Vehicle: 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GT-P with 5-speed Sportronic
Price as tested: CDN$39293

Performance: Just like its coupe silibing. The Spyder is powered by 2 engines. An anemic 2.4L with 162hp and 162 lb/ft of torque. Or the more powerful 3.8L MIVEC V6 SOHC that is good for 260 ponies. This engine has refinement that is close to those wonderful V6s by Honda and Toyota, although its no cigar. On the other hand, it feels somewhat lacking in the bottom end as maximum torque won’t reached until 4500rpm. When 258 lb/ft of torque does arrive at 4500rpm, it feels more lively and willing to go thanks to its variable valve timing that enhances breathing at high rpm. Matched with this engine is either a 6-speed stick or 5-speed Sportonic in our tester. While this manumatic has decent gear ratios, it doesn’t allow enthuisastic drivers to rev pass redline before upshifting. In automatic mode, there is a transmission lags during up and downshifts. Its just not a willing transmission at all. 6-speed stick is a much better choice despite of its long throw.

Handling: The outgoing Eclipse Spyder is notoriously for terrible cowl shakes even on smooth pavement. On the rough roads, it was simply a rattlebox. With the advant of Mitsubishi’s Project America platform, which is well-known for its stiffness and rigidity. All the cowl shakes have become a thing of history in the new Eclipse. The Spyder, however, remains a very comfortable highway cruiser with its excellent ride quality. It absorbs bumps and roughness like a much more expensive luxury sedan. However, its composure lost when it comes to corners. There are just way too much body rolls and understeer when pushed. With 260 horses going through the front wheels, torque steer is your close companion. The steering doesn’t feel as communicative as the system in Galant or even its coupe silibing.

Brakes: With its standard 4-wheel disc brakes, anti-lock brakes and electronic braking force distribution. Spyder’s braking distance and pedal feel are much better than expected. There aren’t much fades after couple of complete stops, nor the ABS kicked in unnecessarily.

Interior: The visibility of Spyder is much better than coupe when the roof opens, mainly because it doesn’t have those high roofline hiding the blind spots. On the other hand, coupe’s tiny side view mirrors remained. The interior is pretty well layout. With easy to use center console and comfortable seats. You also got a great set of instrumentation and high-quality leather covered seats. However, there are still plenty of cheap plastic abound on the dashboard.

In terms of trunk space, its pretty much nil with GT-P’s standard subwoofers.

Conclusion: The Eclipse Spyder is definitely a great cruiser in a nice summer evening. Its comfortable, rides exceptionally well and got a decent powertrain. Mitsubishi really has done a good job of updating the Spyder with both style and substance.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2007 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER GT-P
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Performance: 3/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2.25/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 3.75/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 1/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3/5