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Solstice Eclipsed: Mitsubishi's Spyder offers more, including a trunk (sort of)

published April 03, 2006

Published By
( 12 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
After a few months, maybe weeks, I expect owners will wish there had been a little more engineering attention to detail.

For example, a trunk. There is none when the top is down, just a few stash areas around the top where travelers might roll up a sweat shirt and jeans, throw a shoe here and there. The passenger can try to stuff a bag in the foot well.


It was no easy feat wrestling the top, either. It's a multistep process that requires releasing this and that and getting out of the car to give a big push to flop the top into the trunk, tuck it all in, give a jiggle or two, then slam the tonneau a couple of times.

The result is a near-airtight compartment.

Wind flow with the top down is OK in town, but the turbulence is punishing at highway speeds. It'll whip off a hat that's not yanked down.

Such physical beauty. So much need.

I just spent a week in the 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder and, while it is not my favorite small convertible, it is easy to live with.

Sold in two trim levels with two engines, the base GS starts at $25,974 with a five-speed manual transmission. Add $900 for the four-speed Sportronic automatic with manual-shift mode.

Fuel economy is rated 22 mpg city, 29 highway for the manual and 22/28 for the automatic.

The GT with 3.8 liter V-6 and six-speed manual transmission starts at $28,854. It goes to $29,754 with the five-speed Sportronic automatic. Fuel economy is rated 19/26 for the manual and 18/26 for the automatic.

It's always the big-motor cars in this sporty-car group that get the attention, but there's something endearing about the four-cylinder, five-speed manual GS.

It's got a fair price, is cheap to fuel and has good features, including a power top, remote locking, air conditioning and a floor-vibrating 650-watt, nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system that MP3-capable. An 8-inch subwoofer resides between the two rear seats.

Safety features include side air bags and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution.

The Solstice has a lower starting price ($20,490), but that's with crank windows and no air conditioning, floor mats or anti-lock brakes.

Conveniences such as power windows and locks, remote locking, cruise control and an up-level Monsoon audio system are all optional. And by the time you add just items or packages, the Solstice price can speed past $25,000.

There also might be an additional price overage by some dealers because the Solstice is still hard to get. (And the upcoming Sky will be just as tight on deliveries).

Cars are in such short supply that some dealers don't have one available for a test drive. Whatever gets shipped in gets sold.

That's ideal supply and demand, but it also creates an opportunity for Mitsubishi, which will build as many Spyders as it needs, hoping to top 3,000 a month, which was the outgoing model's sales rate.

And while the styling of the base Eclipse is not as dramatic as Solstice, Mitsubishi offers an optional body kit that turns it into a street-savvy stunner.

The big differences between the Eclipse Spyder and Solstice are arguing points for purists. The Solstice is rear-wheel drive, the Spyder is front-wheel drive. The Solstice is a two-seater, the Spyder has four, and even if the back seats have childish leg room, that capacity greatly expands the usability of the car. You could stuff somebody back there for a short time.

And the trunk is a decent 5 cubic feet, even when the top is down, which it often should be.

The top - lined and insulated - motors back in 19 seconds, Mitsubishi says, which is enough time to get topless at a traffic light. The process includes a finished look with a hard tonneau.

Whether in Spyder or Solstice, rearward views are obliterated by the high rear ends. I'm not a fan of the high shoulders and low bathtub speedster riding position of either car, but the Spyder has much better air flow.

At 65 mph, conversations are not yelling sessions as they are in the Solstice. And I don't think the Spyder's flimsy, optional windscreen is needed, but I wasn't concerned with mussing a hairdo.

And then there's the styling.

The Solstice is gorgeous with the top down, not so much with the top up. The body sits a little high over the tires, space that could be tightened up for a slightly lower center of gravity.

The Spyder looks good top up or down, its curves ripped from a Japanese comic book. In base form, the body still looks a little too big for its chassis, even with 18-inch tires.

But the dealer-installed aerodynamics kit adds concept-car glamour, right down to spider-fang points at the front spoiler.

The lower-body trim treatment has a recommended price of $1,890 (though dealer charges may vary). It does not include the upgrade cost for 18-inch wheels and tires, which the dealer will be happy to provide. But add the two-tone terra cotta leather interior and the price is around $30,000.

One issue with the aero kit could be an increased turning circle, which is already obscenely wide at 40 feet. The Solstice is great at 35 feet.

The Spyder GS comes with a 162 horsepower, four-cylinder engine that seems short-winded compared with the 177 hp 2.4 liter in the Solstice, but it is not. The Spyder is 612 pounds heavier, but it doesn't feel it and the power band kicks in sooner than the Solstice.

The Solstice engine sounds raspy and starved at high revs, while the Spyder sounds refined and experienced at such endeavors. The gearbox and clutch work with easy simplicity. But avoid the automatic, it's a power hog and saps the life out of the car.

The five-speed manual might seem low-tech when compared with the six-speed on the Spyder GT (V-6), but it's simple and it works well with the horsepower. A six-speed might just cause more shifting to keep the four-cylinder in the power band; the torque of the V-6 prevents that.

Mitsubishi will only win friends with its well-equipped Spyder, including a few Solstice intenders who'd like to drive their new convertible for a weekend getaway.

SPECS BOX
2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS

Body style: 2+2 convertible with power top

Engine: 2.4 liter, SOHC, 16-valve 4-cylinder with variable valve timing

Horsepower: 162 at 6,000 rpm

Torque: 162 at 4,000 rpm

Transmission: 5-speed manual (optional sport shift 4-speed automatic)

Acceleration: 0 to 60 mph, 9.2 seconds

EPA fuel economy estimates: 22 mpg city, 29 highway

Fuel Capacity: 17.7 gallons; 87 octane recommended

DIMENSIONS
Length/Wheelbase: 179.7/101.4 inches

Front head/leg/shoulder room: 39.6/42.8/54.2 inches

Rear head/leg/shoulder room: 35.7/27.7/40 inches

Curb weight: 3,472 pounds

Trunk space: 5.2 cubic feet

FEATURES
Standard equipment: Remote locking, air conditioning, cruise control, fog lights, power windows-locks-mirrors, power cloth soft top with powered tonneau cover, 9-speaker 650-watt Rockford Fosgate audio with MP3 and 6-disc in-dash CD changer

Safety equipment: Dual-stage front air bags with passenger seat sensors, front seat-mounted side bags, ABS with electronic brake force distribution

CHASSIS
Suspension: 4-wheel independent with front and rear stabilizer bars

Steering: Power-assisted rack and pinion; turning circle, 40 feet

Brakes: 4-wheel disc

Tires and wheels: P225/50R 17-inch on alloy wheels; space-saver spare

PRICING
Base Price: $25,974, including $585 freight charge

The Competition: Pontiac Solstice, Mazda Miata, Ford Mustang

Waranty: 5-years/60,000 miles basic; 10-years/100,000 powertrain

Where assembled: Normal, Ill.

PLUSES: Smooth air flow with top down on the highway; usable cargo and back seat space; glamorous, optional lower-body aero kit.

MINUSES: Huge 40-foot turning circle; high rear end makes guesswork of backward view

Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at mark.maynard@uniontrib.com.

© Copley News Service

published April 03, 2006

( 12 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.