Used 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS 2dr Convertible Consumer Reviews
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love this car
Pete and Judy, Tujunga, CA, 07/30/2016
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS 2dr Convertible
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought this car from a good friend who was the original owner. He always took the car to the dealer to get serviced. It is a red convertible with gray interior and black rag top. normally aspirated 2.5 liter and auto trans. When I first bought it , I had to do all 4 brakes completely (rotors, drums, pads, slave cylinders, master cylinder, and bleeding). They worked flawlessly after that for about 6 or 7 years, and then I just had to turn the rotors and install new pads. A couple of years ago I replaced a broken alternator belt. Then a few months ago I replaced the original water pump. And of course I did the timing belt and balance shaft belt at the same time, which were still in relatively good condition. And a new battery. And that is all the maintenance I have to do in the 9 years that I have owned it. Basically just a few normal wearing parts. Oh yeah, the original owner replaced the transmission with a brand new one a couple of years before he sold it to me. He had no other issues whatsoever. Enjoyable to drive, and something I wasn't expecting: in the summertime with top down it is a great chick magnet! That particular series of Eclipse has a much sexier look than any other series that was built before or after it. Pros: fun to drive, very reliable, and very affordable to own. Cons: the rag top was leaky and no good to drive in the rain. But I'm told that could have been avoided if the original owner had used a conditioner on it every few years, and garaged the car more often. And the front end body work is very close to the ground. You must always tap the brakes and unload the suspension before driving over any bumps or dips, and enter or exit steep driveways very slowly and at angle. If you like this style of car and can find one that has been well maintained over the past 2 decades, buy it!
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Fun to Look At
susan78, 03/15/2007
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS 2dr Convertible
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is amazingly pretty and sporty, but if you need to get from point A to point B, you better try a bike instead. This car is so cheaply made it seemed sooner or later everything fell apart, including the leaky rag top. I was SO disappointed as I love the Eclipse and it had been my dream to own a Spyder. Oh well. For this car the adage that a car is hole in the pavement surrounded by metal into which one throws money could not be truer.
Fun to Drive
test@test.com, 02/22/2002
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS 2dr Convertible
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The Spyder is a fabulous driving machine, it feels great on the road, moves well. Biggest problem is that the nose hangs too low and scrapes everything. After 5 years with no issues, the convertible motor died and needed to be replaced. Otherwise A+
“”AFTER 22 YEARS “
Kenneth, Edmond, OK, 06/22/2019
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS 2dr Convertible
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Hello Y’all, I got this 1997 Mitsubishi eclipse 2.4 L almost 8 months ago now, Yes, it is 22 years old this year! I guess you can’t really do too much complaining about a car that’s over two decades old, the plastics in it are cracking up a lot, again 22 year old plastics!. The rear windows gliders are all shot and need replacing. All interior plastic pieces are extremely delicate and will break almost effortlessly, again after 22 years most plastics will crack and break very easily. The leather seats didn’t survive, but I guess that’s most leather seats in all cars in addition after 22 years. Today it has 176,000 miles on it, the front and rear struts will require replacing in addition. Most of the front end bushings are completely worn out. The plastic door handles even the new ones that they sell for replacements will break on you pretty quick too, specially if anything froze up overnight. Other than that it’s just minor problems you face on most cars, overall it is flashy and stylish and not bad performance still today after 22 years competing with the 2019 cars in its category.
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Adequate
Jeffenwulf, 09/14/2003
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS 2dr Convertible
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The car is is severely underpowered for a sports car. The 2.4 4G64 engine doesn't provide the performance that I would expect. I love the enclosed feel of the interior, but the materials are cheap and prone to chipping. The convertible top leaks heavily in rainstorms. I had this problem with the original top and a newly installed top. The automatic transmission is horrible. It doesn't shift crisply and solidly as desired. Already completely rebuilt at under 50,000 miles. The trunk is merely there to hold the spare tire and a gym bag.
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