2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Rockford Fosgate Audio
Available in the Sun & Sound Package, along with a sunroof, for around $1,800, this nine-speaker 650-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system features a six-disc in-dash CD changer that also plays MP3 files (but, alas, has no iPod connection).

10-Year Warranty
Mitsubishi's 10-year/100,000-mile warranty on the powertrain is pretty hard to ignore when you're considering the pros and cons of a new-car purchase. It buys you a lot of peace of mind.

As has been the case in past Eclipse designs, the interior of the current coupe delivers on the promises made by its sporty exterior. An abundance of glass, coupled with more interior space, goes a long way toward alleviating feelings of claustrophobia. Still, the curved dash is designed with such a slant that it almost seems to give off a sensation of movement. Interior fit and finish is tight, and there is hardly a trace of cheap plastic. The well-bolstered sport bucket front seats work well for enthusiastic driving, but are still comfy enough for long road trips. The side airbag on the passenger's seat has a weight sensor that prevents the bag from deploying when the seat is occupied by a child. Available on many competitors and missing from the Eclipse's option list are Bluetooth hands-free communication and an on-board navigation system.

The fourth-generation Eclipse could be characterized as more "muscular" than its previous incarnations, with little-to-no defining breaks interrupting the surfaces flowing between fenders and integrated bumpers. The headlights seem to wear shades – each has a blue-tinted "monocle" lens extending out before it – and the lights benefit from a multi-parabola design, which maximizes the bulbs' projections. The rear lamps look clear, but shine red with the use of LED technology. The large rear hatch opens to allow easy placement of large items, an uncommon benefit not offered by many coupes

Both Eclipse engines feature Mitsubishi Innovative Valve Electronic Control (MIVEC), which spreads the output over a wider engine speed range and optimizes power, emissions and fuel economy. The more desirable of the two engines, particularly for performance, is definitely the V6, although the tradeoff for the additional power is an expected reduction in fuel economy. With either engine, the automatic transmission has the Sportronic feature, which allows the driver to shift manually by moving the shift lever into the sports-mode gate.

2.4-liter 4-cylinder
162 horsepower at 6000 rpm
162 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/28 (manual), 19/26 (automatic)

3.8-liter V6
265 horsepower at 5750 rpm
262 lb.-ft. of torque at 4500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/25 (manual), 16/24 (automatic)