Harnodi | 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Road Test Update  | xOur long-term Sportback Ralliart is piling on the miles, and the warm weather has brought an increased frequency of vacations and trips the car has picked up 10,000 miles in just two months. Venturing around the Midwest and journeying as far as Florida, Rhode Island, and Appalachia, the hatchback has long since made its transition from snow machine to highway cruiser.

As soon as winter turned to spring, the stock 18s and their 215/45R-18 Yokohama Advan A10 rubber were fitted back into the wheel wells. The much smaller sidewall and the harder rubber compound have vastly improved the loose rear end we experienced with the snowshoes. But even on the factory wheel-and-tire setup, we’ve found the car a little softer than we’d like during spirited driving. However, there have been only compliments on how the car tracks and rides on long journeys.


Staffers are still enjoying the very precise and direct steering provided by the Ralliart, but not everyone is keen on the dual-clutch automated manual transmission. The box performs rapid shifts once it’s moving, but its lag in off-the-line takeup has all of us wishing for a three-pedal option. Another major point of contention has been our tester’s optional and profoundly bolstered Recaro seats. The logbook is filled with
comments from both sides of the argument. The seats were very useful during our Rallycross excursion, but in everyday use, the bolsters feel too extreme. Many have voiced a desire for height adjustability, as outliers on both ends of the height spectrum have difficulty finding a comfortable driving position.