Skip to main content

Used 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer Consumer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
29 reviews
1...

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

Price history graph example
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2016 Lancer, so we've included reviews for other years of the Lancer since its last redesign.

Trending topics in reviews

Pros
Cons
4.63 out of 5 stars

Another Mits in the family

skwillbanks, 05/21/2012
2012 Mitsubishi Lancer SE 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful

We have had several Mits's. Eclipse, Spyder, several Galants, Monty Sport. All excellent purchases and very dependable and they run forever. Our daughter is now of driving age and we went out on a limb am bought her a new car. Lancer SE. Was originally looking at an ES but the 2.0 is noisy. Drove the SE just to see if the engine was quieter and it was. This is the same engine my first Galant had in it. Very, very good car. With the warranty, the safety ratings, and the quality they offer - well I would say it was an easy decision.

Report Abuse

5 out of 5 stars

I love my Lancer

emmons11, 10/21/2012
2012 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful

I am a 60yr old man and i have owned many many cars and trucks in my day.The MITSUBISHI LANCER is the best of all of them.I like to drive again,thanks to the Lancer!the handling, ride, fun to drive,good mpg,room,10yr 100,000 powertrain,5yr 60,000 bumper to bumper.how can you go wrong?this car is for young and old plus a great family car to.please drive one and see for yourself.

Report Abuse
5 out of 5 stars

Between the Corolla and the Camry...Perfect

GREG BARLOW, 04/05/2017
2016 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful

This is our 3rd Lancer in the family and not the last. 26 mpg on mountain roads and the 2.0 ltr has power to spare as peepy as my wifes AWC 2.4 ltr Lancer. I don't like the new front bumper design but can live with that. Paint with Mitsubishi has always been an issue so you must stay on top of the waxing. If you step up and pay a little more from the 5spd stick you get lots of extras. I really liked my wifes 2015 but I love my 2016. We will drive these for 10 yrs and then pass them to the grandkids. Keep the oil changed and the servicing up to date and these will go the distance not to mention they have timing chains not belts which have to changed out and thats not cheap. We paid $15500 which included destination (which is a bs charge but they won't waive it) plus tax and lic.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse

4 out of 5 stars

Great Car- Easily Overlooked

Rob, 07/02/2017
updated 01/21/2020
2016 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful

Lets be real about this review. This is a compact AWD car for around $20k. It is more of an entry level AWD car. But I think it is an all-around, excellent, fun to drive car. For what you pay and what you get it is an outstanding value. This car is easily overlooked in favor of other small foreign cars. So far no mechanical issues (63,000 miles and was purchased brand new). I have a 2016 ES, AWD with the 2.4 CVT. I love the (lack of) technology in the car. It's simple and in some ways , "old school". Controls are laid out well and easy to use. Visibility is excellent!! I never have any issues checking my blind spots or backing the car. Engine: I have the optional 2.4 engine but this comes standard with the AWD system. Mine is crippled by the CVT transmission. This engine delivers very nice power (relatively speaking) especially at highway speeds. It was quite peppy and responsive when new but it seems to have quickly lost some of its punch. Off the line acceleration is not bad from 0-30 mph; but from 30-60mph, tends to drop off a bit. I can manage a 0-60 time of about 8 seconds. It was slightly quicker when new and may have dropped into the mid-7's from time to time. This is not a race car and you will not win any drag races with it. However, the engine is adequate for "normal" driving under most conditions. Fuel Economy: I personally find the fuel-economy to be very good. If you put things into perspective and consider the following; 2.4, CVT (automatic) with A/C and AWD. Then I think 30 MPG is outstanding!! If you can manage to drive around the speed limit on the highway I have even managed an occasional 32 MPG from time to time. I don't know why other reviews on this car suggest fuel-economy is sub-par. Transmission: I don't care for the CVT automatic ( but to be fair, it has not given me any issues yet). I think it holds the engine performance back too much and it never allows the engine to happily-rev to the red line, instead it allows for a leisurely stroll around the tach. Also, the engine tends to operate in the same range of about 1500-2500 rpm for almost every driving condition. I find myself forcing higher rpm from the engine, just to get it out of that operating range from time to time. So I find this to be pretty disappointing. For lack of better wording, I also find the engine trying to "lug" from time to time, especially if climbing a grade at highway speed. This is among the worst CVT transmissions I have ever used. It is far from smooth and VERY slow to respond to throttle changes. Mine does tend to "jerk" from time to time, and has no problems letting you know it's unrefined. For the AWD system: This car is AWD, ...NOT... 4wheel Drive. Yes, there is a difference! During my snow testing of the car I used the "4wheel Lock" feature and de-activated the traction control system. I feel this allowed the AWD system to have as much power as possible for the tests I performed with the car. Other settings are available and many of you may prefer to leave the traction control system on during snow driving conditions. I finally had the opportunity to drive the car in some snow conditions. (keep in mind that tires play a significant role in this area). My tires are 205-60-16 vehicle. I have replaced the original Yokohama tires with Continentials (and the Continential tires performed much worse than the OE-Yokohama's). Most of the snow I drove in was approx 4"-6" as we simply don't get the amount of snow we used to in my area. I found the car to spin quite a bit, in anything more than 4" especially when getting started from a stop (even more so on a grade)and even easing on the throttle. (but... I did deliberately stop on a snow covered grade a couple of times in an attempt to get the car stuck, but with some wheel spin and good use of the throttle I was on my way) I did have the opportunity to drive the car in some deeper snow (say between 6"-8") on a couple of secondary roads during the past winter. The car performed well but there is room for improvement. Again, I did notice a bit of wheel spin from the rear wheels under the worst conditions. This is more than I would like for an AWD car. It slips and spins, especially in deeper snow but it did NOT get stuck. It seems capable and got the job done. I'm not sure I would take this car off road, and the owners manual does not recommend it either. So better stick to roads on the map, just to be safe. Overall: I'm very pleased with the car. I purchased mine brand new and so far no serious problems. It fits my budget, seems reliable and meets my needs. I am heart-broken to find that Mitsubishi no longer offers the car in it's lineup. Update January 2020 - No significant changes. No significant problems; I stand by my previous reports on the car. Current mileage is approximately 75,000

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse

4.75 out of 5 stars

Great value!

soyeahiknow, 02/03/2013
2012 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful

I have been the go to guy to buying cars for my family so in the past 4 years, I have bought 3 new cars and one used car. I was worried about the CVT transmission because i read online it was a bad transmission with no power. Wow, these "expert" reviewers must be test driving too many turbo mustangs and super cars. The CVT is just fine in power! If you are not used to driving one, it may feel different. So in a with a regular auto transmission, a sign of an underpowered car is when u push the gas hard, you will see the engine RPM go way up but the speed lags until it up-shifts a gear. The CVT sounds just like that so u THINK like it's underpowered but it's not true. Test drive one.

Report Abuse
1...
Items per page:
5