Is Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Black Edition a Good Value Small SUV?

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is a wedgy small SUV from Japan. Eclipse Cross Black Edition is a $35490 middle range front wheel drive, and provided the looks appeal, you’ll find it not a bad buy. The problem in the automotive world is that constantly shifting goal posts make comparing models between brands virtually impossible.

Let me explain:

For the time being, the vast majority of comfy cruisers sold in Australia come from Japanese brands. Toyota is the big, bad mama, by accident rather than anything else, but even the smaller Japanese car makers are known for decent quality, value, and reliability. As a country, Japan has been slow to take up the mantel of full electrification glory, otherwise, car makers from the land of the rising sun have been quick to take up technology. They love a bit of a gadget.

To compare one model with another, a canny buyer to drive themselves demented trying to match value, features, the drive, and the price. Manufacturers want us to believe otherwise, but most buyers are motivated by price, and Korean brands are giving the Japanese a jolly seeing to. However, the Chinese car makers are making the biggest dent in the egos of legacy brands, with new cars at second hand prices.

As for European badges, for no good reason, they seem to charge more and deliver less, especially in the value stakes.

In trying to decide what’s best for you and your budget, consider how old the model is. For example: is it a newly released model, or, like Eclipse Cross, launched in 2017. Have the various yearly upgrades kept up with the opposition? Does it have all the latest gear? What’s included for the standard price, and is all the good stuff an option? Pick 3 or 4 other offerings to make things a bit easier on your anxiety condition.

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ABOVE: 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Black Edition and PHEV

The Looks:

The mid-life makeover brought a much-needed change to the rear end, giving it a single glass window in the hatch. The front view is unmistakably Mitsubishi, buy where are those full LED light clusters? That would have been a welcome addition.

For some reason, when I look at Eclipse Cross from the side, I think of a door stop, a look you either love or loathe.

Eclipse Cross Black Edition:

The petrol-only range runs a modest 1.5L, 110kw/250Nm 4-cylinder sans turbo. Depending on the model, you get Front or AWD, with the Black Edition missing out on AWD. I’ve never loved CVT automatics, and Eclipse Cross hasn’t changed my mind.

The cabin is reasonably well appointed, with heated front seats covered in microsuede and fake leather. You have to shift ’em yourself, but for 35grand, who cares? There are spots here and there were scratchy plastic makes things feel a trifle cheap.

Space is fairly well thought out, with 405L in the boot. While back-seaters will be snug (but not cramped), those up front can really sort themselves out for longer trips in full regal splendour, more or less.

CarPlay/Android Auto is via USB, and there are 2 x USBs up front, and 2 x 12V outlets for good measure. Radio includes DAB, with the sound system being rather good, considering this is a budget Barbie cruiser.

Top models get active cruise control, but it is the lack of front parking sensors on Black Edition that really got on my goat. This is not the 20^th century for goodness sake! Active steering features are sadly lacking, with warnings for lane departure and blind spot missing the auto steering option.

The drive:

I’ve only driven the Eclipse Cross Black Edition in dry weather, yet despite a dreaded CVT, front wheels still scramble for grip if you really get stuck in. After the initial hullabaloo, you really feel like you’re doing the ton, yet the 0-100 dash takes a leisurely 10.3 seconds. Gluing your loafer to the floor makes the engine scream for mercy by the time you’ve crossed the intersection.

After a while, the CVT felt sub-par. There is an 8 “speed” paddle feature that tries to simulate gears, something it wouldn’t need to do if Mitsubishi kicked the CVT to the kerb and glued a proper automatic in instead. Even with the paddles, the CVT still has a rubber-band feeling.

nonetheless, Eclipse Cross Black Edition feels light and easy to drive. Ride is good on most surfaces, with a strangely detached feeling from the road. Mitsubishi didn’t cheap-out on rear suspension, with Multi-Links keeping things feel smooth and tidy. That isolation is handy on longer stints, and it is then that the cabin starts to feel quite roomy. Handling is fun once you get a proper feel for the subtle body movements, remembering that even though it is a small one, Eclipse Cross Black Edition is still an SUV.

A quick night-time dinner run made the halogen low beam feel like being led up the garden path by candles. We’re used to LED headlights, so halogen feels a bit last-decade.

Cabin noise was reasonable on most road types, but the course chip tarmac played havoc on handsfree calls.

Eclipse Cross also comes in a PHEV which would be well worth a look. It has more of an EV feel to it

Get the specifications HERE:Eclipse Range Spes7

Conclusion:

Eclipse Cross Black Edition deserves to be on the shopping list, even if only for a test drive. The cabin is roomy, can take a load of stuff, and doesn’t feel precious. AWD models feel more surefooted, something handy on tracks up the mountain.

Even though the range is aging, Eclipse Cross Black Edition still represents a proposition for a canny driver with an eye on the pennies.

Eclipse Cross Black Edition