What's this new compact swaggering down the street?

Can that really be a Mitsubishi Lancer?

Well, it sure isn't the Lancer you may remember. This is a whole new set of wheels, with a butch new look, tough new stance, and a sleek, attention-getting body.

And based on the high value and content here, it's a car I think you'll want to see before you buy anything else.

For the base price of $18,490, you get side curtain air bags, front crumple zones, an alarm system, paddle shifters, rack and pinion power steering, sport-tuned suspension, air conditioning, automatic climate control, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power everything, halogen headlights, rear wing spoiler, alloy wheels and more.

Power comes from a 2.0-liter, 152-horsepower four-cylinder engine that is rated at 22 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway. The estimated annual fuel bill is $1,658 based on 15,000 miles of driving at $2.80 a gallon.

This is a very expensive-looking sports sedan, with hints of Acura's TSX and TL models from the side. The rest is all Mitsubishi, with a menacing front-end look that lets one and all know that this car means business.

Inside, there's a cockpit-like, contemporary interior with a dashboard dominated by two huge round gauges. If you order the CVT transmission, you get paddle shifters, which vastly increase the fun factor in this car with almost instantaneous shifting that you really can feel and enjoy.

Some of the graphics and displays with the navigation and audio systems are complicated and rather confusing to look at, so allow yourself some time to get used to it.

One thing I won't get used to is the lack of standard safety equipment. If the window sticker was correct, my model did not have traction control or stability control. The absence of those systems as standard equipment, particularly on a car that has performance potential, is inexcusable. Mitsubishi needs to correct that quickly if it wants these cars to be competitive.

I also had problems with the trunk, which was sloppily lined with a loose cover. Mitsubishi has to sweat the details if it wants to play with the big boys, such as the Honda Civic and Nissan Altima.

On the positive side, the GTS ranks as one of the most fun-to-drive compacts around. It takes off like a shot and corners without any signs of excessive body lean. The brakes are up to the task, too.

Strictly from a value, fun and style perspective, the Mitsubishi Lancer GTS is hard to beat.

There are some other products at Mitsubishi you don't want to miss, including the Outlander, a product many people miss because of the relatively small advertising campaign done on this car.

But the good news is that people are beginning to catch on about this car. I'm seeing far more new Outlanders on the streets than I did with the old model -- and having test driven one, I think I know why. It handles beautifully and has stable driving characteristics. This is no tinny, shaky little SUV. It also has a lavish interior and lots more room than the previous model.

Another reason for its popularity, I suspect, is a bolder, more assertive look. The previous generation looked an awful lot like other SUVs. Another advantage to the new Outlander is that it's unusually well-equipped at a price that matches or beats most of the competition.

Prices start at $21,370 for a well-equipped ES version that includes active skid and traction control, air conditioning, AM/FM CD, side impact air bags, curtain side air bags, anti-lock brakes, cruise control, keyless entry and power windows, locks and mirrors.

All Outlanders have as standard equipment advanced dual front air bag supplemental restraint system, side curtain air bags, ABS with electronic brake force distribution and tire pressure monitoring system.

Sixteen-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth cell-phone-ready switch, drivers's seatback pocket and roof rails distinguish the LS.

The XLS has bigger alloy wheels, automatic climate control, fog lights, Sportronic magnesium steering wheel shifter paddles and under-floor stowable compact third-row seats.

The second-row seats are reclining with a 60/40 split fold and a 3.15 inch slide range.

This year, there's a new base engine for the Outlander: a 2.4-liter, 168-horsepower four-cylinder engine. Fuel mileage figures are unavailable.