1994 Mitsubishi Magna Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Mitsubishi Magna and 380 from 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 as a used buy.

These big Mitsubishi family cars have a well-deserved reputation for being smooth and refined and in its early days the Magna made Holden’s Commodore and Ford’s Falcon rather ordinary in the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) stakes.Mitsubishi Verada was the name given to upmarket versions of the Magna and is sometimes regarded as a different model, though in reality, it’s just a Magna with plenty of extra kit stuffed inside.All were built in Adelaide. The first Magnas were very much Australian products, later they became more closely allied to Japanese Mitsubishi models. The Mitsubishi 380 was based on an American Mitsubishi model and was larger and plusher than the Magna.This once successful line of cars came to an abrupt end in April 2008 after slow sales of the 380 caused Mitsubishi to pull out of Australian manufacturing. In hindsight if the company had simply called the 380 the next generation Magna, the Adelaide factory might still be in operation today.Body types are four-door sedan and five-door station wagon in the Magna/Verada, but the 380 was only built as a sedan. Rear-seat width isn't quite as good as that in Commodore and Falcon, but the Mitsubishi’s seats can handle three adults in reasonable comfort.The big Mitsubishis have reasonably good handling for family cars, with the 380 feeling nice and sharp on the road. Engine performance from the old-style four-cylinder 2.6-litre engine is reasonable, but only just. The later four-cylinder models had a 2.4-litre unit with a much-improved design.Four-cylinder models slowly declined in popularity over the years and were finally removed from the Magna range in 1999. Those on the used-car market now are likely to be near the end of their lives, though it must be said they are tough old units. A 3.0-litre V6 engine was released in the Mitsubishi Verada in 1991 and the Magna in 1993.It was joined by a 3.5-litre V6 in some upmarket variants in October 1996. The bigger engine gradually spread to the rest of the range. In the later-model Magna Sports and VR-X, the 3.5 engine has additional power over the standard unit. The Mitsubishi 380’s 3.8-litre engine is a stretched version of the 3.5-litre unit.There is good torque throughout the normally used zone of the rev range and the 3.8 is very pleasant to sit behind. Magna is offered with a five-speed manual gearbox, but the great majority of the original cars came with a four-speed automatic. A sequential shifting was first fitted on four-speed Magna Sports models from September 1997.An advanced five-speed automatic transmission with a sequential shifter is fitted to the sporty variants sold from August 2000 and made its way to the other models over the next couple of years. Mitsubishi 380 came with a five-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual gearbox.The auto was by far the most popular and the manual could be a problem to resell in years to come as the number of drivers interested in doing their own gear changes continues to decline. Mitsubishi’s Magna offers the extra traction of all-wheel drive in some sports variants to give the car a real sporty feeling.These all-wheel drives are a real pleasure to punt hard and fast and keen drivers love their feel and grip. But they were never popular and could be hard to resell. These big Mitsubishis are spacious in their under bonnet area so servicing is relatively easy for amateur mechanics to carry out. Make sure to get a professional mechanic for safety-related work. Mitsubishi continues to operate strongly in Australia despite no longer being a local manufacturer. Spare parts for cars up to 10 years old are still carried by Mitsubishi dealers. Prices are generally reasonable and we seldom hear of any real availability problems. Insurance charges are usually moderate and most companies charge much the same for four and six-cylinder engines. There may be an increase in the premiums for the Sports model if the driver is young and/or inexperienced.WHAT TO LOOK FORRust is seldom a problem but in a few cars it gets into the bottom edges of the doors, boot lid and or tailgate, and the fuel filler flap. Look for signs of damage to seats, carpets and trim, including inside the boot. Examine the top of the dash panel and the rear parcel shelf for faded, or cracked, plastic caused by constant exposure to sunlight. Automatic transmission problems have dogged these Mitsubishis but troubles are less frequent in newer models than in older ones. Watch for an automatic that shifts gear when it doesn’t need to or suddenly shifts into neutral of its own accord. Look at and feel the front tyres for uneven wear, which can indicate front suspension problems. Check the paint and bumper bar around the exhaust tailpipe for an oily film, indicating engine problems. Make sure the brakes pull the car up in a straight line and that ABS, if fitted, sends a pulsing back through the pedal on hard application. Don’t forget to check your mirrors first!CAR BUYING TIPWhen checking out a car aimed at the family buyer make sure to spend plenty of time looking over the back seat and the luggage area. 

Think Magna, think sturdy, but boring family hacks with little or no personality. That was certainly the way the mid-sized Mitsubishi was viewed back in the early 1990s when the TS appeared, but look past the pleasantly plain styling and you’ll find the TS is a reliable family car that represents good second-hand value for money.The transformation of the Magna from trouble-plagued family four-banger to a car capable of competing with the mainstream large Aussie family models began with the TR, and took a sizeable step forward with the mid-model TS facelift in 1994 when Mitsubishi made its smooth 3.0-litre fuel-injected V6 available in more of its models.Previously the Magna was a four-cylinder model trying to appeal to owners disenchanted with the cost of running their six-cylinder cars at a time when fuel prices were on the rise. At 2.6 litres the Mitsubishi engine was quite a large four and suffered from a lack of smoothness as a result, although it was reasonably torquey and would pull quite well.When the disenchantment with six-cylinder engines didn’t translate into a wholesale switch to fours as we became accustomed to the higher fuel prices Mitsubishi simply had to meet the market with a six.A V6 Magna is a smooth operator with safe and secure handling, even if it doesn’t have the neighbours rushing around for a look when you arrive home in your driveway.MODEL WATCHThe 1994 TS Magna was a facelift of the TR model introduced in 1991 and changed the way we thought about the Mitsubishi family car.Earlier Magnas had developed a reputation for trouble, to the extent that they had sullied the Magna badge, but the TR turned things around with a fresh, if conservative, shape, strong safe body shell and much improved reliability.The TS facelift built on the reputation established by the TR by adding new features such as ABS brakes and a driver’s airbag, and increased availability of the smooth 3.0-litre V6 engine.The Magna began life as a four-cylinder family sedan when there seemed a real chance our fuel supplies would dry up and the demand for fours would climb through the roof, but instead we learnt to live with higher fuel prices and the demand for sixes remained high. There was nothing Mitsubishi could do, but add a six to its family sedan and tackle Holden and Ford head on.This they did in the TR, and they enjoyed quite some success, even though the Magna was still regarded by most as a four-cylinder car that wasn’t quite in the big boys league.New to the range in TS was the SE V6 in sedan and wagon versions, which expanded the availability of the smooth six to six models.There was little to distinguish the TS from its predecessor. The easiest way to pick them from the outside is by the split grille, which was coloured either grey or silver depending on the model, and there was a new garnish mould on the rear, new wheel covers and new alloy wheels. Inside the TS boasted new cloth trim and a new cover on the centre console.On the mechanical front Mitsubishi made some welcome improvements to the engines and automatic gearbox. New high swirl combustion chambers, pistons and ports improved the drivability and response of the 2.6-litre four, although it had little impact on its performance and economy. The smooth and willing fuel-injected 3.0-litre V6 was unchanged.Revisions to the computer controlling the shifting of the four-speed auto trans, which reduced the torque during shifts instead of shifting at full torque reduced shift bump and made for a much smoother drive.Some minor retuning also took place on the suspension with new bushes for a more comfortable ride over smaller bumps.Demand for increased safety forced Mitsubishi to adopt ABS brakes and driver’s side airbag, which were both introduced as options available with the V6 engine.IN THE SHOPThe TS Magna is robust and has survived the ravages of time and distance well. The body is sturdy and remains tight. Few rattles and squeaks seem to develop over the years.Both four and six-cylinder engines are reliable and give little trouble. As they get on in miles it’s worth replacing the cam belt, at around 100,000 km to be safe, and they will probably develop oil leaks from the cam cover and front cover.Unlike the earlier Magnas the auto trans in the TS is very reliable and gives little trouble.Cars equipped with autos can have problems with the idle speed stepper motor, which is designed to raise the engine’s idle speed when ‘Drive’ is selected.LOOK FOR• solid body stands the test of time.• plain styling gives it a granddad image• torquey fuel-injected four is economical choice• smooth V6 is a willing performer• safe and secure handling