1996 Mitsubishi Carisma GLX 1.6 petrol + LPG from Croatia
Summary:
They don't make them like this any more
Faults:
A/C compressor changed at 240000.
Clutch, front brakes, all belts changed at 245000.
Front suspension jaw rusted and broke off at 250000.
Took the front seats out as soon as I got the car (very uncomfortable) and replaced them with used Volvo V40 seats which fit perfectly with no modifications, resulting in much better comfort. They even match the colour of the interior.
Also changed the headlights as they were washed out.
Put on bigger 15" alloy wheels.
Now the car is in near-excellent condition, although the front shock absorbers are ready to go, together with the plastic bushes in the gear linkage.
General Comments:
We are talking about a 20-year old car with 250k km on the clock, which I bought for 1300 euro; the car is AWESOME.
It has power steering, electric windows and mirrors, manual A/C and a great cup holder. All of the equipment is working and fully functional. It is spacious and has the biggest trunk I've seen in this type of car. It's not the fastest car, but at higher revs it delivers surprisingly more power and pulls away really nice. The 1.6 liter petrol engine is bombproof and is famous for its longevity and low running costs. The engine starts up the same every time regardless of the weather conditions.
I bought it with an LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) installation, and it can do 100 km with 9 liters of MPG, which is around 4.5 euro; in miles it would be around 6.8 euro per 100 miles. The only cheaper option is electric, but an electric car nowadays costs as much as 20 years of driving this Carisma, so I am very, very happy with the consumption.
With bigger wheels and wider tyres, the car handles superbly in all conditions. The ride is pretty comfortable.
There's no rust at all in any form anywhere on the Carisma after twenty years of service. They did a fantastic job at Volvo preventing the body from rusting. I've been under the car and not a single dot of rust. Unbelievable.
I've done several long trips with it, and wouldn't hesitate to go on any trip with it. It is 100% reliable.
My wife drives a 1999 Mitsubishi Colt with LPG installed, which is just as good, although it does rust a bit on the bottom. I have owned 7 Mitsubishis from the 90s, bought them all used and was very satisfied with them all. Never had a breakdown and I always got where I needed to get, and I bought all the cars at low prices as they were all old when I got them...
So if you find an older Mitsubishi vehicle in good shape, I wholeheartedly recommend you give it a try. Just service it properly and watch it go forever :)
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 4th December, 2016
4th Dec 2016, 17:05
You are right, they don't make them like that anymore. I think this is a good honest review. Didn't know this car had anything to do with Volvo, but now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance to the first generation S40.
90s cars rule. 70s and 80s cars - good, but let's face it, a bit too old now as an everyday car. And modern cars built after the year 2000 seem to be back and forth to the dealer with electronic problems. The 1990s was such a balanced time and I miss it dearly, to the point I still use some 90s cars as my daily drivers - Ford Mondeo, Volvo 850, BMW 5 series, Audi A6 (first gen), Toyota Camry, the list goes on.
Not going to deny modern cars are safer and better to drive, but you can't beat this time period for overall reliability (so long as you look after them), certainly on your family/executive saloon cars.