2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Reviews, Pricing & Specs

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$13,990 to $26,490

Original MSRP

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expert review

4.6

avg user rating

(20 reviews)
2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Preview summaryImage

After its complete makeover in 2008 on a new platform - Mitsubishi's Outlander crossover SUV - the Lancer line has added a new engine and new trim line for 2009. To the three basic trim lines - DE, ES, and GTS - a high-performance Ralliart trim joins the lineup.

An all-aluminum 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 152 hp (9 hp less in California) powers the DE and ES levels. Power is transmitted through a five-speed manual transmission or the optional continuously variable automatic transmission.

Move a step up to the GTS and you'll get a new 2.4-liter variant of the base engine that produces 168 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque. Both the 2.0-liter engine and its new bored-and-stroked big brother feature 16 valves and MIVEC, Mitsubishi's variable timing system on both intake and exhaust cams. To further increase smoothness, balance shafts have been incorporated. The GTS comes standard with a five-speed manual and offers a paddle-shifted Sportronic CVT transmission as an option. EPA estimates are 21/28 mpg for the manual and 21/27 mpg for the CVT. Traction control, xenon headlamps, and rain-sensing wipers are options at this level. Motor Trend estimates a 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds with the five-speed manual.

A big high-performance jump comes with the Ralliart, which is basically a baby Evo sporting a detuned version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 235 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. Power is pumped through the Evo's twin-clutch automated six-speed manual transmission, which drives all four wheels via Mitsubishi's Active Center Differential - a multi-plate clutch differential that's electronically controlled to send torque where it's needed through front helical and rear mechanical limited-slip differentials. The Ralliart also features twin exhaust tips and numerous options.

The Lancer cabin seats five comfortably and retains its upscale appearance from the 2008 makeover. Rear seats feature a 60/40 split in the ES and GTS trims, and a CD stereo is standard at these trim levels. The GTS also offers an optional nav system and keyless entry system. The DE base trim offers ABS and air-conditioning as options.

Standard safety features include front seat side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags with a driver knee airbag, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. ABS with brakeforce distribution is standard on the ES and GTS and optional for the DE line.

CarGurus Editorial Team
Published Aug 8, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
While we highlight specific author bylines where possible, sometimes our content results from the combined efforts of several members of the CarGurus editorial team. As with all our editorial content, you can expect high levels of automotive insight and expertise delivered in a style that is approachable and free from jargon.

User reviews for 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer

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User rating:
by Kevin R
Apr 13, 2012
The handling on this car is by far the best of any I have driven, including mustangs and mazdas. The Rockford/Fosgate sound system is impressive for a factory system. It could use another 30 hp, but it has enough power for normal driving. Apr 13, 2012
by Eric B
Nov 08, 2011
Great car, fun to drive becasue it is Turbo AWD. easy to mod and a lot of aftermarket parts available for this model as well as performance parts. Handles well in the winter but recommend that you get the Ultra Performance yokohama tires, It really makes a difference.Nov 08, 2011
by Lakan E
Apr 06, 2011
This is a second review of my car. I have owned the car since 7/5/08 and have put in some time really getting to know my car. In the first 2 years, for the most part I have only driven the car every weekday from my home to class which is 56.2 miles round trip and some days make the trip twice. Even though I have been putting my vehicle through all of this work, it has held up quite nicely and still feels like the first day I got it. As I've started to make some longer trips(NJ to Massachusetts or NJ to DC), I've felt some problems with some things about the car which I will mention later on in the review. Overall the car is a great car. It's acceleration depends really on the driver and how they shift. When I do get a little aggressive, the car doesn't really get a good amount of power till past 3000 rpm in every gear but I'm still able to get good speed if I shift well. Braking is very good and the brake pads are still holding up for me quite well. The car handles quite nicely. Around tight turns I feel like I have the control of a much smaller/shorter vehicle sometimes and even when turning at higher speeds the car seems to handle fine. The car's build is overall good. There are rattles from the doors either because of the windows or from the plastic covers over the speakers. The window rattles don't do any damage to the vehicle or window itself but once it did come off of the tracks. Warranty covered this for me. After almost 2 and half years, I still love the look of the car. The aggressive shark style front of the car looks nice even for the ES compared to the GTS, Ralliart, or Evo. And it still has a professional look to the car even though it still has an aggressive look to the entire car. The interior looks nice overall. Everything is neatly arranged and has a clean look. My only complaints are that the arm rest is slightly too short and the seats get somewhat uncomfortable like the lack of lumbar support and the edge of the seat starts to dig into the back of your legs after sitting for an extended period. Gas mileage is ok. Again it really depends on the driver. If you drive aggressively, most likely you will see average MPG under 22/30. On my more conservative drives, I have been able to get 26/41. I've never had to replace any parts yet. Driving the car is a good experience. It reacts well to roads, handles nicely, fun for spirited driving and rewarding for conservative driving, and only money I've HAD to put into the car is just for oil changes. The rattles get slightly annoying but doesn't affect my experience a lot.Apr 06, 2011

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Pricing

Original MSRP
$13,990 to $26,490
Price range
N/A
Average price on CG
N/A
YoY price change
N/A

Trims & specs

Airbags

Dual front airbags · Driver knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Rear side curtain airbags

Audio System

Antenna Type: mast · 6 disc in-dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio · Total Number of Speakers: 4 · 140 watts

Brakes

ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 10.9 · Front brake width: 1.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 8.0 · Rear brakes: drum

Comfort Features

Floor Mats: front

Convenience Features

Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: front · Multi-function remote: trunk release · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Storage: door pockets · Vanity mirrors: dual

Driver Seat

Manual adjustments: 4

Exterior Features

Door handle color: black · Mirror color: black · Rear spoiler: lip

Headrests

Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3

Instrumentation

Warnings and reminders: lamp failure

Lights

Headlights: Auto off

Mirrors

Exterior mirrors: power

Passenger Seat

Manual Adjustments: 4

Rear Seats

Type: bench

Safety

Active head restraints: driver

Seatbelts

Rear center seatbelt: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front

Seats

Front seat type: bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Upholstery: cloth

Spare Tire

Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary

Spare Wheel

Rim Type: steel

Suspension

Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: coil over shock · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link · Stabilizer bar(s): front

Tires

Type: all season

Tires and Rims

Wheels: steel

Wheels

Wheel covers: full

Windows

Front wipers: intermittent

Air Conditioning

Single front air conditioning zones

Airbags

Dual front airbags · Driver knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags

Audio System

Antenna Type: mast · Hard Drive: 30GB · Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio · Total Number of Speakers: 4 · 140 watts

Brakes

ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 10.9 · Front brake width: 1.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 10.3 · Rear brakes: disc

Comfort Features

Armrests: rear center folding with storage · Center console trim: simulated alloy · Dash trim: simulated alloy · Door trim: simulated alloy · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front

Convenience Features

Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: front · Multi-function remote: trunk release · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls · Storage: storage organizer · Vanity mirrors: dual

Driver Seat

Manual adjustments: 6

Exterior Features

Door handle color: body-color · Mirror color: body-color · Rear spoiler: wing

Headrests

Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3

Instrumentation

Warnings and reminders: low fuel level

Lights

Headlights: Auto off

Mirrors

Exterior mirrors: power

Passenger Seat

Manual Adjustments: 4

Rear Seats

Type: bench

Safety

Active head restraints: driver

Seatbelts

Rear center seatbelt: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front

Seats

Driver seat manual adjustments: height · Front seat type: bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: premium cloth

Spare Tire

Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary

Spare Wheel

Rim Type: steel

Suspension

Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: coil over shock · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link · Stabilizer bar(s): rear

Telematics

Navigation system: hard drive navigation system · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth

Tires

Type: all season

Windows

Front wipers: intermittent

Air Conditioning

Single front air conditioning zones

Airbags

Dual front airbags · Driver knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags

Audio System

Antenna Type: mast · Hard Drive: 30GB · Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: Rockford Fosgate · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: Sirius ready · 1 subwoofer · Total Number of Speakers: 4 · 140 watts

Brakes

ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 10.9 · Front brake width: 1.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 10.3 · Rear brakes: disc

Comfort Features

Armrests: rear center folding with storage · Center console trim: simulated alloy · Dash trim: simulated alloy · Door trim: simulated alloy · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front · Steering wheel trim: leather

Convenience Features

Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: rear · Multi-function remote: trunk release · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls · Storage: door pockets · Vanity mirrors: dual

Driver Seat

Manual adjustments: 6

Exterior Features

Door handle color: body-color · Exhaust tip color: chrome · Mirror color: body-color

Headrests

Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3

Instrumentation

Warnings and reminders: lamp failure

Lights

Headlights: Auto off

Mirrors

Exterior mirrors: power

Passenger Seat

Manual Adjustments: 4

Rear Seats

Type: bench

Roof

Sunroof: power glass

Safety

Active head restraints: driver

Seatbelts

Rear center seatbelt: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front

Seats

Driver seat manual adjustments: height · Front seat type: bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: premium cloth

Spare Tire

Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary

Spare Wheel

Rim Type: steel

Suspension

Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link · Stabilizer bar(s): rear

Telematics

Navigation system: hard drive navigation system · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth

Tires

Type: all season

Windows

Front wipers: intermittent

Air Conditioning

Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones

Airbags

Dual front airbags · Driver knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Rear side curtain airbags

Audio System

Antenna Type: mast · Auxiliary audio input: jack · Hard Drive: 30GB · In-Dash Single CD/DVD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: Rockford Fosgate · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: Sirius ready · 1 subwoofer · Total Number of Speakers: 8 · 650 watts

Brakes

ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.6 · Front brake width: 1.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 11.9 · Rear brake width: 0.4 · Rear brakes: disc

Comfort Features

Armrests: rear center folding with storage · Center console trim: simulated alloy · Dash trim: simulated carbon fiber · Door trim: simulated alloy · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front · Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather

Convenience Features

Center console: front console with storage · Cupholders: front · Multi-function remote: trunk release · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Reading lights: front · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls · Storage: door pockets · Vanity mirrors: dual

Driver Seat

Manual adjustments: 6

Exterior Features

Door handle color: body-color · Mirror color: body-color · Paint: metallic · Rear spoiler: wing

Headrests

Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3

Instrumentation

Warnings and reminders: low fuel level

Lights

Headlights: Auto off

Mirrors

Exterior mirrors: power

Passenger Seat

Manual Adjustments: 4

Rear Seats

Type: bench

Roof

Sunroof: power glass

Safety

Active head restraints: driver

Seatbelts

Rear center seatbelt: 3-point · Seatbelt force limiters: front · Seatbelt pretensioners: front

Seats

Driver seat manual adjustments: height · Front seat type: sport bucket · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: premium cloth

Spare Tire

Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary

Spare Wheel

Rim Type: steel

Suspension

Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: coil over shock · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link · Stabilizer bar(s): rear

Telematics

Navigation system: hard drive navigation system · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth

Tires

Type: all season

Windows

Front wipers: intermittent

Air Conditioning

Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones

Airbags

Dual front airbags · Driver knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags

Audio System

Antenna Type: mast · Auxiliary audio input: jack · Hard Drive: 40GB · 6 disc in-dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · Premium Brand: Rockford Fosgate · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: Sirius ready · 1 subwoofer · Total Number of Speakers: 6 · 140 watts

Brakes

ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.6 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 11.9 · Rear brakes: disc

Comfort Features

Armrests: rear center folding with storage · Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front · Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather

Convenience Features

Bottle holders: 2 · Center console: front console with armrest and storage · Multi-function remote: proximity entry system · One-touch windows: 1 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Power windows: lockout button · Reading lights: rear · Steering wheel: tilt-adjustable · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio · Storage: front seatback · Vanity mirrors: dual

Driver Seat

Manual adjustments: 6

Drivetrain

4WD Type: full time · Limited slip differential: front

Exterior Features

Door handle color: body-color · Exhaust: dual exhaust tips · Exhaust tip color: chrome · Front bumper color: chrome accents · Grille color: chrome accents · Mirror color: body-color · Paint: metallic · Rear bumper color: chrome accents · Rear spoiler: wing · Rear spoiler color: body-color

Headrests

Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 3

Instrumentation

Fuel economy display: MPG · Warnings and reminders: low fuel level

Lights

Headlights: Auto off

Mirrors

Exterior mirrors: manual folding

Passenger Seat

Manual Adjustments: 4

Rear Seats

Type: 60-40 split bench

Safety

Active head restraints: driver · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: front

Seatbelts

Rear center seatbelt: 3-point · Seatbelt pretensioners: front

Seats

Front seat type: Recaro · Rear headrests: adjustable · Upholstery: premium cloth

Spare Tire

Mount Location: inside · Size: temporary

Spare Wheel

Rim Type: steel

Steering

Steering ratio: 15.2 · Turns lock-to-lock: 3.2

Suspension

Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Stabilizer Bar: diameter 22 mm · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Stabilizer Bar: diameter 20 mm · Rear Suspension Classification: independent · Rear Suspension Type: multi-link

Telematics

Navigation system: hard drive navigation system · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth

Tires

Type: summer performance

Windows

Front wipers: variable intermittent · Power windows: with safety reverse

See all trims (5)