At $13,995, Is This 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder an Oddly Compelling Deal?

Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder is a car I’m sure most of us will regard with “Oh yeah, that was a thing that happened.” Let’s see if this “like new” edition is priced to make a sale happen.

I’m sure there’re a few of us who want, at least once in life, to exit a Cars and Coffee meet in inglorious fashion — you know, spinning tires and sliding up over a curb or into oncoming traffic. What if, however, a Mustang isn’t your scene? If that’s the case, something like yesterday’s 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1 might be your preferred cup of caffeine. With a claimed 580 horsepower on tap and a manual gearbox to corral all those ponies, that Camaro could prove a unique and interesting way to gain infamy. At $44,000, though, it would be a pretty expensive way to do so. At least that’s the considered opinion of the 60 percent of you who doomed the Chevy with a No Dice loss.

Ok, so you can probably still picture yesterday’s Camaro, right? Now take a gander at this 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder and marvel at the fact that only four model years separate the two cars. Not only that, but production of the fifth-generation Camaro and that of the fourth — and last — generation of Eclipse actually overlapped for fully two model years.

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Now, admittedly, the Eclipse was at the end of its run while the Camaro was just getting started, but even so, the Mitsubishi seems to be much of a different era. And that’s not a bad thing at all. There’s a certain charm inherent in some older cars — a je ne sais quoi if you will — and this Eclipse Spyder certainly does have its charm.

The car comes with a clean title, and what the seller describes in the ALL-CAP ad as being in LIKE-NEW condition. There are just 36,780 miles on the clock and the car presents in decent fashion with clean paint and no evidence of clouding on either headlamp or taillight covers. New Road Hugger GT Ultra tires have been fitted which is a plus. The noticeable curbing of the factory alloys upon which those have been mounted is not, however.

Inside, it’s much the same story. The GT Spyder was factory-equipped with leather seating surfaces and many of the expected comfort and convenience features 2009 could offer. A Rockford Fosgate stereo offers a multitude of speakers, including a big bad boy between the supremely uncomfortable-appearing back seats. Those, by the way, are for kids only.

One place where this Eclipse shines is in the drivetrain department. Power comes from a 265-horse 3.8-liter SOHC V6. That’s mated to a manual gearbox that the seller claims is a five-speed, but if memory serves, I believe should actually have six cogs. Either way, there are three pedals and something for your right hand to do while driving. We all like that. The ad claims that all services are up to date.

We don’t see the top either up or in action in the ad. When down, it lives under a hard tonneau which tends to better protect both the material and the mechanism from dirt and debris so let’s just imagine it’s in as nice of shape as the rest of the car.

The seller advises to “BRING CASH” as they warn the Eclipse “WON’T LAST LONG.” Those words were apparently written three weeks ago and as the ad still stands, we can assume that the car is, in fact, long-lasting. Could that have something to do with the car’s $13,995 asking price? 

What’s your take on this lightly-used Eclipse and that $13,995 price tag? Does that seem like a deal for a disremembered sporty car? Or, for that much, can the seller just forget about it?

You decide!

Phoenix, Arizona, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to John Barnes for the hookup!

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