All-wheel-drive at bargain price

If you’re looking for a bargain on an all-wheel-drive car, the 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer might be the one for you.

For US$21,130 – the starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price for a base Lancer ES, including the destination charge – buyers get a five-seat sedan that comes with a continuously variable transmission that operates like an automatic one.

The all-wheel-drive system is noteworthy because it has three settings the driver activates via a button in the centre console.

In its two-wheel-drive setting, the Lancer travels as a front-wheel-drive car to maximize fuel economy. In fourwheel-drive automatic, the car monitors the road and tire grip and automatically adjusts power among the wheels when a slip is detected.

When travelling in heavy snow, mud or icy conditions, the driver can select four-wheel-drive lock that can direct up to 70 per cent of the available power to the electronic control coupling that manages the rear wheels.

The only all-wheel-drive sedan that’s priced lower than the Lancer is the 2017 Subaru Impreza 2.0i four door. Its MSRP plus destination charge is US$20,215 with a CVT and US$19,215 with a manual transmission. But this Impreza doesn’t have selectable four-wheel-drive settings or the Lancer’s standard longlength warranty of five years/60,000 miles of basic, limited car coverage and 10 years/100,000 miles of powertrain coverage.

Mitsubishi has given the its only sedan nicer-looking wheels for 2017, and all models finally come equipped with a rearview camera. But the Lancer is starting to show its age. While its exterior styling remains attractive, its interior appears basic and its noisy ride and lack of a telescoping steering wheel are among the glaring contrasts to more modern competitors.

Furthermore, the 2017 Lancer earned four out of five stars in frontal and side government crash tests, but major competitors such as the 2017 Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla earned a full five stars. Consumer Reports magazine lists the Lancer’s reliability as average.

The Lancer, which is sold in other countries, particularly Asia, hasn’t sold well in the U.S. in recent years, with sales dropping by 19 per cent from 2015 to 2016, to less than 15,000 models sold. In the first quarter of 2017, U.S. sales are down from last year by 4.2 per cent.