2008 Mitsubishi Lancer VRX review
15 Feb, 2008
56 Comments 
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer VRX review
Model tested: Mitsubishi Lancer VRX
Recommended Retail Price: $28,990
Options fitted: Rockford Fosgate Stereo - $750, Metallic Paint - $350
Styling, good handling, interior room
ABS not great, steering loads up unexpectedly, quality not quite there
CarAdvice rating: 
(3.75)
- Photographs and review by Karl Peskett
This is a personal preference: I like music without words. Words can (and I emphasis, “can”) ruin a beautiful piece of music, so instrumentals are my thing. Correspondingly, orchestral pieces are at the top of my list. And my favourite composer, is John Williams.
No, not “Hey True Blue” John Williamson. There’s a critical difference. Williams is responsible for some of the most recognised pieces in modern history. Think Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, ET, Home Alone, Close Encounters, and more. And of course, let’s not forget Jaws. The film that scared everyone out of the water - some people forever.
Yes, the shark affectionately known as Bruce at Universal Studios, has certainly inspired fear in the hearts of many. But it’s also inspired car design. You only have to look as far as the new Lancer VRX to see it in evidence.
It’s certainly a nose-heavy look, and, in my eyes at least, it’s quite appealing. Actually, people give you a second glance. You can see their minds working away, thinking, “Is that the new Evo?….Nah….But is it?…” The whole shark-nose front end, combined with the subtle front lip, side skirts and big wheels give this little car an aggressive feel.
But really, this isn’t a little car. Step inside, and you realise what all the fuss is about. The interior room is deceptive. It’s called a Lancer, yet unlike its predecessors, it’s really a mid-sized car. The rear seats are about as roomy as you’ll get in the small-car category, and the fronts are ever so slightly bolstered to give you more side support.
Location: Home / Lancer, Mitsubishi, Behind the Wheel / ...
Rate Post: 
(14 votes, average: 3.93 out of 5)
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February 15th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Karl, got the impression there is not a lot to enthuse about then?
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February 15th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Finally! I was waiting for you guys to put up a review of the VRX model. I got one about a month ago in electric blue with the CVT transmission and Rockford audio system. I absolutely love this car.
I haven’t really tried out the ABS system to see how well it works, but one other area I think Mitsubishi needs to fix is the ride height. It looks too high which I think spoils the look a little, so I will definitely get mine lowered. Im not too fussed about the interior, it looks good to me (and somewhat German in its simplicity I think).
The CVT has decent performance, but the noise it makes when you leave it in drive may put some people off (but of course I use the paddle shifters instead most of the time). When the MIVEC kicks in it feels a like a turbo coming on boost, so below that it is a little sluggish.
Overall it is a really nice car with many great features, but I wish Mitsubishi could have tweaked a little more power out of the engine. I guess I am going to have to rely on aftermarket mods to get that little bit extra up and go that Im after.
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February 15th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Looks like the latest 156. Even the wheels are close.
Can’t be a bad thing.
Looks a lot better than equivalent Corolla.
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February 15th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
doesnt seem that positive after the hype and halo from the evo had died down.
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February 15th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Is this fully imported japanese made?
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February 15th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Realcars, yes it’s fully imported.
Lcat, it’s a car.
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February 15th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
civis look a lot better, on the inside at least, and on the outside too, with black paint, tinted windows and foogies
soon ill add 19 inch black wheels.. i love being a P plater
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February 15th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
The new Corolla in sedan form isnt that bad in the flesh… VRX is better, but gutless. Ive got my eye on the Ralliart Lancer, that has ALOT of potential.
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February 15th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I’m just glad that it looks like a japanese car. All these so called European looks are stupid. Sure the Hyundai i30 looks ok, but your driving a Hyundai! I have a golf R32 and that is a European car but not because of how it looks, but because its built in Europe! When will these Japanese and Korean brands catch on - its the quality and the driving experience - not the looks. So thankyou Mitsubishi for making Japanese looking cars instead of mock European so called style.
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February 15th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Can’t blame them for copying the home of style.
Still looks like a 156 though.
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Alex, I think Japan and Korea will catch on when European cars start to price closely for the similarly associated car, e.g. whats a Hyundai/Toyota/Mitsubishi rival for a $75 - $146k A6? Surely Audi, Euros has put more money into cars for them to sell to a market at that price…
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I agree on the quality point Joober. I’ve ridden in a e30 318 series with over 250k and still as tight as a drum in every respect.Not a drop of oil and still as economical as ever and the only part replaced was the fuel pump to date. Unbelievable.
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
The Lancer is gutless? Howzat.. The lancer VRX has 15 Kw more than the corolla.. which I believe compared to the prevoious model has actually lost a couple of Kws [from the same engine]
Then theres the Rockford Fosgate ICE System which on its would be enough to sway some people - particularly those who are into Hot 4’s
However the primary feature which grabs most peoples
attention is the way a car looks in which case the [Aussie Designed] VRX is the winner
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Anyone who says its gutless obviously hasn’t driven a manual one. When i was buying mine i looked at the CVT but i found that it was just too sluggish, particularly off the line, put me off. But fortunately the manual is a completely different story, very good off the line, the engine is linear in its power delivery and has fairly good top end rush. Sure its no speed machine, but when compared to its naturally aspirated 2.0ltr rivals, its very good
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Wheelnut - your absolutely right, an aussie by the name of Peter Arcadipane was the major contributor to the lancers design, and curiously it was Olivier Boulay, the man who gave us the pig awewful TL magna design (lol and i own a TL magna!) who had a major contribution to the design aswell and pushed hard for it to be accepted
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Just a quick comment I hope Karl, or one of the car advice team can answer for me, it seems the cars overall rating was brought down because of the “how it goes bit”. As an owner of a VRX myself i am all but too aware that this is no rocket, BUT i also drove an Astra 2.2ltr SRi, a mazda 3 maxx sport, a toyota corolla levin and a focus, all of which are of a comparable price, and i felt the manual lancer had more go then all but the mazda which i felt it was about even with. I know the drag strip times may differ slightly to my assumption but with “real world” driving the mitsu feels very good compared to its rivals, and at the end of the day it should only be judged against its equivilant models surely? So why only 3 stars? compared to its direct price rivals it surely warrants 4 atleast?
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Otherwise good review by the way! Hit the nail directly on the head! i found myself nodding in agreance with every last sentence written! Top work
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Wheelnut , is always right………very smart man!
Gee Karl good review….the other guys must think please Karl dont do another 7 page review we have to match………hahaha
Well done,as usual!
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February 15th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Umm Alex, I dunno about the R32, but isn’t the Golf made in South Africa? So your point of it being ‘European Made’ is kinda stupid.
Hell, it’s like saying the Focus is European made when it’s only designed there.
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February 15th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
The reason the Magna; Boulay designed looked so hideous was because instead of doing the initial sketches on Corel Draw or a similar CAD program etc.. he used an old Napkin in a restaurant - which he put in his pocket
So when he took it out [at the office] the next day it ewas hard to decipher which lines were part of the drawing and which were folds or creases etc.
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February 15th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I bought mine in Germany when I was living there. I had it brought over. I just had a tie to it. The only down side on Australian roads is its left hand drive. Sorry for not mentioning that before.
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February 15th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
hahaha Wheelnut…….not to mention someone wiped their mouth on it too.
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February 15th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Richo, thanks for your kind words (you too BM).
Car Advice would have awarded it four stars, but it fell short on our ABS test. Without the ABS kicking in, I’m confident it would have pulled up quicker, and in a shorter distance.
For this very serious reason, we gave it (just) under four stars. 3.75 is as close as we could get.
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February 15th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Apparently theres a VRX with a Evo 10 kit for sale in the Mitsu dealer Near burnley station here in Melb… looks nice from all angles except the back, the kit makes the back look way fat, but tht just IMO.
But overall nice car, just a bit lower and will be sweet :)
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February 16th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Karl, fair enough I can see where your coming from, strangely enough my magna does the exact same thing with regard to the ABS, pulses too far apart and general awkwardness, on the other hand however i find the system works really well on dirt, perhaps theres some kind of trade-off going on there?
as for the ESP, i find its all too eager to kick in on oversteer moments, for example going through a sweeping right hander into a tight left, as you brake for the left hander your still going to the right, so as you brake the rear wants to move. With the ASC turned off this is quite fun and controllable but with ASC on it has a bit of a “OMG STOP HAVING FUN!” attack, but your right it tends to be a touch slow reacting to wheel spin. I always put that down to the computer allowing some wheel spin to prevent the engine bogging down? The first traction controls to be strapped to commodore where horrible for that very reason because as soon as there was some slip the engine basically died….
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February 16th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Great looking car, but if what you say is right (and it’s the same in my mums early ‘07 Lancer) the engine noise spoils it. Driving my mums Lancer with even a remote about of enthusiasm sounds like your thrashing it.
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February 16th, 2008 at 8:39 am
TP Says:
February 15th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
The new Corolla in sedan form isnt that bad in the flesh… VRX is better, but gutless. Ive got my eye on the Ralliart Lancer, that has ALOT of potential.
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I would say that the engine feels gutless if you are not in the MIVEC range. Once you get over about 3500RPM it really picks up. But apparently there is an aftermarket aluminium pulley that you can get installed which really improves the pickup from standstill.
The CVT version does 0-100kmh in about 9 seconds flat (despite what Mitsubishi says) and the manual version is about 1 second quicker I think. That is good performance for a 2 litre engine. If you want something quicker, you’re looking at the wrong type of cars in the first place.
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February 16th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Mitchell - although it sounds a little tinny at low RPM, when you get up above 3000 the engine has a fairly good 4cyl snarl to it, it definetly doesn’t feel thrashy like the last model which sounded truly aweful pretty much anywhere in the rev range
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February 16th, 2008 at 11:00 am
The 2.4L will be interesting, I havent driven the 2L but going around Mitsu forums people in general feel the CVT is gutless and the manual has abit more, but still nothing special. Im interested in the Ralliart, then you get the looks that all the new Lancers have with the performance the lower ones dont have.
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February 16th, 2008 at 11:50 am
i was surprised to read elsewhere that this is actually built on the same platform as the Outlander.
with the extra room and the loss of the 380, i cant help but think they should have made this into a medium sized Camry/Mondeo competitor and offered a V6 option.
and also lets face it the fuel consumption isnt the real reason for heading small car bound. i think the consumers “think” they will benefit from fuel savings but i just dont see how
ive seen a figure of just over 10L/100k in a road test.
those of you guys that already have purchased the new lancer it would be interesting to hear what figures you are returning
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February 16th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Andrew smaller cars are about lower running costs, which as Ive shown in the past from NRMA figures, is true.
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February 16th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Yep if you look at the dash of the Outlander its pretty much identical to the lancer…
Its a good cost savings technique to share parts and sharing designs is another step again.
Suprised with the 10L/100km tho with it was stated around the 8 or so range on the brochure. My Aurion was stated 9.9/100km better than the 4cyl camry which was over ~ above 10. but in reality my consumption was 10.5-11 usual suburban/city driving.
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February 16th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
TP,
mate i still dont understand how NRMA got those figures.
they werent detailed enough to explain what was going on.
where was that article again????
i even started to list running costs related to the article and it came no where near the difference that it was reporting.
did you see a break down of the costs?
even with depreciation etc it still wasnt the big difference they reported.
all the hype is fuel costs, fuel costs, fuel costs!!!
everyone percieves that smaller cars will massively put some money back into each weeks budget
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February 16th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Andrew M - firstly the 380 is an aussie only model, the lancer is a global model. At the end of the day australia is a really small market compared to the rest of the world, so theres no way mitsubishi would change the lancer from a small sedan into a medium sedan purely for the australian market, particularly when the galant is still being sold in the US where the small sedan market is huge, no way they would lose their position in the US small sedan market to account for australia losing its medium/large sized sedan.
As for real world cunsumption with the lancer, i’m getting figures of about 9.0ltrs per 100k’s with 100% city driving, and 80% of that is peak hour city driving which destroys fuel economy. The few times i have had it on the open road it has returned around 7.5ltr per 100
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February 16th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Have done 8,900 kms in a silver VRX CVT purchased Nov-07. On road at $32,500, with the Fosgate ICE, Blue Tooth & reverse sensors. Used 782 litre of ULP to give an overall of 8.8 l/ 100kms, which is excellent given that all done in Melb’s stop go traffic. I’d expect to be sub 8.0 l / 100 kms on a clear run. Have seen 7.6 l/100 km when the traffics been moving smoothly. My gripes with the car are few - the multi piece dash is not good, in certain light the uneven fit is noticeable; the numerous chimes can be bit annoying; & it can be a bit loud, particularly when attempting a quick burst from standstill. The pluses are numerous & include good looks, inside & out; very well equipped particularly for the price - cruise control / keyless entry & start; good space & plenty of useful in cabin storage; comfortable even on long trips across Melb; accurate fuel gauge - very important - last car had a woeful fuel gauge; excellent range > 580 kms with at least 5 litres to spare; good handling / steering; no creaks or rattles whatsoever - first of > 30 cars I’ve owned that earn this honour; excellent ICE system, excellent auto box - shifts smoothly; 5 yr / 130,000 kms warranty, 160,000 kms / 10 yrs drive train warranty & 5 yrs road side assist; first car with a computer, like the bar showing real time fuel consumption ( instant feedback is a good thing); good brakes;the rear windows retract below the body line; 15,000 km service intervals; & did I mention it looks sexy! IMHO the VRX is better than any of its competitors by a country mile & easily beats the Mazda 3 into the ground!!
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February 16th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Add to last post - the real power kicks in above about 3,500 rpm, which is bit high for our roads, when just over 2,000 rpm = 100 km/hr. The couple of occasions I’ve floored the pedal it starts to pull strongly past 100 km/hr, but my license = my job, so I’ve not pushed it too far.
The previous car avg 12.0 l/100km over 130,000 kms (in 44 mths). The Lancer avg is 8.8 per prior post, that equals a saving of $40 / wk at 135c/l. Overall I expect the Lancer to be about 30% lower running costs than the car it replaced a 2003 Outlander (note that this excludes the cost of tires, which might knock the % around a bit).
Another like is the metal pedals & the folding rear seat for long parcels & the like.
The accommodation is very good & both my parents (in their early 80’s) can get in & out quite easily & get comfortable when in.
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February 16th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
i cant get over that horrrible rear and dadh i hate cars that use that 2 tier dash [lasat gen vamry ,rav 4]
also have a look at a japan spec corrola and you will see the radio panel is sitting flush with the interior and mathches have a look at our cheapo version where they bolt it straight in it looks riduclous and it features on a majority of toyotas.
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February 17th, 2008 at 7:00 am
what’s happened to my fist post on my experiences over 9,000 kms with a VRX? It was there last night immediately after I posted it.
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March 15th, 2008 at 11:45 am
The lancer vrx has the same power as the old school lancer with a smaller engine if you are after performance in a small car go for the ralliart colt or evo it the new lancer has proven itself againts other small cars expecially in safety what other cars come with abs ebd tr/control and asc??? as standard
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March 16th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Firstly I must say that I agree with 90% of the comments as listed above. I would like to also add a few of my own to perhaps gauge some thoughts of other VRX owners. I am from the South-Eastern side of Melbourne and have found that my car suffers from quite poor radio reception. Is this a common fault or just something with my particular car. Also, being the fussy buyer I am, I have noticed that ALL advertising photos of the VRX show them a darn sight lower than the example that I own. Has anyone here priced the procedure of getting the cars lower as shown?
Great Comments - Hope to hear soon.
- Troy.
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March 23rd, 2008 at 10:42 am
I would have to agree with Chucky, I too have the new VRX in manual and its an awesome car. I would recommend the audio up grade to the Rockford system, makes a world of difference. It holds to the road extrememly well and has a nice firm feel to it. I would say the only real gripe once agian is the power from start off, it is a little sluggish to get up and go, but once your there hang on. I too am looking for the engine upgrades to try and tweak alittle more from it, so if anyone has any inform please let me know.
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April 10th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
AlbertK21:
Easily beats the Mazda3 into the ground? LOL.. Oh please. You’re pretty much dreaming if you think that.. go drive an SP23 then get your head out of your arse. For an older model car, the 3 still is the class leader. No contest.
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April 14th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I got this car as part of my employment package.
ES Mitsubishi Lancer 2008.
The engine noise inside the vehichle spoils it. The power delivery is delayed and sounds like a truck rather than a new car.
I drove an AH Holden Astra prior to this car and it was quiet and when driven in sports mode was very responsive. The Astra drove like a much larger responsive vehichle and it whoops the Lancer 2008.
I hope Mitsubishi either improve the internal acoustics of the car or improve the engine noise output.
I cannot believe this is a new car.
Very dissapointed !!!!
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June 5th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I got my VRX last week, and it has gone about 400km by far. but the fuel con’t is way too high then what is advertised its like 13.sumthing/100km…anyone has idea y is that? was it becoz the parts are breaking in?
for the looking-at-buyers, forget what said in the article(its well written ofcoz) i end up with lancer is becoz:
-it looks sportier then many moded car;
-it cheaper then many rivals $27000(manual) drivaway
-manual offers great fun in driving
-for that price u get all the fancy luxury car gadgets like SMART keyless entry,rain sensor, dusk headlight,
-nearly as roomy as a camry to fit in ur family+ ur girlfriend xD
If above-mentioned is what you are seeking for,get lancer as its the best in class in these aspects.
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June 5th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
forget to mentioned the bluetooth system is a real gem of a great value. i love it i love it i love it!! i finally can sit my mobile properly and stop worring about getting caugth…ps. wearing BT handfree is irritating,its like a rock in the ear…xp…
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June 6th, 2008 at 9:17 am
This if for those people who keep on saying that lancer vrx is gutless because the size has changed. i just purcased on and found out why they changed the engine size it was changed from a 2.4 to a 2.0 because the 2.0 puts out 113kw which is what 2 or 3kw less than the bigger motor, and also for fuel economy it decreses the usage by around 4 litres per 100km’s also depending on how u drive ur car!
yeah sure its not an evo but what would u expect its not one and never ill be for the price and what it is its leading the way in its class for sure.
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June 18th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Star RE fuel efficiency more than likely because the engine is breaking in, it will get better… but if your driving hard dont ever expect it to match it.
Nicky I say its gutless because it is. Yes compared to previus its similar… but with CVT its actually slower and it is heavier then previous, so look beyond the engine. Also in VRX guise it looks sporty, it doensnt live up to it with the 2L at least.
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June 22nd, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I put my name down for a VR on Saturday. Now I read that the ABS, Steering and ESC are not very good. Would anyone know how they rate against the new Elentra (yes…I know it’s a Hyundai) ? My car choices were between the two.
At the moment the Elantra has all the safety equip the Lancer has as standard.
Thanks.
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July 5th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Guy any review can find problems with a car… majority of reports have the Lancer as a great car. Im not even sure about this steering loading up either, track tests on the Lancer have said its steering is one of the BETTER features of the vehicle!
On a side note, I emailed Mitsu and theyve said the 2.4L comes out end of this year… its performance will be interesting, claims have the manual version currently in US doing 100 in 7.5secs… has 120kw and 230Nm in a 1400kg car…. all this with a huge warranty and great looking car. Tempting.
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July 11th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Getting my brand new black manual VRX tomorrow, can’t wait! :-D
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August 17th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I should be getting my new black VRX lancer soon..but im getting a manual 2.4 so i will be sure to let everyone know how it goes!!!!
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September 3rd, 2008 at 8:19 pm
I’m planning on getting the new VRX 2.4 litre when it comes out but wanted to know if anyone knows when it is scheduled for release and will there be any major changes from the current model…ie…is the only difference in the engine?
Thanks
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September 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Hey guys, saw some folk taking some photos of new Lancers in Adelaide’s CBD last night.
Possibly for marketing the new MY09 model?
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September 5th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Will there be changes to the new 2.4L VRX other than the engine… Does anyone know? I have one ordered, the dealer said it will be here at the end of September. Mitsubishi Australia said it will be here in the last quarter of the year though.
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September 6th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Hi Jay,
so your Lancer VRX 2.4L will be ready at the end of September?…I have one on order too but was told to be looking at mid to late October to get mine…
As to changes, I really don’t know either. I’ve been told that the engine is the only major difference, and judging by the American websites, it looks like the new VRX will look exactly the same as the previous model, so fingers crossed.
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September 7th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Yes, I have been told the end of September however I have no doubt that my dealer is just trying to keep my hopes up…. I am sure the end of the month will come and then it will be mid to late October…. so annoying!
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