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Automotive Traveler Magazine: Vol 3 Iss 3 Page 45
Sidebar: Behind the Wheel of the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

If the grocery-getter base Lancer and the boy-racer Evolution are not for you, you have one other option. I understand Goldilocks' search for the "just right" thing after driving the Sportback Ralliart. It's not the all-out performance of the Evo, but it definitely offers more car than the base sedan.

The Sportback Ralliart even looks different. Instead of the three-box design of the sedan, the Sportback offers a useful hatchback. Pop the convenient switches in the cargo compartment, and the split rear seats fall out of the way, opening up the back for bigger items. Even with the rear seats up, there's plenty of space for all of that sports equipment your kids need. Bags full of baseball bats or towels for the swim team get tossed right in the back.

Compact cars aren't what they used to be. Remember when the word "compact" meant room up front for two adults with two kids seated in the back? Today, compact cars can actually haul a couple of grown-ups in the rear seat and even carry three kids across town. The Lancer's junior seating positions are usable and comfortable, making it an excellent family car.

But interior space isn't the reason you want to have the Ralliart version of the Sportback. The secret to this little car is hidden under the hood. Eagerly kicking out nearly 240 horsepower is the 2.0-liter turbocharged GEMA four-banger, co-developed with Hyundai and Chrysler. It moves this car with such urgency, you forget you're driving a four-door hatchback. Making this engine even more fun is the transmission.

A simple gearshift protrudes through the center console, looking every inch like an automatic shifter--but it's not. Yes, the selector starts off in park and moves down to drive, just like an automatic... and there's no left-foot pedal on the floor. Unlike an automatic, this unit has gears and a clutch even if it is operated electronically. Gear changes through the six ratios are quick and can be manually controlled by toggling the shifter or tapping the steering column-mounted paddles (or just letting the unit do it automatically). The roar of the engine and the quick-shifting gearbox make it difficult not to apply the loud pedal all the time!

Properly applied, that noisy pedal on the floor moves the car briskly. All four wheels keep that power on the ground and the driver in control. With this front-wheel-based system, you can get some torque steer when the turbo kicks in while cornering. It's reasonable, though, nothing that would keep you from wanting all of those ponies galloping along.

Keeping the right foot as light as possible rewards the driver with reasonable fuel economy. My tester reached up into the low- to mid-20s with a modicum of restraint. With the little voice on my other shoulder prodding me, the landscape started to blur and the gas mileage sank into the high teens.

Step away from the car and there's little to tell the scared pedestrians that they were chased back onto the sidewalk by anything other than an economy car. A modest roof-mounted wing and tiny "Ralliart" badges are about the only signs this is a car to be reckoned with. Just the kind of sheep's clothing I like my road-race cars to wear.

Whether the desire is for that disguised wolf or, like the intruder in the home of The Three Bears, the best of both worlds, the Lancer Sportback Ralliart should definitely be an option. For the power hungry, the engine in this car is intoxicating. For those manual-transmission lovers of us whose significant others prefer automatics, this transmission may be the perfect concession. In all, Mitsubishi has built an excellent family car to please almost all drivers without scaring the children. --Sam Fiorani

Sidebar: Behind the Wheel of the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer ES

The day I picked up the Mitsubishi Lancer ES, the first thing that caught my eye was the window sticker. It was the first press fleet vehicle I've had that did not list a single factory-installed option. This is not to say my Lancer ES was stripped, in the traditional sense of the word. After all, it did come equipped with five features that might have been considered options in the past: power windows, power mirrors, power door locks, cruise control, and air conditioning.

The current-generation Lancer dates to March 2007, when it was introduced as a 2008 model. Unfortunately, its interior trim is even more dated. What seems like acres of low-grade plastic gives the interior a functional but uninviting look. Compared to a class leader like the new Chevy Cruze, its shortcomings in this regard are evident.

The test Lancer ES was equipped with a slick-shifting, five-speed manual transmission that provided a degree of driving fun. (A CVT transmission is available for those who prefer an automatic, but it tends to sap what engine output is available and should be avoided.) I found myself constantly looking for a sixth gear to better take advantage of the normally aspirated 2.0-liter I4 with 148 horsepower on tap. Its engine is Mitsubishi's version of the four-cylinder engine family shared with Chrysler and Hyundai.

Considering the ES shares a name with the Sportback Ralliart and the Evolution models, this car seems like a red-headed stepchild, especially to driving enthusiasts. And when measured against up-to-date designs like Ford's new Focus, the entry-level Lancer models come up a bit short when compared to newer compact cars that offer more bang for the buck. --Richard Truesdell

Vital Statistics: 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR-Touring

Wheelbase: 104.3 inches
Length: 177.0 inches
Width: 71.3 inches
Height: 58.3 inches
Curb weight: 3,594 pounds
Engine: Inline-4, 1,998 c.c. DOHC 16-valve turbocharged/intercooled
Horsepower: 291 horsepower @ 6,500 r.p.m.
Torque: 300 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 r.p.m.
EPA estimated m.p.g. city/highway: 17/22
Base price: $41,735
As-tested price: $43,984, including $775 destination
Also consider: Audi A4 quattro, BMW 335i, Subaru WRX STi

Vital Statistics: 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

Wheelbase: 104.3 inches
Length: 177.0 inches
Width: 71.3 inches
Height: 58.3 inches
Curb weight: 3,594 pounds
Engine: Inline-4, 1,998 c.c. DOHC 16-valve turbocharged/intercooled
Horsepower: 291 horsepower @ 6,500 r.p.m.
Torque: 300 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 r.p.m.
EPA estimated m.p.g. city/highway: 17/22
Base price: $41,735
As-tested price: $43,984, including $775 destination
Also consider: Audi A4 quattro, BMW 335i, Subaru WRX STi

Vital Statistics: 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

Wheelbase: 103.7 inches
Length: 180.0 inches
Width: 69.4 inches
Height: 58.7 inches
Curb weight: 3,462 pounds
Engine: Inline-four, 1,998 c.c. DOHC 16-valve turbocharged
Horsepower: 237 horsepower @ 6,000 r.p.m.
Torque: 253 lb.-ft. @ 4,750 r.p.m.
EPA estimated m.p.g. city/highway: 17/25
Base price: $27,895
As-tested price: $31,755, including $775 destination
Also consider: Subaru Impreza WRX, Honda Civic SI

Vital Statistics: 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer ES

Wheelbase: 103.7 inches
Length: 180.0 inches
Width: 69.4 inches
Height: 58.7 inches
Curb weight: 2,900 pounds
Engine: Inline-four, 1,998 c.c. DOHC 16-valve normally aspirated
Horsepower: 143 horsepower @ 6,000 r.p.m. (California specification)
Torque: 143 lb.-ft. @ 4,200 r.p.m.
EPA estimated m.p.g. city/highway: 17/25
Base price: $17,155
As-tested price: $17,930, including $775 destination
Also consider: Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra


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