Buying a new Lancer SX

[Lancer11]

Well when i got mine new, was 20,490 for the white ones manual. it was like 23,490 for autos. they are very nice cars though

[Masked]

Hi guys and girls,

I'm thinking of buying a new SX. Unfortunately, I'm a complete noob at all this - in fact, I've never bought a new car before!

Bear with me, I've got lots of questions to ask.

Basically, I can't justify buying a VR, but I want my SX to look abit sporty. And so:

The SX doesn't come with side and front airdams, right? Can you get them elsewhere, and can you get someone to install them? I wouldn't have a clue how.

If I get a black Lancer, is it worth buying the blackout piece at the front? Does the black on black look good, or redundant?

If I get a blue or a gray/silver Lancer, do I buy the blackout piece? I'm not sure how the chrome border around the blackout piece will look. Or, do I buy an aftermarket blackout piece, without the chrome? I've seen the vinyl ones for sale here, cheap. And can you get a blackout piece that covers both the front, and the front airdam, should I install it?

I like black rims, too. Do you spraypaint the rims you buy, or do you buy new rims that are already in black?

Foglamps? Yay or nay?

Any possibility that the dealer will throw in foglamps, rear airdam, sports grille, and blackout piece without it costing me an arm or a leg? A standard (auto) SX is $23,000, and I don't want to pay too much over $25,000.

And finally - does the Lancer suffer from excessive road noise? I've read alot about that.

Sorry for being such a newbie. Thanks in advance!

[peternguyen]

You can get the front and side air dams from Mitsubishi themselves and have them install the parts, but of course, buying from a dealership will be expensive. The alternative is to buy replicas; X-Factor is the commonly recommended body shop for said replicas. Finding someone to install the replicas is a bit more tricky as Mitsubishi do not install 3rd party parts, and finding someone who you know will do a good job is always hard.

The black out piece will no doubt be less obvious on a black Lancer, however the difference is still there. Since it is matte, it will be dull and not reflect much light, therefore still slightly giving the look of a one piece grill (like the Evo X). The aftermarket vinyls are often better; the OEM ones do not seem to fully cover up the middle section of the bumper. Usually it is installed by applying the vinyl on the bumper with the aid of a heat gun or a hairdryer to have it properly adhere.

Rims are a subjective topic. Some people like to paint their stock rims while others will buy black aftermarket rims of their choice. Fog lights is also somewhat subject, unless you live in an area that might make fog lights come in handy. Anything regarding appearance, it is best to look at images on the web or in the gallery here for example, to get some ideas.

What extra's the dealership throws in will generally depend on your haggling skills. It is best to have someone who has this kind of experience to come with you. Don't be afraid to walk away from a deal that does not adequately satisfy you.

Yes, the Lancer apparently is a bit noisy. A couple of things you could do to minimize this is to fit quieter tyres or to sound proof the car.

[Pascher]

Just being nosy here mate, but what Dealership did you buy from ?

I got it from the Elizabeth one, as it was nearby work. How come you ask? Which one did you get yours from?

Hi guys and girls,

I'm thinking of buying a new SX........

----
In response to Masked's questions:

- I don't think buying a VR is justified with the current special going on.
- I am doing the same thing and purchased a SX and modding it with OEM parts to make it look like the VRX. I have added Front Air Dams (from X-Factor Design) and will be installing Side Air Dams as well.
- Check out my ride in the Garage. I purchase a black SX and had the blackout piece installed as part of delivery. I think it looks awesome....sure its black with black, but its the contrast in material that counts, as you see in my pics. You can be the judge tho and use mine as an example.
- If you get another colour, I would do the blackout myself. The suggestion from many here is just to go to a sign store and purchase some vinyl, cut it to size and stick it on yourself. The Mitsubishi one doesn't quite cover the entire nose piece, so you have some colour still showing and I think that looks bad and half done. Of course you don't notice it on black (like my car)
- If you want black rims, I would purchase them. You can get some really good looking ones! Unless of course you have the know-how or a friend that can do an excellent spray finish. I don't think you can achieve the same shiny look tho??
- Fog Lamps....Yay! Because they make the car look sporty, however they are $560 to install as part of the delivery (that's what I paid for mine).
- the dealer will thrown in mats, blackout piece, boot flap, full tank of petrol and other small things, but I don't think they'll throw in the big things like air dams or fog lights as they take longer to install and are more expensive. You will have to pay for the big things, but you can round off the final price of your car to close the deal...such as round $24,200 to $24,0000 flat for example.
- I think Lancer drives quietly....if anything it doesn't have 'excessive' road noise

Here are some prices that I have obtained through consultation with my dealer before and after delivery:
- Fog Lights = $560 (fitted)
- Mats = $130 (fitted)
- Blackout Vinyl for Front Bumper = $120 (fitted)
- Rear Diffuser = $453.20 or $482.08 (fitted)
- Side Air Dam = $392.70 or $508.20 (fitted)
- Mudflap to suit side air dam = $34.21 or $68.86 (fitted)
- Scuff Plates (stainless steel) = $152.90 or $193.33 (fitted)
- Illumination Front Floor = $177.10 or $234.85 (fitted)
- Illumination Dash = $405.90 or $457.88 (fitted)

And here is an awesome link posted by Ofey:
- The Genuine Mitsubishi Accessories Handbook: http://mitsubishi-motors.com.au/Genuine ... ies_eBook/
- And a link to a thread for Mitsubishi Parts for ClubCJ Members: http://www.clubcj.net/viewtopic.php?t=1131

[Dire]

You should be able to find an auto VR for $25,000 surely? Even a demo model or something?

Please don't get the dealer blackout kit, it doesn't cover to the edges and is ugly.
And don't do the blackout on a black lancer.

Basically everything you said can be done yourself. I think you should consider that buying a lower model and upgrading it can be worse than buying a higher model.
A higher model will sell for more later. Maybe not much, as lancers are already cheap and plentiful, but you won't increase your car's value by modding it.

If you're that tight for money you wouldn't be considering all these add-ons. Either get the best model you can afford or get a cheaper model and do things to it later. It doesn't make sense to me to get a cheaper model and spend heaps on factory add-ons. Maybe to get a cheaper model and buy non-factory add-ons (like springs etc), but not factory ones. It kind of defeats the point of buying a cheaper model...

[Dungogvolts]

I have had my 2011 build SX for 3 weeks now, hence joining here, and paid $22,200 + trade-in ($200) for the auto and I had reverse sensors fitted. Last week got the windows tinted and paint protection $590 and now looking to buy headlight protectors wether shield floor mats and, not sure as I don’t like them, a bonnet protector as well as scuff plates but the price from Mitsubishi is just over $500 so not sure if I will go with genuine products or after market any thoughts would help.

Now as to road noise I traded a 20-year-old Toyota Camry wagon so the new car is as quiet as a church mouse compared to the old car and I am very very happy with it the only gripe I do have is the motor is a bit noisy when accelerating tho ok its not a BMW or Porsche but for 22 grand it’s the best thing I have had in a long time. I reckon you can’t go wrong.
Cheers Dungogvolts

[Masked]

Hey again guys,

Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice and the info/links provided. You've given this newbie some food for thought, as well as help me get my bearings abit.

To be honest, I initially just wanted a straight black Lancer, with black rims. But when I saw some of the kit that you can put on these cars, my imagination took off, and I started wondering about a blue one with lots of extra stuff on it. That's the good thing about Lancers - they seem easy to modify, with mods quite abundant.

Dire - I've looked at the VRs up for second hand sale, but none really suit me. There aren't all that many, to be honest. Heaps of VRXs though.

Just a head's up for other people - I called around a few dealerships today, and all were clueless as to whether the SX deal will be around next month or not. So, if you are going to buy, you might want to make it this weekend.

Thanks again guys - I'll let you know how I go!

Oh, and Pascher - sweet ride you got there! Are those the 16 or 18 inch rims? And is the grille behind the foglamps something you got from the dealer, or something you bought aftermarket?

[Pascher]

Oh, and Pascher - sweet ride you got there! Are those the 16 or 18 inch rims? And is the grille behind the foglamps something you got from the dealer, or something you bought aftermarket?

Hey Masked,

Cheers!

They are the standard 16" rims that come with the SX as stock, but I think they look pretty decent. I will probably be purchasing some black or gun metal grey rims in 18" size once I have gone through my current set of tyres, but for the meantime the rims look great and the Yokohama tyres are excellent too.

The grille behind the fog lamps is just part of the fog lamp, as the plastic grille component is the cover for the lights. This is standard if you get the fog lamps added-on to the SX. But I must admit that I took the picture in great light (late afternoon), which makes the grille really stand out!

[stiff2170]

At first i wanted a black Lancer but then blue started catching my eye so i got blue and after adding a front lip,evo x number plate housing,rear diffuser and evo 9 spoiler with 18 inch rays racing rims it looks stunning!

I knew it would look good but not as good as it came out : D

[WTR]

You know you really wanted the BLACK, though, Stefan ....

[stiff2170]

White is the new black Ron ... admit it

[WTR]

So you bought blue ?

[stiff2170]

White would just get dirty way to easily for me. To keep white looking good you need to wash it 3 times a week lol

[WTR]

Bwahaha - black is the same only worse - but it kicks butt when its clean and shiny !!!!

[CJS1337]

At last the delivery date has come! Was actually meant to be yesterday but I couldn't get out of work early, so today I should be the proud owner of a 2011 SX in Effect Grey.

@ stiff2170 & WTR
Not sure how much dirt will show up with Effect Grey compared to black or white, but being that it's my first brand new car and how fussy I am, any spec of dirt will be wiped off within a few minutes! lol
Seriously though, are there any special tricks for keeping that brand new look?

@forum
As for price, the dealer would not budge with the new car price - $23,490 with metallic paint and CVT. Despite my haggling (although probably not the best at it) I got the whole story about Japan's earthquakes causing a major shortage of ECUs and how it will affect the availability of future vehicles, therefore couldn't reduce the price. Which is a very plausible sales technique to get us to sign up NOW before they all run out.

However, I did get a reasonable price for my old car as a trade-in, so overall it wasn't too bad. I guess it must look better on paper that the sales guy sold a new SX without dropping to a lower-than-advertised price. Am I too skeptical?

The only extras Mitsu are putting on is the tint (and confirmed felt strips!) I'll try my luck today to squeeze a bonnet and/or headlight protectors today upon pickup... and yes, I made sure the Lancer Embroidered floor mats were also thrown in!

So yeah, definitely not deal of the century, but not the worst either.
hmmm might check when the next Melbourne ClubCJ cruise/meet is on