Used 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer Sedan Consumer Reviews
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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.
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Great Car- Easily Overlooked
Rob, 07/02/2017
updated 01/21/2020
2016 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
18 of 19 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
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I love my lancer!
Colt A., 09/20/2016
2016 Mitsubishi Lancer ES 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 5M)
10 of 19 people found this review helpful
This is the third Mitsubishi I have owned and it has been great, and the dealership I bought it from was also excellent. I got it for $14,000 brand new, have had no issues like all of my other mitsu's. Its disparaging see such poor reviews on vehicles like this that are clearly superior to thier american counterparts, like the dart, cruise or focus, that all blow up or the infotatinment system needs to constantly be messed with, or push button start going out at 20,000 miles or trannies going out @ 50,000 miles. Enjoy your fords that will rust out in ten months [non-permissible content removed].
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Big Mistake
Allen, 09/12/2016
2016 Mitsubishi Lancer SEL 4dr Sedan AWD (2.4L 4cyl CVT)
9 of 32 people found this review helpful
I was excited to purchase the Lancer because it offered a sporty styling with AWC at a reasonable price. After owning a 2016 Lancer SEL for a little over a month I hate the car. Driver ergonomics are deplorable: - Leather seats that are uncomfortable (I feel like I've been sitting on a metal folding chair after a 20-30 minute drive. Lower back support and seating side support is almost non-existent. - A dead pedal foot rest gives no room to stretch out my left leg. The only way to extend my left leg is to put my foot under the brake pedal - not a safe thing to do - or keep my leg bent in a very unnatural position. The alternative is to move the seat back which then leads to over extending to reach the steering wheel. - Move the seat forward, and the center console arm rest no longer exists. - Without a telescoping steering wheel, arms must be almost straight to reach the wheel. (Note: I am an average size, 5'9" male driver) - The clock is so tiny and so far away from the driver, it can barely be seen. Put on polarized sunglasses and the display screen for the clock, back-up camera, and entertainment system become almost impossible to see in daylight. - Move the tilt steering wheel down, and it covers a good part of the speedometer. - A tiny collection of icons between the tach and speedometer are busy and difficult to decipher at a quick glance. The fact that the outside temperature is part of this tiny display clutters the display and is not convenient for any passengers to view. - The self-dimming mirror is a joke. Street lights "trick" the sensors into thinking it's daylight and the result is blinding glare from the rear view mirror. - The sunvisors are extremely flimsy. They seem to be nothing more that plastic covered card board. And there is no extender on the flimsy visors for when the sun hits at just that annoying "over the shoulder" angle through the side window. - Significant lack of storage space and small cup holders are major inconveniences. - Leather seats and steering wheel are made of a rough texture leather - not supple or smooth. - At highway speeds, road noise is quite loud. - Headlights also seem dim compared to my previous two cars. Added to these horrible ergonomics, my car features a "thump" in the trunk when going over some bumps. The car was "delivered" with 17 miles on the odometer - dirty on the inside and outside, including pine sap blobs that ate through the clear coat. The dealer's fix was to have the finish "wet sanded". After 3 weeks I had a loud thumping in the driver's side rear quarter panel. Had to schedule an appointment with service department. The back-up sensor was banging around inside. They "fixed" it with double-sided tape. Only one "outlet" in the entire car; no usb port. Radio/entertainment center sounds very tinny and cheap. And the horn sounds like something that comes from a child's tricycle. I am SO sorry that I purchased this vehicle.
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