This may be our most ambitious Automotive Traveler Behind the Wheel review yet! We're taking a look at three models in the extensive 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer series: the second-level ES (the DE is the true base version), the mid-level Sportback Ralliart, and the top-of-the-line Evolution MR-Touring.

Prices for these vehicles range from $17,155 for the ES to $41,735 for the Evolution MR-Touring--which had us wondering: How can the Evolution MR-Touring cost more than twice as much as the ES? And among the huge range of models offered, does the Sportback Ralliart version offer the best combination of value, performance, and versatility?

After an earlier collaboration that involved supplying Chrysler with small cars and trucks, Mitsubishi entered the U.S. market in 1986 under its own brand. Initially quite successful, the company was best known for its sporty Eclipse.

More recently, however, the Japanese automaker has been overshadowed by other companies, especially Hyundai (to whom it supplied the basic platform for its original Excel subcompact). Yet as Mitsubishi lost its way in a crowded, exceptionally competitive small-car marketplace, the one constant has