2007 Mitsubishi 380 SX 3.8 V6 from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
Bargin reliable large car motoring
Faults:
Driver's side rear window came off track and fell into the door cavity.
Transmission jerks a little at low speeds when shifting up.
General Comments:
Fantastic car to own and drive. I purchased two of these for our business, each with 33K on the clock, barely 18 months old and for half the original price when new! Being ex rentals, they certainly wouldn't have had the most cosseted life, but at least they were serviced religiously.
In the 18 months we've had them, they've been faultless really. The only issue being a rear window collapsing into the door. Strange, but both cars did this, and on the same door!
Very smooth and quiet to ride in, with very comfy seats and plenty of power.
Handling is also excellent for a powerful front wheel drive car, however traction is easily lost in the wet.
Plenty of standard equipment being the SX model - 17" alloy wheels, climate control, 6 stack CD with MP3, auto lights off, traction control, steering wheel controls, plenty of airbags, electric drivers seat, plus a host of customisable options through the on-screen menu at the top of the dash.
5 speed automatic with tiptronic is great.
Average 550km per tank at around 60L.
The only real let down is the plastics used in the dash construction and on the door tops, which in my eyes looks almost malformed. It's quite different from conventional patterns used in many other makes, although the texture is soft to the touch. I guess a dashmat could address that issue. They also put a large rubber strip around the instrument cluster, which looks rather cheap and fitted as an afterthought.
A split fold rear seat would have been preferred, and of course large objects tend to hit the bottoms of the speakers in the boot when you try to load them.
As far as company workhorses go, these cars have been great, and have been an excellent bargain to boot. Would thoroughly recommend, especially now as prices are stupidly cheap.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 29th September, 2010
1st Oct 2010, 22:07
Forgot to add to original post:
Good:
Excellent headlights both low and high beam.
Very solid build quality feel.
Instrument cluster itself is attractive and has been commented on by friends.
Bad:
Poor turning circle makes parking more difficult.
Rear vision is compromised with the high boot line.