For the most part, the new Mitsubishi Lancer's static-mode idiosyncrasies lose significance once the car is in motion. This holds whether the movement is in the direction of fun or work, as the car is equally comfortable and competent on arrow-straight interstates or grapevine-twisted back roads.

Steering response is decent, if not sparkling, especially on those back roads, as the new Lancer tends to lose some concentration when pointed straight ahead for long stretches. For a front-wheel drive sedan, it tracks well through corners, with no excessive body lean.

The GTS, of course, is the most rewarding driver, with firmer coil springs, shock absorbers and bushings and larger stabilizer bars than the DE and ES models. The stiffness added by the cross brace on the front suspension towers is tangible in a quicker, more precise steering response. Interestingly, however, the GTS' sporty front seats don't add much by way of lateral support over the ES' buckets.

In ride and handling, two of the competitive brands stand out: the Civic, with its longer wheelbase (by about two-and-one-half inches), has a smoother ride just generally, but most notably over weather-induced pavement heaves, and the Mazda 3 is a sportier drive.

Throttle response is respectable for the class. Only the Mazda 3's top engine pumps out more horsepower (160 vs. the Lancer's 152), but the Lancer is the heaviest of the class, with the GTS alone topping 3000 lbs. Brake pedal feel is solid in the ES, even more so in the GTS, which gets the Outlander's larger discs.

The manual transmission's shift lever requires a bit of a stretch to reach third gear and fifth gear with the driver's seat comfortably positioned for a six-foot tall driver. And the juxtaposition of the brake pedal and accelerator force an awkward ankle contortion to effect a heel-and-toe double-clutch on a downshift. In the GTS with the Sportronic, the manual up/down selection slot opens to the driver's side of the shift gate, which some drivers find more natural than away over to the passenger's side. This isn't as much an issue in the GTS, however, what with those handy steering column levers.

In all likelihood due in no small part to that aforementioned weight penalty, the '08 Lancer pretty much brings up the rear in fuel economy. For example, the smaller engine in the 200 lb.-lighter Toyota Corolla makes six more horsepower but betters the Lancer by five miles per gallon in the city and by seven miles per gallon on the highway, according to EPA estimates. And the more powerful Mazda 3, weighing about 100 lbs. less than the Lancer, comes out ahead by three mpg and two mpg, city and highway respectively.