Used 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross for sale 

The Eclipse Cross comes in four variants - ES, LE, SE, SEL. The base trim comes with either front wheel drive or four wheel drive and all the other trims are offered with four wheel drive as standard. All the trims are powered by the same 1.5L, turbocharged engine and are mated to a CVT gearbox.

We'd Recommend

One of the few selling points of the Eclipse Cross is that it's loaded well with features. It does not drive the best and in that regard, you have several other cars to buy from. If anyone is buying the Eclipse Cross anyway, we'd recommend you buy the top SEL trim which comes loaded with interior and exterior features and makes the car have some value.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is powered by a 1.5L, inline-4 cylinder turbocharged engine. It produces 152 hp and 184 lb-ft. While the power output is decent enough for the car, we would have liked some more power as it could feel underpowered when overtaking on the highways. Also, the engine lacks refinement and makes a lot of unpleasant noise.

The CVT gearbox is quite responsive but it is not used optimally because of shortcomings from the engine. The gear ratios are nicely spaced and the gearbox remains smooth for most times. The Eclipse is a good cruiser but it does not like to be pushed hard.

All cars are quite evenly matched except for the Chevy Trax which is a little low on power. The Mitsubishi Eclipse has maximum torque and by quite a margin. All cars use a CVT gearbox whereas the Chevrolet Trax uses a 6-speed automatic.

Acceleration

The Mitsubishi Eclipse sprints to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds which makes it the fastest in the competition along with the Mazda CX-3 which also takes 8.6 seconds. The time is pretty decent for a compact SUV in this segment. 

However, the Mazda crosses the quarter mile the fastest at 16.3 seconds and the Eclipse Cross comes second in 16.7 seconds. One thing to keep in mind would be that these cars are not built to rip drag strips. Efficiency and reliability are prioritized over everything else

Ride and Handling

The Eclipse Cross has very soft suspension settings. While that delivers a good ride quality it really compromises with the handling. There is a good amount of body roll around the corners. A slightly stiffer setting would have really helped the car. Also, people expecting the sportiness from this car because of past associations with this name would be really disappointed.

The steering is also very light and numb. There is very little feedback from the front wheels. The steering is quite dead about its mean position and little steering input in either way does not bring about any direction change. We would have certainly liked more preciseness from the steering and some more weight when you go faster.

Braking

The brake pedal in the Eclipse Cross feels decent enough. It takes 125 ft to come to a dead stop from 60 mph which is pretty decent for a car in this segment. However, because the suspension is soft and it's the heaviest vehicle here, there is noticeable dive every time you push hard on the brakes.

Cars here are great when it comes to braking but the Mitsubishi Eclipse being the heaviest of the lot, has the least amount of braking efficiency. Moreover, The Mazda nails it when it comes to being the lightest and stops the fastest among all its rivals.

The Eclipse Cross does not fare well at all in terms of fuel economy. It has the least figures and returns just 26 mpg combined whereas the Mazda CX-3 returns 31 miles to the gallon. It's a heavy vehicle powered by a smaller engine and that is why the fuel economy is not so good.

Mitsubishi has smartly positioned the Eclipse Cross as a very economical daily driver that’s as reliable as a much cheaper Toyota. For them, the Eclipse is an entry into the compact crossover segment wherein, reliability and economy play a significant role. 

The interiors of the Eclipse Cross are also well laid out. The all back interiors have been garnished with silver and piano black trims all around. A 7-inch infotainment screen takes center stage from where the dashboard swoops down to the AC vents. The climate controls are stacked below it. The overall design looks pleasing and aesthetic. Fit and finish of materials are also up to the mark.

The instrument cluster has analog dials for the tachometer and the speedometer and a small digital screen in between them for various vehicle information. We would have liked a bigger screen though. There's also a retractable heads up display screen on the dashboard. What's really annoying is that there is no volume knob. You have to use the touch screen or buttons on the steering wheel.

In spite of having the maximum wheelbase, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross does not seem to have the maximum space inside. The Subaru Crosstrek and the Chevrolet Trax actually have better dimensions inside than the Eclipse. That said, there is still plenty of space to seat five people comfortably.

The seats themselves are quite comfortable. They come wrapped in leather and are heated as well. There is contrast orange stitching in the trim and even the rear seats can be heated in the top trim.

Infotainment System

The infotainment system in the Eclipse Cross is fairly good enough. The unit is a touchscreen and there is also a mouse pad to navigate through the system just beside the gear lever. There are some physical shortcut buttons along the mouse pad and some along the screen as well.

While the system is decent enough and the graphics are good, the response time is somewhat delayed. Also, using the mouse pad is quite cumbersome and you'd find yourself using the touch screen more often. It also comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Interior Features

• LCD Color Multi-information display with S-AWC distribution array
• High Contrast Meters
• 8-way powered adjustable driver's seat
• Heated Front Seats
• Rear seat slide and recline function
• Rear seat center arm rest with cup holders
• Heated and leather wrapped steering wheel.
• Gloss-black window switch panels
• Soft touch door trim inserts
• Remote hood and fuel door release lever
• 7-inch infotainment screen with touch pad controller
• Steering wheel audio and phone controls
• Heads up display
• Multi-view camera system
• Automatic Climate Control
• Cruise Control

Cargo Area

While badged as a utilitarian, the Mitsubishi Eclipse along with the rest of the competitors rarely come across being effectively useful. To be more specific, All of them offer decent luggage space, however, don’t expect a lot of room for maybe a St. Bernard or something similar. 

Where the Eclipse Cross really impresses is with its cargo area. It a class leading cargo space at 22.6 cu.ft. The 60/40 split rear seats add to the practicality. Fold down the seats and then the Subaru Crosstrek has the maximum cargo area.

The Eclipse Cross is a handsome looking SUV. The headlamps are sleek and look smart with the LED DRLs. The grille is large and bold, looks much like a Lexus grille. There are chrome accents under the headlamps that go around the grille to make the fog lamp housings and it looks rather cool. The various cuts and creases on the front fascia give it a very distinctive look.

Come over to sides and the cuts and creases continue. There is a sharp line from the tail lamps to the front door that give the side a distinct contour. Another line starts from behind the front wheels and goes over the rear wheel arches and then finishes it off, the 18-inch wheels are very stylish indeed. It's an SUV and there are black body claddings all around.

Move over to the rear and all that personality that was built from the front and sides just disappears. The sloping rear window is cut by an awkwardly positioned band of LED light which is part of the tail lamps from where the rear window drops vertically and then bulges a little more to make the tailgate. The rear really spoils the look. It could have been a great looking SUV save for this weird looking rear.

The Eclipse Cross has the perfect compact SUV dimensions. It is shorter than the Subaru Trax but quite longer than the other two. It is also the widest SUV here and the tallest as well. These dimensions naturally translate into the longest wheelbase as well. All these dimensions make it the heaviest car in the competition.

Exterior Features

• LED Headlamps
• LED rear combination tail lamps
• Color-keyed front and rear bumpers
• Chrome Upper Grille
• Chrome Side window surround trim
• Wheel arch moldings
• Black Lower door trim with silver accent
• Roof Spoiler and roof rails
• 18-inch two tone alloy wheels

The 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross has commendable ratings in tests by the NHTSA and IIHS. The Eclipse Cross is well loaded with quite a lot of safety features and that is quite reassuring. Even the base trim comes with standard features such as Traction Control System, Active Stability Control and Anti-lock Braking System.

Standard safety features include:

• Traction Control System
• Active Stability Control
• Anti-lock Braking System
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Blind Spot Warning with Lane Change Assist
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Multiple Airbags

Automatic High Beam Headlights, Forward Collision Mitigation and Lane Departure Warning and Adaptive Cruise Control are some more optional features.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs Mazda CX-3

The Mazda CX-3 is one of the best SUVs in the segment. It has very good handling and is actually a fun car to drive whereas the Eclipse is really not so fun to drive. It's best as a comfortable cruiser.

The CX-3 is a smart looking urban SUV, well more of a grown hatchback. It has good interiors but Android Auto and Apple CarPlay do not come as standard. Also, the rear seats are quite cramped in the CX-3. The CX-3 also packs some good performance and is in fact cheaper than the Eclipse Cross. The CX-3 is quite easily the better car over the Kona

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs Subaru Crosstrek

The Subaru Crosstrek is a much larger SUV than any of these compact SUVs. It has good off-road capabilities for a sub-compact SUV and it has good ride quality as well. It has very roomy interiors, something that is not so generous in this class.

It looks very generic though and could easily blend in the crowd. The interiors are also generic but are still well appointed. The Eclipse looks better however. On the down side, the acceleration isn't very good and handling is not so good either. But neither is the Eclipse's. It is around $2,000 less expensive than the Eclipse and hence makes the better deal.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross vs Chevrolet Trax

The Chevrolet Trax has the smallest engine and is quite low on power as well. Its acceleration is sloppy and the ride isn't good either. Performance and handling is not what this car can bank on. It also looks quite dull for 2019 and Chevy designer's were just being lazy.

Where the Trax redeems itself is that it carries a lot of standard safety features packed in its still generic interiors. Yes, the Eclipse isn't a great performer either but it does it better than the Chevy. Also, the Eclipse has a real sense of style in spite of that polarizing tailgate. It's around $2,000 more expensive but it seems worth the money.

If you are familiar with this name from Mitsubishi, you'd be disappointed with what this car is. It has gone the complete opposite direction from its sporty character to be a grown up SUV. Yes, it looks stylish and it has really nice interiors which are very well appointed indeed. However, it is more expensive than its rivals and yet they offer much better performance along with feature loaded interiors and stylish looks. We'd say that you look into the other compact SUVs in this segment than the Eclipse Cross.