Is a Mitsubishi Eclipse good?

[Steinman]

Im looking into buying an Mitsubishi Eclipse. A 1995-1999 style most likely. But maybe the style right before the new ones. I want to know if this is a good car from people that have one.



I know quite a bit about cars for my age. 17. Ive had a truck, but im looking for improved gas mileage now. i want a 4 cyl. But i wanna tune it. Ive had a k and n air filter on my truck. I want to put a k and n fuel injection system. i want a manual tranny. Which is what i learned to drive on. I just want to know, Will i get 30mpg, Is it a good tuner, will it last my through college, and should i get a turbo. ive read its a neon engine, if i dont get a turbo???

[teameplerverizonnet]

You had better just go to the school library and look this one up in the "Consumer Reports Buyers Guide". Because I think anything I say would be misinterpreted as sour grapes.

[J-K]

honestly, i wouldn't buy one. I have a 1997 mitsubishi eclipse GSX and it aint all its worked up to be. TO be quite truthfully honest, i think the all wheel drive feature does more for the car than the turbo. My gf has a 1997 mitsubishi eclipse gs and hers only gets about 22 mpg. Mine gets about 13-15 (and maybe 18/19 on a good tank). BUT, when it feels like driving good, it can be awesome. With no mods, ive outran EVO's and WRX's. However, hands down, the 95-99 eclipses are probably the best car to mod because there are just so many options out there. So many body kits to choose from, upgrades, and engine swaps to go with. Not to mention, the car looks great as is with the spoilers and adding some euro lights in the back. Just watch out because many "small" things go wrong with all eclipses ive seen. They can be a pain to change also, (door handles, sunroof sticking, windows 'no frame on top') so just keep those in mind. But overall, its fun when it wants to be, and expensive and horrible on gas all day long.

[Moose]

Don't believe everything you read.  Anyone who can outrun an EVO or a WRX with an unmodded 2G obviously didn't notice that the other driver wasn't trying, or can't drive.  I'm not so sure why you would want to change the fuel injection system on any car, but whatever turns your crank.  It is possible to get 30 mpg, but I wouldn't expect to run 10 second 1/4s.  The 420a is tuneable, but doesn't take to mods like the 4g63 did.

[foster24]

if you get one you should look for a gsx thats the all wheel drive and turbo you can find one for a bout 4 grand but there pretty quick

[Ricky]

i got a 1995 Mits. Eclipse

Only had to replace alternator at 109K miles

It was fun

But if you get GST or GSX it requires premium gas. Its ucked. It ran alot better on premium. But 87 is okay

[emunbear]

you wont get 30mpg. if you can afford a turbo, get the turbo. bang for the buck the turbo is an awesome mod and better then all the K+N crap you can possibly add yourself! they are pretty durable, just get one with low miles if you can

[chi22shooter]

Exactly ...listen to moose ignore j-k obviosly he dosent know what hes talkin about.



Evo= 300AWHP Vs. 2g gsx=200awhp



hes never beaten evo or wrx in a stock eclipse.

If u want great gas mileage get a civic and rice out that.

if u want an underated sports car ( that will waste most cars with a little work) get a 1g or 2g....90-99 eclipse/talon

no its not a neon engine.

mitsu had a partnership with eagle talon, and plymouth laser

tuning involves modifing car for performance...not wings and bodykits



i just bought a eclipse gst (fwd turbo) and so far i get about 200 miles per tank of gas...thats with a big bov (non-recirc) and full bolt ons.



with a stock eclipse ur lookin at 250miles per tank from what iv heard



as far lastin thru college any car can last if u take care of it and service it regularly...and dont beat on it and race it!

Being 17 and u thinkin u know a lot about cars ur gonna abuse it and race it and show off ...every one does

and u dont know jack about cars till u work on a turbo...i thought i knew it all wit my camaro , cutlass, impala ss and a nissan truck...but i had to learn a lot of new stuff as soon as i bought this one...good luck

[coolkid22]

im 18 and i own a 2007 mitsubishi eclipse spyder gt, (what i am about to say goes with all eclipses) its awesome with speed and style. the cabin is small and is very congested in the back. you will get 30 mpg, it will last you through college, its a great tuner, and you should get a turbo with a 4G63T engine in it. the only trims that carry that is the GST and the GSX but you can buy a RS or a GS and do a swap on it. you can get it manual...great car for two people, not a car for four people because of how small the back seat is.

[LuvzPinK]

I have a 99 i got brand new w/ 300 miles on it-dealer car} ect anyways 4 whatever reason i have never gotten good gas mileage! & ppl r always going "Wow bet ya get real far w/ that engine on todays gas prices",,,Not! Mine is the anniversary edition and i actually liked it's looks better then the newer ones and like i said it's getting old but no MAJOR probs all this time cept once had to replace alternator and had some type of tranny prob one time that was about 300 some to fix! -Also had some odd prob w/ needing repeated new batteries n thats IT- i have not even had to change a stinking burnt out bulb yet!!! lol- Mine is a 99 and now has 64,000 miles on it and it actually runs almost as good as it did when it was new-u just got to take care of them ect

 funny but as 'old' as these models are they  get major attention,,,,,,,,,,, i constantly get asked if mine is going to be for sale anytime soon! And IF i would consider selling it! Are these cars getting rare or is it just that Fast and the Furious movie thats made them re-cool again ect? LoL

[Eddie]

1995-1999 Eclipses are good. The non-turbo engine is actually based on the Neon engine (ouch!). They are fun to tune though. Possibilities are endless if you have the dough to burn. The turbo eclipses are better since their engines a built by Mitsubishi and are basically stronger and tougher than the non-turbo counterpart. And yes, you can get 30 miles or more per gallon from the non-turbo engine in an all highway cruise. I drove from Michigan to California in my '95 Eclipse and got up to 33 miles/gallon.

[FordChevy]

I dont suggest getting the turbo... since you are young your insurance rates will be high if you get a car with a turbo or other performance adder that had been factory added.

Start with the regular 4 cyl. manual tranny - you can get great mileage if you drive it right and put the right parts on it. I suggest a cold-air kit, E3 spark plugs, under-drive pulley, and a turbonator <---(look it up - and yes they DO WORK). I have this same set-up on my 00 GT eclipse and I am averaging about 25-28 a gallon on the v6 engine!

[rabeatz]

I own a 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse.



Bought it with 101,000 Miles on it, I have put 6,000 miles on it without a problem.



4 cyl. engine, manual transmission, the car is lots of fun to drive.



As for tuning, I have new headers and an air intake that I am yet to install.



I get about 20-25 miles per gallon, however I could do better.



Keep in mind, you can't expect 30mpg if you let the revs get real high when you drive. Fast accelleration + Fuel economy dont go together. If you drive conservatively, 30mpg is attainable.

[pman787]

What you got to consider first is the reason why you are buying the eclipse. is it for performance or more for fuel economy/cheap transportation. To get 30mpg on an eclipse, you might need divine intervention. lol. The non-turbo versions get about 22 miles to the gallon while the turbo gets a little' bit lower. about 18 miles to the gallon. Its a great tuner car and there are lots of parts available for both the turbo and non-turbo variant. Lasting through college it all depends on the driver and how they take care of the car. I had a 1990 Camry that lasted through three years of college and two military deployments. A big note, in 1997, the body style of this generation eclipse was changed. Not by much, it has a more aggressive front grille, different fog lights and different tail lights. Also, if you do choose a turbo car, there are two variants. a fwd and awd.



It is possible for a stock eclipse turbo to beat a stock evolution. Remember that the eclipse is lighter and more aerodynamic than the evolution.

[Gyzmologist]

Regarding gas mileage, I don't know what these people have done to their cars to get such bad mileage. I got 32.5 MPG on my last tank, and usually never get less than 30. I live in a rural area and commute into town, about 75mi per trip. It is a mix of stop and go and freeway with speeds up to 75 MPH. If I get on it a lot my mileage will drop to 28. If I cruise and only get on it a time or two per trip, I can get at least 31.

I have a '94 Eclipse GST (FWD 5-speed turbo) with a 92 6-bolt engine. I rebuilt it 10,000 miles ago and put in HKS 264 cams, 2-1/2" exhaust, 14B turbo, Denso 660cc injectors, APEXi AFC, DSM chips stage three EPROM, 8.5:1 pistons, and 1mm oversize valves. It will rip the tires loose at 4500 RPM in 1st gear.

From what I've read a lot of people remove their EGR valve and install a block-off plate. I would bet that all of the people getting crappy mileage have done this. This is so dumb! The EGR is only active at cruising speeds.