The Lancer Sportback's 168-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine offers energetic acceleration that should satisfy all but the most power-hungry drivers. For them, Mitsubishi offers a Ralliart edition of the Sportback that's powered by a 237-hp, turbocharged engine.

The base 2.4-liter is smooth-revving. It doesn't protest when you wind it out — which I found myself doing often — and it really hits its stride around 4,000 rpm, where it pulls with more authority.

This engine teams with a five-speed manual or an optional continuously variable automatic transmission. The manual shifter moves precisely through the gears, and its throws are short. The light clutch pedal is easy on your leg, and it engages easily, which makes for smooth takeoffs. The EPA-estimated gas mileage is 20/27 mpg city/highway with the manual and 21/27 mpg with the automatic.

The brake pedal offers more travel than most, which might be a little alarming the first time you have to make a panic stop; the pedal goes down quite a bit before hard braking occurs. There's a benefit to this, though, which is that it gives you a lot of control over the car's braking performance, allowing you to fine-tune your braking.