Overview & Reviews

For nearly 20 years, the Mitsubishi Eclipse has been one of America's more popular sport coupes. Reasons for its success include sleek styling, powerful engines, a decent amount of comfort and affordability. As these traits also describe traditional domestic rear-drive sport coupes, the Mitsubishi Eclipse has been called the Japanese version of a pony car. And like those seeming influences, the Eclipse is known more for its straight-line performance than outright cornering prowess. The Eclipse has also always been designed solely for the U.S. market and is a rarity in other parts of the world.

The original Eclipse was the result of a joint venture started in the mid-'80s between Mitsubishi and Chrysler, known as Diamond Star Motors (DSM). For model-year 1990, at a plant in central Illinois, the Diamond Star triplets bowed -- similar versions of the same Mitsubishi-engineered car, including the Eclipse, the Eagle Talon and the Plymouth Laser. With the subsequent demise of the Eagle and Plymouth brands, only the Eclipse remains in production.

In total, there have been four generations of the Eclipse. Measured in terms of all-around performance and design, the latest one is certainly no slouch. But an earlier Eclipse, assuming it has been cared for properly, would make an affordable and enjoyable purchase for the budding sport coupe enthusiast.

Current Mitsubishi Eclipse
Mitsubishi's sport coupe is offered in base GS, GS Sport, the sporty-looking SE and more athletic GT trim levels. All are front-wheel drive and share their basic platform with the Galant sedan. The base level Mitsubishi Eclipse GS is reasonably well-equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning and full power features along with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine good for 162 horsepower. The GS Sport uses the same drivetrain, but adds many of the GT's styling elements and extra features like heated leather front seats and a power driver seat. The SE essentially gets some special wheels and styling elements. In addition to its burly 265-hp, 3.8-liter V6, the GT has a sport-tuned suspension and larger brakes. Stability control is standard across the entire line.

The GS comes with a five-speed manual, while a four-speed automatic transmission with a sequential-shift Sportronic mode is available as an option. The GS Sport has the automatic as standard. The GT is only available with a five-speed Sportronic automatic.

In reviews, the Mitsubishi Eclipse earned favorable commentary for its powerful V6 engine, comfortable front seating and stylish interior. Noted downsides include a hefty curb weight that dulls handling, sluggish acceleration on four-cylinder models, subpar V6 fuel economy, a large turning radius and mediocre interior construction.

Used Mitsubishi Eclipse Models
The latest generation of the Mitsubishi Eclipse debuted for the 2006 model year. There were initially four trim levels: GS, SE, SE-V6 and GT. Not much changed until 2009, when the SE trims were dropped, stability control was added for the GT (and later became standard for all Eclipses for 2010), and the car received a mild face-lift that included a more aggressive, Lancer Evo-like front fascia. The SE returned for 2012.

A six-speed manual was standard on the GT until 2011, but otherwise, powertrains are the same as the current Eclipse line. The GS Sport arrived for 2010 and for '11, 18-inch alloy wheels became standard for the base GS, the GS Sport received heated leather front seats and a power driver seat. That year saw blacked-out roofs on all Eclipses.

Many consumers shopping for a used Mitsubishi Eclipse will likely encounter the previous, third-generation model, which was sold from 2000-'05. It has a hatchback body style, front-wheel drive and four-cylinder or V6 power. It's smaller and less refined than the generation that succeeded it. The RS and GS trims of this generation were powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder good for 154 hp. The GT had a smooth-revving 205-hp 3.0-liter V6. All could be had with either a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic.

Although this Eclipse was fairly popular with consumers, it attracted little critical acclaim. In Edmunds.com tests, editors noted that the Eclipse was not as sporting as previous versions and had a low-quality interior. Nor did the car change much during its run, though in 2003 Mitsubishi added a GTS trim that had a slightly more powerful V6 (210 hp) and more standard equipment.

When new, the first- and second-generation Eclipses were considered some of the best affordable sport coupes available. The original debuted in 1990. This Eclipse was also a hatchback, and these early models can be identified by their pop-up headlights. There were four different trim levels, each offering its own mix of powertrains. The top-of-the line model was the desirable Eclipse GSX, which boasted a 195-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. In 1992, minor updates were made, including the addition of fixed headlights.

Compared to the foreshortened, almost stubby first Mitsubishi Eclipse, the second generation (1995-'99) seemed long, sleek and gorgeous. It was a bit bigger than the earlier car but in many ways very similar mechanically. As before, normally aspirated or turbocharged engines were offered, and AWD was available on turbocharged models. The first- and second-generation turbocharged engines were already quite powerful in factory trim, but extensive aftermarket support enabled tuners to boost power output considerably.

With any of these early models, poor resale values translate into very attractive purchase prices. But reliability has never been a strong point for the Eclipse, and finding a well-maintained one (especially a turbocharged model) that hasn't been modified and/or abused is imperative for the smart shopper.

User Reviews:

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  Piece of crap - 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Cookies Rock - August 26 - 2:00 am

  I hate this car with all my life! As soon as I got it I loved it because it was my dream car but I soon started regretting throughout the years Ive had it I had put in over 3 grand in the car it kept on breaking down on me all the time and finally my transmission went out on me and I kept up with my car too so its over all a piece of crap.

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  I hate this car! - 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Andrea - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle three years ago. I have one year left before it is is paid off. I have spent at least $10,000 in repairs. I have had to replace the following: clutch, transmission, busted head gasket, radiator, thermostat, clutch cable,stereo and speakers (not a system, just a standard radio),idle control valve, paint due to crappy factory clear coat and rims. The following remain broken on the vehicle: The clock and display system are busted the dashboard is cracked all over the place, the a/c does not work (its gone out twice), the trunk opener is broken, the sunroof is broken and the cover is as well. The trunk wont stay open and the passenger seat adjuster is broken.

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  Horrible Car - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Tim Harrison - February 28 - 4:30 pm

  The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT couldnt be any uglier or cheaply made! Mitsubishi has out done itself again by creating an even uglier car than the last. I bought this car for my wife and it has to be a sign of the end for Mitsubishi. We have had problem after problem with it. The interior is a step up from a Dodge Neon, good luck with this junk.

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  Be cautious of 1.9% financing from MMCA - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By jlarimer2002 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Mitsubishi Motor Credit of America (MMCA) reeled me in with the special 1.9% financing rate and then sold my loan to another company within 30 days of my purchase. I was never sent an initial monthly statement or notice that my loan had been sold prior to my first payment due date. I had to make my first payment over the phone which cost an additional $10.00 for the ACH fee.

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  Bad Car - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By cccrop2323 - June 26 - 8:00 pm

  I have had this car for about a year now. At first it was a great car. It has a great look and style. Then it started having problems. The fuel injection wasnt working correctly. At first I though that the warranty would cover the problem, but it ended being caused by a bad tank of fuel. It caused a lot of damage to different parts of the car. It shows the car is not reliable at all. And when I talked with a Mitsubishi rep. she said that the car needs to run a middle grade fuel or premium fuel, otherwise it will have problems again in the future and not be covered by the warranty.

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  Another Disappointment on the 4th Generation Eclipse - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By 4gen eclipse - June 14 - 10:26 pm

  The performance is alright, not as good as advertised of course. This car is not comfortable and gets terrible gas mileage with its 3.8L engine. if attention-getting is considered fun, then I suppose driving this uncomfortable 4th generation Eclipse is somewhat ~fun~. This car has tire-chirp, understeer, small rear window (no wiper), blind-spots. The build-quality is just like every other Mitsubishi, poor. I have so much regret for wasting time on waiting for this disappointment. I shouldve gone with either an Infiniti G35 Coupe, or an Acura RSX-S.

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  Never Never Buy Again - 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By zhibing li - March 16 - 12:10 am

  Owned this vehicle less than 4 months, and had to spend $800 to repair the condenser. Dealership and manufacturer claimed it is not under warranty as the damanage might be caused by road hazard. Heard someone that had 400 miles had the same bad luck as I did. Just to remind buyers to be wary of this potential problem with the Eclipse as the condenser is poorly protected.

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  slow, heavy, cheap interior materials, gas guzzler - 2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Sean - October 18 - 5:05 am

  do NOT buy this car unless you are a short female. the seats hurt you spinal cord, neck and hips like a mother-fkr! I regret purchasing this car. The looks are great dont get me wrong but the power is horrid with the 4cyl. Everything in the car is ghetto-cheap plastic. What was Mitsubishi thinking???????? My spinal cord hurts now as I type this in my home. The car has destroyed my body. Ive seen chiropractors, acupuncturist galore... I have owned the car 5 years and planning on buying an SUV just so my body can heal! Im really heartbroken w/Mitsubishi. The End. Ps. If you do buy one make sure its 6cyl and please be short or your body WILL suffer!

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  Interior is Shoddy. - 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By PvtPart - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Car performs great. However, weve had a lot of problems with the interior. Cigarette plugs pulling out, seatback adjusters giving out, window motors falling apart, ect. Many times we had the car back for warranty work. Not happy at all with it.

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  Car Sucks - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Joebert - October 22 - 2:00 am

  This is the absolute worst car I have ever driven. The transmission will not shift into 1st gear driving over 5 MPH and sometimes not into 2nd gear if over 15 MPH. The dealer said that this is normal for Mitsubishi and that "They do not have the smoothest shifting transmissions out there." Why is it that for the first 6-8 weeks of owning this car did it drive fine? Nobody wants to address this question. I have had it in there a total of 4 times for this issue and the first time they replaced the synchronizers (maybe) and now they tell me, "We replaced them to make the customer happy. I will NEVER buy another car from that dealership.