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| Ford's Mustang Convertible is probably the closest competitor to the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. (Photo: Ford Motor) |
The only car that directly threatens the Spyder in performance and styling is Ford's Mustang, and at $27,795 base price plus whatever purchasing incentives the blue oval boys are throwing at it these days it's a formidable, albeit not nearly as distinctive player. There is also the fact that the Mitsubishi has the Japanese cachet, something recall ridden Ford can't offer. Buy the way the Mustang's price advantage slips away when loaded up with features, topping out at $41,055. That said it comes with a very potent V8.
Overall I truly like the Spyder. It's hard to find fault with a car this fun to drive and as great looking. But of course, it's not perfect. The only thing that I couldn't live with was something very fixable at the dealer level. The driver's side door of the car I had last week didn't fit flush with the body panels, sticking out a few millimeters. It closed tightly and didn't rattle or cause extra wind noise but imperfections like this particularly annoy me. It should be said that this was not the case with the car I first drove last fall in Quebec, when Mitsubishi launched its entire lineup. Once again any body shop can align the door properly so it's not a major problem, but still it should never have left the factory this way.
This niggling error aside the Eclipse Spyder is an enjoyable ride. Its impressive features, reasonable price and stunning styling put it in a class of one.