By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Mitsubishi had steadily become a nonentity in the United States. The sales of Mitsubishi cars, SUVs and light trucks had fallen from nearly 350,000 in 2002 to a projected 115,000 this year. The Japanese company has struggled to stop the bleeding despite a small stable of what we consider stylish, dependable products including a mid-sized sport utility, a mid-sized family sedan and a hot-rod compact.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

If the previous standard-issue Mitsubishi Lancer is completely off your automotive radar there’s a good reason. It was a very average car that was offered in a plain vanilla wrapping.

With so many good compacts in stores over the last few years including the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Ford Focus, it’s no wonder you may be scratching your head trying to figure out just what the eighth-generation Lancer was all about. It was easy to miss and dismiss.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

Automotive choices have never been as extensive as they are in the 2009 model year. 
Despite the severe economic downturn there’s virtually something for every driving need and every budget.

We say this after spending the better part of two weeks behind the wheel of a 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

If you’ve crossed Mitsubishi off your shopping list when looking for a compact sedan or hatchback, you may be making a mistake.

We understand how easy it has become to overlook this Japanese automaker that has fallen on hard times in the United States. With every passing month it seems that Mitsubishi's market share shrinks. You say, thanks but no thanks, you will stick with successful entities such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan.