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2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS - Comfort

Front Comfort
We were a little mixed on the front seat comfort of the Lancer. Some of us thought the bottom cushion was poorly positioned, while others thought that the front seat was very well done. Regardless, there were no complaints about the soft faux-suede cloth on the seats, door and center armrests. We would have liked soft-touch surfaces on the door tops, but that’s increasingly rare in this budget-conscious segment. Everything is within reach, too, such as the protruding navigation system, shift handle and shifter paddles that are long enough to click at all but the most extreme steering angles.

Rear Comfort
We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of rear seat room in the Lancer. It’s no limousine, but for a compact sedan there’s good leg, hip, toe and head room. Shoulder room is tight thanks to the seat shape, and three people would be cramped. Our knees also touched the seatbacks in the “self-behind-self” test, but they’re soft so it’s not a problem, at least on short trips. Rear seats are covered in the same suede-like cloth as the fronts, and a final nice touch is the soft arm rest that folds down from the center seatback position.

Interior Noise
Continuously variable transmissions like the one in the Lancer tend to make the engine hang at redline for extended periods of time. This is fine if there’s adequate sound deadening, or if the engine just sounds good to start with. Unfortunately, neither is true in the Lancer. Stand on the gas and the Lancer’s uncomfortably noisy. Back off and cruise and you discover that the engine was hiding constant tire, wind and road noise at freeway speeds. The Lancer competes in a generally noisy class, and unfortunately, the Lancer is near the head of the class in this category, at least subjectively.

Visibility
The Lancer’s thin pillars and generous glass make for good visibility. There are no glaring blind spots, and even the pillars are thin enough in cross section that they don’t intrude on your lane changing ability. We wish that the outside mirrors had more surface area, but it’s a minor complaint. The only real impediment to your outward view is the ridiculously sized rear wing. It’s standard on the GTS and can’t be deleted, so if you want the best handling Lancer currently available, you’re stuck with it and the resulting bifurcated rear view.