Comments: 1-15, 16-25
The only thing was fuseable links had to be replaced.
This car is so fantastic to own and drive. It looks so much better than current Ford mustangs (please) Camaros and 350z cars. I can't believe this car has depreciated so much while a similar Toyota supra of the same year is worth almost twice as much. Yet my car is so cool and fast. I will always keep this gorgeous bad boy rice rocket and you can keep or even throw away that mustang garbage that populates our roads like cockroaches. The Starion is simply a keeper for life and truly not appreciated when it was creaed, but is now a masterpiece of japanese muscle a true classic.
The Starion wasn't a very good car & it looks like something out of a Sci-Fi Flick.
That's why they depreciate so much.
I think that the Starion mated with the Pacer and the result was the Pontiac Aztek.
Gross, weird, styling. The Mustang has much nicer styling.
(So do about 95% of the vehicles on the road- I left room for the Elements, Vehicross, Tribecas etc.)
I must admit, I understand why some people may view the starion as being different, but I'm shocked at just how negative some people are about its looks. I'ts from the 80's deal with it, the wedgie styling is part of the starions personality. I've had a couple of mk1 mr2s and love how that car looks, I'ts like an old lotus esprit/excel, but people I've tried to talked into buying one say they prefer the more curvaceous mk2. I think this is the problem with the starion, it has a very specific audience. As far as performance goes it featured on an episode of top gear and they rated its performance highly, especially Jeremy Clarkson, who seems to take some pleasing. I am looking to own a starion in the near future to accompany my mr2,and personally love its wedgie/muscular looks, and in a way I'm kind of glad that it seems to attract a small following, because there isn't many starions for sale in the UK nowadays. Long live the starion.
Sure, buy a Mustang if you want, but just don't ever try to claim it's a head turner. Mustangs are so common, so often seen (including, now, the 2005-up versions) that no one gives you a second look.
You want a car that people will notice, buy a Starion or Conquest.
Or a Pacer or an Aztec.
Yes, they turn heads, the other way.
Starion=Sci-Fi ugly!
First, don't knock the pacer. That car was from the 70s when everything was long and stodgy. The pacer was American car that looked nothing like a Lincoln or Delta 88 from a beleaguered company trying to survive. It was gutsy and showed a foresight because, admit it, it was was pretty futuristic for its time.
Second, the reason for the depreciation is it's a Mitsubishi. The company doesn't have the kind of image or popularity of Toyota. Its all about pedigree.
I can't remember when I last saw a Starion. I've encountered a few Conquests along the way, but not a Starion. That's a neat, rare car. I hope a few manage to survive over time.
I just got a mint condition 1987 STARION after 20 years of wanting one!!! This car is more than I could ever hope for. The public response of this masterpiece is overwhelming. I own an auto garage and am no stranger to speed. This car showed the other car companies how to make smooooth and usable power. I hope that 20 years from now I am still running this car through the gears.
To the poster on 16th Jun 2006, 22:19:
Keep saying that to yourself. To folks with a mentality like your own, any car that has styling more original than the über boring homogenous styling we see staggering the Toyota, Honda and some domestic brands is nothing short of an eyesore. Some people, believe it or not, actually prefer to drive a vehicle that has some modicum of appeal, originality and, yes, even genuine style that doesn't resemble Mork's space capsule.
To the poster on the 13th of July 2006, 22:10.
I couldn't have put it better myself, I'm the the guy with the mk1 Toyota mr2, and a fan of the Starion. The statement about Mork's space capsule was stupidly funny... and true. After recently seeing a Pacer in an episode of the X-Files (which unfortunately got crushed by an invisible elephant), I see no connection to the Pacer and the starion in terms of style. Driving around and parking up in my wedgie 89 mr2, I've only ever received positive comments from people, mostly of whom are simply intrigued by it. I believe if I owned a starion these comments would double. I enjoy driving around in an older car, one that could only have ever been manufactured in the eighties. I'm not one of these people who craves timeless or fashionable styling, I want something that stands out from the "homogeneous" crowd. To the person who bought the mint 1987 Starion in July I hope you've been enjoying the car. It would be nice to hear an update on how everything has been going.
Hey, I got starion in 1989 the last year the car has 80,000 km and really it's a nice car I have droven many cars and when I mean many its many still I love the starion has something that no car has it and I spend now more than 3000$ buying parts from the factory in Kuwait I live in kuwait I have mustang 1988 and Toyota supra 1984 all the cars I have it looks brand new, but starion... If I can i'll drive it daily, but I'm keeping it hope 1day the company will come up with new starion at the same way the turbo sound the set when your in the car and the way the car billed if it was a women i'll marry the car lol just joking if there is any help that any1 has starion don't know how to fix let me know badboy82@hotmail.com I know the car by heart thank you.
I agree I too like the design of the Starion. I have an 87. But to blatantly attack the style of the Mustang is just ignorance on your guy’s part. And there’s reasons why there are so many Mustangs are on the road. It’s because they are appealing to the masses. Even the boxy Fox-bodied out sold and probably out performed the Starion.
Still think they’re boring. Check out the Mach 1, GT, Cobra, Saleen, Roush, Shelby or the all popular Convertible’s.
One of the Starion's problems (in the UK at least) was performance and refinement weren't up to the standards of similarly priced rivals and spares were expensive and hard to source.
For the person who was posting comments who owns a MK1 MR2 and is considering buying a Starion you may find the 1985 Starion review on this site interesting, was written by an ex-MR2 owner.
Also entirely agree with the styling issue, The Starion had a mixed reception when it first came out, but I think has improved with age in a cool retro kind of way, especially in wide body form. In this day of curvy aerodynamic blancmanges I appreciate some of the sharp lines of 80's (especially Japanese) cars than I probably ever did.
I know it's a bit outdated, but I did want to add my input. Ever since I first saw the Conquest/Starion in the show room as a kid I have wanted one. The styling is unique and as has been mentioned they aren't dime a dozen cars. As a matter of fact there was one just listed in my area that I am sorely tempted to buy (an '87 with just under 60K original miles in absolutely immaculate condition). The only thing that prevents me from buying one is the fact that I don't trust Mitsubishi parts or reliability. Mitsbuishi can build some amazing looking performance machines, but parts are expensive and their reliability in general is attrocious. I don't know of any other manufacturer that builds cars that start burning oil at less than 100K miles. Eclipses, Mirages, and most other mitsubishi models are notorious for this. The only real exception that I have seem to have found is the 3000GT. Unfortunately since the Starions/Conquests are pretty small in number and the info on them is pretty limited, I can't tell how solid these vehicles are. As for the Mustangs, they are some fun cars and there are definitely no shortage of mods for them, however, they have their own list of issues. I can't comment on the Cobra, Rousch or other limited edition version Mustangs, but I have test driven a number of different years of V-6 and GT mustangs and honestly I have found the stock ones to be rather disappointing. I have tested them in both the automatic and standard varieties. The V-6 isn't bad if you get a standard and keep reminding yourself that it is just a V-6, the GT on the other hand was a serious let down. Part of it could do with the fact that I was also test driving some mid 90s Z-28s which are simply amazing machines. Anyways, don't get me wrong, I recognize the value of the mustang and all of their untapped potential, but there is something to be said for a car that not everyone and their dog drives.
To the poster: 23rd Nov 2006, 17:17.
It's been almost a year since your post, I haven't been on here for a while. I'm the guy with the MK1 MR2, I appreciate you pointing out one of the reviewers of the Starion on this site was also a previous MK1 MR2 owner. I had read this before and found it very interesting. Both being rear wheel drive, but with the engine in opposite ends and significantly different power outputs, I suspected the Starion would feel quite different to drive. What I wonder though, is whether the gear box in the Starion is mounted further towards the rear of the car, if I'm correct the Porsche 944 turbo's (the Starions rival) gear boxes were more biased towards the rear of the car, giving a more balanced, perhaps, mid-engined feel, I don't know whether this is the case or not.
Anyway thanks for pointing the review out to me, and maybe you'll reply to this next year as well. lol.
Thanks
MK1 MR2 OWNER.