just a handful of years ago this Lancer
se would have been a pretty cool
contender in its category today in 2013
it's like taking a trip back to the
Soviet Union everything is a generation
behind from another era let's drive this
2013 Lancer se and check the tech or at
least the places where it should be
let's face it
Mitsubishi is not long for the US market
they don't fix some things and fix them
fast their car lineup consists of three
versions of this Lancer and the gallant
which I didn't know they even made
anymore they're pinning all their hopes
right now on the 2014 Outlander
meanwhile we've got this Lancer in kind
of mid trim to show us where the
company's gone stale on the vine the
last couple of years so inside the
Lancer the first thing you're struck by
and I mean struck by are the acres of
bad plastic more than you'll see
anywhere this side of a recycling plant
hard bad finishes that don't really gap
well yeah brings us to this head unit
that is right out of the 80s
am/fm single CD and an orange dot matrix
display functionally yes but just barely
that's bass we've upgraded as you can
see to the Rockford Fosgate audio
systems 710 Watts that also rolls in six
CD player like anybody cares about that
anymore huge old sub in the trunk you
see our aux jacks are down there
infuriating lis they are a pair of RCA S
which I've heard from a lot of you about
saying why are CAS
give me an aux mini that's what I always
have now if you want Bluetooth
hands-free don't get all excited we have
the buttons we just don't have the
functionality behind them that's part of
an extra cost option that also rolls in
bluetooth streaming and a USB jack as I
understand it though the USB jack
replaces the aux input doesn't augment
it I could be wrong on that but that's
how I read the spec a little disturbing
if it's true
now navigations optional which would
bring you the LCD on this dashboard that
would also roll in some different media
choice of a 40 gigabyte hard drive for
media which you're never going to use so
it's basically a twenty four hundred
dollar navigation system I'm not big on
that knowing Mitsubishi's finesse with
cabin tech ID
Oh often have entirely at least on this
generation now the SC has the middle
engine of a Lancer you can actually on
the lower trims get a smaller engine a
two litre inline-four we have the 2.4
litre inline-four this is a hotter one
above this for the Evo of course we'll
deal with that another video 168
horsepower 167 foot-pounds of torque out
of this engine sitting very
conventionally crossways here in the
front car weighs about 31 20 gets up to
60 miles per hour in just a tick under 8
seconds while delivering 20 to 29 mpg
one gearbox on the SE the CVT
continuously variable transmission you
cannot get the 5-speed manual unless you
go down trim and you can't get
mitsubishi x' dual clutch automated
manual they're excellent SST gearbox
unless you go up to an Evo so you're
stuck with this combination now what our
Lancer does have it sets it apart in
many ways is all-wheel drive they call
it all-wheel control you may have seen
that rocker switch in the cabin you've
got a two wheel drive front mode you've
got an automatically managed all-wheel
drive mode or an all-wheel drive lock
mode putting it into more serious round
for those of you that live in serious
weather
now I've never worked on a farm but I'm
pretty darn sure I could write some
Steinbeck caliber prose about driving a
tractor at this point because I've spent
time in the Lancer this SC has a coarse
harshness about it that's coming in from
both Road vibration as well as from this
engine that makes some horrible noises
it's not a pleasant experience the CVT
transmission takes what might be a nice
motor there might be some good power and
response in there I believe there is and
really mutes the hell out of it
now the all-wheel drive as I mentioned
is a bonus on this vehicle it's one of
its strong selling points unfortunately
it's April in San Francisco I don't have
any way to really put it to a test so
we'll take the word of many many owners
who've attested that it's a great system
to have at a really good price so
there's not a whole lot as to take away
from this car except that it's one of
the last econo boxes that is still in a
cano box most inexpensive compact cars
have got to gone upmarket these days and
left the Econo role to the really small
cars the little sub compacts and and
little urban a class and be class cars
so this is an odd role that Mitsu is
kind of hanging on to here and one that
they know they have to evacuate fairly
soon okay here's high price auto Lancer
se if you must
21:09 t gets the car delivered an SC
trim every CVT only at that level then
another 1550 into the premium package
good choice here Rockford Fosgate audio
six CD satellite radio power glass roof
it's a good value then you also want the
fuse hands-free kit for just 400 bucks
you get hands-free calling thank you
bluetooth streaming USB adapter what I
wouldn't do is spend a nearly twenty
four hundred bucks on the navigation
plus 40 gig hard drive thing there tech
isn't good enough to warrant what is one
of the higher prices for that system
bottom line you buy a Lancer because you
really value that all-wheel control
technology that is definitely a point in
its favor and Mitsu's got reputation of
building cars that are tough as the day
is long but this guy's on its way out as
this era of Mitsubishi lameness so you
really need to wait
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