Eclipse vs. Mustang

[jakoye]

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.

I understand where you're coming from, but it's a free market and most consurmers are making their choice on a mixture of quality, performance, looks and prices. The fact that foreign automakers have been outdoing American automakers in these areas has been evidenced by their increasing share of the American domestic market. People aren't buying foreign cars because they hate America or want to see American workers get laid off; they're buying foreign cars because they think they are a better value. This is what consumers do every day and it's why capitalism works: the "best" products are the most highly sold, rewarding the producer of such products and indirectly penalizing its competitors. The "best" producer earns more profits and if they keep to the guns, maintain their edge over their competitors.

If a consumer buys a product for any reason other than buying the best product, then that consumer is rewarding an inferior company making inferior products. That is not a good thing for anyone.

American car companies can compete, as the Mustang proves. But people should be buying it because it's a great car, not simply because it's American.

Sorry if this is coming off as a lecture. I get carried away sometimes. I do respect your opinion though and am equally concerned about the American worker. Hell, I want to see American companies do well. But they have to make the best products first.

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.

Well, I would never put a bumper sticker on my car, no matter what it said. So no worries there!

 

[jakoye]

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!!

Haha. We'll see, we'll see.

 

[dapro]

I was in a smiliar dilema as well, but I chose the Mustang GT. Here is why:

Price: You get what you pay for. Eclispe is a little cheaper. That's because its slower, smaller and heavier than the Mustang. Besides, when the new Eclipse comes out, you can bet there will be a dealer markup, just like there was/is on the Mustang. So when you do plan to get the Eclipse you will most likely pay over MSRP anyway. By that time, you will be able to get a Mustang for invoice. So you are going to endup paying about the same $$ for either one.

Exterior: The new Eclipse does look nice, but IMO the Mustang looks better. The Eclipse seems a bit feminie but the Mustang screams muscle. I also felt that the Eclipse looks a little bit like a Sunfire with a huge ass. :bleh: But if you like then that's all that matters.

Interior: I'll agree that I do like Eclipse's interior better than Mustang's interior, but that wasn't enough for me to overlook the other factors.

Handling/Performance: Stock Vs. Stock, on a track; its a give and take. Mustang is RWD while the Eclipse is FWD. So off the line, the Mustang will do better. Even w/o an IRS I think the Mustang can hold its on curves, next to the Eclipse. I would say its a drivers race. But if its from light to light, well ... good luck with the Eclipse. As far as ride smoothness goes, I feel the Mustang is very smooth and comfortable. I haven't driven the Eclipse, so I can't really comment on that, but I don't except there would too much of a difference.

When all is said and done, none of this matters if you don't like/love the car you are in, no matter which one you get. So it boils down to your preference. But I suggest that you test drive both cars before making up your mind, so that you don't have any regrets later on. Good luck!

 

[jakoye]

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

Well, it's not THAT much heavier. Maybe a hundred pounds or so? Like I said before, I'm not sure if I'll miss those 37 horses or not.

And I like the rear end! I thought they did an excellent job of integrating the spoiler. Certainly much better than the Mustang's tacked-on, after-thought stock spoiler. And I think the Mustang back end is boring. I wish they would've put a curve in it or something. Just being chopped off like that... it looks like lazy design to me.

 

[Big-Foot]

I was on the fence for quite a while.
The 4 finalists were:
1) Nissan 350Z
2) Honda S2000
3) 2006 Eclipse GT
4) 2005/6 Mustang GT

I did all the research on literally every aspect of the cars. I drove them all. While I don't want to get into a full review of each - I found that the Ford Mustang triggered something that the other 3 could not - the primal urge of going fast in a big hurry (otherwise known as acceleration). Something that the torque of the 4.6 V8 had over all the others. While Ford's quality has gotten better over the last 10 years, they could still learn a lot from Honda in Fit/Finish. Nissan is second and (sorry to disappoint you) the Eclipse came in last place. The dashboard from the Eclipse is intriguing, but looks like something that belongs in a space-ship. Not that this is all that bad - but - the potential for changing out radio head units for something aftermarket is totally gone given the styled/molded dash with buttons etc..
In a drag race the Mustang will put away the all three other comers.
I drive roadrace cars as a hobby so drag racing is not that important to me - although acceleration is important along with handling. The Mustang - as a solid axle car - handles actually pretty well. While it is not as good as the Honda or the 350z - it is a lot more predicatable than the Eclipse. I've also raced front drive cars so I am very familiar with the torque-steer potential of the FWD cars. The ability of the Mustang to overcome a tight condition with throttle is well and above the capabilities of the other 2 RWD cars.
Transmissions - The Ford 5 speed (Tremec TR3650) is probably at the bottom of the pile in terms of it's feel and sound. The gear spacing is appropriate given the torque of the V8. The Honda is probably the best in this department with the Eclipse coming in second.
Warranty - the Eclipse warranty does, indeed, "eclipse" the competition. If the extended warranty is a huge deal to you and you are going to keep your car beyond 3 years - spend the extra sheckles to buy it..

Your mileage may vary - Void where prohibited by law - Some assembly required - Do not consume in excess - no animals were abused during the production of this email - Some electrons were inconvenienced but only for a few nano-seconds.

*Batteries not included

 

[The Extreme]

Get what you want...

Interesting thread... it's been said that in situations like these, the hunt is just as much fun as the kill.

I had seen ads for the 2006 Eclipse but never saw one on the road until this week and I must say it impressed me as well. The car looks a lot better in person! I think Mitsubishi personally has a winner on their hands with the new Eclipse.

A couple of things to bear in mind... hope this helps you out:

1. Market segment. Bear in mind that the Mustang, especially the GT, is aimed at a different market (mostly guys ages 18-50) than the Eclipse (guys and gals 25-35, or younger couples). That said, you can infer (and lots of others have done )what you think about how "manly" the car is. 263 hp isn't a slouch by most any means of measurement. The styling I think plays into the markets each car is aimed at... the Mustang looks more agressive IMO.

2. Fuel. The Eclipse GT will get 18/19 city and 27/28 highway... pretty comparable to the Mustang V6. The Mustang GT can reasonably expect 16-18 city and 24/25 highway. So the Eclipse wins the battle of fuel economy, but not so fast! One thing that I have not seen mentioned (i don't think I saw it, anyway) is that according to Mitsubishi, the Eclipse GT should be run on Premium Fuel. That said, I would put forth that the Mustang GT will at worst cost have the same fuel costs as the Eclipse... the 'Stang might even cost less to gas up. That leads to...

3. Cost to operate. The Eclipse is all but certain to be less costly to insure but neither vehicle is likely to be cheap in that arena. Both vehicles are new designs so it's hard to tell which one will fare better in the long run... but it's been my experience that a V8 dies a lot harder than the smaller motors.

4. Fun factor. We buy these kinds of cars not because they're practical, but because they're *im*practical well, sort of... anyway, I can't tell you how many people have commented on my Mustang GT and how cool it is. I have a buddy who just bought a new G35 and as nice as a car as it is, it's just not a Mustang... and he freely, jealously admits it. And while both have a nice tuned exhaust note, the V6 of the Eclipse will be no match for the sweet roar the Mustang GT's throaty V8 will provide you. It is among the best sounding exhaust I have heard from an unmodified production car available to more modest budgets.

5. Price. The Eclipse GT stickers for a base price of $1500-$2000 less than the Mustang, but also has more options overall that can increase the cost of the car (including a $3000 sport package?). Still, I'm guessing the Mitsubishi will be a little less cash than it's Ford competition.

6. Performance. No contest here. The cars weight about the same, but the Mustang has a better drive (RWD vs. FWD), more horsepower (300 vs. 263), and more torque (320 vs. 260). The Mustang will build more power more quickly, and sound better doing it. One magazinfe I read raved about the Eclipse's performance, noting it's advantage over other sport coupes, curiously ending with the quote "a Mustang GT, however, will smoke it". I have heard a claim of a 5.8 0-60 for the Eclipse, which seems kind of fast for a FWD car with 263 horses. I have heard claims as low as 5.1 for the Mustang GT.

In the end, though, the only opinion that metters is yours! Test drive them both... back-to-back if possible. So buy whichever you prefer... just be as happy as you can with it!

Best of luck on your purchase!

 

[Turbo 05]

i say if your stupid enough to buy a Mitsubish Eclipse, then more power to you and buy it. There is no compairison between the two cars the mustang will out handle and out accelerate the Eclipse all day long.

"The switch to the stiffer Project America platform (Galant, Endeavor), however, has increased curb weight to an obese 3,500 pounds."

"With medium throws and easy clutch work, our six-speed Eclipse GT pulled a 6.8-second 0-60 and a 14.9 quarter-mile. Check out our recent sport coupe comparison test and you'll see the Eclipse is faster than the Mazda RX-8, but no match for the Nissan 350Z or Ford Mustang GT."

those are quoted from http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=105582

BTW 14.9 is barley faster then the 210 hp v6 mustang and so is the 6.8 0-60

 

[Big-Foot]

The Extreme - Good point on the Premium Fuel.. I had forgotten that.

Turbo 05 - Glad you could interject some sophmoric and totally biased input to this thread...

One of the things that makes many of us shy away from Mustang forums in general is all the rude people and bad language used.. I've heard/read all the F-en-Heimers I want to be exposed to which is why I no longer frequent Corral and a few others..

In other words - Let's be adults, share knowlege and enjoy the fact that we are all gear-heads whether our preference is Rice or Not-Rice etc...

 

[graphicguy]

If the first time you jump into a Mustang GT and fire it up.....and you're still on the fence between it and an Elipse....well, you'll have your answer on what to get.

First time you crank up the Mustang GT should tell you all you need to know.

 

[SVTdriver]

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.

Not to derail this topic. But... What is so bad with a "girl's car"(Many a Chevy guy I know. Has said this about mustangs)? I happen to like women. And if my car attracts them. It is an added bonus. If the other cars attracts guys... Well not so sure about that.
While personally I would buy the mustang. It is your choice. I think they took the worst part from the last generation of eclipse. And mated it with the previous gen of eclipse.

 

[05Stangster]

Good luck with your choice. If you do decided to get the Elipse, I strongly suggest you also get the extended warranty. IMHO - I do not know of one other manufacturer that has more problems with leaks than Mitsubishi. Not dogging Mitsubishi, but ... wait a second, I am doggin Mitsubishi - wife had two and they leaked like a siv! Everything was tight until about 30,000 miles and then it was in the shop more than at home for leaks.

As others have said - just go sit in the Mustang GT, start her up and listen to the rumble. It is truly a beautiful experience

 

[Vandil]

Well, it's not THAT much heavier. Maybe a hundred pounds or so? Like I said before, I'm not sure if I'll miss those 37 horses or not.

And I like the rear end! I thought they did an excellent job of integrating the spoiler. Certainly much better than the Mustang's tacked-on, after-thought stock spoiler. And I think the Mustang back end is boring. I wish they would've put a curve in it or something. Just being chopped off like that... it looks like lazy design to me.

Yeah it's a hundred lbs heavier, which is distributed 62/38 on the MT car vs the stangs 53/47. It's also 55 ft-lbs short on torque which you will no doubt feel. The stang even rates better on the skidpad.

Personally I really dislike the rear end on the eclipse. It's far to large for my taste. Always reminds me of a kid running around with a loaded diaper.

/agreed on the stangs spoiler but you can order without one or replace with a ton of after market, or ducktails if desired.

In the end it's up to you, buy what you enjoy and screw the nay sayers.

 

[jakoye]

Yeah it's a hundred lbs heavier, which is distributed 62/38 on the MT car vs the stangs 53/47. It's also 55 ft-lbs short on torque which you will no doubt feel. The stang even rates better on the skidpad.

That's interesting, about the skidpad rating. I was always under the belief that FWD cars handled better than RWD cars. Not sure where I got that from, but that's what I've believed.

But it does seem like the Mustang would be the better handler, simply from the more-balanced weight distribution than anything else.

Personally I really dislike the rear end on the eclipse. It's far to large for my taste. Always reminds me of a kid running around with a loaded diaper.

Awesome analogy!

/agreed on the stangs spoiler but you can order without one or replace with a ton of after market, or ducktails if desired.

Yes, as I mentioned, I'd have to go for one of the aftermarket ducktails. I just think they look soooooo much better than the stock spoiler. I've always liked ducktails, from the time of my first car, a '76 Firebird (which otherwise was a RPOS (rolling piece of ****))!

In the end it's up to you, buy what you enjoy and screw the nay sayers.

That's my attitude exactly! But this thread has served its purpose for me. It's given me reasons to come back to the Mustang and to not be too influenced by my recent "infatuation" with the Eclipse. The test drives will be the final arbitrer.

 

[merlinsteele]

Not to derail this topic. But... What is so bad with a "girl's car"(Many a Chevy guy I know. Has said this about mustangs)? I happen to like women. And if my car attracts them. It is an added bonus. If the other cars attracts guys... Well not so sure about that.
While personally I would buy the mustang. It is your choice. I think they took the worst part from the last generation of eclipse. And mated it with the previous gen of eclipse.

I was just reading thru, and wasn't going to add anything, since I didn't have anything worthy of saying, but your quotes about what women like reminds me of what a guy at work just told me here lately. A guy at the church he goes to, older guy too, I think, just bought a Mustang convertible (didn't know if it was a GT or V6) and the women just loved it. He even let some of them take it for test drives, which I thought was really pushing it. But the ladies liked his car, anyway!
As for the gentleman considering the Eclipse, all I can say is test drive both. By the time you do that, the idealization of the Eclipse will wear off a bit, and your mind will be in a more logical and not dreamy state. Good luck with whatever your choice is!

 

[Berserker]

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.

I'm glad you got down off that soap box because your argument is wacked. The guy down at the mitsuishi dealer losing his job. It's a joke right???

 

[sblackman0]

First I want to say that I'm impressed with the fit and finish on the mustang. The upgraded dash looks great and the MyColor lighting is fun to play with.

Secondly 85% of mustang parts are made in the US and Canada. I'm all for free trade and competition except when Americans start getting laid off. . .what if it were you? But that's getting off topic.

To me the mustang is clearly the better car and that translates into a blast to drive. Plus why not pay just as much money and get the throaty V8? Just start the car up and let it idle. . .you'll see.

I'm just going to copy and paste some highlights from a review by Car and Driver on the new Eclipse GT and then compare that to the Mustang GT review. . .

New sports coupes like the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse age quickly, going from red-hot to hardly noticed in a few months.

[I think this says it all. . .I'm a fan of the 95-99 model year Eclipse/Talon. . .] The worst criticism we can level is that fans of the original turbo all-wheel-drive Eclipse will be disappointed. Again. The '06 Eclipse is front drive only and continues the dimensional swell started by its predecessor, adding girth everywhere. . .With 72.2 inches between the door handles, this Eclipse—it's supposed to be a sports coupe, remember—is wider than a Ford Explorer.

Curb weight is 3560lbs. [I don't think it's right but C&D says the Mustang is 3523 lbs]

0-60 time in 6.1 seconds [versus 5.2]

quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 100 mph. . .But a Mustang GT will smoke it.

After 300 miles our fuel card reported 15 mpg. [vs 16mpg]

Weight distribution, F/R: 60.1/39.9% so handling expectations must be adjusted accordingly. A 0.81-g skidpad run seems to hint at mediocre performance. [versus F/R 53.6/46.4 and .87g]

Black 2005 Mustang GT

 

[racnnut]

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.

Amen brother!

Kathy

 

[CatmanJJ]

FWD FTL.

 

[JonJon]

 

[Spdfreak]

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.

You do realize you're not supposed to drink the bong water, don't you?