2004 Mitsubishi Lancer - Reviews - Buying Guide
2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Buying Resources:
2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Review:
Mitsubishi has few cars with as distinguished a motorsports
career as the Lancer Model. This rally-inspired design has
had great success on the grueling rally circuits of Europe,
Africa and North America and this year, they haven’t been
ignored. With one of the most exciting offerings from Mitsubishi
this year, the 271 hp turbocharged Lancer Evolution, this
line-up has reached a new height, but that isn’t to say it
has forgotten its roots or the families and others who seek
out the base trim levels for value, reliability and quality.
This year the lower end of the Lancer line-up has more power,
a wagon version and plenty of practical improvements that
may not help you drive through the Sahara desert but will
certainly help you get around the city with a little panache,
a selection of interior amenities and a good carrying capacity.
Despite the upstart rally-ready models, the Lancer is a practical
and affordable vehicle for the young person or work-horse
second car choice
Under the Hood
The base 2004 Lancer comes with a 2-liter engine coupled
with either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission.
It is capable of 120 hp at 5500rpm and 130 lb-ft of torque
at 4250. It gets excellent mileage with 33mpg on the highway
with the manual transmission (30mpg with the AT). City specs
for mileage are in the mid-twenties with 24 and 26 mpg, depending
on which transmission is running.
The next step up, standard on the LS Wagon and the Ralliart
model, is a 2.4-liter engine capable of 162 hp at 5750rpm
and 162 lb-ft of torque at 4000. It also gets good mileage
with 22 and 29 mpg (city/highway), depending on which transmission
is running. As mentioned above, the turbocharged Evolution
comes with 271 hp at 6500 rpm and 273 lb-ft of torque at 3500.
All models have dual-front airbags. Tires on the base ES
model are 185/65R14 but this rises to 205/50HR16 on the luxury
oriented LS wagon and the Ralliart model. Front-side airbags
and antilock brakes are standard for the 2.4-litre models.
Standard Features, Options Packages and Style
The Mitsubishi Lancer line is designed to be accessible to
those on a limited budget but it still maintains a pretty
solid collection of standard amenities on the base ES model.
A Convenience package allows even more flexibility, as it
adds some more value, including remote keyless entry and a
split-folding rear seat with an armrest, without requiring
an upgrade to the next trim level.
Without this package, the Lancer ES has standard equipped
interior amenities as follows: air conditioning, AM/FM/CD
player, power windows, doors, mirrors and steering plus a
more items. The LS adds remote keyless entry, cruise control,
variable-intermittent wipers and matched floor mats while
the O-Z rally refines the interior with a unique sporty trim.
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