When you want to take control over the transmission, just pop the console shifter into manual mode to gain access to gearshifts via the slapstick or steering wheel column mounted paddle shifters.

While it took us a while to warm up to the new-fangled way of changing gears, we’ve seen the light. If you like to keep both hands on the wheel at all times, you’re predisposed to take a liking to the paddle shifters.

Truth be told, the real magic isn’t in the shifters … it’s in the SST transmission itself, as it makes those lightning fast gear changes. The twin-clutches assure that the next gear is always there, with a healthy snap.

As shown in the video’s shift sequences, the difference between the SST transmission’s Normal and Sport modes is readily apparent, with Sport mode providing aggressive up and downshifts.

When the SST transmission is left in Normal mode and is driven conscientiously, shift points are conservative, yet fast. Toggle the console switch forward and Jekyll turns to Hyde. While there’s a just a hint of this under light acceleration, it shows clearly when the pedal is pushed with more urgency.

The shift points are relatively similar between modes at wide open throttle, with the assumption that if you mash it, you must mean it.

The 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder engine, mated to a six-speed twin-clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (SST) and full-time all-wheel-drive system. The inline four produces 237 horsepower (HP) and 253 foot pounds of torque.

The EPA’s fuel economy estimates for the AWD 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart are 17 city / 25 highway miles per gallon (MPG).

We put roughly five hundred miles on the odometer of our Rotor Glow orange metallic review unit and had no problem slipping past the official mileage estimates with an average of 27.8 MPG on the Interstate highway and 22.1 MPG combined.

Overall test period temperatures ranged from the low-seventies to the high-eighties, with Interstate highway testing temperatures in the mid-eighty degree range.

Interstate Mileage Testing:
Cruise control set to 68 MPH, A/C off, windows up (1-inch gap): 28.0 MPG
Cruise control off, target speed 60-72 MPH, A/C off, windows up (1-inch gap): 28.5 MPG
Cruise control set to 68 MPH, A/C on, windows closed: 27.3 MPG

The Ralliart’s intercooled single-scroll turbo cranks up the inline four, as it delivers plenty of punch to motivate the 3462 pound (curb weight) sedan, while the SST transmission knocks out rapid fire shifts.

This one’s on rails. Mitsubishi’s full-time All Wheel Control system gets all that power to the road via an automatic center differential that deals out the torque to the front (helical) and rear (mechanical) limited slip differentials.

Switching modes between Tarmac, Gravel, and Snow covered roads is a push-button affair.

Driver controls are excellent.

The Ralliart’s leather-wrapped sport steering wheel puts Bluetooth, audio, and cruise controls safely and conveniently within the driver’s grip. The Sportronic transmission’s steering wheel column-mounted Magnesium paddle shifters are top-notch.

Our review unit was equipped with the Recaro Sport option package, which includes Recaro front bucket seats, high-intensity discharge headlights, and a 9-speaker, 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate Punch sound system, Sirus Satellite Radio, a six-CD in-dash head unit, and a 10-inch trunk mounted subwoofer.

While the Recaro seats keep you snug between the bolsters, they do not provide heating or lumbar support. Seat adjustments are limited to fore/aft and recline. There’s plenty of legroom for tall drivers.

There are two power outlets: one at the base of the dash and the other inside the center console. The audio system provides a basic audio-in jack. There is no USB iPod input.

Our test unit was not equipped with the optional Navigation Package, which includes a 40GB HDD Digital Music Server.

Is that a subwoofer in the trunk, or a Marshall amp?

The Fast-Key allows automatic unlocking and a power trunk release. With the subwoofer in the trunk, the cargo area provides 9.1 cubic feet of space. (Count on 10.0 cubic feet of storage, sans subwoofer.) The 60/40 fold-down rear seats allow for a flexible arrangement of cargo and passengers.

We found the seating to be reasonably comfortable for four, with plenty of headroom.

The Ralliart’s Multi-Information LCD display provides two trip meters, coolant temperature, outside temperature, service reminders, and range to empty, along with average and instant fuel economy data.

We always recommend driving with the instant fuel economy display active, in order to develop a light-footed driving technique that gets the greatest amount of mileage out of every gallon of fuel.

The 14.5 gallon gas tank provides an average range when driven conscientiously. The turbocharged four cylinder engine is designed to run on Premium Unleaded (91 octane) fuel.

All-in-all, the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart is a trusty steed, well-suited to a variety of road conditions. This all-wheel-drive sports sedan delivers a level of performance that one would expect in a much more expensive vehicle, and with reasonable fuel economy, to boot.

Under the hood, the 2009 Galant Sport is equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine which produces 160 horsepower (HP) and 155 foot pounds of torque. The inline four is exclusively mated to a Sportronic four-speed automatic transmission.

If you crave horsepower over fuel economy, you’ll want to look to the top of the Galant line-up for the Sport V6 and Ralliart editions.

Both the Sport V6 and Ralliart are fitted with a 3.8-liter V6. The engine in the Sport V6 model produces 230 HP and 250 foot pounds of torque, while the Ralliart’s mill delivers 258 / 258. Both the Sport V6 and Ralliart are equipped with a Sportronic five-speed automatic.

The EPA’s fuel economy estimates for the four-cylinder 2009 Mitsubishi Galant Sport are 20 city / 27 highway miles per gallon (MPG).

We rolled up over six hundred miles on our Maizen Blue Pearl review unit and shattered the official Mitsubishi Galant mileage estimates, with an average of 34.1 MPG on the Interstate highway and 26.9 MPG combined.

As with the majority of vehicle’s we’ve tested, the Galant Sport scored better higher highway mileage with the cruise control off. Test period temperatures ranged from the sixties through the seventies. Highway testing was performed with the windows up, air conditioning off.

While the Galant responds extremely well to conscientious driving, Mitsubishi does not provide an instant fuel economy gauge as standard equipment. We used an Auto Meter Ecometer to provide the feedback necessary to achieve better gas mileage results by using a light-footed driving technique.

Note: It appears that the top-of-the-line 2009 Ralliart is the only Galant that can be configured from the factory with optional Mitsubishi Multi Communication System-equipped Navigation package. An instant fuel economy display is included in the flat-screen Nav system.

With a curb weight of 3,483 pounds, the 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated engine has its work cut out for it, off the line.

The Sportronic transmission lets you keep the four-banger in its powerband for a more enjoyable run when the road gets twisty. 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes (ABS) are standard equipment.

Our test unit was equipped with the Sport Value Package with sunroof. On the exterior, the package include fog lights, handsome 18-inch alloy wheels and P235/45-18 tires, and a tasteful deck lid spoiler. Inside the cabin, the package adds a well-designed sport wrapped steering wheel with stealthy audio controls, hands-free Bluetooth, and heated front seats, among other features.

The Galant’s standard four-speaker audio system is ripe for upgrade. While it will play MP3 CDs, it does not provide digital music input as a standard feature. An iPod USB adapter is available as optional equipment.

The Sport Edition provides an eight-way adjustable drivers seat with manual lumbar support. There is a single power outlet at the front of the center console.

The mettle of a mid-sized sedan is just how comfortable is the back seat. The Galant passes the test with 37 inches of rear headroom and legroom, 56.6 inches of rear shoulder room, and 53.7 inches of rear hip room.

The Galant’s trunk is adequate, though not cavernous. While the rear seat does not fold down, there is a convenient center-passthrough for longer cargo.

All-in-all, we found the American-made Mitsubishi Galant Sport to deliver a solid value with a combination of ride, style, and real-world fuel economy.

Parts Content

US/Canadian Parts Content: 61%
Major Sources of Foreign Parts Content:
Japan 30%

Country of Origin:
Engine: Japan
Transmission: Japan

Final Assembly Point:
Normal, Illinois

All 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander ES and SE models are equipped with a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine, producing 168 horsepower (HP) and 167 foot-pounds of torque. The more sporting Outlander XLS is equipped with a 3.0-liter V6, producing 220 HP and 204 foot-pounds of torque. The 2.0-liter is fitted with a CVT, while the 3.0-liter V6 earns a well-suited six-speed automatic transmission.

The official mileage estimates for the V6 AWD 2009 Outlander XLS are 17 city / 23 highway miles per gallon (MPG).

We put over 400 miles on the odometer of our V6-equipped Outlander XLS review unit, sneaking past the official estimates, scoring an average of 25.5 MPG on the Interstate highway, with 22.1 MPG combined.

All mileage tests were performed with the drive mode selector in 2WD. Test period temperatures ranged from the twenties through the forties, with freeway speeds between 60 and 72 miles per hour (MPH).

68 MPH with cruise – 24.3 MPG
60-72 MPH without cruise – 26.7 MPG

The Outlander XLS’s V6 and Sportronic six-speed transmission proved themselves to be a worthy combination. While the Outlander’s admittedly a bit removed from the venerable Mitsubishi EVO, the column-mounted magnesium paddle shifters manage to turn that everyday drive into more fun than a XBox 360.

Okay, so you might not give up playing Gran Turismo. Although the Outlander can’t compare to an EVO, its handling beats the typical marshmallow SUV’s handling, hands down. And you can always bring your xBox or Playstation along with and plug it into the video input ports that come with the Navigation option package.

The optional Mitsubishi Multi Communication System adds a whole new dimension with advanced fuel economy tracking, an altimeter, a barometer, a rearview camera, and a 40 GB hard drive-equipped music server. Alas, all is not golden. While there’s an auxiliary audio input hidden about the cabin, a much sought-after USB hookup is nowhere to be found. You’ll need to move music to the system’s hard drive via CDs. (The system provides in-car track ripping.)

There are three 12-volt outlets: one at the base of the dash, one in the center console, and one in the rear cargo area. A 115-volt AC outlet can be found in the console, as well.

The Outlander’s standard issue Multi-Information display is located center-stage, between the tachometer and speedometer. With average fuel economy and instant MPG displays, the LED screen provides the feedback you need to get the maximum mileage out of the Outlander.

MPG Tips: When driven conscientiously, the six-speed automatic Outlander can beat the numbers. The trick, as always, is to drive with a light foot and let off the throttle whenever possible. Shift early and keep the real-time MPG thermometer as high as you can, for as long as you can. Use inertia to its greatest advantage, but keep in mind that you’re in a SUV, not a sports car.

The Outlander XLS features a crisply-designed, driver-focused interior, with comprehensive steering wheel controls. The luxury package include leather seating and heated front buckets, although lumbar support is notably absent.

Selectable four-wheel-drive allows the driver to dial down to front wheel drive to save on fuel or up to four wheel lock for the rough stuff.

The split rear tailgate provides excellent access to the Outlander’s 72.6 cubic feet of cargo space. And last but not least, the optional 650 watt Rockford Fosgate audio system delivers plenty of thump to rattle the mirrors with a 10-inch subwoofer.

All-in-all, the sporty Outlander XLS offers a unique and fun-to-drive alternative to the more mundane competition.

Note: The 3.0-liter SOHC MIVEC V6 qualifies as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV).

In the UK, the 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander is equipped with a highly fuel-efficient intercooled and direct-injected 2.0 liter 16-valve DOHC turbo-diesel engine that produces 33.6 urban / 51.4 extra urban / 42.8 combined miles per British gallon. That equates to roughly 28 city / 42.8 highway / 35.6 combined in US MPG. It’s not just about the mileage, of course … the little diesel four banger pumps out 123 HP and 310 foot pounds of torque.

Mitsubishi Outlander Gas Mileage: 2002 – 2009

We had our chance to drive and ride in the little critter at the Electric Drive Transportation Association’s (EDTA) ride and drive event in Washington, DC early last month.

The i MiEV is smooth, quiet, and quite unlike a golf cart that some might imagine it to be … not only that, it’s quick off the line to boot. Out in the crowded streets, the i MiEV’s diminutive dimensions are a huge asset. With plenty of that trademark immediate electric motor torque, the i MiEV proves itself to be a fun scoot through city traffic.

Interior space is maximized, and while it is a bit tight, the i MiEV didn’t feel nearly as small as I expected it to be. I had the chance to both drive and ride in the rear seat and had no problem getting into or out of the seats. (Four doors are a great thing in such a small car!)

Don’t expect to see i MiEVs roaming American streets en masse any time soon. The only i MiEVs here now are strictly for testing. While the i MiEV is slated to go into production this year, no plans have been announced for importation into the States.

Nevertheless, MPGomatic is floating the meme for a Celebrity i MiEV Racing Series …

The 2.0 liter engine is available in three states of tune, with the most powerful (and thirsty) found in the Lancer Evolution (or Evo, for short). Premium fuel is required in the higher horsepower 2.0 liter engines, while regular will suffice for the 2.4- and base 2.0-liter.

Mitsubishi Lancer Gas Mileage: 2002 – 2009

Eclipse owners must decide between a four cylinder or V6 engine, depending on the model. The Eclipse GS is fitted with Mitsubishi’s 2.4 liter SOHC MIVEC inline four delivering 162 horsepower (HP) and 162 foot pounds of torque. The Eclipse GT is fitted with a 3.8 liter SOHC V6 providing a healthy 265 HP and 262 foot pounds of torque.

The four cylinder Eclipse GS is fitted with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. The V6 Eclipse GT is fitted with 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission. The Eclipse GS is rated at 20 city / 28 highway miles per gallon (MPG) with the manual and 20/26 with the automatic. The Eclipse GT is rated at 16 city / 25 highway MPG with the manual and 16/24 with the automatic.

Although they weigh in with roughly two hundred additional pounds, the soft top Eclipse Spyder GS and GT mileage ratings are identical to their metal-roofed stable mates.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Gas Mileage: 1990 – 2008

Galant owners can choose between a four cylinder or V6 engine, depending on the model. The 2.4 liter SOHC MIVEC inline four delivers 160 horsepower (HP) and 155 foot pounds of torque, while the 3.8 liter SOHC V6 provides 230 HP and 250 foot pounds of torque. The more economical four is rated at 20 city / 27 highway miles per gallon (MPG). The V6 requires premium fuel.

All four cylinder Galants are fitted with a 4-speed Sportronic automatic transmissions. The V6 cars are fitted with 5-speed Sportronics. A manual transmission option is not available.

The new 2009 Galant Ralliart is equipped with a more powerful V6 that cranks out 258 HP and 258 foot pounds of torque.

Mitsubishi Galant Gas Mileage: 1985 – 2008