2000 Mitsubishi Magna Advance 3.5 Litre straight 6 petrol from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
This is my first car, it's a brilliant first car; does everything I need it to
Faults:
Has developed a condition where the car veers left, despite the wheels having been aligned.
Used to burn a lot of oil due to my lead-footed driving back in the day. Magna's weren't meant to rev hard according to the mechanic. Because of that, the interior of the car heats up a lot; it's not a good thing, but not a bad thing during winter.
The battery needed to be replaced twice, and had the engine belt and brake pads replaced, but that was due to neglect on my part.
The car has shut down on me twice in the span of a week; once in my garage, and the other time in a shopping mall parking lot. Both times I just wriggled the battery connectors and she started right up again; hasn't happened to me again. This was during the phase where I needed a new battery.
General Comments:
Pros:
Great reliable car; almost everything that's ever gone wrong with it has been due to neglect.
Roomy; has all the gadgets (cruise control, aux input, power windows, great air conditioning, excellent stock sound system) you really want, at a budget which put a lot of these new bubble cars to shame.
Can be nice to your wallet if you drive nicely, and don't rev it too hard.
Nice, angular design; helps it stand out a bit from the Commodores, Falcons, and Camry's.
It is by no means a race car, but it is a solid performer; fast enough when you need it. Can keep up with and even beat the VT Commodores and AU Falcons, but really shouldn't be used for that; it's a family car, that when pushed, burns a lot of oil.
FWD, and driver + passenger airbags are great safety features.
Fits nicely in small/compact car spaces!
Great visibility; the rear window makes it easy to reverse park.
Front + rear cup holders! (if you slide down the middle-rear seat)
Interior quality is nice for the money.
Much cheaper to buy (and I'm told to run) than a Commodore or Falcon.
Aussie-made :)
Cons:
Interior rattles a lot, and can be a bit uncomfortable due to its rocky suspension.
The car has laggy (slow in response) acceleration and braking, which can be a bit bothersome when going uphill; my friend had a hard time getting used to it.
Awful, AWFUL turning circle; it's a real hassle when parking. The turning circle is so bad, that I almost always have to do 3-point turns, when most cars, even bigger cars, can simply do U-turns.
Despite the great visibility, it sometimes feels like a barge. It's much bigger and roomier inside than it seems, which can deceive you when going around tight corners.
This car is not ideal for short people. My girlfriend is about 5'6", and she has a lot of trouble driving it. I'm 6'1", so I'm fine with it, but she says that it feels like driving an SUV that doesn't have a high seating position.
When compared to similar options like the Toyota Avalon, or a Honda Accord (both are friend's cars, so that's how I can back this claim), this car uses substantially more fuel, despite weighing about the same (still uses a bit less than a Commodore or a Falcon).
Doesn't feel well-balanced. The car is so bulky, that going around corners at anything above a snail's pace, often does make a wheel come off the ground, and (while it hasn't happened yet) this makes it feel like it will tip over.
Aussie-made... (meaning servicing costs are generally a bit more than an equivalent Honda or Toyota).
This car is a long-lasting vehicle, but due to it not being a Toyota, Honda, Ford or Holden, it has much less resale value, which is good for buying it, but not very good for selling.
Interior space is good, but not as good as a Toyota Avalon.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th July, 2012