2010 Mitsubishi Eclipse

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Interior - What the Auto Press Says

Journalists report that the Eclipse's cabin  looks attractive and offers some great features. Still, its backseat lacks comfort, its fit and finish garners mixed reviews, and critics say the Spyder lacks adequate cargo room.

• "An abundance of glass, coupled with more interior space, goes a long way toward alleviating feelings of claustrophobia." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "The interior was laid out well, with simple-to-understand controls coming easily to hand." -- MarketWatch
• "The cabin's design, detailing, and materials also drew compliments. It's anything but bland." -- Motor Trend
• "Cabin has some padded panels, but suffers from too many hard, plastic surfaces. Several test models have been plagued by assorted interior squeaks and rattles." -- Consumer Guide

Seating

Though marketed as a four-seater, auto writers assert that its cabin only accommodates two adult passengers comfortably.

• "The well-bolstered sport bucket front seats work well for enthusiastic driving, but are still comfy enough for long road trips." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "The Eclipse's seats could use firmer bolsters on the cushions for hard driving, but in general the low-slung driving position makes you feel like you're inside the car, not riding on top of it as with the Altima." -- Road and Track
• "Front seats are comfortable and supportive, but the backseat seems more for decoration than function." -- Edmunds.
• "Inside, the front bucket seats, which have plastic mesh built into the headrests, are surprisingly roomy and comfortable, although the big handbrake in the center console rubs up against the driver's right leg." -- Detroit News
• The rear seats are "[t]he usual sporty-coupe token gesture: cramped, hard to access, and thus best left to toddlers or small cargo. Shoulder space is further compromised in convertibles." -- Consumer Guide

Interior Features

The Eclipse comes packed with a long list of standard and optional convenience features --  including a 140-watt, six-speaker stereo system than can be upgraded to a 650-watt, nine-speaker Rockford Fosgate CD stereo system with a six-disc in-dash changer. In general, critics are pleased with the Eclipse's interior features.

• "Switchgear is logically placed, though a couple of controls might be a bit of a stretch for some drivers. The audio-system display is atop the dashboard, far removed from the actual controls." -- Consumer Guide
• "Several editors mentioned the Rockford-Fosgate audio system as one of the Eclipse's high points. It sounds great, with plenty of strong bass, clear highs, and crisp channel separation (although an iPod jack would be a nice addition)." -- Motor Trend
• "Available on many competitors and missing from the Eclipse's option list are Bluetooth hands-free communication and an on-board navigation system." -- Kelley Blue Book

Cargo

While the Eclipse coupe features 15.7 cubic feet of cargo space, the Spyder only provides 5.7 cubic feet -- which isn't a lot of space, but still slightly more than the highly-ranked MX-5 Miata.

• "[T]he hatchback body style and 50/50-split-folding rear seat make the Eclipse better than expected at carrying cargo." -- Edmunds
• "The cargo hold is surprisingly roomy and easily accommodates half a dozen grocery bags and other shallow gear." -- Detroit News
• "[T]he hatchback configuration with the flip-down rear seats makes the car practical for something other than boulevard inspection." -- Los Angeles Times
• "Hatchbacks have a fairly shallow cargo bay with modest floor area and irregular shape. The bulky available subwoofer eats up space. Convertibles have a small trunk, tight opening, and, like hatchback, high liftover. In both, cabin small-item storage is subpar." -- Consumer Guide