1989 Mitsubishi Magna Reviews

Hardly any faults.

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

Paint gets weather damaged really easily.

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.

Alternator at 210,000.

Water pump at 211,000.

Valve stem seals causing smoke on start up.

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.

Air conditioning system failed at 265000Km. Repaired by replacing the hose to compressor from condenser + re gas, ($180)

Loss of coolant from radiator, fixed with adding a sealant to the cooling system.

Sagging roof lining cloth pinned with paper pins by the previous owner.

Center console plastic surround cracking and finally falling to pieces.

Slight oil leak from the front crank oil seal.

The most comfortable car I have ever owned, not good for hard cornering though, the soft sprung long travel suspension soaks up all undulations on the road, quiet ride.

Well engineered car for age. As the original donor design was a Japanese Mitsubishi Galant.

Good pulling power from engine, for its capacity, yet it can consume a lot of fuel if driven hard.

Responsive and powerful brakes (all four disks).

Good rust proofing.

A few modifications were done to the engine cooling system to avoid the engine blowing up in the summer.