Mitsubishi Magna Reviews

With little warning, the road took a fairly sharp turn to the left.There was just enough time to have a strong dab on the brake as the tyres sought firmer ground through the dirt surface still slightly muddy from earlier rain.The sequential shift Sports Mode automatic transmission lever was bumped back two gears and the leather-clad steering wheel turned towards the fast-approaching corner.We'd been watching rally cars in action all day, on dirt tracks not far from this spot near the Barossa Valley, so now perhaps it was our turn for a bit of excitement. On wet, loose roads it's not that hard to end up in a sideways slide, winding on plenty of opposite lock when the tail skids out; or risk sliding head-first off the road if understeer takes hold.But what an anti-climax. The thing just went around that greasy corner like it was on rails.I couldn't believe this from an Aussie family sedan – I even stopped and went back to find those two neat "rail" marks tracking around the corner as evidence that there had been no slide at all.Wow. This all-wheel-drive stuff really works.Mitsubishi – yes the Adelaide southern suburbs car maker which is unfairly ignored by car buyers who apparently haven't properly tried the products and considered the prices – was the first Australian car maker to produce a sedan with all-wheel drive.Tested was the sporty Magna VR-X in its all-wheel-drive version. This is not a high-set four-wheel-drive but a normal-ride-height, 4860mm-long four-door sedan that just happens to have that wonderful extra grip, and therefore surety and safety, on slippery or loose-surface roads.Magna is arguably the best value Australian sedan. But the all-wheel drive, also available in less-expensive LS trim as well as the luxury Verada GTVi version, gives another dimension to its abilities.The Magna AWD comes only with the five-speed Invecs II sequential shift automatic. Again, Mitsubishi was the first to offer a five-speed automatic in an Australian sedan. It can be left in orthodox automatic or the driver can "bump" up and down the gears manually.It feeds to an all-wheel-drive system called QuadTec which has been developed locally from the system used in the Mitsubishi Ralliart Lancer Evo rally cars.QuadTec is designed to deliver torque evenly to all four wheels. If any slip is detected, the central viscous coupling differential regulates the torque to help stability."Calibrated for Australian conditions, the system enhances drive-away acceleration, overall stability, grip and cornering control for safer, more spirited driving on all road surfaces," explain Mitsubishi's technicians. And as we've seen, it works in the real world.Magna AWD models get a higher-output version of the 3.5-litre, overhead camshaft, 24-valve V6 engine. It means 159kW of power at 5500rpm and a smooth 318Nm of torque at 4000rpm.In LS trim, the Magna AWD starts at $38,990, the sporty VR-X at $42,490 and the Verada GTV-i at $46,990, all including the sports mode five-speed automatic. These are list prices; most Mitsubishi dealers are more than keen to talk turkey on doing a better deal.The VR-X includes leather-wrapped steering wheel, handbrake lever and gearshift knob, while full black leather trim is a $2000 option. There's a six-way power adjustable driver's seat, and driver and front passenger each get frontal and side airbags.VR-X also has cruise control, power windows and a six-stack dash CD with premium audio unit and 10 speakers. As on other Magnas, it has climate-control airconditioning.The VR-X AWD gets a slightly more sporty suspension setting for the front MacPherson strut and rear coil design. It wears high-performance 215/60 tyres on distinct 16in diameter alloy wheels, including the spare.The VR-X stands out with a subtle but purposeful body kit of a low-line rear spoiler, special front and rear bumpers, fog lamps and a large, round chrome exhaust outlet.Its 1687kg weight – the AWD is about a 100kg penalty – means acceleration is not eye-popping. Another difference in the AWD is a smaller fuel tank, at 65 litres. We averaged a fair 11.3 litres/100km on a trek which included a fair bit of rural, dirt-road driving. Cruising at 110km/h needs 2400rpm.But Magna VR-X AWD excels as an all-road vehicle – a five-seater with a big 470-litre boot that can maintain good point-to-point times wet, dry or dirt.When you are going for a play on dirt roads, there's another surprise from the VR-X. It simply sails over corrugations and sharp-edged potholes that in many sporty cars would have you grimacing. A distant thump is the only evidence and there is no harsh jarring.Understeer can be discovered by really putting the power on in tight corners, but generally it just grips and goes. The AWD gets bigger ABS disc brakes than the standard Magna, and all four are ventilated.For buyers who need the image of motorsport success and therefore lean to Falcon or Commodore, the Magna AWD can hold its own, too.It won the Aussie Cup class of the Australian Rally Championship this year, having win after win at each round in the hands of former champion Ross Dunkerton in a VR-X AWD that was virtually standard, complete with the five-speed automatic. "It's strength is phenomenal," Dunkerton says. "It's been a real buzz coming back to drive a bigger, all-wheel-drive car and to have the Aussie Cup in the bag. These Magnas are near-standard."Sure, Rosco. But just about any mug could drive a Magna AWD around dirt corners.

All wheel drive is available in the current model and is a derivative of the system in Lancer Evo.If you want a sporty Magna right now, it's got to be the VRX in front wheel drive or all wheel drive.The VRX is better to look than regular Magnas and has other touches that will appeal to drivers who enjoy their wheel time.The all wheel drive model is especially handy for our varied driving conditions. Has impressive engine performance from the 3.5-litre V6 – about 160kW. Exhaust note is great, wind down the windows and enjoy if you're that way inclined.AWD model isn't the most frugal medium /large car on petrol (regular) possibly due to driving two axles and the extra weight of the AWD system. Weighs 1700kg.But grip and additional safety benefits are difficult to ignore.Absolutely rock solid on wet roads. No slip, plenty of drive, confident feeling.The five speed auto should be adopted across the Magna range – neatly taps into all available power and torque, gives excellent response across broad rev range.Tipshift sequential gear selection system is fun but the auto is so good as to render it unnecessary.Handling feels trim, firm, jiggly on some roads but benefits when really cornering hard.Could do with lower profile 17in tyres and wheels on AWD version. The wheel selection is pretty staid.Good to know the AWD version has proven itself in rally competition, something the other medium large and large Aussie efforts haven't done.Interior room is for five with adequate rear room for three. Boot is large, seats are comfy and well shaped, offer plenty of adjustment.Leather in test AWD auto was "super kewl" dark grey with silver stitching. Goes well with metallic look dash and other facets of interior.Premium sound offers great tones, plenty of discs and a good radio range.Test car was shocking gold metallic – like Holden's old Tiger. Made people's eyes pop out. Caused plenty of pointing, especially from kids.

The Ford Territory and Holden Cross8 are at best still months away from showrooms, but you can buy a Mitsubishi Magna all-wheel-drive today - in fact, they've been on sale since January.There is even a choice of family, sports and luxury models, all with 3.5-litre V6 engines and the same sort of fulltime total-traction packages that have worked so well for Audi and Subaru for almost 20 years.The Magna All-Wheel-Drive has created a new edge for the family Magna, which is battling against newer and brighter rivals wearing Falcon, Commodore and Camry badges.The Ford-Toyota-Holden contenders are all much fresher and have had much more money - more than $1 billion in total - splashed on them through the tough times at Mitsubishi in Adelaide.But Mitsubishi is picking up the pace and has a committed future, as well as export targets, to the end of the decade and beyond. The bolder facelifted 2004 Magna will be out soon and there is a lot more to come.The Magna AWD hasn't exactly exploded into action, but it was always going to be a slow-burn sort.Mitsubishi believes it will be popular with country people or those who need to drive a lot on gravel roads, or want a bit more grip and stability in a relatively powerful V6.It's not hard, either, to see something more like the Cross8 and Territory joining the local production lines in the future, now that Mitsubishi has proven it can build an all-wheel-drive on the same line as the basic Magna.The Magna AWD has few straight-out rivals, apart from the Subaru Liberty, because it's much cheaper than the Euro all-wheelers and doesn't have the high-rider look or straight-out space of the bigger 4WDs that sit in its $38,000 to $47,000 price bracket.Mitsubishi has spread the appeal through the basic Magna AWD at $37,490 to the Sports AWD -- with a more powerful 159kW engine -- at $43,290 and the Verada AWD at $46,460.The changes for the AWD conversion are relatively minor, with some reworking of the transmission tunnel, a viscous centre coupling snitched from the Lancer Evo VI and the suspension retuned, with upgraded brakes.Mitsubishi has dropped the traction control fitted to the front-drive Magna. One other difference: a slightly smaller fuel bladder.The 3.5-litre V6 comes in two tunes, though most people will be happy with the standard 154kW and 310Nm. There's no manual gearbox, just the five-speed auto with Mitsubishi's touch-change sports shift.The car looks like any other Magna, apart from the 16-inch alloy wheels. Even the "Sports" only has a small rear spoiler. Inside, the dials -- with white faces in the Sports -- get a small AWD reminder across the tachometer.On the roadWE LIKED driving the Magna AWD. It has better grip, better balance and copes terrifically well with Aussie-style gravel roads.The Sports Magna we drove was noticeably easier to drive briskly on twisty roads, particularly if they were damp, and didn't have the heavy front-wheel-drive feel of the standard Sports - definitely worth a look for anyone considering a go-faster Magna.But there are problems.We think Mitsubishi should have put a wagon in the line-up. Its two closest rivals, the Subaru Liberty and Forester, both have a full family back end available and research by other companies shows more families are swayed by extra safety and all-paw grip when they want a new wagon.Then again, we could just be getting ahead of the game. We don't know what Mitsubishi has coming in the middle to long term.Our real concern with the Magna is the shortcomings of the basic car. It is badly overdue for a facelift and update.It was probably the worst possible time to drive the Magna AWD, because the facelifted Mitsubishi is only a few weeks away, but we know Mitsubishi will be building the "old" Magna All-Wheel-Drive throughout the start-up of the new car, and that's going to leave some orphan cars in showrooms until the end of the year.What's wrong with the Magna? It looks plain old. The cabin looks grungy, with huge slabs of bland, black plastic.The airbag cover on our test car was a very poor fit and didn't match the dash colour - the "cave" look has been dropped by rivals moving into lighter grey plastics - and even the trim choices are well behind the Magna's rivals.That's why we are really looking forward to the Magna facelift.The mechanical package of the AWD proves, again, that Mitsubishi has extremely talented people in Adelaide. The final tuning of the engine, suspension - and even the brakes - makes it a quick, comfortable, safe package. It turns well, has great grip, and we feel the braking performance is a little better than usual.The all-paw system copes easily with the V6 power and torque, creating a well-balanced car that's fun to drive.The touch-change auto can be a bit slow to respond, but Mitsubishi has tuned it to hold the chosen gear. The shift lever is easy to use -- even if we'd prefer the shift direction to be changed to create a backwards pull for upshifts.And we hope the coming upgrade boosts the headlamps and the horn.