At $7,900, Is This 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T A Furiously Good Deal?
The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder calls the car a “Cool Rare Fast & The Furious Ride.” Let’s see if the price they have set for it is just as fanciful as that fast-action movie series.
What Car Should You Buy: Totally Pivot for a Prius
When you think about it, more of a good thing is always… well, good. In the case of yesterday’s 2001 Audi S4 Avant Quattro that meant not one, but two turbos and not one but two axles driven, plus a stick shift with fully six cogs to play with. Our candidate also had more maintenance and repairs under its belt and the receipts to prove it. Unfortunately, the “more” that the car offered also extended to its price tag. At $14,000, that proved to be too much more for many of you, and we said adieu to the Audi with a 74 percent No Dice loss.
Hey, does it weird you out to think of owning a car sold under one brand but built predominantly from the design of another brand? We generally refer to that as “badge engineering.” It’s evident in everything from the new Honda Prologue and Ford of Europe’s electric Explorer which are based, respectively, of the General Motors Ultium and Volkswagen MEB platforms, to the Toyota Supra which is basically a BMW in a Toyota dress.
Today’s 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T Spyder won’t cause any such brand confusion since it’s the original maker version of a platform that, at the time was also sold under the Eagle marque within the Chrysler fold. These were pretty compelling cars so you can understand Chrysler’s interest in getting them to its customers.
We’re going to focus on the original formula, however, and in this case, that means a 2+2 sporty FWD convertible powered by a 210 horsepower 2.0-liter DOHC turbo four and sporting a five-speed stick. The Eclipse was also available with AWD, but not in the convertible. That might be a fair tradeoff for some and a deal killer for others.
The ad describes this silver-over-gray Eclipse as being in excellent condition. It also says it has six cylinders, but unless it’s got two extra in the boot, that’s a typo. The car looks to be in very nice shape for its age and modest 95,000 miles, with paint that seems to pop reasonably well and chrome on the factory alloys offering a good bit of bling. The top appears to be in, shall we say, top form as well. The only issue on the car is some flaking paint on the A-pillar trim.
Inside, things are just as inviting. The car is leather-clad and that upholstery seems to be holding up well. An aftermarket head unit sits in the dash just above the shifter, but otherwise, it all seems stock. On the downside, passengers have to stare at a delaminating airbag cover on the dash which shows the car’s age.
The ad claims the A/C works and says the car has been garage-kept. Oil changes are said to have been undertaken every 3,000 miles. Other pluses include new tires and brakes and a fresh clutch. It has a clean title and a passing grade from the smog tester. What might that bring in cold, hard cash?
The seller is asking $7,900 for the car, and that’s a far sight better than what was asked for the more recent Eclipse convertible we looked at a few weeks back. This one is older and has the two age-related issues of the pillar paint and the airbag cover that’s trying to go AWOL, but it’s still in pretty good shape otherwise. It’s also much better looking than that later car.
But is it a deal?
What do you think, is this Eclipse a bargain at that $14,000 asking? Or, does that price mean the planets aren’t aligned for a ready sale?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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