The display screen in the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS (also our long-term Outlander so I'm guessing it's all across Mitsubishi), drives me nuts. Let me count the ways.

First of all, the buttons absolutely stink. They are small, flat, and utterly without texture. Aargh!! I am a big fan of the old-school volume knob, and Mitsubishi's only saving grace is that it has redundant volume and CD-track controls on the steering wheel. But these buttons are utterly useless. Yes, I know, you're supposed to only operate them at a stop. Uh-huh. Not a good idea to look away while driving. I agree. But sometimes you have to, and a flat line of quarter-inch-long buttons doesn't help. It's much easier to have raised buttons, so you can essentially count your way down them with your fingers and keep your eyes on the road.

Because here's the other thing. In anything other than bright light, they completely disappear.

Granted, the photo is an exaggeration, but not by a lot.

And last but not least, directing your attention to the top screen you will notice the "open" button for loading CDs. It causes the whole thing to open vertically, placing said button on a horizontal plane where you have to feel for it to see it to, then close the thing up again. Stupid. Put it on the side.

C'mon, Mitsu. You can do better. Turn it into a touchscreen, put the "Open" button on the side, and you're halfway there.

Doug Lloyd, Senior Copy Editor, @ 15,636 miles

I've been through quite a number of cars these past few weeks. One annoyance that's common with the majority of them makes me love our Lancer if only for one reason: a touch screen navigation system.

I've been in 5-Series, E-Series, the new Jag XF and a long list of others. The majority of them have rollers or some other kind of control knob. Unfortunately I have a short amount of patiences for those awkward inputs so I strongly dislike them. Let me tap it in quickly and be on my way. Ease and efficiency make me happy.

Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer

Jumped into our 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer this weekend and noticed this message pop up on the nav screen. Weirrrd! That periodic maintenance message usually only pops up on the trip computer located behind the steering wheel. Does this mean things are urgent now since we've ignored the light for so long? (Apparently the dealership didn't reset it the last time we took the Lancer in.)

Nope, the nav message is merely a set reminder separate from the trip computer. Looked it up in the Mitsu's "Multi-Communication System" manual (page 9-9) and followed the directions to get to the screen that listed what's over due for maintenance.



Suffice it to say, the Lancer is due for maintenance, just not as overdue as I thought. We didn't skip an appointment (sigh of relief), but next time we should probably make sure that the dealer resets the reminder.

Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 14,281 miles

Pictured above is the way our long term Lancer's headlights should stay when they are not turned on. They should be off.

You see, our Mitsubishi has daytime running lights (DRLs) and I am patently against using headlights as DRLs. I should mention that I'm not against DRLs but in this age of ever increasing in-car distractions, the brief two seconds out of ten that we allow ourselves to actually look where we're going, it's helpful to have two bright reminders of the oncoming car you're not supposed to run into. But using headlights to give us this forewarning is wrong.

My reasoning is with headlights, motorcycles, which run with their headlights on, lose their ability to stand out amongst the sea of cars. It affects their safety, and as bike enthusiast, I find that unacceptable.

Some manufacturers use the amber lights in turn signals (Chevrolet) while others incorporate interesting designs and LED lights (Audi) to achieve the same effect. I wish our Mitsubishi was a little more creative when it came to DRLs.

Kurt Niebuhr, Photo Editor @ 14,110 miles

The Lancer has been in our fleet for a few months now, and its extravagantly sporty styling isn't as glaring to me as it first was. I slide behind the wheel, turn the ignition and the monster wing that dominates the rear-view mirror barely registers. I'll probably never truly be a fan of the car's fan-boy look, but the only aspects that make an impression me these days are the Lancer's positive ones. The satisfying feel of its shifter. The fluid way in which said shifter travels from one gear to the next. Its composed suspension. And its pleasantly acquiescent clutch.

The look of the car continues to be a fascination for fellow motorists, though. On Saturday, I was pulling out of a parking lot and there was some guy staring at me like he knew me. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out if he was an acquaintance, but then he got to his car and I saw that it was a garishly modded-out Trans Am with sporty styling and a wing similar to that of the Mitsu's. Then it all made sense.

He gave me an approving nod once he got behind the wheel and I feebly nodded back. I'd made myself a wing buddy. You can never have enough friends, I guess.

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 13,805 miles

Each time I drive our long-term 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, I find myself remarking to myself how good the chassis is. The bodyshell is stiff, and this solidity gave Mitsubishi's engineers the freedom to equip it with damper valving that provides lots of wheel control yet a supple ride.

And that's exactly what they did. Excepting the weaksauce engine, this car simply drives and steers with the composure and precision of a more expensive car, and I notice it every time I'm behind the wheel. This bodes very well for the upcoming Lancer Ralliart.

So what does this have to do with my photo of the Lancer's glossy hood? Nothing, really. It's just that black cars only stay clean for about two hours after being washed, since every speck stands out as if under a spotlight. So there you have it--a shot of our Lancer five minutes after a scrub. Looks sharp... right now.

Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 14,214 miles

The other day I had a dilemma. I was faced with either taking our 2007 Mini Cooper S or 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. I know these cars aren't usually shopped against each other but for the moment, I was trying to decide if I should follow my heart or my head.

Normally the Mini manages to win by tugging at my heart strings but since I was going to drive way the heck across town to Pasadena from Santa Monica in rush-hour traffic, I considered taking the Lancer. As much as I love the Mini, I found the Lancer isn't as jolt-y when shifting from 1st to 2nd, making it a more comfortable ride to my usual passengers and a bit easier to deal with on the slow-moving freeway. Yes, the Mini is faster but that wouldn't do me much good here anyway. Our Lancer has Sirius, which keeps me entertained during long commutes, and the Mini doesn't have satellite radio but it has heated seats which I love.

In the end the Mini's looks won me over. Again. I wanted to show off a bit and the Lancer's looks don't really stand out to me. Anyway traffic wasn't so bad to deal with but my passenger did complain that the Mini "felt like it was all over the place" and how she "could feel every bump" we drove over. Oh well. At least I was happy.

Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 13,318 miles

Dear Mitsubishi,

May I humbly introduce to you a rather nifty concept: the tilt and telescoping steering column. It's actually been around for quite awhile. GM came up with it back in the 1960s and Cadillac was the first brand to receive it. Telescoping took a while to catch on, but by the late 1990s, lowly VW New Beetles had them and a majority of vehicles come so-equipped today. And yet, I see that not a single vehicle Mitsubishi sells in the United States comes with this feature. I find that surprising considering you've mastered twin-clutch transmissions, Super All-Wheel Control AWD and the ability to burn CD's into the car's stereo.

Subsequently, as a tall chap (6-foot-3) I am forced to drive your Lancer GTS as if I was holding a naked baby who's just consumed three sippy cups of apple juice. I have to pick between nearly locking my arms, or smushing my legs. The Outlander also suffers from this problem, but its elevated driver seats does alleviate the issue somewhat. No luck with the Lancer, which could also use a height adjustment for the front of the seat. 

As such, I could never buy this car even though I generally like it as a whole. Perhaps you could phone down to R&D.

Sincerely,

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 13,295 miles

P.S. I don't think you got quite enough height on that wing. Perhaps full Plymouth Road Runner would be in order.

I’m not the first to notice the unpleasant noises our long-term Mitusbishi Lancer makes at higher engine speeds. But after spending a weekend putting up with the Mitsu’s uncivilized under-hood racket, I think this topic deserves its own post. Chief Road Test Editor Chris Walton has opined that the Lancer’s 2.0-liter, 152 hp four sounds “janitorial” -- but I think that’s too kind. What this frumpy four-banger really sounds like at full-tilt is your standard-issue $40 blender.

Part of the problem here is probably inadequate sound insulation at the firewall, but if the engine's done right, it should be pleasing to the ear no matter what the decibel level. And our spoiler-bedecked Lancer is clearly aimed at people who care about this sort of thing.

The aural competition in this segment is stiff. For roughly the same price as our long-termer, you could get a nicely optioned Mazda3 s with its sewing-machine-smooth 2.3-liter mill, or even a Honda Civic Si, which plays a downright inspiring melody north of 6,000 rpm. Shoppers who test-drive those cars and return to the Mitsubishi dealership in the end will be buying the Lancer GTS in spite of its engine note -- not because of it.

Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 12,115 miles

When it comes right down to it, not many cars actually crack the 30 mpg barrier. That's why I was surprised to glance down and see our 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer registering 31.8 mpg this morning. And that was after some spirited accelerations in early morning wide-open traffic conditions.

I've owned three Mitsubishis over the past decade and I have to say, they've come a long way. Even my most recent 2000 Mitsubishi Galant (a rental car if ever I saw one) is about as feature-less as they come. It has remote control door locks and, let's see... That's about it. But it has been a faithful and dependable friend. 

The Lancer, mean while, has all kinds of info in glowing red: temperature, instant MPG, miles to empty, just to name a few things. I really like all that. Not sure how truly useful it is but I like flipping through the menus when I get bored on the freeway.

I do miss the torque when I'm pulling off the line. It takes a long time get it up to 6000 rpm where the fun begins. As a friend of mine said, "You talk about horsepower but you drive torque." Our 2005 Jetta TDI is only 100 horsepower but it has an ocean of torque.

A huge negative for me is the rear spoiler cutting right into the sight-line. Visibility is everything on the freeway and I feel like I'm driving with one-eye closed.

Philip Reed, Edmunds Senior Consumer Advice Editor @12,007 miles