2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Review
Middle child takes center stage.
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So much for the halo theory. You know how it goes: a company creates an awesome-looking sports car that goes fast enough to blow its own doors off. The car's status as a worshipped icon trickles down into the showrooms, the company's sales soar overnight, its name comes to define brand equity, and its products get signed as co-stars in the next zero-star Vin Diesel movie.
Didn't quite happen. While everyone under 30 wants a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII more than any other $30,000 sports car you can name, sales of other Lancers have been little more than a mirage. Despite sharing a brand, a body, and even a first name, it would seem that no one cares to investigate the similarities between a car with 276 horsepower and another with 120.
The Ralliart was called upon to add some respect to the front-wheel-drive side of the Lancer family. (Last year's Sportback wagons were quickly disowned after failing in this regard.) If it doesn't quite bridge the gap between a Lancer ES and a Lancer Evo, its sub-$20K starting price doesn't either. Next Page
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