This compact "budget" car offers a fun drive and in-cabin experience—but at a cost. This car really is stripped down. Without expensive options, this car offers minimal features: no temperature readings, no Bluetooth, no cameras or sensors, no fancy digital displays, no advanced steering technology beyond ABS, no more than two cupholders, not even top-side handlebars. This may make it sound like it comes with nothing that's "standard" nowadays, but rest assured that it surely comes with great security and safety features: lots of air bags, window locks, car alarm, etc. So it doesn't have much. What does this car offer then? It gives you one hell of a drive. The throttle is so responsive that it takes great discipline in holding it back as well as great awareness of your posture and pressure on the pedal to ensure control. Its turning radius is wider than average, and its body weight is higher than one would expect given its compact stature, so turns should be taken more slowly for safety, but even when driving aggressively (in a safe environment), the car keeps itself in contact with the ground through the curve, and its extra weight being thrown outward gives anyone inside a thrilling experience. As a daily driver, this car has also been proven to be very reliable. The manufacturer's 10 year/100,000 mile warranty certainly lives up to its expectations. I have put my car through almost 100,000 miles of travel over nine years so far, and I have never had maintenance issues with the transmission or engine; no "warning" lights have ever turned on. Through its lifespan thus far, I have only had to replace the wipers, brakes, and tires due to wear. Even the car seats remain super comfortable to this day, and nothing in the interior has fallen apart or deteriorated. There are some critical caveats with this car, however. Because of its construction, the level of driver visibility is pretty low compared to other cars. This is inherent with many compact coupes, but a lot of uninitiated drivers dislike the low visibility, and for safety reasons, one has to be wary of this. The rear window panels are tiny, so any rear and rear-side driver views have to be relegated to only the rear window and mirrors. The A-pillars are also wide (because they have airbags in them), so the front-side driver views are also impeded. Also, for prospective passengers, it's really cramped for three or four adults to fit into this vehicle. There is limited leg room in the back. However, lots of cargo can surprisingly fit into this coupe due to its fold-down rear seats and hatch back. The stock sound system is also decent, if a bit underpowered. It packs more bass than other cars in its price bracket, but its clarity (in audiophile terms) is probably middle of the pack.

One of the best qualities of the Eclipse is the sleek design of its body and low profile. It gives off the appearance of going faster than actual driving speed. Although its a sporty car, it travels well for road trips and gets good gas mileage. I've traveled to Lake Tahoe to San Jose. Santa Cruz to Yosemite. Took it camping, tailgating, and all over town. It fits in wherever I go. I haven't had to make too many repairs, just regular auto maintenance.

I grew up around this car and bought it from my dad's best friend. He took decent care of it. Never was obsessively maintaining it, but it still made it all 20 years and I think that speaks for itself. It wasn't in the best shape when I bought it and I can't imagine I helped it too much while learning to drive stick. It drove like a racecar. One of my favorite things was how I could hear every thing I did to the car, it never hid the fact that it was a machine. I would always know immediately when something was wrong when the familiar rumble of the engine changed. It was easy to fix, being so old parts were abundant and everybody knows how to fix a Mitsubishi easy peasy. One drawback is all my friends couldn't fit in it as a 4-seat coupe, but my parents liked it that way and it did eventually die out. But 20 years of running and 300,000 miles is well worth the money. If you can find one of these things in decent shape, feel free to run it into the ground because it won't stop running until you do.