Buying an eclipse

Hey guys- i want to buy an eclipse- i have some questions. I love the car after test driving it- it is much faster than my jetta- so even though it is the GS- to me it is like a race car. Serious

1) what i really want to know : Are eclipse reliable? and what should i expect to fail?

2) Are they OK on gas mileage?

3) I heard the computer on these cars tend to break- is this true?

4) does this car have like a OEM short shifter? the one i test drove today had *VERY* short throw- barely anythrow at all, but it didn't 'click' like a short shifter- do all eclipse have short throw?

5) are parts expensive?

6) again- are they reliable? i am going to UTI in florida, and i need a reliable car- no time to hassle with an unreliable car- even though my major will be automotive technology.

1. They are notorious for having below average reliability. Non turbo models are a little bit better just because they don't have as many things that can go wrong nor do they work as hard.
2. The non-turbos are better on gas mileage then the turbos, The gas will be fine on the gs.
3. Don't worry about the ECU, other things are more likely to go.
4. Yes the factory shifter is much shorter than most standard cars. I love it.
5. Parts are somewhat expensive but the aftermarket on them is MASSIVE so if you know where to look and shop around you can do just fine for that category.
6. WELCOME TO THE CLUB

Welcome to the club as in the Mitsu club, or the UTI?
hehe- your scaring me- so are you saying that the eclipse is a below average car- reliability wise? I own a jetta- its notorious for troubles too- but it hasn't given me any yet. Hydro 270 Cams, exhaust, intake chip, Junk yard turbo- and sees the track alot- and it still hasn't given me much trouble.
I really don't want an unreliable car- theres nothing worse than one of those. Are you happy with your car? and does it give you trouble often? I have found when ppl say 'unreliable' they usually mean sensors that go out real fast, is that the case with the eclipse? also- i keep hearing about Crank walk- is this a huge problem on the rs gs etc.? this car feels handles and moves great- and the engine looks easy to work on- speaking of engine, is the engine on the eclipse reliable also? most cars now have real reliable engines- but doesn't hurt to ask.
Thanks man

Neither the DSM club.
The car will be perfectly fine as long as you keep a sharp eye on it. Maintain it religiously and it will keep you happy. Yea jetta's are bad my friend had one that fucked up so much that he had to sell it and by back his old toyota. Crankwalk occurs in about 2% of DSM"S and it is more likely to occur in the turbo models. I would say the 420A isn't as good as the 4g63 for power output, but if you say its fast compared to your jetta I believe you ;).
Common problems include; ball joints, ISC's, tie rods, idling/stalling, boost leaks, some things depend on if your 1g or 2g too..
I fucking love my car its amazing 12.7 ;) ;) but I've spent alot on it too though.

I got a cousin that's also attending U.T.I. in Florida. :D That's a good school.

Thanks for replys man- I take good care of any car i own (even though i've only owned one)- and they (it) always give me good service in return. Im a firm believer that if you take care of any car- it will last a long time. And i can see from your list you've spent alot of money on this car. I ve heard the base line eclipse is slow- but you have no idea how slow a jetta is- the reason im even selling it is because it's slow; maybe dangerous?- Once this guy in a UPS truck tried to race me with 3 of my friends in the car (true story) long story short- Big brown won. So the consensus here is- Eclipse are good cars if you take care of them, and they won't leave you stranded on the road, correct?

Hows he like UTI florida? Is it hard to find housing?

Hows he like UTI florida? Is it hard to find housing?

His dad's paying for his schooling and housing...... lucky bastard!

For sure man i got stranded once when My battery died due to my alternator not working. BUt it was local and it was no big deal. Youll love eclipses they turn heads for sure.

Wow- thats cool. my mom offered- but i want to see if i can pull it off myself.

thats what I like to hear man- Im going to sell this jetta this winter (so they won't notice the AC doesn't work)hehehe, and get the money and buy a nice used eclipse with under 120k, put the rest towards tuition for school, and some little mods. I bet this car will look sweet with neon lights and a body kit- with a wing that doubles as a picnic table.

....Im going to sell this jetta this winter (so they won't notice the AC doesn't work)hehehe

LOL! :rofl:

I bet this car will look sweet with neon lights and a body kit- with a wing that doubles as a picnic table.

That was a joke too, right? :nono:

Hehe- big plans man- biiig plans

First thing when you buy it, get all the recalls done. After that if you maintain it religiously and don't beat the ever living fucking hell out if it, it will be just as good as any other car. And I'm not talking about just changing the oil on it and washing it. Change the plugs when they need to be, fix leaks as soon as they occur, shit like that will make your car go a long ways.

EDIT: Also find out when the last time the Timing belt was replaced. They need to be done RELIGIOUSLY every 60k or you risk it breaking and bending some valves at the very least.

Well- changing plugs isn't a biggy- especially on this engine. My jetta on the other hand is a major PITA to change the plugs on- manifold, lots of vacuum lines, fuel injectors and stuff need to be removed to gain access- and after all that you need a special VW tool- which i refuse to buy, so its even more difficult. if all this car needs to run well is sparkplugs.. hey. Got a question though- which has the quicker 0-60 time. Acura integra 97 type, or the Eclipse with the 97 chassis?

I have NO idea, nor do I really care. It all depends on how good of a driver you are for the n/t cars because alot of them usually run somewhat the same times. And I wasn't talking about just the plugs, it was an example. I could go on and on about stuff that needs to be serviced at certain intervals, but that's what the Haynes or Chiltons manual is for. If you don't have one, I suggest getting one now.