On the subject of driving, this is one ride that had me aimlessly cruising around town in because of its ride quality alone. Being motivated to

A set of P235/45R18 all-season tires and 18-inch, 7-spoke alloy wheels, made for fantastic handling in both rain and shine. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

aimlessly drive around does not occur often with me; one, because I rarely have the time, and two, fuel prices are not friendly. However, driving around in the Eclipse was worth every minute and penny. Its four-wheel independent suspension, coupled with a set of P235/45R18 all-season tires and 18-inch, 7-spoke alloy wheels, made for fantastic handling in both rain and shine. I had my share of time in each weather condition, and in both circumstances and everything in between, the Eclipse performed marvelously. When the car started to slip and slide a bit in the rain, the traction and stability control system immediately came into play and straightened it out.

Its power rack and pinion steering combined with the leather-wrapped steering wheel - which is extremely comfortable to grip - to make for great

Its power rack and pinion steering combined with the leather-wrapped steering wheel to make for great maneuverability. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

maneuverability. At first, I thought its power steering boost was too over-assisted for all those tricky corners that I threw the Eclipse into, but I don't think that I would have enjoyed tooling around town as much if the wheel was any stiffer. It's a very fine balance of sport and comfort.

Even in dreaded stop and go traffic, I still didn't find being behind the wheel of the Eclipse overtaxing. The standard six-speed manual transmission's clutch has a nice weight to it but doesn't make pushing it in and out a chore, as some sports cars tend to do. The gearbox also includes close enough ratios to allow for quick and seamless shifts, but without tempting me to shift into the wrong gear - for example shifting from third to fifth.