1989 Mitsubishi Magna Elite 2.6 Astron

Summary:

Rubbish

Faults:

Worst car in the world. Everything was wrong with the car: engine smoking oil, automatic leaking oil, automatic problems, alternator, water pump, start motor, disk brakes, wiper motors, etc.

General Comments:

Mitsubishi is a Mitsu sh*ti.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th May, 2020

27th May 2020, 20:59

Sounds like you got a bad one. A well maintained example (especially Japanese cars) from this time period are as reliable as it gets.

29th May 2020, 00:20

Toyotas, Mazdas and Hondas maybe, but Mitsubishis from this era were generally not good cars.

1989 Mitsubishi Magna GLX 2.6 EFI

Summary:

Overall, a very well balanced, ever reliable vehicle

Faults:

Hardly any faults.

Cylinder head died shortly after I got it (around 355,000kms on the original motor).

Paint gets weather damaged really easily.

General Comments:

Car runs beautifully if well maintained.

Very user friendly in terms of aftermarket modification eg. Stereo is easy to access, you don't have to pull apart the whole car to remove the engine. "Space age" features of the luxury models are easy to transplant into lower range models.

Interior retains its beauty, even today.

The 2.6 Litre Astron II engine gives most modern 6 cylinder vehicles a run for their money.

Adequately fuel efficient.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th December, 2011

12th Mar 2012, 08:59

In which way does it give a modern 6 a run for its money?? We have a TN Magna and 2 AU Falcons (sedan and ute). I can tell you that both the AUs beat the Magna, even in fuel economy, especially highway driving. 300kms of mainly highway driving, the Magna uses around 32 litres of fuel (its EFI 2.6L), whereas my AU sedan uses around 25 litres. The Utes about 29 litres.

The TN is a lovely car though to drive, and is looked after so it runs well. You can't compare performance with the AUs or the newer FGs and VZs, 380's and Aurion's. I have driven them all, and I know they are lot faster than a TN.

1989 Mitsubishi Magna SE 2.6 EFI

Summary:

Comfortable and reliable if looked after

Faults:

Alternator at 210,000.

Water pump at 211,000.

Valve stem seals causing smoke on start up.

General Comments:

Very comfortable car to drive. Steering is super light and responsive. Easy to park. You can see to the very tip of the bonnet, so it is very easy to judge when parking close. The fact it's a wagon means visibility is very high.

There isn't a lot of power, but still enough to pull off quickly at lights or get you up a hill. The best thing is you barely need to touch the accelerator once up to speed. It will sit at 1500RPM at kph so fuel usage is low. The overall economy is far better than a Falcon or similar. Only fill the tank 1/2 way every week, and that gets us everywhere we need to go.

I do all the maintenance at home, and with a regular oil change and inspection, everything is kept at hand. Easy to work on when it comes to basic things like alternator, water pump, gaskets etc. I'm about to do the valve stem seals because they are tied and cause smoke on start up. Doesn't use a lot of oil, although it needs to be checked regularly.

It's always been garaged, and there is barely a spot of rust. The interior is absolutely perfect for its age, and it is very comfortable. Much prefer it to my mother's 2006 BA Ford Fairmont, that's the full luxury package.

Would recommend to anyone on a budget that is looking for something cheap. Just make sure you get the TP model, and make sure it's EFI. Needs to be looked after though, because as with any car, if it's abused, you will be stuck on the side of the road. Look for one with low Ks, and try to avoid ones with oil leaks or rough transmissions.

Much more comfortable than any Holden or Ford of the time.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th September, 2010