The Eclipse's soft touch dash inserts are a nice addition, however, some of the plastic pieces throughout the cabin aren't in the same tactile league. Still, the gauges and controls are intuitively located except the oddly placed digital radio display, situated high at the top center of the dash. It also looks a bit like an aftermarket afterthought.

But before I start to sound too critical I need to put things into perspective. This isn't a premium car despite its up-market styling. Its $23,857 base price has it going up against the slightly less expensive Hyundai Tiburon at the low end and the Toyota Celica and Acura RSX at the higher end of the entry-level sport coupe market. Sure its two Japanese competitors might be slightly more refined on the inside, but neither offers V6 punch.

That's right. A 200-hp 3.0-L V6 offers quick acceleration even though it weighs more than its 4-cylinder competitors at 1,425 kg (3,142 lb) with a manual transmission. The V6 power is especially noticeable when mated to the 4-speed automatic transmission, where its 205 lb-ft of torque comes in very handy. A 5-speed transmission is standard with either the V6 or the 147-hp 2.4-L 4-cylinder base engine, although the 142 lb-ft of torque of the latter should feel considerably more taxed considering curb weight only drops to 1,320 kg (2,910 lb). The automatic performs flawlessly, incorporating Mitsubishi's superb Sportronic sequential-shift mode in GS, GT and GT premium trim packages, however the 5-speed isn't as smooth to operate as some of its competitors, requiring precise gear changes to maintain maximum acceleration.