Eclipse vs. Mustang

[jakoye]

I was all set on buying a Mustang, GT of course, but then I saw the new Mitsubish Eclipse. I must say, I was impressed. So now I'm leaning towards getting the Eclipse.

Here's how they compare in my mind:

Performance: Mustang wins with 37 more HP.

Handling: Without having driven either car, I have to go by what I've read from others who have. It seems that the Eclipse wins with a smoother ride and w/o the Mustang's clunky solid rear axle.

Price: Eclipse wins, being almost $2K cheaper.

Exterior: At first I was in love with the new Mustang. But then the more I looked at it, the more I found fault with it. Hmmm, I thought, it sure could use a lowering kit to get rid of all that empty space in the wheel wells. Geez, that optional spoiler is horrible, but without anything in the back, it looks real plain. Okay, CDC (or equivalent) ducktail will have to be ordered. Heard the stock radio is unimpressive and the Shaker's are unreliable and not worth the moolah, whereas the upgraded Eclipse stereo gets rave reviews. Okay, if I get the Mustang, new stereo added to the tab. This is getting expensive! Meanwhile, with the Eclipse, I really like what I see. I don't think I'll have to do anything to it. It's really a sweet design. The Mustang does look more "masculine", but I don't think that driving an Eclipse makes someone a panty wearer (I'm sure others on the forum will disagree!).

Interior: I like the Mustang interior... but that old-fashioned gauge lettering, that just seems kind of cheesy. And it is rather plain (there's that word again). I've also read about how the seats are slippery (leather) and leave you riding too low. I really like the pictures I've seen of the Eclipse's interior. It looks modern and stylish. The seats get really good reviews too, supposedly offering firm support while driving hard, which is really important I think. And I like the standard "airbags everywhere" on the Eclipse.

Warranty: Mitsubishi wins hands-down there. Of course, if they go out of business, that great warranty won't mean much!

So taking all this into account, it just seems like an easy decision to go for the Eclipse. I won't make my final decision until I test drive both cars, as I think I should at least do that before coming down on one side or the other. But right now, I am definitely leaning towards the Eclipse. Am I totally off-base (and of course, this being a Mustang forum, I know I'm gonna get flambed mightily, but my purpose in making the post was to make sure I wasn't missing something when comparing the two cars. Also, if someone has direct experience with each car, that'd be really helpful!)?

Thanks!

 

[Ara]

From reading the magazines you can tell the Eclipse does not handle as well or as stiffly as the Mustang (though this could be because of the tires it is supplied with?), though I am inclined to agree with you about its ride/indep suspension. Basically I'd only go with the Eclipse if you think it looks better than the 'Stang...I dont think so, but I do think it has a rather beautiful, if somewhat feminine, shape. Hell between the Mustang V6 or the Eclipse i'd definitely go with the Eclipse. I wouldn't trade the V8 for it though.

 

[MSP]

I was all set on buying a Mustang, GT of course, but then I saw the new Mitsubish Eclipse. I must say, I was impressed. So now I'm leaning towards getting the Eclipse.

Here's how they compare in my mind:

Performance: Mustang wins with 37 more HP.

Handling: Without having driven either car, I have to go by what I've read from others who have. It seems that the Eclipse wins with a smoother ride and w/o the Mustang's clunky solid rear axle.

Price: Eclipse wins, being almost $2K cheaper.

Exterior: At first I was in love with the new Mustang. But then the more I looked at it, the more I found fault with it. Hmmm, I thought, it sure could use a lowering kit to get rid of all that empty space in the wheel wells. Geez, that optional spoiler is horrible, but without anything in the back, it looks real plain. Okay, CDC (or equivalent) ducktail will have to be ordered. Heard the stock radio is unimpressive and the Shaker's are unreliable and not worth the moolah, whereas the upgraded Eclipse stereo gets rave reviews. Okay, if I get the Mustang, new stereo added to the tab. This is getting expensive! Meanwhile, with the Eclipse, I really like what I see. I don't think I'll have to do anything to it. It's really a sweet design. The Mustang does look more "masculine", but I don't think that driving an Eclipse makes someone a panty wearer (I'm sure others on the forum will disagree!).

Interior: I like the Mustang interior... but that old-fashioned gauge lettering, that just seems kind of cheesy. And it is rather plain (there's that word again). I've also read about how the seats are slippery (leather) and leave you riding too low. I really like the pictures I've seen of the Eclipse's interior. It looks modern and stylish. The seats get really good reviews too, supposedly offering firm support while driving hard, which is really important I think. And I like the standard "airbags everywhere" on the Eclipse.

Warranty: Mitsubishi wins hands-down there. Of course, if they go out of business, that great warranty won't mean much!

So taking all this into account, it just seems like an easy decision to go for the Eclipse. I won't make my final decision until I test drive both cars, as I think I should at least do that before coming down on one side or the other. But right now, I am definitely leaning towards the Eclipse. Am I totally off-base (and of course, this being a Mustang forum, I know I'm gonna get flambed mightily, but my purpose in making the post was to make sure I wasn't missing something when comparing the two cars. Also, if someone has direct experience with each car, that'd be really helpful!)?

Thanks!

Mind if I ask what country you live in? I know its prolly the USA.. If not to support the economy of your own country, buy the Mustang..

At some point in life, we must think of our countries longterm success.. LOL!! This probably sounds ridiculous, so you can disregard it.. But I dont see where the problem is.. Thats just my opinion.. I would respect it if you bought the eclipse.. But if so, just leave.. LOL! Just kidding!! LOL!!

The Eclipse is pretty sweet.. I understand your delimna!

 

[rollerfreak66]

i think that the new eclipse is a very nice looking car. i considered it when looking for which car i would like to buy. but it did look a bit like a girls type of car. i actually picked up my V6 stang about 3 days ago now and it drives rediculously (bad speller) well. my dads friend whom owns a 1987 vette, has driven ferrari's, aston martins and other high end sports cars drove my car on the highway today and responded that it drove amazing.
just test drive em man. and get whichever u think u like more. ive just gotta say that the new stang looks about.... hmm 1 billion times better in person than in the pictures.
whichever car u buy u cant really go wrong with, as long as u love it

 

[StangCooper]

My opinions on the topic...
I bought a 2005 black Mustang V6, and I love it. It has a great ride, no problems with the stereo, and it still turns heads. I'd say to let the newness of the Eclipse wear off before you make a decision. It is a new model, and is bound to have flaws and kinks, just like any other new model.
As a whole, I have always thought the Eclipse line was a piece of junk. Just check out the resale on previous models. I really believe the 2005 and up Mustang bodystyle will do very well if and when you decide to sell it.
Story time:
A buddy of mine in college just absolutely had to have an Eclipse Spyder. The thought they were just the coolest. I told him pretty much the same thing I said above... highly discouraged the purchase. He bought it anyway. A year later, he sold it. "Coop," he said, "You were right on." "That car was junk."
No, this was the previous model, so I am sure they have made improvements, but I still stand bt my Stang.

Thanks,
Cooper

 

[StangCooper]

I'm sorry, but it just drives me nuts when people make "buy USA" comments like this (below). Do you have any idea how detrimental it would be to the US economy if people only bought things that were "from the USA"? What about the guy that works down at the Mitsubishi dealership that is from the US and has 4 kids from the US... need I go on? And on top of all that, most of the electronics in the Mustang aren't even from the US. If we put an American flag on a Mitsubishi, would that make you feel better? Because that is basically what a Ford is - imported electronics that is assembled in the US.

Bottom line, if you are wanting to support the US, buy things in the US (not necessarily FROM the US)... and more specifically, in your community. The dollars you spend in your local community go a lot further than you realize.

I will now step down off my soap box.

Mind if I ask what country you live in? I know its prolly the USA.. If not to support the economy of your own country, buy the Mustang..

At some point in life, we must think of our countries longterm success.. LOL!! This probably sounds ridiculous, so you can disregard it.. But I dont see where the problem is.. Thats just my opinion.. I would respect it if you bought the eclipse.. But if so, just leave.. LOL! Just kidding!! LOL!!

The Eclipse is pretty sweet.. I understand your delimna!

 

[Shaggydog2000]

Mind if I ask what country you live in? I know its prolly the USA.. If not to support the economy of your own country, buy the Mustang..

At some point in life, we must think of our countries longterm success.. LOL!! This probably sounds ridiculous, so you can disregard it.. But I dont see where the problem is.. Thats just my opinion.. I would respect it if you bought the eclipse.. But if so, just leave.. LOL! Just kidding!! LOL!!

The Eclipse is pretty sweet.. I understand your delimna!

The Eclipse is manufactured just outside Chicago. It's sold to you by an american salesman and and american dealership. I bet the US is making more off a sale of one of these cars than it would off the sale of a GM, Ford, or Chrysler at the rock-bottom must sell prices most of their cars have been selling for lately. (That employee pricing deal is much more to get rid of excess units than to make a huge profit).

Overall, "buying American" is just encouraging hogwash. Do you want the cheapest cotton t-shirt to cost $40? Your nikes to all cost 300? Your TV to cost three times as much and be much worse? If we close our borders and only buy american products this dream can be yours. Low profit margin manufacturing businesses that can't support high labor costs have to be moved to developing countries in order to keep prices in developed countries lower and prevent inflation. Foreign imports keep our prices low, frees up capital to be invested in higher margin or emerging industries, and creates competition to improve american products. All good things. So buy a Mitsubishi if you feel like it.

That being said, I think the front end on the Eclipse is ugly, but the rest is damn sexy. I haven't driven one, so I can't give you a recomendation there.

 

[SactoStang]

You really put alot of thought into your post and I appreciate the fact that you laid out the side by side comparo. IMO, the comparison is the cliche apples to orange. The Eclipse is a FWD and for this reason I would choose the Mustang. I'm not a big fan of torque steer especially in a "sports car" platform.

The body style of Eclispe is too close to others that are already out on the streets. IMO the back end looks alot like the 350Z and the front end looks like somebody who lost their two front teeth.

The Mustang however takes its cue from the muscle car era of the '60s and it stands out for me in a crowd. I'm sure we will see more of them out on the road as the years drag on but for right now it still snaps heads when one goes by.

I've heard many '05 Mustang owners rag on the Shaker audio (for very good reasons). I personally have not heard it but I have lurked on other car brand forums and they have issues with their stock systems too. I've read complaints from the G35C and the RX8 folks that their stock Bose system is crap.

Car nuts (including myself) consider their rides as an extention of themselves. Buying a car can sometimes be difficult when you have so many choices and variables. Good luck and I know you will be happy with whatever you buy.

 

[Militarymustang]

Just test drive 'em both, once you hear that V-8 rumble to life, you'll be sold.

 

[sam_abuelsamid]

I was all set on buying a Mustang, GT of course, but then I saw the new Mitsubish Eclipse. I must say, I was impressed. So now I'm leaning towards getting the Eclipse.

Here's how they compare in my mind:

Performance: Mustang wins with 37 more HP.

Handling: Without having driven either car, I have to go by what I've read from others who have. It seems that the Eclipse wins with a smoother ride and w/o the Mustang's clunky solid rear axle.

Price: Eclipse wins, being almost $2K cheaper.

Exterior: At first I was in love with the new Mustang. But then the more I looked at it, the more I found fault with it. Hmmm, I thought, it sure could use a lowering kit to get rid of all that empty space in the wheel wells. Geez, that optional spoiler is horrible, but without anything in the back, it looks real plain. Okay, CDC (or equivalent) ducktail will have to be ordered. Heard the stock radio is unimpressive and the Shaker's are unreliable and not worth the moolah, whereas the upgraded Eclipse stereo gets rave reviews. Okay, if I get the Mustang, new stereo added to the tab. This is getting expensive! Meanwhile, with the Eclipse, I really like what I see. I don't think I'll have to do anything to it. It's really a sweet design. The Mustang does look more "masculine", but I don't think that driving an Eclipse makes someone a panty wearer (I'm sure others on the forum will disagree!).

Interior: I like the Mustang interior... but that old-fashioned gauge lettering, that just seems kind of cheesy. And it is rather plain (there's that word again). I've also read about how the seats are slippery (leather) and leave you riding too low. I really like the pictures I've seen of the Eclipse's interior. It looks modern and stylish. The seats get really good reviews too, supposedly offering firm support while driving hard, which is really important I think. And I like the standard "airbags everywhere" on the Eclipse.

Warranty: Mitsubishi wins hands-down there. Of course, if they go out of business, that great warranty won't mean much!

So taking all this into account, it just seems like an easy decision to go for the Eclipse. I won't make my final decision until I test drive both cars, as I think I should at least do that before coming down on one side or the other. But right now, I am definitely leaning towards the Eclipse. Am I totally off-base (and of course, this being a Mustang forum, I know I'm gonna get flambed mightily, but my purpose in making the post was to make sure I wasn't missing something when comparing the two cars. Also, if someone has direct experience with each car, that'd be really helpful!)?

Thanks!

If nothing else the eclipse has one irrepairable flaw for a performance car. It has wrong wheel drive. The same pair of wheels are trying to steer and put down power. This is never a good combination. Also the rear seat appears to be even tighter than the mustang.

 

[DukeOfValencia]

The Eclipse is manufactured just outside Chicago. It's sold to you by an american salesman and and american dealership. I bet the US is making more off a sale of one of these cars than it would off the sale of a GM, Ford, or Chrysler at the rock-bottom must sell prices most of their cars have been selling for lately. (That employee pricing deal is much more to get rid of excess units than to make a huge profit).

Overall, "buying American" is just encouraging hogwash. Do you want the cheapest cotton t-shirt to cost $40? Your nikes to all cost 300? Your TV to cost three times as much and be much worse? If we close our borders and only buy american products this dream can be yours. Low profit margin manufacturing businesses that can't support high labor costs have to be moved to developing countries in order to keep prices in developed countries lower and prevent inflation. Foreign imports keep our prices low, frees up capital to be invested in higher margin or emerging industries, and creates competition to improve american products. All good things. So buy a Mitsubishi if you feel like it.

That being said, I think the front end on the Eclipse is ugly, but the rest is damn sexy. I haven't driven one, so I can't give you a recomendation there.

At the risk of sending this thread further down a tangent... Buying American is not "hogwash."
Buying a foreign car that was partially built in America is only half-good. The final profits still go to the foreign country. American car dealers also have American workers with American kids and, yes, a lot of the parts are foreign, but at least the profit stays here, and buying from an American company helps companies that are struggling (GM & Ford). If you think buying foerign products when American products are available will cause the price of the American products to go down and the quality up... you're nuts. American workers will be laid off first, then quality will go down to compete with the foreign slave labor pricing, then the company will either go out of business or sell to a foreign owner. How would you like to see a Toyota Explorer or Mitsubishi Mustang?
We obviously can't buy EVERYTHING American, so you better start buying what you can. Sure it's healthy to have some imported products, but when you get to the point of not having the choice to support your own country you better start to worry.

All that aside, the little fart-pipe import is missing a couple cylinders and needs rwd. Personally I don't like the overly smooth look of new Japanese cars. Remindes me of a half used bar of soap.

PS, if you do decide to go foreign, do us all a favor and don't slap on an American flag or American pride bumper sticker. It makes you look like a hypocrite.

 

[Dubl10]

Go test drive the Mustang GT, and you wouldn't even be thinking about the Eclipse. You'll be thinking, Eclipse, what is that?

MUSTANG ALL THE WAY!!

 

[Vandil]

37 less horses on a heavier car, less torque, FWD, Ugly rear end(bootylicious).

 

[jakoye]

<snip> ...but I do think it has a rather beautiful, if somewhat feminine, shape. </snip>

Perhaps that's why I like it so much. I'm a great admirer of the female form!

 

[jakoye]

Mind if I ask what country you live in? I know its prolly the USA.. If not to support the economy of your own country, buy the Mustang..

At some point in life, we must think of our countries longterm success.. LOL!! This probably sounds ridiculous, so you can disregard it.. But I dont see where the problem is.. Thats just my opinion.. I would respect it if you bought the eclipse.. But if so, just leave.. LOL! Just kidding!! LOL!!

The Eclipse is pretty sweet.. I understand your delimna!

Since the Eclipse is made in Illinois, I don't feel very guilty about potentially buying it. I don't really care which suits get the money, as long as the workers are American.

But be that as it may, it's always a good idea for a consumer to buy the best product at the best price out there, regardless of origin of manufacture. If you buy lower quality goods from a manufacturer just because they're American, then you only encourage them to continue building low quality products.

American car companies are paying the price for building low quality/low imagination products for much too long. The Mustang is a definite success for Ford and hopefully will encourage them and other American car companies to build similar cars. Not in style, but as far as innovative, yet classic, design and with fairly high quality.

I would love to buy "American", but I think that these days, a "foreign" car is nearly as likely to have been built in America as any car made by an American company.

 

[jakoye]

i think that the new eclipse is a very nice looking car. i considered it when looking for which car i would like to buy. but it did look a bit like a girls type of car. i actually picked up my V6 stang about 3 days ago now and it drives rediculously (bad speller) well. my dads friend whom owns a 1987 vette, has driven ferrari's, aston martins and other high end sports cars drove my car on the highway today and responded that it drove amazing.
just test drive em man. and get whichever u think u like more. ive just gotta say that the new stang looks about.... hmm 1 billion times better in person than in the pictures.
whichever car u buy u cant really go wrong with, as long as u love it

Yeah, I've gotten the "girl's car" comment from a few people. I'm pretty secure in my masculinity though, so that really wouldn't deter me. It's really more about how the car "feels" when I drive it, if it feels like an extension of me. How it looks on the outside is important, definitely, but that inquantifiable driver experience... that's what I'm looking for.

I had it once, with a 300z I had back in the day. The car was a complete POS and cost me THOUSANDS of dollars to take care of, but driving it was a joy. That's really what I'm looking for... that same "thrill" that comes from driving a car that fits you like a glove.

Yep, test driving the two will be the true test. I was just hoping somebody had already done that!

 

[jakoye]

<snip>
That being said, I think the front end on the Eclipse is ugly, but the rest is damn sexy. I haven't driven one, so I can't give you a recomendation there.</snip>

Yeah, one reviewer compared the front end of the Eclipse to a Pontiac. Ouch!

 

[jakoye]

You really put alot of thought into your post and I appreciate the fact that you laid out the side by side comparo. IMO, the comparison is the cliche apples to orange. The Eclipse is a FWD and for this reason I would choose the Mustang. I'm not a big fan of torque steer especially in a "sports car" platform.

The body style of Eclispe is too close to others that are already out on the streets. IMO the back end looks alot like the 350Z and the front end looks like somebody who lost their two front teeth.

The Mustang however takes its cue from the muscle car era of the '60s and it stands out for me in a crowd. I'm sure we will see more of them out on the road as the years drag on but for right now it still snaps heads when one goes by.

I've heard many '05 Mustang owners rag on the Shaker audio (for very good reasons). I personally have not heard it but I have lurked on other car brand forums and they have issues with their stock systems too. I've read complaints from the G35C and the RX8 folks that their stock Bose system is crap.

Car nuts (including myself) consider their rides as an extention of themselves. Buying a car can sometimes be difficult when you have so many choices and variables. Good luck and I know you will be happy with whatever you buy.

Thank you. I must say that I've been impressed by the responses in this forum. I thought for sure somebody was gonna jump down my throat and eviscerate me for even considering a car other than the Mustang.

But really, I was looking for reasons to "come back" to the Mustang. And you guys have put me back into the mindset where one car is no longer the favorite of the other. That's what I needed!

 

[jakoye]

Just test drive 'em both, once you hear that V-8 rumble to life, you'll be sold.

That my indeed be true. There's few things sexier than a rumbling muscle car.

 

[jakoye]

If nothing else the eclipse has one irrepairable flaw for a performance car. It has wrong wheel drive. The same pair of wheels are trying to steer and put down power. This is never a good combination. Also the rear seat appears to be even tighter than the mustang.

I think it's pretty clear that the Mustang easily beats the Eclipse in performance. I'm not even sure I would categorize the Eclipse as a "performance" car. It seems to be more of a mixture of car types. The question is rather the total package of the Eclipse provides a better driving experience than the Mustang. I am not solely interested in speed and torque. They are certainly wonderful things, but they are not the be all and end all. It is more important for me to feel that the car is part of me than it is to purely "go fast". Test driving each should decide the issue for me of which is better suited for me. I'll be very interested to see if the torque steer problem on the Eclipse is really bothersome or not.

As for the backseats, I must say I don't really care so much! Anybody who's unlucky enough to have to ride back there is gonna be cramped anyways, no matter which car. I'm not buying the car for my passengers! (well, maybe I'm buying it a *little* bit for the girl who will be sitting in the passenger seat!)