If you are shopping around for an attractive and sporty car, but don’t want to spend a large chunk of change, consider test driving the 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse, which you can currently find at your local Bloomington Normal used car dealership for Mitsubishi models and more.  There are several models with many features in our inventory right now!

Changes to the 2011 models

There are some updates available to the most recent models of the Eclipse.  For example, you’ll find alloy wheels standard on all trims, along with heated front seats and a power driver seat as standard parts of the GT Sport trim.  Also, the GT will no longer be offered with a manual transmission.  All Eclipse models across the board will come designed with black-out roofs.  If you’ve driven an Eclipse before, or currently own one without these feature changes, you should check the new ones out now.

Other Features and Driving Ability

At O’Brien Mitsubishi of Normal, the 2011 Eclipse is available in the following options:  GS, GS Sport, GT and Spyder GT, all offering a fun and exciting ride to a lucky owner.  The Spyder GT is available as a convertible and most are not priced in the same range as the Eclipse auto Bloomington, IL area drivers can purchase today.

The GS Sport comes standard with a power sunroof, four-speed automatic transmission, and a remote key less entry with a panic alarm.  With this trim you’ll also enjoy heated front seats and heated power mirrors, which should help ward off some of the extreme cold we unfortunately have to endure this time of year in Illinois.

If you decide to jump up to the GT Sport or the Spyder GT models, you’ll get the added bonus of a more powerful 3.8 liter V6 providing a very powerful and adrenaline filled cruise around the area.  The GS models are fitted with an inline-four cylinder, 2.4 liter engine, which also gives a good ride.  The GT also adds larger back brakes, a larger spoiler, and automatic climate control.

The Eclipse is a great line-up with an attractive interior and exterior design, as well as a fun and enjoyable drive.

Mitsubishi has gained the reputation of having one of the sportier lineups on the road, and local Mitsubishi dealer, O’Brien Team Normal has gained quite the reputation along with it.  The Bloomington IL Eclipse began to gain real fame about a decade back, followed by the Galant, Outlander, Endeavor and now the Lancer continues to increase in popularity. Heightening the sporty appeal of the Lancer, comes the 2010 Lancer Sportback.

The 2010 Lancer Sportback packs a whole lot of punch for its low sticker price of $19,190. It’s practical, convenient hatchback styling, only available in the two upper trims- GTS and Ralliart- reveals more cargo space than the typical trunk design of the standard Lancer with 52.7 cubic feet. The 2010 also betters in handling, overall performance strength and a generous list of available high-tech equipment.

Though there aren’t significant differences between the two trims, some are important to mention. The GTS trim comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, 2.4-L 4-cylinder engine producing 168 hp and 167 lb/ft of torque, a sport-tuned suspension, tilt-only steering wheel, keyless entry, trip computer, sport bucket front seats, Bluetooth and a six-speaker CD/MP3 stereo, to name a few. The Sportback Ralliart adds a turbocharged engine with 237 hp, an automated dual-clutch manual transmission, and an even more aggressively tuned suspension.

The 4-door Sportback has entertaining available upgrades as well. Drivers can include the Sun & Sound package which is exactly what it sounds like- a little more sun with a sunroof and a little more sound with a nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system and an in-dash six-CD changer and satellite radio. The optional navigation system features a 30GB hard drive, while the Ralliart’s Recaro Sport package includes namesake sport seats and the Rockford Fosgate audio system.

In terms of safety, the Lancer Sportback ranks pretty high. It received 5-stars for driver safety and 4 for passengers. It’s built with front-seat side airbags, a driver knee airbag, full-length head curtain airbags, antilock 4-wheel disc brakes and stability control.

Visit your Normal Mitsubishi dealer, O’Brien Mitsubishi, to test-drive the all-new 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback and get a feel for its improved handling and performance. Or if you’d rather put less pressure on your pockets, come check out a Normal used Mitsubishi Lancer and drive off in your new racy ride.

It had finally come time to purchase my first brand new car- with my own money. Fresh out of college, I wanted to invest in a car that will be able to last me for the next five to seven years or so, be incredibly reliable and fuel efficient. I also knew I wanted a sportier car, preferably a coupe, and one on the more affordable end.

Shortly before I embarked on the car search, I became much more in tune to the different models I saw on the road. I was drawn to four specific ones: the Nissan Altima Coupe, Honda Civic Coupe, Honda Accord Coupe and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Coupe.

After doing some comparisons, I eliminated the Altima and the Accord, and decided to test-drive the other two to make the final decision. First, I stopped in the Honda dealer near my home and took the Civic for a little 5- minute cruise. In like, but not in love, I headed to the local Bloomington Mitsubishi dealer to test drive the Eclipse Coupe.

When I slid into the leather seats, I immediately felt comfortable. After pulling out of the lot, I realized not only was I physically comfortable, but I felt a sense of comfort in the control I had of the car (and for the first time driving it, it was a good feeling). The dash was very user-friendly, clean and efficient and the wide windshield gave me a great view of the road.

In terms of performance, I was impressed by its 2.4L, four-cylinder engine and its 5-speed manual transmission (but chose to go with the 4-speed automatic) during my Bloomington Mitsubishi test drive. I was also pleased to find out the Eclipse Coupe achieves a fuel economy of 28 mpg highway and 20 mpg city. Its standard features were the 17” alloy wheels, AC, front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, keyless entry and an engine immobilizer.

I wasn’t going to pass this one up, especially with the $20,000 starting price. So that day I drove off the lot in my black 2010 Bloomington IL auto Eclipse Coupe. Of all the optional features, I chose to dress mine up with heated front seats and temperature and cardinal direction displays. It’s been a month so far and every day I’ve looked forward to getting in my new coupe.

Visit O’Brien, the only Normal car dealer for top-of-the-line Mitsubishi models, to test-drive a new 2010 Eclipse Coupe or any other members of the Mitsubishi lineup. You won’t be disappointed.