You can’t always judge a book by its cover Does the newly redesigned 08 Lancer really live up to the hype? Well for under $20k, you get a lot of car for a small price tag. At first glance, you get thrown back a little with the new design. Of course with anything new, there’s a certain amount of time needed to get used to everything. In this case though, the new design equals a much better car. With a more aggressive styling and loaded with features normally carried by luxury cars, the new 08 Lancer is a sure bet when it comes to compact sedans. A side by side comparison of the old car with the new shows the heavy improvements Mitsubishi effectively carried out with the 08 model. So much so, that the all new Lancer seems to have effectively moved itself into a new higher class and as a result, the pricing has also increased with it. First starting out with the interior, you can definitely see that Mitsubishi threw every little nifty gadget they could come up with at this car. Stereo controls on the steering wheel, cell phone integration via Bluetooth technology, satellite radio hookup, RDS technology for the radio, command center of information (outside temperature, mpg, range, tire pressure monitor etc.) located in the gauge cluster and the list goes on. The seats also show improvements with improved fabric and more adjustability for seat position. Leg room front and rear is surprisingly good even for full grown adults. Taking a glance at the dash, you will notice the radio is well integrated maintaining a smooth appearance, which may be a bad thing for anyone looking go aftermarket. Although for a stock stereo, sound quality isn’t bad at all. The stock stereo includes a 140watt 6 speakers system with a 6 disc in dash CD/MP3 player. An upgraded 650 watt Rockfort Fostgate stereo with integrated subwoofer is also available. The center console offers sufficient amount of storage between the front pocket and arm rest cubby. The under arm rest storage bin measures 7 ½ inch wide and 4 ½ inch deep while the front pocket under the climate control measures about 7†across and plenty deep. If you decide on using the entire center console for gauges, control boxes, or anything else aftermarket, you won’t have to worry about losing cup holders. Mitsubishi actually put cup holders in the side storage pockets on the door and two more for the rear seat for a grand total of 6! I guess they thought people get very thirsty and need multiple drinks to quench it. Going back towards the rear of the car, the trunk/boot offers more space to hold a sub along with a few pieces of luggage. For that extra long luggage, the rear seat features a 60/40 split fold down seat back. The most notable feature of the interior is the improved fit and finish, proving that the 08 Lancer belongs in a higher class level. Safety has been dramatically improved with 7 airbags and the first Mitsubishi auto with a knee airbag. Combine this with ABS and EBD (electronic brake distribution) and Mitsubishi's next-generation Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) unibody design (disperses energy loads during side and rear crashes and controls distortion, enhancing occupant protection and also helping to protect the fuel system during a rear impact), the newer model will definitely appeal to the more safety minded consumer. This new chassis also has an added benefit of being stiffer than the previous model Evolution with 56 percent more torsional rigidity. While this does come at the cost of about an extra 200lbs, compared to the last Lancer, it translates into a more stable ride with better handling characteristics. The first thing that pops out looking at the 2008 Lancer is the more aggressive shark like nose for a front end. It definitely takes some to get used to especially coming from a more rounded front end we saw on the previous model, however most will agree that this is an improvement Compared to the previous model, the new Lancer is shorter with an increased wheelbase of 1.4†and track width of 2.3â€Â. Wanting to do something different when it came to car review, we decided to put the car on a lift to really expose all the technical bits the car had to offer. Right away, we noticed the new rear sway bar was added to help stabilize body roll, previously only offered on the Evolution, OZ, and Ralliart models. The rest of the suspension was fairly typical of the previous model with the exception of the unusually long front sway bar link. One thing that really puzzled us was the continued use of rear drum brakes. With all the improvements made to this car, it would have been nice to see 4 wheel disc brakes (Disc brakes do however come standard on the GTS model). The 16†aluminum wheels on the ES model are lighter and larger compared to what was available before further adding to the long list of improvements. Popping the hood, you will find the heart of the new Lancer and Evolution, the 4B11 power plant. This is a 2.0L MIVEC all aluminum 4 cylinder with the now more common forward facing intake manifold. The new MIVEC system now includes variable intake and exhaust cam timing for increased torque. While the engine is rated at 152bhp, we were able to measure 142hp/143tq at the wheels on a Dynomite dynometer showing that this number may be slightly underrated. After removing the plastic covers, you can see the new individual coil packs that should also transfer to the Evolution model. Our investigating also showed a considerable amount of room toward the rear of the engine bay should anyone get the idea to slap on a turbo. Driving Impressions: Stability sums up the overall feel for the 08 Lancer. The new chassis, suspension design, and longer wheelbase/increased track give the car a more European feel. Corning ability was very flat and progressive. It felt very well balanced and did not fidget. The overall ride dynamic seems more characteristic of a sports sedan rather than an economy commuter. A couple of gripes that came up were with the drive-by-wire throttle and the slightly numb steering. Both contributed to removing the feel for driving this car. Although it wasn’t a major issue and it’s something you can get used with time. Driving around town, the car performed very well. Trying to over take another car will require revving the motor past 3500 where the 4B11 quickly comes into its own. Some will find this lack of low end grunt annoying but to us, the free revving high end pull made it quite entertaining. 0-60 testing showed a respectable 7.65 best time with medium wheel spin, proving that the 152hp/3100lb combination may be stronger then advertised. Our ¼ mile estimate fall in the high 14 second range (we were unable to officially test this). At highway speeds, nothing seemed to “fall apart†compared to some cars in its class. Numerous times we found ourselves in the far left lane wondering why traffic was moving so slow only to look down at the speedo and noticing the mph needle pointing at a much higher speed then the limit allowed. Despite the rear drum brakes, we found the brake feel and strength to be exceptional with little to no fade and good modulation stopping from 60mph. The gear box felt smooth and precise with a medium throw. This was matched with a feather light clutch that was easy to engage in traffic but seemed to lack clamping force on hard launches. With gas prices climbing, this car was refreshing to drive around without having to worry about filling up every other day. Averaging at 30mpg under normal conditions and 24-26mpg under “spirited†driving conditions, the Lancer would help ease the loss of green from your wallet. With the introduction of the new Lancer and Outlander models, Mitsubishi has apparently turned a new leaf. If this is a sign for how they will be evolving for the future, then hold onto your seats folks. As the basis for the other Lancer models (including the EvoX), the 2008 Lancer ES not only showed that it can perform better then the older models, but the overall quality, performance, and features of this car has gone up to a higher class then its predecessor. If I were Subaru, it may be time to go back to the drawing board.
