2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Reviews, Pricing & Specs
The CarGurus verdict
The Mitsubishi Lancer looks sportier than it is but holds up well with plenty of value and technology features.
The Lancer has been a part of the Mitsubishi lineup for quite some time, and the car returns overhauled for the 2008 model year after being briefly discontinued in Canada for 2007. Now in its ninth generation, the Lancer is positioned as a compact sport sedan rather than as the economy car that we were all thinking of. It’s a handsome new car with sporting intentions in all trims, but how does it stand up against more established and well-known competitors?
out of 10 expert review
Look & feel
The Lancer Evolution is a hotted-up answer to the Subaru Impreza WRX, but even the more pedestrian, non-Evolution versions look the part of hardcore rally racer. The car's nose and grille point aggressively down, and large vents accent the front fascia. Higher trims like the GTS get fog lights set into the lower bumper and aero bodywork to complete the racy look.
Though the lower trims get hubcaps and more pedestrian bodywork, the Lancer’s rising beltline and smooth lines give a sleek look to all versions of the car. Larger wheels on the top trims fill the Lancer’s wheel wells and make it appear truly aggressive, especially with the addition of the rear spoiler.
Performance
Just one engine appears under the hoods of every 2008 Lancer. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine makes power specs of 152 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to make the Lancer a solid commuter, but not enough to live up to its sporty styling. Acceleration off the line is limp, but once up to highway speeds, the Lancer can pass with ease.
That lonely engine comes paired with either a five-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the latter of which seems to suck the power right out of the engine under acceleration. The five-speed manual has a solid feel and quick shifting action. In the GTS, Mitsubishi’s Sportronic CVT is added.
Apart from the Evo GSR or MR models that come with all-wheel drive (AWD), Lancers come with a front-wheel drive (FWD) drivetrain. Fuel economy estimates are 9.7 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 7.0 on the highway with the manual transmission, whlie choosing the CVT reduces city figures to 9.5 L/100 km.
Form & function
Compared to competition from Nissan, Volkswagen, and Honda, the Mitsubishi feels more spacious, but it still leaves much to be desired in the headroom department. Tall passengers will find decent legroom, but people nearing the mid-six-foot range will find that there are limits to the Lancer’s abilities in both the front seats and rear seats.
The Lancer excels with materials quality, but some cheap bits show through. Build quality is strong for the segment, but the cabin allows more than a little road noise to seep through.
Cargo space and storage are generously spread throughout the Lancer’s cabin. There are useful and roomy spaces in the doors, glove box, and centre console, though the optional subwoofer drastically cuts into the 328 litres of trunk space. Without the subwoofer, the trunk is spacious, but taller or longer cargo items will run into conflict with the Lancer’s low trunk opening.
Air conditioning, cloth seats, and power windows are standard on the Lancer DE. Optional equipment includes 16-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, automatic climate control, a sunroof, and power locks with keyless entry.
Technology
Safety
Cost-effectiveness
The Lancer’s sub-$17,000 Canadian starting price is fair for the equipment provided on the base model in Canada. Stepping up to the mid-level ES trim adds $3,100 to the Lancer’s price tag, but it also brings more of the creature comforts and operational features that most people expect. The range-topping Lancer GTS trim starts at $21,698 and includes all the bells and whistles. This is where the Lancer’s value proposition is strongest, and the price is still well within most people's budgets.
Note: Images show a US model.
What owners say
"The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer has received mostly positive feedback from owners. Many drivers love its sporty design, fun handling, and overall performance, especially for the price. They appreciated the car's reliability and decent fuel economy. On the downside, some felt it lacked power, particularly in acceleration, and noted that the interior materials could feel cheap. Despite these minor issues, the Lancer is praised for its fun driving experience and great features for the budget."
Performance : good acceleration : poor braking : very good handling : very good Build Quality : very good Appearance : excellent gas mileage : excellent Cost of Ownership : averege Fun Factor : good maintenance : still not teseted interior : very good exterior : excellent over all we can give Lancer EX 8/10
August 10, 2009Just bought the car in June and loving it. Performance: with an out put of the 2.0, 4 cylinder naturally aspired engine, it gives an out put of 162 HP. Many drivers complain that the car doesn't have enough power. I disagree! With the 162 HP engine, it feels like have the power to over take many cars with it. It's all comes down to driving technique and using the standard transmission. However, the car sometimes does feel a bit over weight with 3000 lbs. It can stand to use a little diet. In terms of braking and handling, the Lancer is designed for rally. It can do some of the things most cars can never do. It's an extremely agile car and super fun to drive. Interior: from the inside, the Lancer is one of the ugliest cars ever made. The interior is all gray and black and lacking colour. The gage lights are red. The inside feels cold and almost too robotic. The bucket seats have no back support adjustment. However, the car does come with bluetooth connection to phone, Rockford Fosgate sound system with a 10 inch Sub built-in into the trunk, and radio control on the steering wheel. Exterior: Mitsubishi has a long history of worst styling in their cars. All of their previous generations of Lancers horribly ugly. For years, Mitsubishi had committed the worst crime in body styling. However, the new Lancer won the hearts of many young sport car enthusiasts with it's aggressive new look. It's by far the most beautiful car on the outside. Gas milage: The 2.0 naturally aspired aluminum block engine gives an average of 7.8L-8.6L/100KM. A full tank can give you close to 700KM. Safety: the Mitsubishi Lancer is considered the safest car in its class. The RISE system, which is first introduced in 96, gives the Lancer the most rigid body in its class. It has 8 air bags. The driver and the front passenger even have their own knee air bag. Other worth mentions: the new Lancer is absolutely one of the best car that ever come out of Japan. It's no surprised we see Lancer everywhere on the road and on the street. Lancer is looking to redeem it's history of despicable reputation. They've done a great job with the Lancer. For a compact car, it was very practical. It has a huge trunk. It was fun to drive. It was considered inexpensive. It's the safest in its class. It was rally inspired and great on gas. The only draw back is it's CVT transmission. It's an absolute mess. Safe the 1000 dollar and stick with the stick shift.
August 24, 2008Best car by far. Faster than my Impreza, better on fuel than any car I have ever driven - paddle shift gear box kitted out with VRX trim and no-key entry or start. It rocks.
January 28, 2008What owners say
Performance : good acceleration : poor braking : very good handling : very good Build Quality : very good Appearance : excellent gas mileage : excellent Cost of Ownership : averege Fun Factor : good maintenance : still not teseted interior : very good exterior : excellent over all we can give Lancer EX 8/10
August 10, 2009Just bought the car in June and loving it. Performance: with an out put of the 2.0, 4 cylinder naturally aspired engine, it gives an out put of 162 HP. Many drivers complain that the car doesn't have enough power. I disagree! With the 162 HP engine, it feels like have the power to over take many cars with it. It's all comes down to driving technique and using the standard transmission. However, the car sometimes does feel a bit over weight with 3000 lbs. It can stand to use a little diet. In terms of braking and handling, the Lancer is designed for rally. It can do some of the things most cars can never do. It's an extremely agile car and super fun to drive. Interior: from the inside, the Lancer is one of the ugliest cars ever made. The interior is all gray and black and lacking colour. The gage lights are red. The inside feels cold and almost too robotic. The bucket seats have no back support adjustment. However, the car does come with bluetooth connection to phone, Rockford Fosgate sound system with a 10 inch Sub built-in into the trunk, and radio control on the steering wheel. Exterior: Mitsubishi has a long history of worst styling in their cars. All of their previous generations of Lancers horribly ugly. For years, Mitsubishi had committed the worst crime in body styling. However, the new Lancer won the hearts of many young sport car enthusiasts with it's aggressive new look. It's by far the most beautiful car on the outside. Gas milage: The 2.0 naturally aspired aluminum block engine gives an average of 7.8L-8.6L/100KM. A full tank can give you close to 700KM. Safety: the Mitsubishi Lancer is considered the safest car in its class. The RISE system, which is first introduced in 96, gives the Lancer the most rigid body in its class. It has 8 air bags. The driver and the front passenger even have their own knee air bag. Other worth mentions: the new Lancer is absolutely one of the best car that ever come out of Japan. It's no surprised we see Lancer everywhere on the road and on the street. Lancer is looking to redeem it's history of despicable reputation. They've done a great job with the Lancer. For a compact car, it was very practical. It has a huge trunk. It was fun to drive. It was considered inexpensive. It's the safest in its class. It was rally inspired and great on gas. The only draw back is it's CVT transmission. It's an absolute mess. Safe the 1000 dollar and stick with the stick shift.
August 24, 2008Best car by far. Faster than my Impreza, better on fuel than any car I have ever driven - paddle shift gear box kitted out with VRX trim and no-key entry or start. It rocks.
January 28, 2008I bought the GTS brand new, one of only 2 on the lot at the time. Mine had the Rockford Fosgate sound system which was awesome. I drove it until May 2012, until, unfortunately it was totaled in an accident. A young man turned left in front of me at an intersection in a 90's model Jeep Cherokee. The entire front end was demolished and pieces of the engine were scattered all over the road, however, my daughter and I, who was in the front seat, walked away with only bruises. The seat belts locked so quickly that our faces never came near the airbags. There is a airbag for the driver knees as well, and I really think it saved me from getting a broken leg. The car was great fun to drive and handled great, however I wish it did have a little more power. The stereo system was awesome and handled great, and the navigation system was good too. The only thing that I needed to have done was a new catalytic converter, which was going in and out at about 130k. I've had Mitsubishi's before and the exhaust was usually the thing I had problems with (frequent replacement of oxygen sensors). I got great gas mileage, and overall I would recommend this car for anyone to drive.
December 16, 2012Handling is awesome, had some problems with some crazy squeak, in front wheel assembly in the first winter but the fixed it 3 time and now has stopped, love car overall wouldn't have picked another, respectable gas millage too, Fantastic
August 5, 2009Performance - Great handling, lots of fun on twisty roads. Only improvement needed is more power, the Ralliart edition is perfect for me. Build Quality - Decent, no problem so far. Appearance - Very aggressive, love the nose of the car, the shark look is AWESOME. I can do without the wing in the back, but it looks good anyway. Very sporty, I'm totally loving the look, it was one of the main reason I bought it over Mazda3. Cost of Ownership - Gas mileage is okay for the size; it's a heavy car so use more gas when doing "Rally Style" driving. Maintenance so far is simply, nothing major yet. Fun Factor - I love the car, it is ALOT of fun to drive! If I can put a turbo-charger and boost the power to the 250HP range, I might just create a little monster.
July 10, 2008I really had fun driving this car. Does good on gas, has some get up and go power. Hasn't really cost much to own. Looks good inside and out. The CVT is really nice just push the gas and go.
April 6, 2011Performance-2.0 liter 168 HP 4 cylinder Build Quality-hasnt needed any repairs. Amazing Japanese car. Appearance- gts sport body kit. Black leather interior. 7 inch touch screen. 650 watt system. Fun Factor-lots of fun to drive. Takes turn faster then other cars. Cost of Ownership- about 20 dollars to fill tank from empty to full. Gets 23 miles to gallon in the city. 28 highway.
January 28, 2009Solid performance although it is missing some passing power as well as acceleration. Plan to do some upgrades to improve that. Braking is average, not spectacular but not bad. Handling is actually quite good on this car although it is still not at a spectacular level. If they had added a little low end power it would be perfect. Paint is cheap though, chips and scratches come easily, defiantly worth purchasing the 3M plastic for the hood...as well as mud flaps for front and rear tires. Noticed that it does ride quite loud, although there was a option to coat the under carriage of the vehicle with something to remove that...it is not too noticeable. Its not too hard on gas, finding around 28mpg city and 36mpg highway...although i do tend to exceed the speed limits...I'm sure it is capable of a lot better, I feel that the American EPA was grossly underestimating the mileage of this car. Very cool looking car and a lot of fun to drive, its cool without being too flashy and just overall a fun drive.
August 11, 2008Interior is agressive and confortable, well designed. Exterior is agressive too with a shark look front. Handling is very impressive on the car, stock with 18" and with sport suspensions, it will surprise a lot of you. This car is cool even if the engine is a litlle weak compared to the rest of the car.
January 2, 2008Trims & specs
Base MSRP N/A | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 152 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 328 L |
Combined MPG 25 | Drivetrain FWD |
Base MSRP N/A | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 152 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 328 L |
Combined MPG 25 | Drivetrain FWD |
Base MSRP N/A | Seating 5 |
Engine 2.0L 152 hp I4 | Cargo Capacity 328 L |
Combined MPG 25 | Drivetrain FWD |
