2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

Pros

Looks, Drive train, Stereo

Cons

MPG, Fit & Finish

Purchased As New

When I saw this car I was hooked on the looks and performance. The Stereo in second to none for a car at this price. Rebates and price were great @ the time also. Recaro seats are comfortable but there is NO six way setting. That really makes no sense. MPG is not very good. 23 to 24 is the best I can do but with a Turbo it is tough not putting my foot into it, very fast for a 2.0 with turbo. Lots of room for 4 adults to sit comfortably. Lots of shary edges on the steel stampings and tinny doors. I guess for the $$$$ a good purchase. We will see how in holds up....read morehide

Pros

speed, power, handling, looks, AWD system, standard features, great space, and did i say looks?

Cons

poor fuel economy in city driving, tires too thin at 215mm, clunky gearbox at low speeds.

Purchased As New

the 2009 lancer ralliart is simply superb, it is nearly perfect!
first the cons...FUEL ECONOMY is poor in city driving if you put it in full automatic mode, it averages only about 14.5mpg. but if you shift manually and go to 5th or 6th gear, it greatly improves to about 18.3mpg. highway driving is about 23-27mpg, depending on how fast you go and how steady the driving is.
the STANDARD TIRES comes in 215mm summer tires, it should have come with all season tires. also the thin tires gets overwhelmed by the car's speed and power, especially when you go fast when taking down a corner. it should have come with at least a 225mm all season tires.
the TRANSMISSION, which is the same as the evolution MR's dual clutch transmission, is a little clunky at low speeds when you shift manually and reacts slow when you're driving slow. but no major complaints here since when you go fast, gearshifts at both full auto or manumatic shifting becomes super smooth, one of the major highlights of the car.
now for the pros, brace yourself, this is gonna be a long one. SPEED AND POWER...this is a very fast and powerful car, especially from 0-60mph i've been timed 4x at the tract 5.4 seconds, it simply has an over-achieving engine.
HANDLING is very good. sure its no Evo X but its right up there with it. it does have a fair amount of body roll even with the anti-roll bars but hey, you gotta sacrifice something to get better ride quality right? its ride quality is is also sublime.
LOOKS, well see for yourself. i never get tired of looking at my car, in fact, i have a major crush on my car lol. but seriously, its a major headturner, i get a lot of compliments for it.
AWD SYSTEM is fantastic, its the Evo IX's but if you read about the older Evo, there was really no complaint about its awd system. in it you can choose tarmac, gravel, and snow mode depending on driving conditions. just awesome.
STANDARD FEATURES are substantial and very impressive but i'm not gonna get into that cos there's too many great things to mention.
GREAT SPACE. for a compact car, it sure is very roomy and spacey inside. people who stand over 6 feet tall can seat comfortably in the back. the car has great headroom too. front seats space are substantial for people of great height too. driving position is perfect.
overall to me, this car is the best in its class, it simply has everything its competitors has and more. yeah the mazda speed3 is faster and more powerful but its butt ugly and has a very low ground clearance. the chevy cobalt is faster with more power too, but how hard is it to give a car a lot of power? very easy for a manufacturer right? the cobalt has just the sorriest build quality i've ever seen in a car and not to mention all the cheap materials its made out of. c'mon people, why do you think GM is going bankrupt?
the only respectable competition for the ralliart is the subaru wrx. yeah its faster too, but only because its more powerful and 200lbs lighter. if it has the same weight as the ralliart with its current wrx power, it would be slower even if its more powerful. i have to admit though, the WRX does have a small edge in value. but it doesn't get the ralliarts awesome transmission, it just comes with a simple and traditional 5speed manual, which is a pain when you're stuck in traffic. the biggest edge the ralliart has over the subaru is its looks. the subaru is just plain ugly, not as bad as the mazda but still plenty ugly. you wont get compliments the way it looks that's for sure.
bottom line, if you ever think about buying a turbocharged car for under 30 grand, look no further. get the ralliart, i guarantee you wont regret it....read morehide

Pros

very fast, hands free bluetooth. sleek design, attracts attention

Cons

no sunroof, rocarro seats and navi package are expensive

Purchased As New

this car is simply a blast to drive. it is rather slow from the start but once you hit the gas it quickly accelerates. 0-60 in 5.6 as i was timed at the track. unfortunately, it does not come with manual transmission however the twin clutch system and paddle shifters are very fun to use and the car jerks when you are using the paddle shifters therefore, making it feel more like a manual tranny. it is rather high in price however for the bas ralliart without any of the packages you can find it for as low as $23,850 as i did at jeff d' ambrosio in downingtown, pa. GREAT VEHICLE TO DRIVE VERY NICE AND EVERYONE APPRECIATES THE AGRESSIVE LOOK AND STYLE!!!!!...read morehide

Pros

Standard Bluetooth, Power, Interior and Just the overall look and feel

Cons

No Sunroof and comes with summer tires

I traded my 08 Lancer GTS in for the Ralliart and I can tell you I am absolutely satisfied with it. It has everything you need, whether you just drive around or like to race around. The only real bad thing I have to say was it came with summer tires and not all-season tires, so i replaced the yokahama advan a10's with a great set of pirelli PZero Nero M+S all season tires and the ride is even better now....read morehide

Pros

Best rally car ever!

Cons

So fast can't see other racers faces

I have driving my lancer in rally races for three years and the mitsubishi shop has upgraded the engine to 456 hp. They are very proffesianal. The lancer has great styling and I've had some confuse it for an Audi! But this aint no luxury car this is a luxury engine.

handles top of range and you kno u wnt fall out of the road while u r havin some fun

Pros

Everything for the price!

Cons

Nothing yet!

The power in the 237hp is awesome. This car will blow you away. The styling is incredible, and the Recaro seats are really comfortable and hold you in place. I'm so thrilled with my purchase!