as great during a tighter turn.

2. The 4g GS's pickup vs 3g GT Auto I had...the 4g 4-cyl feels just as fast as the old 3g V6 if not a little quicker.

3. There have been no issues whatsoever with the 4g since brand new, now approaching 40k miles.

4. Feels rather comfortable in the 4g as well.

Would I ever buy one? I would buy a decent mileage USED 4g GT in a manual since you can find some good deals on some of them. Not brand new IMO since there are some other cars out there that are better. It's all personal preference really.

[Meest00GT]

My mom has an 06 GT with the auto/sport transmission. Overall I'd say the car certainly feels big, because it is. However, having pushed it a fair amount, its definitely well composed.

Her car is driven year round through MN winters without a single spec of rust or any paint flaws other than the usual rock chips. Generally I believe they are holding up very well. The car has a fairly decent stock rockford sound system and I LOVE the factory cloth bucket seats. Also, mileage is on par with the 3G.

That all being said, it wouldn't be the choice for me. The eclipse really made a full transformation from hot hatch/tuner with the 1st and 2nd generations, to now what is a complete cruiser in the 4G. It is quick if you hammer it hard, with a 1/4 in about 14 seconds flat I believe, BUT it's just so heavy. The lack of the turbo option didn't help it either. Honestly, if Mitsu really wanted to keep the car's more "tuner" roots, it wouldn't share the same platform as the galant.

There are flaws as well. The car has no back seat to speak of, as already stated. The wheel gap is horrifying too. Honestly, I would never consider anything above 18" wheels on a "sport coupe". With my mom's we went with 19's, and they seem to look just right. If it were up to me, the car would be lowered to really help the stance.

Great car for the target audience. It's very comfortable and sporty with a fantastic exhaust note from the V6 IMO. The car is also very reliable from what we've experienced. All great things, it just depends what you look for in a car.

[Ixionic]

If you want to go really fast in a mitsubishi you could always buy an EVO X or find a used 3000GT VR-4 since those cars come turbocharged and with good aftermarket support and with AWD and once you do have one you can beat any eclipse.

[chavezeclipse]

most 3kgt's are beat especially vr4's he wants a new car. i love mitsubishi but id only buy the evo which is not what he's looking for. i would say take a look at a v6 camaro, they are surprisingly quick and out do the genesis r in every way (did a comparison on motorweek)

[Ixionic]

Most members here agree that the 4G Eclipse is a heavy car. It looks like an SUV and a Car in 1 body. It just doesn't make sense to race in heavy cars due to curb weight.

It would have been nice if Mitsubishi would have made the body out of aluminum and also the engine to save weight.

The way I see it, if you buy a 4G eclipse you either bought it because:

1) You like music more than you love going fast
2) You like being cozy in a nice interior
3) You are most likely unaware of what power to weight ratio is and thus don't understand curb weight
4) You don't like buying older eclipses or you are worried about high mileage

I once saw a guy in a black 4G GT coupe and he saw my spyder GTS 3G and he pulled hard at the light. I did not even know he was serious so at the next light I honk at him to let him know I am ready and I pull faster than he ever could because my car is lighter and after 5 seconds he gives up.

All I had at the time was Synthetic Oil and Tranny Fluid. The rest of my car was stock.

[outrageousgt]

Dumb ass can't drive.

[snake_]

Originally Posted by outrageousgt

Dumb ass can't drive.

This. Idc how much lighter the 3g is (and it's really not much) You can't ignore the sheer power advantage the 4g has (over 50hp at the wheels)

[snake_]

Originally Posted by GeminiKevin

Well they feel pretty decent in my opinion, i have an 07 4Cyl GS model and i suppose its definitely not the most powerful car in its class but if you wanted pure drag power i doubt youd get a 4g in the first place. Im building mine up more for weekend time attacking while having a reliable day to day get me to work and school driver. Pretty much if your getting a 4g your not planning to throw 20k into upgrades in the first place, more like you want a nice looking car that adds some flair to when you take your girl on a date and at the same time you can put in enough power to intimidate the srt-4s on the freeway lol. To be honest though when i run into the older model eclipses on the street that are well modified i dont even try to do anything id get smoked, if you want power out of the 4g be sure to get the 6 cyl GT model to begin with ive seen some 600hp, the best GS model ive seen with plenty of mods still is only pulling like 400hp and thats enormous for my model.

Loving the black on black here. But please get 5% all around.

[chillybone]

the dealership i work for gave me a used 4g GT to test drive for a week about 2 months ago and it was pretty cool. i liked the feel of it and it doesnt look half bad. it was dark red like my 3g

[executive]

Originally Posted by Ixionic

Most members here agree that the 4G Eclipse is a heavy car. It looks like an SUV and a Car in 1 body. It just doesn't make sense to race in heavy cars due to curb weight.

It would have been nice if Mitsubishi would have made the body out of aluminum and also the engine to save weight.

The way I see it, if you buy a 4G eclipse you either bought it because:

1) You like music more than you love going fast
2) You like being cozy in a nice interior
3) You are most likely unaware of what power to weight ratio is and thus don't understand curb weight
4) You don't like buying older eclipses or you are worried about high mileage

I once saw a guy in a black 4G GT coupe and he saw my spyder GTS 3G and he pulled hard at the light. I did not even know he was serious so at the next light I honk at him to let him know I am ready and I pull faster than he ever could because my car is lighter and after 5 seconds he gives up.

All I had at the time was Synthetic Oil and Tranny Fluid. The rest of my car was stock.

Bullshit. Stock for stock its a better car. A stock 3g wont pull on a stock 4g.

The interior is a tad better quality wise, it does ride smoother than my 3g did, it has more room slightly, except the spyder. Ppl seem to have alot of issues with the clutch on the gt, and some mods seem to screw up other electrical components in the car.

[Austin&Sarah]

At the risk of sounding like a rumor monger, I read a small bit that the last Eclipse that was auctioned off may not be the last. According to Super Street, Mitsubishi reversed it's decision to kill the car, wanting to stay competitive in the $20-25K range. A 2013 May not be ruled out. If you can get your hands on a copy of the issue that came out in January, it's in the first few pages. I've asked on FB, but Super Street and Mitsubishi seem to want to ignore my questions. Road&Track doesn't know anything, neither does Modified.

[j0rg3]

Originally Posted by 3genGT

1. The car handles really well considering the size and weight. My old 3g's handling didn't feel as great during a tighter turn.

2. The 4g GS's pickup vs 3g GT Auto I had...the 4g 4-cyl feels just as fast as the old 3g V6 if not a little quicker.

3. There have been no issues whatsoever with the 4g since brand new, now approaching 40k miles.

4. Feels rather comfortable in the 4g as well.

Wow!...Is that true?...A 4 cil. 4G can keep with a v6 3g?

[metalranger33]

Originally Posted by j0rg3

Wow!...Is that true?...A 4 cil. 4G can keep with a v6 3g?

no true at all...i have test drove a new eclipse 4cyl & 6cyl...the 4 cyl isnt slow, but it cannot compare the eclipse what my scion tc had...on that note a 3g would anal rape my tc

[Meest00GT]

I think transmission choice would play into this pretty heavily, too.

[Mattt]

Originally Posted by j0rg3

Wow!...Is that true?...A 4 cil. 4G can keep with a v6 3g?

Driven both and it's sad, but true. Key work: MIVEC.

[Meest00GT]

Originally Posted by newdie

Driven both and it's sad, but true. Key work: MIVEC.

I really don't know about that being fully true. Not trying to bench race or anything but I know most track tests for the 4G GS show an ET of 16+ a few tenths, and a trap of mid 80's. Similar to auto V6 3G's, but these tests were with a standard usually. This is why I point to the transmission being key.

Maybe they feel the same, but the 4G is still a bigger and heavier car with less power and torque.

[Mattt]

I know what the numbers say. I've never had any experience with a stock one though. My friends ran a 15.0 in the 1/4 with a decent amount mods. And if I'm not mistaken, there's a thread on C4G in which someone ran a 14.9?

[Meest00GT]

Originally Posted by newdie

I know what the numbers say. I've never had any experience with a stock one though. My friends ran a 15.0 in the 1/4 with a decent amount mods. And if I'm not mistaken, there's a thread on C4G in which someone ran a 14.9?

Oh, I guess I didn't realize we were talking modified. I'm very far from familiar with how well they respond to mods, shaving off a full second without boost is pretty good though depending on how it was achieved.