2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS Vs. 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS vs. 2008 Nissan Sentra Sentra SE-R Spec V Hi! I’m Kelsey Mays for Cars.com and we’re at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin testing out two compact cars built for the Fast and the Furious crowd. Actually that crowd saw that movie like seven years ago, so these days, they’re probably spending money on rent as opposed to tuning their cars. But the tuner spirit lives on. We have a Mitsubishi Lancer and a Nissan Sentra. These aren’t your basic grocery getters. The Lancer is the GTS version. This has 18-inch wheels, four-wheel disc brakes, thicker front and rear stabilizer bars and for 2009, a new 2.4 liter engine with 168 horsepower. Over here we have the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. This is the sportiest entry you can get with 17-inch wheels, four-wheel disc brakes and a sport-tuned suspension. Now, the suspension does have a low-tech torsion beam setup in the rear. That’s the same hardware you’ll find in cars like the Toyota Corolla and the Chevy Cobalt. The Lancer has a more advanced multi-link rear setup. Now the Spec V hits back is with the engines. This is a 2.5 liter engine that makes 200 horsepower and in here it’s teamed with a six-speed manual transmission. The Lancer we’re testing out has a CVT automatic. Well, we took these two cars out on the track and the street. It’s pretty apparent that the SE-R is built for a higher performance on to it. Its steering feel is quicker. Its engine packs more punch and the brakes feel more up to the task of bringing your car down in high speeds. The Lancer just sounds more pedestrian and that’s not necessarily because of the CVT. Its engine seems like it doesn’t want to rev nearly as quickly as a two-liter engine than other Lancer tuned models. The brakes don’t have the SE-R’s firm hold and that we like the chunky feel of the steering wheel. Its performance on the track feels a little bit numb. Where the Lancer really redeems itself is in its chassis. Hit a few bumps and you’ll feel the wheels chatter sideways a little bit. It’s also a little less predictable in understeering around the track. Now, the Lancer feels definitely more settled as you’re understeering and going around tight corners especially if you hit a bump or two. Now, which one of these cars wins the day? Well, the SE-R is definitely not one of our favorite sport compacts but it’s entertaining right out of the box. If you’re going to pop the hood and do some tuning of your own though, the Lancer GTS might be a better place to start. For additional information on this car or any other, go to Cars.com and our blog KickingTires.