Ask anyone about their first car and they immediately smile. It didn’t matter if you inherited your parent’s old car or if you had a top of the line model. It was the sense of adventure and newfound freedom that mattered most as you started the engine for the first time.
From a parent’s perspective, choosing a car for your teenage driver can be a difficult decision. You want to make sure they have a safe, reliable vehicle but you also don’t want to break the bank. The Mitsubishi Lancer is a great option for a very safe vehicle that comes with a lot of extra features for the price.
I am used to driving a large SUV and honestly thought it would be a compromise to drive the Mitsubishi Lancer. I was expecting to feel cramped in a small space and wasn’t sure if the smaller engine would have enough power. It only took a short drive to change all of that.
I drove the Lancer back and forth to work for a week and was surprised by the amount of room in the vehicle. I never felt like I was driving a compact car. If you need to haul anything, the rear seat has a 60/40 split which opens to the trunk. It might be a smaller sized car, but it feels pretty big on the inside.
The other feature that blew me away was the Lancer’s 710-watt Rockford-Fosgate sound system with 9 speakers including a 10-inch dual-voice coil subwoofer. It was powerful enough to vibrate the rear view and side mirrors when I turned it up during my commute. I have to admit, I probably looked like Michael Bolton from Office space with the stereo cranked up like that. You can control the stereo from the buttons on the steering wheel or from the touchscreen display.
The large LCD touchscreen is also used for the navigation system, which provides real-time traffic updates like the icy road conditions warning I received one morning. As you cruise around town, the display shows you the speed limit and what turn lanes are available at the intersection ahead. The screen is also used for the rear view camera, which makes it easy to see what is behind the vehicle.
The Mitsubishi Lancer had plenty of power to get up to the Sammamish Plateau with ease. The 2.4-liter MIVEC engine in the GT model has 168-hp and gets 23/30 MPG (26/34 with the ES model). It has a feature called Hill Start Assist, which prevents you from rolling backward when you take your foot of the brake. If you live in the greater Seattle area, a feature like this will remove a lot of stress when driving downtown. The Lancer also has a 10-year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty, which is one of the best on the market.
Mitsubishi packed a lot of safety features into this sports sedan. For several years, the Lancer has been an IIHS Top Safety Pick. It has 7 standard airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag. The Lancer has an All Wheel Control (AWC) Electronically Controlled 4WD System, which means you can stay in control even when it is pouring buckets of rain or if there is ice on the ground.
The Mitsubishi Lancer had a lot of creature comforts that made it comfortable to drive, like the heated seats, sunroof, and keyless entry system. It was really nice to just keep the keys in my pocket and to have the door unlock as I approached. As strange as it might sound, I really liked having a vehicle with a trunk. For the past few years, I have either had a truck or an SUV with a liftgate. It was nice to have a trunk where I could securely leave my computer bag when I went into the gym. I usually just tempt fate by leaving my bag in the back of my SUV, covered by a coat.
The Mitsubishi Lancer starts at $17,595 for the base model. The fully loaded GT model starts at $23,495. The premium sound system, navigation, and safety features make the Lancer a great option for your teenager’s first car or for your daily commuter vehicle.
