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Used Vehicle Review: Mitsubishi Eclipse, Endeavor
Used Vehicle Review: Mitsubishi Eclipse, 2003 – 2005
By Chris Chase Mitsubishi, eh? That’s that new car company that showed up a few years ago, right? Well, not quite. Mitsubishi’s been around for years – lots of years – but the company only expanded its dealer network north of the 49th parallel in 2003. Its products are no strangers to Canadian soil, however. Through a close relationship with Chrysler Corporation, several of Mitsubishi’s cars have been sold in Canada bearing Dodge, Plymouth and Eagle nameplates and Mitsubishi technology was also the basis for just about every Hyundai made prior to 1995. But perhaps the best known of Mitsubishi’s “Canadian-ized” cars is the Eclipse, a sporty little coupe which was sold here between 1991 and 1999 as the Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser and gained a reputation for the turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive system found on top-of-the-line models. The year 2000 saw Mitsubishi take a vastly different approach with the third generation of its sporty coupe, giving it a more relaxed demeanor and marketing it toward drivers more concerned with good looks and comfortable cruising than outright performance. It was also the first Eclipse not to be imported into Canada in some form, but that changed two years ago when Mitsubishi dealers started springing up across Canada.
Looks are subjective, but there’s no denying that this third generation Eclipse stands out thanks to its sharp angles and aggressive front fascia. However, it should be noted that while this was a new car to the Canadian market, its design was already three years old when it went on sale here. The 2003 Eclipse was available as a coupe and convertible, and with one of two engines: a 2.4 litre four-cylinder making 147 horsepower, and a 200-horsepower, 3.0 litre V6. Either engine could be paired up with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. Coupes were designated as RS or GS for four-cylinder models, and GT or GT Premium for V6 cars. Convertibles were either GS or GT Premium models. RS and GS models got front disc brakes and rear drums, while the GT and GT Premium got discs all around, and only the top-of-the-line GT Premium coupe and droptop models got ABS as standard equipment. Lower end models did without entirely, even as an option. Side airbags were offered only as a standard feature on GT Premium models. Traction control was standard on the GT Premium coupe in 2003 and 2004, and was an option available only on the 2005 coupe and convertibles from all years. Air conditioning was standard across the line, and cruise was standard on all models but the RS coupe.
So what about the good, bad and the ugly? Actually, there’s not too much bad or ugly going on here. U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash testing revealed the Eclipse to be a pretty safe, solid car. It scored four stars for driver and front passenger protection in frontal impact tests, and three stars for side impact protection for front seat occupants. The NHTSA didn’t do rear seat side impact tests, citing a back seat that was too small to bother. Fuel economy is alright for a sporty car, but the Eclipse is one of those vehicles where consumption may not dictate your choice of engine, especially not if you want the automatic transmission. With that transmission mated to the six-cylinder engine, the Eclipse is rated at 7.9 L/100 km highway, and 12 L/100 km city. The four cylinder returns only marginally better city economy (11.7 L/100 km) and actually does worse on the highway (8.3 L/100 km). The four-cylinder gains a stronger fuel economy advantage when considering manual transmission models, but even then it’s only significant in the city – 11.5 L/100 km (7.6 L/100 km highway) for the V6 versus 10.1 L/100 km (6.9 L/100 km highway) for the four banger. Keep in mind, though, that the Eclipse’s six-cylinder prefers premium fuel while the four-cylinder uses the cheap stuff. For the three model years the Eclipse was sold in Canada, Consumer Reports only has reliability data for 2003 cars, to which it granted an “average” rating. Money-wise, Canadian Red Book value for a 2003 GT Premium coupe is $21,150, which works out to 62 per cent of its M.S.R.P. If you find the Eclipse coupe is out of your price range, check out a Hyundai Tiburon. Brand new they were significantly cheaper than the Eclipse, which means lower resale values, and while the Tiburon’s not available as a droptop and its four-cylinder and optional V6 engines give up a little power to the Mitsubishi motors, they offer similar fuel economy and the two cars even look like they could be related. Mitsubishi’s in a bit of a financial fix right now, so it’s hard to say where the company will be in a few years time. If it were to go under, it will probably have a negative effect on resale values, and it may make it difficult to find parts (though that’s hard to say for sure). Only you know what you value in a used car, but the Eclipse offers sporty looks and the potential for decent performance in a reasonably affordable package.
Used Vehicle Review: Mitsubishi Endeavor, 2004 – 2007
Review and photos by Chris Chase
The last thing an auto manufacturer wants is for potential buyers – that is, anyone with a driver’s license and a bank account – to be unaware of the company’s products. While most driving Canadians know about Mitsubishi, many are not familiar with the Endeavor SUV.
A brand-new model for 2004, the Endeavor certainly started on decent footing, riding atop the same platform as the Galant mid-size sedan, which was redesigned the same year.
Price-wise, the Endeavor slotted in between the compact Outlander and truck-based Montero. Of the two, the Endeavor is arguably the more attractive product, even if its looks inspire about as much excitement as a discussion of the merits of soft versus firm tofu.
The Endeavor borrowed its 3.8-litre V6 from the Galant and Montero (though the Montero employed it in a rear-drive layout, where the Galant and Endeavor are front-drive based vehicles); in the Endeavor, it produced 215 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. Basic Endeavors were front-drive, with all-wheel drive being an option.
Between 2004 and 2007, the Endeavor’s fuel consumption numbers strayed little from the 2004 ratings of 13.7 L/100 km (city) and 9.4 L/100 km (highway) for a front-drive model. Choosing all-wheel drive didn’t affect city consumption significantly, which increased to about 14 L/100 km, but highway consumption increased to 10.1 L/100 km.
Despite the Endeavor’s rather modest power output – at least by current standards – Mitsubishi recommends using premium fuel; regular can be used, but with reduced peak performance. There’s a fairly lengthy discussion on this topic in the Endeavor forum at Mitsubishi-Forums.com.
Reliability seems to be good: Consumer Reports names the Endeavor in its list of used vehicle “good bets,” noting few trouble spots. Several owners posting at Mitsubishi-Forums.com say the check engine light in their trucks comes on regularly; apparently, a software update for the engine control unit will fix the issue, but in some cases, the light appears to have been triggered by a bad oxygen sensor.
Propellor/drive shaft bearings seem prone to failure in early (mostly 2004 model year) Endeavors. It seems Mitsubishi has covered this under warranty in most cases; this is unrelated to a recall concerning the Endeavor’s propeller shaft. These early trucks also had noisy differentials caused by an improperly manufactured gear.
Some owners complain about water leaking into the interior thanks to a blocked air conditioning drain that allows water to build up in the HVAC assembly behind the dash. While the fix is technically simple, it’s a pain in the butt, say those posting at Mitsubishi-Forums.com.
The Endeavor looks like a textbook case for why it’s not always wise to buy a new car in its first year of production. While the above examples paint the Endeavor as a minor nightmare to own, it appears that the more serious issues were addressed for 2005 and subsequent model years, making these newer versions solid vehicles in the reliability department.
For access to detailed technical information, check out this page. It offers “any and all service information related to Mitsubishi vehicles,” but is not free: 24 hours’ access costs $20 (presumably U.S. currency) and an annual membership runs $1,500(!).
According to Canadian Red Book, used Endeavor values range from $13,000 for a 2004 front-drive LS model to $31,775 for a 2007 all-wheel drive Limited version. High depreciation means even a 2007 model is a pretty good deal, but less than $27,000 for a 2006 Limited model is even better, I think.
From the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Endeavors with side airbags earned a “good” rating in both frontal offset (2004-2008) and side impact tests (2007-2008). In 2004, it earned five stars all around from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) save for front passenger protection in frontal impacts, where the rating was four stars. Side airbags were standard only in higher trims in 2004, but were made standard in 2005. Side curtain airbags became standard kit in 2007.
The Endeavor’s decidedly un-special stats – a four-speed auto, 215 horsepower and no seven-seat option – mean this truck is likely often overlooked. Strong reliability and low prices, however, make for an underrated truck that should prove a smart choice for a used mid-size crossover. |
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