Mitsubishi Eclipse

[IggyWH]

I need a new car and I'm not exactly a big ballah like some of you are. Today while out looking, I came across a pretty good deal for a 2000 Eclipse. I really didn't want to buy a car that old, but it only has 25k miles on it and the thing was spotless. I'm really considering pulling the trigger on it on Tuesday and wondered if anyone had any opinions/information they would like to share on the car?

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

Girl's car?

-Craig

[MagicAntonio]

NOT Rocks & Rings.

[Brain]

I really liked the second generation Eclipses and two friends in college had them and loved them. I have an '03 (third gen.) and I like it a lot. The new '06 is pretty nice too.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
I really liked the second generation Eclipses and two friends in college had them and loved them. I have an '03 (third gen.) and I like it a lot. The new '06 is pretty nice too.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've heard the notion that they are a girls car... I really don't care because I like the car and that's all that matters.

For someone who owns an Eclipse, you're probably best to answer this question. I test drove another car at a different dealership and of course he was trying to convince me not to get the Eclipse. One of the things he said was my insurance would skyrocket. Right now I'm 24 so I still use my parents policy because it's cheap, but when I turn 25 I'll have to get my own policy. Am I going to be paying out the ass to insure this car?

I did a couple price quotes on the internet and it didn't look any different from a Protege which was another car I was looking at. I figured if there was a big difference, I'd see it between those 2 cars. Even though it looks sporty, it's still only a 4 cylinder so I can't imagine getting raped by insurance.

[Eurotrash]

when considering the final price, don't forget to factor in all of the stickers (TYPE R, NEUSPEED, etc.), the cost of the racing stripe, and perhaps the price of your wheels.


also, maybe the set of lights that goes underneath the car and makes the ground a blue color.


edit: and the spoiler on the back and your nitrous oxide setup, of course.

[BradleyT]

What's your price range?

[BradleyT]

[ QUOTE ]
when considering the final price, don't forget to factor in all of the stickers (TYPE R, NEUSPEED, etc.), the cost of the racing stripe, and perhaps the price of your wheels.


also, maybe the set of lights that goes underneath the car and makes the ground a blue color.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did he change his post to say Honda Civic or Acura?

[Eurotrash]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
when considering the final price, don't forget to factor in all of the stickers (TYPE R, NEUSPEED, etc.), the cost of the racing stripe, and perhaps the price of your wheels.


also, maybe the set of lights that goes underneath the car and makes the ground a blue color.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did he change his post to say Honda Civic or Acura?

[/ QUOTE ]


i don't believe so. I just always had the perception that this kind of car was a favorite of the fast and furious, so to speak

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
What's your price range?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd like to spend no more than 10k retail so I have a trade-in for 2k and then add 9k cash after tax and title.

The Eclipse I looked at was listed at 14.5k, lowered to 11.5k, my 2k trade-in and then I'm sure I can get them down another .5-1k so I'm hitting my mark.

[Brain]

I had a '95 Corolla before I got my Eclipse (new) almost 3 years ago and it didn't go up very much at all (I'm in Jersey /images/graemlins/frown.gif and I was 22 at the time). I don't think you'll have a terrible insurance premium when you drop off your parents' policy. Increasing your deductible will decrease your premium as well.

[Brain]

I don't think there are as many tricked-out Eclipses as Civics, but there are plenty. That's not my kind of thing though. Now that I've said that, I did put new wheels on mine two months ago. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a233/brianmk24/car1.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a233/brianmk24/mr7wheel.jpg

[BradleyT]

For 10K dude you could buy a brand new Chevy Aveo.

According to the website it has "Impressive Fuel Economy with a 1.6 Liter Engine" and it's the "Lowest Priced Car in its Class with CD/MP3 Player (select models)".

And the clincher - "The 2005 Chevy Aveo was designed with surprising features, roominess and refinement."


I think the choice is obvious.

[IggyWH]

Yeah, and I could buy a Cobalt too...

No thanks on either.

[IggyWH]

Nice pics /images/graemlins/smile.gif

They also had a black one at this dealership (the one I liked was the white). They don't have a picture of the white one on their site but they have the black on :

http://www.kennyross.com/ou/pittsburgh-ford/console.do?page=f_used_inventory

Only real difference between the 2 are the black one has a blacked out back window and clear tail lights. It did have 25k more miles though and didn't look quite as sharp as the white one. I could get it for around 1-1.5k less though.

[BradleyT]

Chicks Eclipse (http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2035574)
Totally Riced (http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748370)
Some Ideas to pimp your ride (http://www.cardomain.com/ride/802913)

I guess they do get riced out quite a bit, must be a Cali thing.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
For 10K dude you could buy a brand new Chevy Aveo.

According to the website it has "Impressive Fuel Economy with a 1.6 Liter Engine" and it's the "Lowest Priced Car in its Class with CD/MP3 Player (select models)".

And the clincher - "The 2005 Chevy Aveo was designed with surprising features, roominess and refinement."


I think the choice is obvious.

[/ QUOTE ]]

New -- Now With Doors!

[Brain]

Thanks!

I'm not a fan of white cars, but that's totally a personal preference.

[youtalkfunny]

Not an Eclipse, but I owned a 2001 Galant for long time. Very reliable.

Mitsubishi=all the benefits of a Japanese car, without paying the premium for the Toyota or Honda name.

[B Dids]

I just had my 1995 Eclipse RS die on my sister 2 weeks after I gave it to her. The person before it had tried to mod and trick it out (which makes you wonder why the hell they didn't get the V6) and the electronics were [censored]. I had lots of problems, but don't know if I can really blame the car. Still, I'm not wild about suggesting them to somebody else.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
Not an Eclipse, but I owned a 2001 Galant for long time. Very reliable.

Mitsubishi=all the benefits of a Japanese car, without paying the premium for the Toyota or Honda name.

[/ QUOTE ]

My old mans ass-backward logic in liking the car is because he's owned a 35" TV that was made my Mitsubishi and hasn't had any problems with it for 10+ years.

I'll know tomorrow if I'll get it or not. Pops is gonna try to get them down another 1k or get a longer warranty on it.

It sucks because if we get things done on Tuesday, I won't pickup the car until Friday because I got to go to Maryland for a few days for work. Talk about torture... buy a new car and not able to drive it.

[icepick]

My '96 GS is still running strong after 90k miles.

[scrub]

[ QUOTE ]
I need a new car and I'm not exactly a big ballah like some of you are. Today while out looking, I came across a pretty good deal for a 2000 Eclipse. I really didn't want to buy a car that old, but it only has 25k miles on it and the thing was spotless. I'm really considering pulling the trigger on it on Tuesday and wondered if anyone had any opinions/information they would like to share on the car?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are very of few of these "I need a cheap car..." threads for which the answer is not a civic or corolla, preferably a civic, with a stick.

scrub

[Sean D]

Well Eclipses do get a bad rep from a lot of people that automatically lump them in with the Fast and Furious crowd, but they can be good, reliable cars. The 3rd gen (2000-2005) is probably more reliable than the 1st and 2nd gens, but even the non-turbo 1-2 gens were pretty reliable. It all depends what you want the car for. It sounds like the 2000 Eclipse you looked at was probably a 4-cylinder, so the gas mileage will be on par with most compacts (28-30mpg.) As for styling, most would agree the 2nd gen is the best looking of the bunch. For power, the turbo 1-2 gens are a very good bang for the buck, and can make 300hp with not too extensive modification. The downside is, they aren't the most reliable when you start to modify them. The 3rd gen GT's have a peppy v6, but offers very little room for modification.
So it really comes down to the purpose of the car. If you are really worried about driving a "girl's car" or a rice-mobile, then maybe you shouldn't worry so much about what other people think.

http://www.club3g.com - 3rd gen Eclipse info
http://www.dsmtalk.com - 1st/2nd gen Eclipse info
http://sean3d333.tripod.com/id23.html - link to my car

[Sean D]

[ QUOTE ]
The person before it had tried to mod and trick it out (which makes you wonder why the hell they didn't get the V6) and the electronics were [censored].

[/ QUOTE ]

Just FYI, no V6 from 90-99, only 4 cyl turbo or non-turbo

[Prelude008]

It's a good car. I think you will be happy with it. I bought a used 2000 GT Eclipse in Jan of 04 and have not had any problems with it. It had 14.5K miles on it when I bought it. My personal opinion, especially if you are working on a budget is to buy a older better (low miles) car rather than a new cheap car for the same $$$.

Mine came with everything but the leather seats (sunroof, 200 horses, 17inch rims, factory infiniti radio). The GT and GTS will give you more power over 200 horses (6 cyl) and the other two models are less 4cyl. Did you go for a test drive? What model is it?

[FouTight]

[ QUOTE ]


http://www.club3g.com - 3rd gen Eclipse info
http://www.dsmtalk.com - 1st/2nd gen Eclipse info
http://sean3d333.tripod.com/id23.html - link to my car

[/ QUOTE ]

ahh, a 3ger. I'm a mildly participating 2gstratus guy myself.

The dodge stratus coupe is pretty much the same car as the eclipse, but loses that 'girlie' (sorry, at least around here thats the rep it has) persona. I would at least take a look at one or two of them, I like mine, I didn't get the larger 6 cyl. and my gas mileage is pretty good.

[Guy Incognito]

FWIW, I had a '95 RS for 3 years, and it was absolute garbage. Hoping for your sake that reliability has improved since then.

[IggyWH]

Thanks for those links Sean D, I'll have to check them out.

Nice Spyder... I looked at a couple but the ones in my price range also had around 75k on them, which isn't too bad for a 6-7 year car but I was shooting for lower millage on the car I bought.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


http://www.club3g.com - 3rd gen Eclipse info
http://www.dsmtalk.com - 1st/2nd gen Eclipse info
http://sean3d333.tripod.com/id23.html - link to my car

[/ QUOTE ]

ahh, a 3ger. I'm a mildly participating 2gstratus guy myself.

The dodge stratus coupe is pretty much the same car as the eclipse, but loses that 'girlie' (sorry, at least around here thats the rep it has) persona. I would at least take a look at one or two of them, I like mine, I didn't get the larger 6 cyl. and my gas mileage is pretty good.

[/ QUOTE ]

I also test drove a Dodge Avenger... I had seen one and thought they didn't look too bad. This guy went on and on about how the Eclipse was crap because of the engine.

After the test drive, I pop the hood and my dad looks at the salesman and goes "I call bullshit". The salesman goes why? The Avenger has the exact same engine as the Eclipse I test drove... and when I mean exact, I mean even made by Mitsubishi.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
Did you go for a test drive? What model is it?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I went for a test drive and I liked it a lot. It's only a GS... I was hoping to get a GTS but I don't think I could find a better deal than this one.

[BradleyT]

Have you at all considered a brand new car?

From the Chevy Aveo website - "With the capability to listen to hours of your favorite music on one CD, imagine how long you can go without hitting the eject button."

That is so Rocks and Rings.

[ChoicestHops]

Im not big on the Eclipse. Not a fan of the new body style. Personally Id try to get a few more thousand and get an 03 Altima.

[Sean D]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


http://www.club3g.com - 3rd gen Eclipse info
http://www.dsmtalk.com - 1st/2nd gen Eclipse info
http://sean3d333.tripod.com/id23.html - link to my car

[/ QUOTE ]

ahh, a 3ger. I'm a mildly participating 2gstratus guy myself.

The dodge stratus coupe is pretty much the same car as the eclipse, but loses that 'girlie' (sorry, at least around here thats the rep it has) persona. I would at least take a look at one or two of them, I like mine, I didn't get the larger 6 cyl. and my gas mileage is pretty good.

[/ QUOTE ]

I also test drove a Dodge Avenger... I had seen one and thought they didn't look too bad. This guy went on and on about how the Eclipse was crap because of the engine.

After the test drive, I pop the hood and my dad looks at the salesman and goes "I call bullshit". The salesman goes why? The Avenger has the exact same engine as the Eclipse I test drove... and when I mean exact, I mean even made by Mitsubishi.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes the 6g73 Avenger V6 is made by Mitusbishi. It is a 2.5L V6 similar to the 3.0L 6g72 engine found in the 3g Eclipses. The Avengers share many similarities with the 2nd gen Eclipses, such as the interior. The base model Avengers came with the same 420a 4-cylinder as the NT 2g Eclipses. It was a joint venture between Mitsubishi and Dodge. I had a couple friends with Avengers, and they seemed to like them. For more info on them, go to http://asog.net

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
Im not big on the Eclipse. Not a fan of the new body style. Personally Id try to get a few more thousand and get an 03 Altima.

[/ QUOTE ]

As I've said, I'm not exactly a big ballah like some of you. Poker (and casinos) did pay for this car, but it was a stretch for me to put up the $9k cash + 2k for my old whip.

I like Nissan's and I've never really heard of anyone having a problem with them, but they were a little out of my price range.

FYI, I called up the guy today, got him down $500 more and bought the car. I'm going out of town for a few days of work so I'll pick it up on Friday... I can't wait!

[TheWorstPlayer]

Congrats on the new car. Post pics.

[Prelude008]

congrats on the car! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. If you don't mind my asking, what was your final price. If you don't want to say, that's understandable. Smart decision not to have car payments.

[gvibes]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The person before it had tried to mod and trick it out (which makes you wonder why the hell they didn't get the V6) and the electronics were [censored].

[/ QUOTE ]

Just FYI, no V6 from 90-99, only 4 cyl turbo or non-turbo

[/ QUOTE ]

The old ones had the 4g63 (?) engine, which is the same engine now in the evo - it was sweet.

Mitsu is in some financial difficulties, so I would avoid buying a new one, however.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
congrats on the car! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. If you don't mind my asking, what was your final price. If you don't want to say, that's understandable. Smart decision not to have car payments.

[/ QUOTE ]

9k cash + 2k for my Blazer trading in...

KBB retail on the car is 11k, but they were originally asking 11.5k for the car and first offered me 1k for my Blazer so overall I think I did alright.

Any other Eclipse's in the area that I see around that price have double the millage the one I got has, plus none were as clean.

I guess I sort of have a car payment... so I didn't have to completely kill my poker money, my parents loaned me 4k. $200 a month is what they want from me which should be no biggie and better than having to pay a bank an extra grand in finance charges.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
I would avoid buying a new one, however.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that I could afford a new one, but I don't like the new style and they're even a little bit smaller too.

I'll wait to see a Spyder before I make my final opinion on them though as I've only seen the base at a local Mitsu dealer.

[WackiRodeMyGayAz]

Make sure they give you a Dirty Vegas CD for free.

/images/graemlins/heart.gif

[LondonBroil]

[ QUOTE ]
Not an Eclipse, but I owned a 2001 Galant for long time. Very reliable.

Mitsubishi=all the benefits of a Japanese car, without paying the premium for the Toyota or Honda name.

[/ QUOTE ]

I bought a used 1996 Galant over 6 years ago and it runs as well as the day I got it. Put over 110,000 miles on it and have never had any major repairs.

[IggyWH]

Hey guys, no need to start a new thread since I already have this one but I got a question.

First off I got my car in Thursday morning and have had some of my best times ever driving a car. My other 2 cars in my life were hand-me-down beaters from my parents. Makes me feel proud that I accomplished something and hard work paid off to buy something nice.

Now for me question...

I'm looking to get some clear tail lights for my car. I just really like the way they look and think they'll look great with my white car. I've looked on ebay and only see 1 guy that actually sells the clear ones for my car (a lot of people claim they're clear but they're the chrome ones). He also has the back turn signal lights to go with them. The thing is though he's charging $35 to ship the 2 UPS ground, which is just a total ass-raping. Does anyone know anywhere else I can get these?

[Brain]

Excellent! Glad to hear you're happy with it.

Any accessory shops nearby (Yellow Pages)? I drive by one on my way home and that's where I got my wheels. The price was decent and I kinda liked having something local in case I had a problem. Granted, having bad tail lights is less of a problem than having bad wheels/tires, but you could try looking around there.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
Excellent! Glad to hear you're happy with it.

Any accessory shops nearby (Yellow Pages)? I drive by one on my way home and that's where I got my wheels. The price was decent and I kinda liked having something local in case I had a problem. Granted, having bad tail lights is less of a problem than having bad wheels/tires, but you could try looking around there.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's a cruise at Dave & Busters right by my work on Wednesdays. My old man has a '78 Vette Pace Car so he's always there and says there's always a bunch of Eclipse's. I was thinking about stopping by and BSing with them about where in the area to get parts.

Think I might just bite the bullet and take the rape from shipping on ebay. I looked at some online stores and they're charging double+ than the buy it now ebay shop guy is before shipping. Looks like this guy is just recooping some money lost on discounts with shipping cost, which I'm okay with since I'd still be saving money.