2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS

Despite its stylishly aggressive Evolution-derived sheetmetal, the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS didn't fare too well against the Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra as a commuter car in our July 2007 "Commuter Combat" four-way comparison, which also included the Hyundai Elantra -- thanks in part to its stiff suspension and relatively poor fuel economy. Its third-place finish essentially landed the GTS in commuter car purgatory, an unpleasant place to be even in the best of times, so clearly, something needed to be done.

With the more economical side of the compact market covered by the Lancer DE and SE, Mitsubishi decided to push the 2009 Lancer GTS more firmly into sport-compact territory by adding a bigger and more powerful engine. But is its newfound power enough to make the GTS a more compelling choice?

The engine in question is a 2.4L I-4 rated at 168 hp and 167 lb-ft, up from the 2.0L's (which remains in the DE and SE) 153 hp and 146 lb-ft in 45-state form and 143 hp and 143 lb-ft in the California PZEV version. The extra 15 horses drop the manual GTS' 0-to-60 time by six tenths to 7.3 sec, and its quarter-mile time dropped by four tenths to 15.7 sec at a trap speed of 87.7 mph, up 1.9 mph.

Skidpad and figure eight performances improved as well, albeit very slightly, to 0.85 g (avg) from 0.84 and 27.7 sec at 0.63 g, respectively. Braking from 60 to 0 took three extra feet for the 55-lb-heavier 2009 GTS, taking 127 ft instead of 124. Save for its brakes, the beefed-up GTS outperforms every competitor in last May's "Economy Class" comparison (although the outgoing Mazda3 stops quicker) and puts up numbers similar to our now-departed long-term Nissan Sentra SE-R and the V-6-powered Dodge Challenger SE.

Off the test track and on the road, the GTS provides a solid drive. Despite emitting a harsh, raspy note that makes it sound more like a 1990s diesel than a modern gasoline unit, the engine has a good torque curve and the car doesn't exhibit too much torque steer. Throttle tip-in, brake feel, and steering are nothing to complain about, though the last is a tad too light. The shifter provides short and fairly precise throws but there's a notchy, somewhat rubbery feel to it. It's certainly acceptable for the class but nowhere near Civic Si territory. The stiff suspension may make commutes more difficult to bear (as may the higher-than-average level of NVH) but pays off in the twisties. Body roll is controllable and predictable, as is the typical understeer found in all front-drive cars.