1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS...good cars?

Question

I have found a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS in my area that I am looking at buying. However, I do not know much about Eclipses and how reliable they are. The car is automatic and has 110,000 miles on it. I like the price but I don't want to buy a car that doesn't have a good history of reliability. I am a college student so the car will only be driven on weekends, breaks from school, the summer, etc....I would appreciate all your opinions on this car. Thanks.

Answer 1

I actually have a 1997 mitsubishi eclipse gs automatic and it has 90,000 miles on it. i feel that the car is very reliable it has never failed me. its pretty fast and its just a GS imagine the gsx AWD. it also depends on the price i got mine for cheap. i got mine for 3,350 but it had some minor details. such as the tires and brakes. but i give it a 9 in performance if you know how to maintain it. Good Luck

Answer 2

That a lot of miles on that car and its old.  I just traded in my 97 last year, it was pretty reliable.  However, smoke came out of the muffler every now and then if left sitting for awhile.  I've seen that on quite a few Eclipse of that model.  If you're gonna get an Eclipse that year model is the best.

Answer 3

I think they are a great car.  Also the one I had got up to 36MPG (5 speed though, the auto will hurt mileage some).  That's not really a lot of miles, especially for an 11-12 year old car.

Just make sure the engine runs good, and that the transmission shifts good and isn't slow at going into gear.  Make sure the transmission fluid is not black & stinky (supposed to be red); make sure the engine oil isn't black either (poor maintenance).  Check that the coolant level is full and that it is actually antifreeze not water (could be a sign of a bad headgasket).