2020 Eclipse Cross: A Mirage Owners View
Prolog: The following review is based on my experience with the bulk of my car owner ship being late 90’s SUV’s and Trucks and two mirages. I will break this review down into a few different sections with a final conclusion.
• The Overview
The 2020 Eclipse Cross SEL what can be said about this CUV that other reviewers have not already said? A LOT. The hate and dislike gathered by those big reviewers will never make sense to me. The Eclipse Cross is a great driving little CUV with the inclusion of S-AWC it makes for a versatile machine. With the SEL package getting most of the options and safety features making it a super value for the money.
• The interior
The interior of the EC SEL has to be one of the best that I have personal gotten to enjoy. With a good mix of soft touch material mixed in. The piano black plastic looks great offering an up-scale look without looking to cheap. The seats are nice and supportive with excellent cushion. Leg room is plenty for me at 6’2 in both the front seat and rear seat. The leather seems to be of good quality and feels nice on the skin. Cargo capacity is decent and fine for our family of 3. The audio system with android auto feels responsive and sounds pretty good overall, the touch bad is neat but I don’t find much use for it with my long arms. Overall, I don’t see the complaints of the big reviewers nothing feels ‘’cheap” to me. The other area to note is wind noise, while there is some its over a pretty quiet ride, with the radio on I don’t notice any extra noise coming into the cabin.
• The exterior
To me the EC is the best looking CUV in its class. It looks very modern and has great paint choices. The body molding fit the part and don’t look out of place. The grill is probably one of my favorite parts. It looks bold and in your face with the recessed lights in the lower fairing. A lot of people seemed to dislike the split window saying it reminded them of the Pontiac Aztek but honestly I think it looks better than that, with the light bar connecting the two sides. The Led lights really set it off as well. With the price of LED’s dropping and becoming more common place I think more auto makers should start making them standard but that’s off topic. Over all the styling for the 2020 looks spot on and looks like a modern CUV.
• Power train
The EC comes with a 1.5 liter Turbo engine mated to a CVT with 8 programed steps. For my wife this was a huge plus as she hated the CVT feeling in her Versa Note. The engine is punchy and feels plenty powerful on the highway (Compared to the mirage it is a power house). The S-AWC is great so far and really seems very capable in the areas I have gotten to use it thus far. Over all it’s very pleasing to drive and ride in.
• Electronics and Safety
Like mentioned about the Radio with Android Auto and Apple car play is fine. The interface works well, its responsive and look pleasing. Now the safety features are what solid this car. With Rear cross traffic detect, lane departure warning, forward collision mitigation, the HUD, and the 360 camera it feels fairly loaded. The beeps and boops let me know I live in a construction area with new lines over old lines. The 360 camera is probably my favorite and I lets me see how close I am pulling to the wall or other cars in my drive way. The HUD is pretty cool though I don’t find much use for it compared to my wife who thinks it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
Final Thoughts:
Overall the 2020 Eclipse Cross SEL is a great car for the price with this hold over model being missed marked and the deal taking off almost 8k it’s a hell of a buy. Even and full price which is rare as Mitsubishi always seems to have money off it’s a good buy. With the 2022 getting a small face lift and a normal rear hatch I think a lot more people will be considering this CUV. Its affordable price and amazing warranty really build a value that most other brands just don’t offer.