Mitsubishi Lancer GTS cuts a mean figure

— -- Mitsubishi and DaimlerChrysler were jointly developing a compact-car platform when the latter decided to quit putting money into what it saw as a risky deal with Mitsu.

The two sides took their incomplete development work and finished on their own. DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group came up with the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot.

Mitsu came up with Outlander SUV and Lancer sedan. Lancer, pumped up to around 300 horsepower and fitted with all-wheel drive (AWD), is to become the high-performance Evolution, 10th generation or Lancer Evo X. Could be here in time for Christmas.

Meantime, we're left with the civilian-grade Lancer line, topped by the GTS sporty version that was tested.

GTS has the same engine and transmission as the others, so that's not where it's sporty. Instead, it gets a stiff suspension, stubby sidewall tires, enfolding bucket seats, big multispoke wheels and an air spoiler rising from the trunk.

The suspension and tires help it carve corners with aplomb but also give it a hard ride. It feels as if it's bouncing off bumps, rather than absorbing them. That, in turn, creates a mildly out-of-control feeling. A sport machine is supposed to make you feel as if you're more in control, not less.

The wide tires toss up lots of road debris that made so much noise clattering into the underside of the car, you'd swear a window was open.

The big spoked wheels are a key reason Lancer GTS cuts a mean figure. The rear wing is somewhere between silly, because GTS doesn't need such aerodynamic help, and sexy, because it visually raises the tail for the rakish, racy look sports fans crave.

GTS' sport credentials aren't entirely successful. What it needs for legitimacy is more power and perhaps an AWD system. Mitsu's mum on whether any such machine is in the wings.

But a car company needs to make as many models as possible using shared parts to keep costs low. Mitsu has other engines and AWD available. Wouldn't the temptation to make a truly sporty GTS be irresistible?

What you wouldn't need are different seats. GTS' scooped-out bucket seats are a treat. They hold you in place during exuberant episodes without the wrenching contours of some sports seats that convince you there's really somewhere else you'd rather be.

Steering and brakes, two key controls that help give a car its personality, worked well in the GTS test car. Both felt firm enough to give you confidence you're controlling something instead of making a suggestion.

Inside, the Lancer is roomy for its overall exterior size. Back seat has enough legroom and knee-room for adults, though not much to spare. The middle, rear seating slot is less compromised than usual because Lancer's center tunnel is lower and narrower than in some cars. Mitsubishi makes it easy to hook the so-called Latch connectors on today's child seats to their proper metal rings in the back seat. Parental applause.

The dashboard bows in the center, as if handing the driver the stereo and climate controls. But climate control knobs clack cheaply through their settings. Radio knobs are small enough, and stick out so little, that they are difficult to grasp.

The test car was equipped with a CVT, continuously variable automatic transmission. Mitsubishi says it was chosen for fuel-economy benefits. It earns a 1 mpg advantage in city driving vs. the manual in fuel ratings.

But the transmission's shift personality is unpleasant. Nail the throttle, and the tachometer needle zooms, but the car feels dead. As is typical with CVTs, once the car speed rises, the engine speed drops. Yes, all CVTs work that way, but some automakers — Nissan comes to mind — tune them for better response.

In the GTS, the CVT has a manual-shift mode with six pre-determined ratios, a feature you don't get with the CVT in the DE and ES models. Manual downshifting works well, and you get about the result you expect from each gear. But upshifts are lengthy lunges instead of snappy gear changes. That's at odds with the precise control a driver wants using the manual mode.

Plus, the gears don't seem as right for upshifting as they do going down. Toggle the lever or steering-column-mounted paddles from second into third, and almost immediately that's too low, and you need fourth. Then, quickly, fifth. And it's not because the car's rocketing forward so fast.

The optional Rockford Fosgate stereo was just like a lot of powerful, deluxe sound machines: OK, occasionally very good, but not as nice as you'd expect or as aurally satisfying as it could be. Better than the base stereo, no doubt, and probably as good as some aftermarket units. But not quite there.

The devil of it is that the big wheels and tires and the alluring sport seats help make the car different and interesting — Mitsu's self-described calling card — but they come only on the GTS. And that model slams and bounces so much and transmits so much road noise to the interior that it's unpleasant on real roads.

If you're interested in Lancer, it seems prudent either to keep your focus on the non-GTS models, or to wait and see if Mitsubishi turns the GTS truly sporty. Or just plan to pony up some $35,000 for the Evo.

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer

•What is it? Full remake of the brand's four-door, front-wheel-drive, compact sedan, jointly developed with Chrysler and loosely related to the chassis used for the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Compass. Available with manual or continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Manufactured at Kurashiki, Japan.

•How soon? Started arriving at dealers March 9. All dealers are to have cars just about now.

•How much? Base DE with manual starts at $14,615 including $625 destination charge. ES starts at $16,605. CVT is $900 more.

GTS sport model starts at $18,115 with manual, $19,115 with CVT, which comes with manual shift hardware not available on DE, ES models.

Pre-production GTS test car with CVT would have been priced about $21,000.

Edmunds.com says a typical model would be an ES with CVT and other options priced $17,865, selling for $17,758. Typical GTS would be priced $20,115, selling for $19,987.

CarsDirect.com generally agrees, saying expect discounts of a few hundred dollars from window-sticker price.

•Who'll buy? People who want something interesting and different, Mitsu says, declining to give typical demographic information such as age, income and education.

•How many? Mitsubishi won't forecast but hopes to easily eclipse the 23,000 Lancers sold last year or the 28,000 sold in 2005.

•What's the drivetrain? 2-liter, four-cylinder engine rated 152 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 146 pounds-feel of torque at 4,250 rpm; five-speed manual transmission.

Traction control is not available.

•What's the safety gear? Expected bags and belts, plus side-impact and head-curtain bags, driver's knee bag, anti-lock brakes (standard on ES, GTS, optional on DE). Stability control is not available.

•What's the rest? Standard features on all models include AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with auxiliary input jack; tilt-adjustable steering column; power steering, brakes, windows; auto on/off headlights; rear-window defroster. Other features vary by model. Details: www.mitsubishicars.com.

•What's the pledge? Basic warranty: Five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. Powertrain: 10/100,000. Corrosion: Seven/100,000.

•How big? A little bigger inside and out than a Honda Civic. Lancer is 180 inches long, 69.4 inches wide, 58.7 inches tall on a 103.7-inch wheelbase. Passenger space is listed as 94.8 cubic feet. Trunk space is 11.6 cubic feet.

Weight ranges from 2,922 to 3,109 pounds depending on model and equipment. Rated to carry 970 to 1,157 pounds of people and cargo, depending on model and equipment.

Turning circle diameter is listed as 32.8 feet, curb-to-curb.

•How thirsty? Manual transmission is rated 21 mpg in town, 29 on the highway under 2008 federal fuel-economy standards. CVT is rated 22/29.

Trip computer in pre-production test car was showing close to 19 mpg in suburban commuting prior to resetting improperly.

Tank holds 15.3 gallons. Regular (87 octane) gasoline is specified.

•Overall:Roomy, comfy but needs refinement and GTS rides too hard.