The last time I actually drove the base model Lancer was last year when my girlfriend was shopping for a new car. She knew she wanted a four door, practical sedan, that was it – we test drove the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Ford Focus and Mitsubishi Lancer.
She decided against the Lancer because, as much as she loved the exterior styling, we both found the ride a bit uninspiring and the interior, a bit plain.
We both loved the Ralliart design, but with a starting price of just under $32,000, the aggressive looking performance sedan was out of her price range.
This sport sedan may have the Lancer badge on its tail, but the “Ralliart” is here to take on the likes of the Subaru Impreza WRX and the MazdaSpeed 3.
The Ralliart has much better styling than the base Lancer. A lightweight, aluminum ducted hood delivers cool air to the turbocharger and gives off a very aggressive first impression. The side profile is nothing but sporty with the 18-inch alloy wheels – standard on the Ralliart - and the sideline flows all the way from the front headlight to the rear end spoiler.
It is amazing to see how a few simple additions, such as a spoiler and bigger wheels can dramatically enhance the entire attitude of a car.
The Ralliart and WRX have similar appearances, but it is the front grille on the Mitsubishi that wins my heart. Stepping inside the Mitsubishi, I have to say that both the Subaru and Mazda do it better.
The Mitsubishi interior is very plain. I was hoping the Ralliart name might spruce it up, but that is not the case. It’s just really simple and straightforward. The radio controls and read-out could really use an update. The knobs used to adjust the heating and air flow are surrounded by a splash of chrome that looks really good. I am not sure why Mitsubishi didn’t carry this detail into more areas of the car.
The use of decent-to-the touch materials at least keeps the cabin from appearing cheap. The leather wrapped steering wheel has white stitching that follows through to the stitches on the gearshift. It’s a small detail, but one that adds a bit of flare to this otherwise basic interior.
She decided against the Lancer because, as much as she loved the exterior styling, we both found the ride a bit uninspiring and the interior, a bit plain.
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| The Ralliart has much better styling than the base Lancer. (Photo: Lacey Elliott/Auto123.com) |
We both loved the Ralliart design, but with a starting price of just under $32,000, the aggressive looking performance sedan was out of her price range.
This sport sedan may have the Lancer badge on its tail, but the “Ralliart” is here to take on the likes of the Subaru Impreza WRX and the MazdaSpeed 3.
The Ralliart has much better styling than the base Lancer. A lightweight, aluminum ducted hood delivers cool air to the turbocharger and gives off a very aggressive first impression. The side profile is nothing but sporty with the 18-inch alloy wheels – standard on the Ralliart - and the sideline flows all the way from the front headlight to the rear end spoiler.
It is amazing to see how a few simple additions, such as a spoiler and bigger wheels can dramatically enhance the entire attitude of a car.
The Ralliart and WRX have similar appearances, but it is the front grille on the Mitsubishi that wins my heart. Stepping inside the Mitsubishi, I have to say that both the Subaru and Mazda do it better.
The Mitsubishi interior is very plain. I was hoping the Ralliart name might spruce it up, but that is not the case. It’s just really simple and straightforward. The radio controls and read-out could really use an update. The knobs used to adjust the heating and air flow are surrounded by a splash of chrome that looks really good. I am not sure why Mitsubishi didn’t carry this detail into more areas of the car.
The use of decent-to-the touch materials at least keeps the cabin from appearing cheap. The leather wrapped steering wheel has white stitching that follows through to the stitches on the gearshift. It’s a small detail, but one that adds a bit of flare to this otherwise basic interior.
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| The Mitsubishi interior is very plain. (Photo: Lacey Elliott/Auto123.com) |