[jaguar.runs]

Prologue

This is a long promised review, which was supposed to be a short term review and has now ended up as a long term one. Recently jkdas reminded me that I haven’t posted the ownership thread. I would like to do this review as a story, but is not sure if that would be of everyone’s liking. I know once I start, there is no turning back.


The car in discussion is one of the most awaited models in India. The model was launched internationally in 2007 and had lot of good review for the design and character.

The model in discussion:

[jaguar.runs]

I was driving home after work with my friend and was about to reach home. I could see a white Toyota Corolla waiting to take a left turn. As I reached closer, suddenly he decided to take the turn and came right in front of my car. I braked hard, but could not avoid hitting the Corolla. I went blank for few seconds.

When I came to my senses my phone was ringing and I could not find it in the usual spot. I looked ahead I could see steam rising from the radiator of the Corolla which had turned into my lane. Looked at my friend and asked him he was okay. He had banged his head on the visor lock and knees on the dashboard. He said he was okay but was holding his head. I got out of the car and asked the driver of the other car if he is okay. He gave me a positive reply and I picked up my phone from the foot well and called my wife to tell her that I will be late as I need to meet a friend.

Knowing her I could never tell that I had an accident. Checked the damages on my car and I realized that the hit is not too bad. Headlight was broken but still burning, the hood was curled up near the head light, bumper was off the hook but not broken and the left fender was damaged. Compared to the Corolla, my 2002 Mazda 323 was in better shape. The Corolla was completely banged up, the radiator was leaking, the bumper hanging, hood bent. There was actually a V-shape created in the front of his car as I had hit him in the right in the middle.



I asked the corolla driver how come he turned when I was coming from the opposite side. His answer was simple, he did not see me. I was shocked with that answer! It was night and he could not see a car coming from opposite side with headlights on. He accepted it was his mistake and immediately called the police. We moved our cars from the middle of the road to the side. I could see tyre marks on the road where I had braked. Thanks to the new Bridgestone tires I had, the stopping distance was shorter. The police guy came to us and asked us to come to the police station as his shift was getting over. I drove my car to the police station and collected the accident report. Dropped my friend and went home.
I submitted the claim papers to the insurance company next day itself. They gave a list of garages and I had to give my car in one of them to have the damages evaluated. Dropped the car to the garage and they assured me that it won’t take more than one week to fix the damage. I was constantly following up with the garage and insurance company for the repair quotation till I got a confirmation that the repair has been approved. I was relieved and was expecting the repair to be completed in few days. During a routine follow-up call the workshop guy mentioned that they found more damage after removing the bumper and the head light. He said that the chassis was damaged little bit and they have given a revised quote to Insurance.

Next day morning I received a call from Insurance coordinator. It was bad news! My car will be written off as it beyond the economic repair limit. I was devastated. The car was only 5 years old and was in mint condition. I was the second owner of the car which was purchased from a family friend and I had known the vehicle from the day it had come out of the showroom. The good news was that I am getting enough money for a down payment. Luckily I had the permission from my office to use the company rent car for my travel. Now I had to look for a permanent solution. I had lost my highway buddy.

[jaguar.runs]

I had no option but to go for a new car. The financial situation was not bad and I could afford a new one. The primary option was to go for a Japanese car.

Option 1: Toyota Corolla @ Al Futtaim Motors


The new corolla was launched recently. They had a good collection at the time. The dealer ship was famous for ignoring customers as they sales guys never had to move from their desks to sell any of the cars and still received huge incentives every month. The sales guy gave me the price list and that’s all. Delivery time was one-two weeks once I confirm the purchase and produce the LPO from the bank.
Price: 1.8 GLi – 82K and 1.8 XLi – 72K. GLi had alloys, leather seats, sun roof, crusie control, blue tooth, reverse sensors, spolier etc. XLi was minus leather seats, sun roof and other stuff. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember clearly. 1.6l and 1.8l engine options were available. 1.6 engine was being offered as new in the Corolla as the older model was offered in 1.3l and 1.8l.

Option 2: Honda Civic @ Trading Enterprises


The Civic was more than one years old model. I have always liked the car. I have driven one and had liked the overall look and feel of the car as well as the dynamics.
Price: Lxi – 68K, Exi - 72K and Vti – 82K. Vti had alloys, leather seats, sunroof, spoiler, cd player, crusie and lots more. Exi was less Leather seats and Sunroof. 1.8L engine with 4 speed gearbox through the range.


Rest of Competition :

Mitsubishi Lancer (Cedia in India): I was driving one and I hated it. The company rent car was a lancer with a 1.3l engine and auto tranny. We used to celebrate once it used to reach 100kmph. It was a 5 year old model which was face lifted in between. There was a 1.6l option also which was a better bet. When I went to the dealer once and they were closed for the afternoon break.


Nissan Tiida: I hated that car for its shape. I still hate it. I know it’s a good car but still was not happy with it. Engine options were 1.3l and 1.8l – same as Corolla.


Mazda 3: Nice car, but only 1.6 engine. I was driving a Mazda 323 1.6 manual and I knew the 1.6 will do no good to a much heavier car, that too with an auto tranny.


Never went to European or American car dealers.

I was in dilemma. I knew I had to go for one of the top end model for the future resale price. Moreover my wish list included alloy wheels, spoiler, cruise control, good audio system and full power options.
I called up my friend and he gave me a suggestion.

[jaguar.runs]

When my friend suggested me to buy the Mitsubishi Lancer, I straight away declined. Then he made his suggestion more clear. What he meant was the new Lancer. I had seen very few cars on the roads and I had liked the design. I had drooled over the pictures on the US Mitsubishi website a few months back. I straight away went to check if there is any info on the dealer website. Surprisingly there was and this is what it looked like.

I looked at the specs of the full option GT and I was shocked. 2.0l engine with a CVT tranny with sports mode, HID projector beam headlamp, 18” Alloys, Cruise control, sunroof, 6cd mp3 changer with 9 way audio + Amp + Sub, paddle shift, skirts, spoiler and key less go! I knew this is my next car. I was ready to go overboard with the price also. I called up the dealer immediately and checked for the price. I got another shock when I heard the price. 61K for the GT! I reconfirmed the price and I could not believe what he said. I wanted to shout through the phone: Gimme Red! Controlled myself and called up my friend. Aksed him to book a red one for me through his contact at the dealer. He called back with a bad news, there is no GT in stock. I had to wait for my dream car and I was ready to. Went to the Dubai Motor Show and there it was in the Mitsubishi stand. It was then I saw the car in flesh.


The car was looking stunning in red. Dashboard was the only let down with the plastic feel. No soft touch material.


I was getting impatient. Few days later I get a call from the sales guy with a good news and a bad news. Good news – new GTs are coming in few days. Bad news – No red, only black and the price increased to 64K. There is no other color in the lot. So black GT it is! Immediately started with the bank procedure so that I can have my car as soon as possible. My schedule was tight and I had to travel to Sweden and France that week. Processed the bank papers, passed it to the sales guy and I was off to Europe for two weeks visiting Volvo and Renault facilities. I called the sales guy as soon as I landed and he told me that there is a new offer from the dealer where they cover the registration, 1 year insurance and 50K service. I was getting back more than the 3K price hike.

Two days later the car was ready. Took a day off from work and went with my wife and daughter to take delivery of the car. The sales guy handed over the car keys to my daughter and explained me all the features. We went to the temple straight away and had the pooja for the car. I was overjoyed as my wife and daughter liked the car very much. Daughter liked the sunroof and was sitting alone in the back seat for the first time. All of us were happy.
I had bought this car without even taking a test drive! The car was handling like a dream. The ride was a bit on the hard side, because of the stiffer suspension setting and the low profile tires on the 18” wheels. Interior was spacious and roomy. CVT drone was the only issue. Whoever saw the car could not believe it was a Lancer. When I told them the price, they almost fainted. Did some short sprints and immediately realized the potential of the engine. The raspy exhaust note provided a different feel altogether in sports mode.

Photo Stop during the first long trip: Dubai - Abu Dhabi



Kido checking out the sunroof!

[Ripper]

Nicely Written, please Continue. Am a fan of this car myself.

[jaguar.runs]

Thanks Ripper. I will update the rest soon.

[Chewbacca]

A very good intro and review, eagerly awaiting the rest of it.
Do have any pictures of the interior?

BTW, when exactly did you purchase the GT? What are the variants available? Also post engine and suspension specs if possible.

[razorBlades]

very good write up! please dont make us wait for a long time for the next one

I love this car and would definitely buy when launched in India. Had seen a few during my out of country visits and it looks menacing and angry

[HappyWheels]

Good review, Jag!

My first ride in Dubai was in one of this beau!

I found the cabin noise to be on the higher side when starting off a signal (initial pull). Is that the case or just me being over sensitive?

Just read the spec sheet - wonderful!

[jaguar.runs]

Thanks for the feed back!

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

A very good intro and review, eagerly awaiting the rest of it.
Do have any pictures of the interior?

BTW, when exactly did you purchase the GT? What are the variants available? Also post engine and suspension specs if possible.

I am still preparing the review and will put it up soon. Will add some interior pics also. Please let me know if you are looking for something specific.

I bought the first GT in Dec 2007. There are 5 variants available in the region. Two with 1.5L engine and 3 with 2.0L engine. 1.5L engine is coupled with 4-speed Auto and 2.0L engine is coupled with CVT. All versions come with a MP3/CD player with min 4 speakers, power windows, power steering, power mirrors, central locking and key less entry.

1.5L engine is 4A91 and 2.0L engine is the 4B11 (4B11T is the turbo charged version which comes in the EVO X).
Front Suspension: MacPherson Strut with strut tower bar and stabilizer bar.
Rear Suspension: Sport-tuned independent multi-link suspension with stabilizer bar.

For more info check the link: Mitsubishi Motors

Originally Posted by razorBlades

very good write up! please dont make us wait for a long time for the next one

I love this car and would definitely buy when launched in India. Had seen a few during my out of country visits and it looks menacing and angry

I did not receive much of response for my writing in the first two days and though that my writing is too bad. The car has a menacing look, especially the 2009 GT onwards (It comes with the Ralliart front). I wonder when Mitsubishi India will realize the number of potential customers eagerly waiting for this car. I wish they do justice with the spec when launching the car.

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

Good review, Jag!

My first ride in Dubai was in one of this beau!

I found the cabin noise to be on the higher side when starting off a signal (initial pull). Is that the case or just me being over sensitive?

Just read the spec sheet - wonderful!

You are not over sensitive, it's a fact. The CVT drone will put you off initially as the sound proofing in the car is very minimal. I am planning to retrofit an under-hood insulation for my car. Which one did you drive in Dubai? The GT or the GLS?

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by jaguar.runs

...
You are not over sensitive, it's a fact. The CVT drone will put you off initially as the sound proofing in the car is very minimal. I am planning to retrofit an under-hood insulation for my car. Which one did you drive in Dubai? The GT or the GLS?

Ah! So it is the insulation issue.

And "my first ride in Dubai" = "my first ride as a passenger from airport to home at Dubai".

[RajaTaurus]

Thats the lady I am in love since its launch abroad. (see my signature?) If and when this one comes to India, sure will be affordable price, a bit trimmed down to suit Indian pockets, if we go by the duties and stuff like that, around 15-17K.
Mhmmm. I am still waiting.!

[jaguar.runs]

@HappyWheels - Are you still in Dubai?

@RajaTaurus - I know you are a big fan of this car. You were the first one to post the pic of the official EVO X for Indian market in Team-BHP.

[RajaTaurus]

Yeah Jag, but, sadly it looks the EVO X would fade away into oblivion before Mitsu and our very own HM decides on something and implement it too.!

[jaguar.runs]

Lot of Mitsubishi fans have been waiting for the launch of this model as everyone had a sneak preview with the concept X which was displayed in several motor shows around the world in 2005.
Once it was launched in US and other markets, the others were eagerly waiting for the car and Indians are still waiting (Thanks for HM). Most of the manufacturers take customers for a ride in the region without providing good enough spec for the money we are paying. Believe me; it’s worse than in India. Mitsubishi had set an example few years back by providing central locking, power windows, power mirrors and power steering as standard even in a base 1.3 version of the lancer (Cedia) in the region. Others were still stuck with only power steering as standard. Most of the options had become a requirement, more than an option in modern cars. For Eg: Toyota Corolla base version still comes without power windows and central locking. There is a set spec provided by the dealer, you take it or leave it.

Exterior: Looks are not deceiving in the case of Lancer EX GT; sportiness is carried over in to the character of the car very well. The famous Galant shark nose which everyone thought had died with that car was surprisingly bought back by the designers in the Lancer. And it definitely is working well for the car. The side view will reveal the fact that the front tip of the car is not the front bumper, but top end of the grill.

The crease line on the side shoulders start from the front fender all the way till the rear light. OVRM is big and provides good visibility. There are no side turn lights on the OVRM covers, which is not good. Best part is the 10 spoke 18” Alloys standard in the GT mounted with Yokohama Advan 215/45 R18 tires. 18” wheels are not normal in the eco sedans especially in GCC specs. I am big fan of anything above 5 spokes on an alloy wheel.

The low profile tires look really good on the car and helps in the sharp handling. Body colored door handles, OVRM and door strip is standard. Third stop lamp is on the top of the boot, not inside the car as it helps in not lighting up the rear glass when braking. The underbody of the car is well covered to help reducing the drag. The doors open wide and in well weighted two stages. Overall, one of the best looking cars in it’s class.