Old Dog, Few Tricks

The Lancer's angular, stocky appearance still looks good in an aggressive way, though it's bordering on dated when lined up against the new Focus or Mazda3. The GT borrows front styling from the turbocharged Ralliart and wears large, 18-inch wheels that don't look overdone thanks to their understated styling. Even the interior design still looks fairly contemporary, as the materials have stood the test of time.

The Lancer GT's shining driving characteristic is how sportfully it handles. The quick-acting steering is reminiscent of the Evolution, a legitimate sports car. The GT is available only with front-wheel drive, so it doesn't have the Evolution's super-smart all-wheel drive, but the GT's handling is still entertaining for a compact car.

The 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine has more guts than many small sedans, with a potent 168 horsepower, up from the base model's 148-hp, 2.0-liter engine. The 2.4-liter engine pairs with a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional continuously variable automatic transmission. The CVT responds quickly to accelerator inputs and isn't as laggy as other CVTs when you need quick response for passing.