[Astleviz]

IMHO, these days ABS and airbags should me on top of the list for any car buyer if his budget allows that. For those of us who are on a budget and can only afford an entry level car, a non ABS/air bag purchase is understandable but when one is looking at a budget of 8-10 lakhs, it's not a wise decision to let go off these essential safety features.

Earlier there weren't many cars in that budget that had these features even as an option but now that's not the case anymore. I have a friend who bought the basic trim optra magnum (diesel) without ABS and airbags and then spent another 60,000 bucks on ICE, I just couldn't understand that. I have personally been in a couple of shunts myself and have also lost a few friends in road accidents. Infact my brother had one a week ago and is now nursing his broken ribs. While ABS may or may not have prevented the collision, the airbags would surely have protected his chest/ribs.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by Astleviz

IMHO, these days ABS and airbags should me on top of the list for any car buyer if his budget allows that. For those of us who are on a budget and can only afford an entry level car, a non ABS/air bag purchase is understandable but when one is looking at a budget of 8-10 lakhs, it's not a wise decision to let go off these essential safety features.

wise words there mate. People in India love to flout rules and take risks (not wearing helmets (for bikers/scooterwallahs), driving in wrong lanes, improper use of indicators/dippers etc). Safety features like ABS,Airbags, proper seatbelts, crumple zones etc can be the difference between life and death or severe injuries...

[Zensi]

Having treasured the Lancer diesel for 3 yrs in Mumbai's bad traffic not to mention the terrible roads. And clocked multiple trips to Bglore/Delhi - some of observations on the Lancer are:
Good bits:
1) The grip and the handling the car offers rivals some of the best available today
2) The petrol / diesel may not offer earth shattering performance but can be driven hard thanks to a slick gearbox and well weighted steering which offers loads of feedback.
3) It offers one of the best driving postures which is neither too low nor too high.
4) Lots of visual mods opportunities.
Not so good bits:
1) The interiors are absolutely outdated now and feel from a different generation - no match for the latest from Ford/Maruti/Honda
2) Safety equipment is absolutely lacking and can be a big hazard specially if the car is going to be driven on the limits.
3) Spares are not too cheap and maintenance can be expensive specially compared to SX4. (I dont have first hand exp with Ford)

All in all - Lancer (Gen 1) was an awesome car - but is definitely comprehensively beaten today by the Ford Fiesta 1.6S (IMHO - courtesy the brief test drive I had)

[AirWind]

The Lancer diesel engine while being robust is very basic and has no electricals, hence Mr. Peter can't help it.

Originally Posted by sridharj

I think their eyes are set on Lancer. There is no way convincing them. If you guys love lancer so much then my advice would be to go for a second hand lancer and fit it with pete's tuning. Have fun with the car to max and sell it.

Thanks,
Sridhar

[Pani]

While I agree with most things people have said against Lancer viz, Dated image, Outdated interiors, lacking safety etc...but one thing I feel has to be said aloud, Lancer is still one of the sportiest looking car for under 10L. I would even say that Cedia comes a close second but that too only when its loaded with Body Kits and spoiler (sports model), without it Cedia looks really plain and simple.....but Lancer in any of its avatar looks stunningly sporty even today, nothing beats it even today IMO. Fiesta is nice but its still lacks that low slung, long outrightly sporty appearance that a Lancer has. The only thing LAncer misses out is some large alloys and low profile tyres.

Unfortunately Mitsibushi never tried to enhance Lancer in more important ways like Safety, luxury, pricing..SAD.

[GTO]

If your friend must buy a Lancer, ask him to go used. Buying a brand new Lancer makes no sense at all....far better options available for the price.

[gaurav_chopra04]

Lancer is a fantastic car, but now has grown old and a bit outdated. Why not go for a used cedia if ur friend wants mitsubishi. A 2 + year driven cedia will cost around 5.5 lac. Buying a new lancer doen't make sense, as it doent have any features you get in sx4, city, fiesta or any other car in this range. Though I find the ride quality of this more than 10 yrs old car better than its todays rivals.

But talking facts when we talk about HMs sale, in the month of august 2008, HM sold 555 units of Lancer, Cedia and ambassador compared to 1016 units in august 2007. I am sure the figures would have gone lower as Mitubishi's prices have increased there after.

Source: New variants of Mitsubishi Lancer, Cedia on the anvil - The Financial Express