2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT Road Test

Va-Va-Voom!

I, for one, think that Mitsubishi is going in the right direction. While Japan's oldest automaker experienced some

The Eclipse is such a solid effort that it could, along with Ford's new Mustang, reinvigorate the sagging personal coupe market segment. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

rough waters last year, sales for the first quarter of 2005 are up substantially. Its new cars are wonderful to drive and offer superb value, especially when factoring in its "best backed" warranty claim.

So I suppose I went to San Diego last week expecting a lot from the new Eclipse, a car that is critical to Mitsubishi's future profitability and brand image. Fortunately, I was hardly let down. More so, the Eclipse is such a solid effort that it could, along with Ford's new Mustang, reinvigorate the sagging personal coupe market segment.

The first thing I want to say is that the Eclipse isn't really a direct competitor to the Mustang. There could be some that might be debating which coupe to buy, and

The Eclipse will duel it out with an ever decreasing number of front-wheel drive imported sport coupes. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

in the end choose one over the other, but traditionally, import sports car fans stick with imports, and domestic enthusiasts buy Mustangs. I suppose now there are other entries, such as the Pontiac G6 coupe, but for the time being I'm going to forego the temptation to compare any domestics to the Eclipse, as for most potential buyers it would be an exercise in futility.

Rather, the Eclipse will duel it out with an ever decreasing number of front-wheel drive imported coupes. Now, only the Acura RSX and Hyundai Tiburon are left to do battle, with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry Solara coupes as potential rivals among less sport-oriented buyers.