When I was contacted by the Sportback Team at What Are You Into? to try out the new Lancer Sportback for a weekend, I did the obvious thing: I Googled “Sportback”. Apparently a Sportback is a combination of a hatchback and testosterone.
Having gotten used to driving family-friendly cars, I wasn’t prepared for (1) the kick of driving a sports car again, or (2) the complex process that is driving a sports car again. When it was dropped off, terms were thrown at me like “paddle shifters” and “Twin Clutch-Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST)”. It was a little overwhelming. I was used to just getting my wife and son from A to B.
Not that the Lancer Sportback couldn’t do that. I was actually surprised by how much room it had. I was able to fit our six-month-old’s car seat and our stroller in the back comfortably. And considering the one-touch auto-folding rear seats, I got the impression that much more could be hauled than my offspring.
I didn’t spend a lot of time hauling however, unless you count my friends. We used the Lancer as an excuse to go on as many road trips over the weekend as possible. Which seemed appropriate: when a car is clearly built for play, that’s exactly how it should be put to use.
So if you find yourself the kind of person who has room for a lot of play in your life, the Lancer Sportback may just suit you. For me, most of my play happens on the ground with my son. Still, it was fun to have it on the road for a weekend.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Caleb what kind of fuel economy did you observe while you driving it, do you know?
Also what’s your take on the interior and exterior styling… does it suit your taste?
The fuel economy was OK. It was a relatively small car, and a manu-matic, so that helped. I imagine if you were constantly hauling things back and forth, it’d be a different story.
The interior and exterior styling were both very sporty. If that’s your thing, more power to you. It’s usually not my thing.