Kooldino
05-29-2007, 09:30 PM
So I finally got my ass over to the Mitsu dealership today during my lunch break to check out the '08 Lancer.
Ups:
-The FAST system is cool. HOWEVER, I turned the car on (but didn't start the engine) with the key on my lap. I then gave the key back to the dealer, who took it 100+ feet away. I was still able to start the car since it was already on, even though the key was in a land far, far away.
-The way the electronics are all integrated is great, assuming you get the Rockford Fosgate package w/ the NAVI system. They put a lot into that setup. You can track your car's maintenance on it, apparently watch DVDs, do your cell phone calls, NAVI, play MP3s, etc. It even has an RCA input which I'm guessing will allow you to use the display to view video data from an external source.
-It has TWO cigarette lighter outlets. Thank Christ.
-Engine bay - Plenty of room to work in, looks like overall it will be even better than working in the Protege engine bays that I'm used to. Time will tell. Also, the ECU is in the engine bay. I like that. (see attached video)
-Moonroof - It has a nice moonroof with controls that actually make sense.
-The manual trans seemed to go into gear smoothly, but then again, I didn't actually drive the car. The throws had a nice feel to them, and it didn't feel notchy, FWIW.
-Voice recognition - It didn't mess up once and always at least attempted to do what I told it to do. It didn't misinterpret a single number or word.
-Steering wheel - A nice thick, leather wrapped wheel, with a soft, plush feel to it.
-Tachometer and speedo gauges - Looked nice.
Middles:
-The RF Subwoofer - Not the greatest sub, but, on the bright side, it's very compact and doesn't take up much trunk space.
-The HVAC controls - Nothing revolutionary for 2008, but they're a step up from what I'm used to. However, they're not nearly as nice as some other ones I've seen on other cars.
Downs:
-Holy wheel gap, batman. They need to drop these cars at LEAST 1-2". They look as bad as the new WRXs as far as wheel gap goes.
-The paddle shifters are mounted to the steering wheel column instead of the wheel. That means if you're on a track and you need to shift mid-turn, you have to take your hand off the wheel, shift, and put it back. It would be so much nicer to have them move with the wheel.
-The interior is hit or miss. Some areas of the interior look nice, others are kind of cheap (like the plastic on the dash).
-I couldn't get the bluetooth system to complete a call on my phone (Treo 650).
-There isn't a separate gauge for the water temp, for instance. There are a few gauges that can be displayed on an LCD screen that's in between the tach and the speedo, however, you can only display one at a time. So to see my water temp, I'll have to scroll through a few screens. Bummer.
-Plastic intake manifold. Many cars are going this way. I want metal. Hopefully the X has it.
-If you're unfortunate enough to get the tan interior on a lower end model, it looks like absolute cheap trash.
-When going through the audio phone menus, it's annoying that you have to wait to listen to all options before it will listen to your input.
Ups:
-The FAST system is cool. HOWEVER, I turned the car on (but didn't start the engine) with the key on my lap. I then gave the key back to the dealer, who took it 100+ feet away. I was still able to start the car since it was already on, even though the key was in a land far, far away.
-The way the electronics are all integrated is great, assuming you get the Rockford Fosgate package w/ the NAVI system. They put a lot into that setup. You can track your car's maintenance on it, apparently watch DVDs, do your cell phone calls, NAVI, play MP3s, etc. It even has an RCA input which I'm guessing will allow you to use the display to view video data from an external source.
-It has TWO cigarette lighter outlets. Thank Christ.
-Engine bay - Plenty of room to work in, looks like overall it will be even better than working in the Protege engine bays that I'm used to. Time will tell. Also, the ECU is in the engine bay. I like that. (see attached video)
-Moonroof - It has a nice moonroof with controls that actually make sense.
-The manual trans seemed to go into gear smoothly, but then again, I didn't actually drive the car. The throws had a nice feel to them, and it didn't feel notchy, FWIW.
-Voice recognition - It didn't mess up once and always at least attempted to do what I told it to do. It didn't misinterpret a single number or word.
-Steering wheel - A nice thick, leather wrapped wheel, with a soft, plush feel to it.
-Tachometer and speedo gauges - Looked nice.
Middles:
-The RF Subwoofer - Not the greatest sub, but, on the bright side, it's very compact and doesn't take up much trunk space.
-The HVAC controls - Nothing revolutionary for 2008, but they're a step up from what I'm used to. However, they're not nearly as nice as some other ones I've seen on other cars.
Downs:
-Holy wheel gap, batman. They need to drop these cars at LEAST 1-2". They look as bad as the new WRXs as far as wheel gap goes.
-The paddle shifters are mounted to the steering wheel column instead of the wheel. That means if you're on a track and you need to shift mid-turn, you have to take your hand off the wheel, shift, and put it back. It would be so much nicer to have them move with the wheel.
-The interior is hit or miss. Some areas of the interior look nice, others are kind of cheap (like the plastic on the dash).
-I couldn't get the bluetooth system to complete a call on my phone (Treo 650).
-There isn't a separate gauge for the water temp, for instance. There are a few gauges that can be displayed on an LCD screen that's in between the tach and the speedo, however, you can only display one at a time. So to see my water temp, I'll have to scroll through a few screens. Bummer.
-Plastic intake manifold. Many cars are going this way. I want metal. Hopefully the X has it.
-If you're unfortunate enough to get the tan interior on a lower end model, it looks like absolute cheap trash.
-When going through the audio phone menus, it's annoying that you have to wait to listen to all options before it will listen to your input.