Mitsubishi Nativa Reviews - Page 2 of 3

A/C compressor (after 2 years)

This is Mitsubishi's best kept secret. The car is good as gold, tough as a nail, drives in utter silence on good roads and yet gives its level best off-road.

No reliability issues (the A/C compressor was replaced under warranty and never had a problem since).

Clearly not a trend-setter nor state-of-the-art in terms of gadgets and electronics, but what is there works.

And I can't believe how cheap Mitsubishi sells these cars. Don't they believe in their own product? Pajero's may be more refined, but are far more expensive, and frankly I wouldn't stump the difference.

Nothing yet, except a tiny air bubble mark at the door frame. So the paint is a little chipped there.

I read bad and good reviews about the car. I was in the market for a family size SUV, and my old Mercedes just gave up the ghost in the hottest month of the year.

So, in a fit of rage, I decided to upgrade, and my budget was small. Finally it was between a Kia Sportage and a Mitsubishi Nativa. I trusted the Japanese reputation VS the new kid in the block.

My comments are: true, the car is slow, and true, the car is petrol thirsty and noisy at high speeds on the motorway. True, the car's design is old fashioned, and true, the car's interior feels cheap because of the excessive use of plastic.

However, the car is very well priced for its category, and it is a true off road vehicle. It's got heaps of space, and makes me feel safe driving it.

If you want speed, you get a Cayenne, if you want looks, you get the Explorer, if you want class, you get Range Rover, but if you want an affordable car that rides like a truck, but is as tough as a nail, this is the one for you.

It also has ABS with EBS and dual airbags. As we have a little child, this was the selling point for the car.

I initially wanted a Pajero, but the new model is pricy, and the basic model does not have ABS.

Alignment is never guaranteed to last over 1 month.

When buying an SUV, you can't expect a sports car feel. With the Nativa however, despite is sluggish acceleration compared to a higher end Murano, it corners like a Motorbike on crack. When taking highway loops in speeds in excess of 120KMPH you feel like a rock star when your passengers go oooh and aaah at it’s handsome agility.

It takes on rough terrain like a duck to water, not so smoothly though, you can prepare to be jolted at average speeds when hitting uneven rocks etc.

The lows of this vehicle are that the interior is as drab as drab can be. The front grille is atrociously designed, I plan to replace it with the 2007 grille which is quite attractive.

The seats are comfortable enough to cushion your rear end comfortably for long trips. Lumbar support is adequate.

The suspension is tight, and rightfully so. Although not the most comfortable ride on earth, passengers feel very comfortable in the cabin which is surprisingly well laid out and spacious.

The engine is not your best friend, because it doesn’t respond at your beck and call. What it does lack in high end torque is compensated with terrific off road performance when the 4x4 is engaged. It becomes a little monster rock crawler with perfect amounts of torque distributed with precision.

I knew exactly what I was getting when I purchased the Nativa, and am very happy with my decision to buy one.