Mitsubishi Magna TF (1997-1998)

Best car ever – I bought my Magna 1998 wagon TF in 2002 with 150k on the clock first owned by BP NEW ZEALAND as a company car. I brought it back to Australia as reimportation was no problem and cheap. I still have and use the car to this day owning it now for 19 years. I loved the car so much for it's incredible load capacity and fuel economy which was in… Read more

average 12.8 kms/liter. The only issue I had up until a respectable 508 000 kms was when one of the gear shift cables wore out and snapped and lastly when the oil pump finally wore out and loss of compression, was an ECU failure due to a cracked plastic elbow of the gearbox dripping coolant on it. Sometime in 2009 the gearbox failed in 3rd gear for which I bought a used exchange box with 180kms on it. In 2019 I bought a fully reconditioned 4G64 engine from GEM and thereafter a redo gearbox from Austrans. In the mean time I have clocked another 60k on the car without any problems. Throughout ownership I religiously changed oil and filter using engine flush every 7 to 8000 KS, which is the way to extend engine performance and life. I always drove it gently keeping revs low, cruising on the highways at 100 kmp. This year I'm going to strip it down and give it a birthday by way of a full spray paint keeping the original colour. Parts are relatively easy and cheap to get so I won't be parting it any time soon. Best car I've ever had. Thank you Mitsubishi.

Compatibility magna radiator – Just a question . Does 1997 magna v6 auto radiator fit tj 2002 radiator are they compatible n because im trying to find a compatible radiator to suite my 1997 magna Show details

Most underated car ever – For great used car value i dont think you can go past the old Magnas and Veradas. Very reliable low kilomtre cars can be found for very reasonable money. Ive had about 4 of them over the years, and love the economy of the V6 and also the performance. I never buy one that has more than say 160,000 on the clock, even though i know theyll do many… Read more

more.... I dont trust previous owners to maintain them properly. Always look for a well kept interior as well. Because they are cheap a lot if people treat them terribly, but get a well kept low kay car and you wont regret it.

Recently bought a 97 Verada with the 3.5.... Magic car, but may be a tad thirstier than the 3 litre. Most Magnas have cruise, and power windows, so not much difference.

I had the rarer 2.6 lire 4 cylinder as well, in a TE. Very cheap to run and even with higher kays was still a great performer, - but the V6 is G e one to get.

Hope this helps someone.

6 Years. Not bad – Just upgraded this car after owning it for 6 years. Got it at 110,000 kms and it's just starting to show signs it will need major work where it is now at 270,000 km's. The car itself has been serviced regularly and has only let me down once with a starter motor dying a couple of months ago costing me $400 to replace. This was what started me… Read more

thinking about buying a new car.

Unfortunately little things broke very easily in the Magna which was a frustration. By the end of our ownership the car has these non engine related problems:

- Can't open the drivers side door or boot with keys. Have to pop the boot from inside to get in. No amount of WD-40 fixed it

- Rubber from rear passenger window keeps coming off creating wind noise.

- Drivers window window snapped off rather easily making the window inoperable

- Indicators would only work occasionally making an annoying grinding noise at times

As far as the design of the car itself goes I was always quite happy. It was big enough for our family of four with small children. The dash makes sense and it's easy to find everything you need. The speed alarm would of saved me from a fine countless times.

Haven't regretted my purchase even though servicing can be pricey... but time to move on.

Reliable Australian Car – 1998 3.0ltr auto Executive. Bought our car in Darwin 2001 with 23,000 on clock, sold Feb 2013 263,000 on clock. Replaced aging Pajero and Hilux. Unbelievably reliable, never let us down in the 110,000km travelled in the Territory. Our car travelled mainly at 130km (no speed limit at the time) on the open road, power to overtake road trains and… Read more

handled the wet season well. Motor was starting to weaken at 250,000km, all original, only the timing belt was changed at 100,000km intervals. Car was regularly serviced.

Ran Dunlop SP300 on the front during the dry, Yokohama A drive during the Wet.

These cars are getting a bit old now, but there are some very good samples still around. Fuel economy was average but they are a good family car or a great younger persons car.

Sad to get rid of it, but it had no airbags. Enjoyed driving it, best Aussie car I ever owned.

Great Second Hand Car – We have a TF Executive 97 V6 Magna sedan and it's such a great car, we got the car at 185,000km and now up to 227,000km with no issues at all. The fuel economy is around 8L/100km country and 10L/100km urban, the power of the engine is great and it runs superb. Reliable, inexpensive to run, everything Nothing at all Show details

Amazing car. Loved both of mine – I am now on my second Magna. The first was a 1997 TF Magna executive sedan. It was my first car at 18, and as such it got lowered and all the usual, got hammered and was generally not well maintained, but it never missed a beat and took it like it was made for it. Huge boot space and very comfy to sit in. I now have a 1997 TF Executive wagon.… Read more

Also an amazing car, handling is amazing same as the sedan. Still goes awesome, very surprising amount of power in these cars. Great boot size too. Leg room in the rear of the wagon isn't amazing but still quite comfortable.

Both of mine have been white so never had the paint fade issues.

Resale on these isn't amazing, but I got them both cheap for that reason so I can't really complain.

Both were 3.0L, 4 speed auto. Good power, good for towing, reliable, good looks, good on fuel, large boot space in wagon and sedan. Can be expensive to service, resale isn't amazing.

Be careful which engine you get! – I own a 98 TF Magna with 135000 km and it is no good, very high fuel consumption (more than my old 4 ltr Falcon) have a few engine or gearbox problems and my mechanic was very suprised to see me still driving it when I pulled up the other day for brakes (only bought in sept 2012) so I would never buy another 4 cyl... But on the other hand my mums… Read more

98 TF Magna 3.0 ltr with 380000 kms goes perfect, engine a bit noisier but that's expected from a car with that many km's, she has never had a problem with hers, it is great on fuel, uses about half what mine does and it has 250,000 more km's than mine, so if you have a choice between 2.4 ltr and 3.0 ltr go the 3.0, I have heard the 3.5 ltr are really good too but a bit thirsty, not as thirsty as the 2.4 though. 6 cyl versions are brilliant 4 cyl versions are a massive flop

Good – Excellent! The Magna Wagon is the best Aussie made wagon for this time period. Look for a good one, maybe a Verada or high spec Magna version and even in 2011 It is a good machine. Pity they are no longer in production. 4 out of 5! This is based on a TF Altera LS Wagon built in 1997, purchased by me in 2002 and traded in 2007. It's a 3.0 litre… Read more ·  2

V6 with 4 speed auto gearbox... Comfortable and reliable, a great Aussie made car (made in Adelaide, South Australia). Very under-rated in my opinion. Very refined and comfortable long haul car. Mine has been all over The Northern Territory (in the pre speed limit days) and most other states including Tasmania. Never let me down. Great driving position, good handling, very stable at high speeds. Highway economy (8 litres per 100km achievable). Neat styling. V6 engine strong and smooth. Tall gearing 2300 rpm at 100 km/h. Resale value poor. The more economical and fun 5 speed manual not available on this Altera model. Huge turning circle. Fuel Economy around town can be way over 10 litres per 100km. No CD player is lame for a luxury version even in 1997. Luggage cover flimsy.

Good – Mine was the 3.0Litre Solara wagon. I did not maintain the vehicle well at all, and it was as reliable as an axe. I did tow a tandom trailer with a kubota tractor on it at one stage, which affected steering and taking off up steep inclines was a challenge. The car was great on fuel as well, around town and became outstanding on the freeway. If… Read more

you are on a budget, they are every bit as good as a Commodore, Falcon or Camry, but not as good for towing as the rear wheel drive family cars. Comfort level, ergonomics, fuel economy, reliability. Cabin a little cramped compared to commodore. Not good at towing anything larger than a box trailer. Astmatic engine (3.0L model)

Excellent – Amazing reading this, not any real complaint with this car, every one on this site has positive comments, the Magna must be the most underrated car ever! Brought mine new in 1999 and it is a 1998, I have 220,000 kms coming up and it still drives like a new car! It has the 3 liter engine and consistently get 10L / 100ks around town, even has nice… Read more

power too. Only regular servicing and it has been a pleasure to drive. I have even had it out on a few track days and it performed very well. It is a Solar with optional leather seats and electric windows (after market but through the dealer) midnight blue and a bit of cosmetic work by me (twin head lights like the Verada and fake fog lights) it is actually quite a head turner from the front. I will get another one if this one ever breaks but I am betting on 300,000Ks (better then my bulletproof 144 Volvo). The next one will be the 4WD 3.5 liter 5 speed auto, that must be an awesome car! Power, handling, sophistication, economy, aero dynamics (very low drag co-efficient), reliability. These cars are bulletproof and a really good drive. They were benchmarked on the 5 series BMW and you can see that in the performance, quietness ride and handling. Even the engine sounds like the Bmer. Back in 1999 it was so much better the anything else on the road then. I traveled a lot for work and drove a lot of hire cars, including mercs, bmers etc. The decision to buy the Magna was my wife’s but when I drove one I was sold! The Magna had the sophistication of the Europeans with an awesome power to weight ratio. In 1998 It was as fast as an SS V8 Commodore to 100Ks and had longer legs with the 2.8 cd aerodynamics. It made the mercs and bmers feel like arigcultiral tractors! Paint scratches easy, brakes are not the strongest (two pot brakes on the Ralliart’s and 4WDs are the go). Sound system has muddy bass. Auto gets confused sometimes.

Excellent – We got ours which is a 1998 model second hand. And we haven’t had a problem with her it’s great, even as a second hand older car she is still running well. We do get her serviced regularly and I would advise taking them to be serviced at a Mitsubishi approved mechanic as even though the price for the service tends to be slightly higher it’s worth… Read more

it as they really know these cars and can spot a problem before it becomes a major problem. Great car, great interior looks wise. Very low cost to run, reliable. Can't fault this car at all

Good – Definitely a car to consider buying. It is well equipped, reliable, efficient and comfortable. Only look for used models with low kilometres for a big saving. Ex-government auctions always have them available. I have a 1997 Mitsubishi Magna Executive automatic with the rare 2.4L 4cyl engine. I've had this car for almost six years. I got it when it… Read more

had travelled 55,000km; now it has about 158,000km.It has been a great car to own. It's fuel efficient, especially on the highway. Around town it uses about 10L per 100km, on the highway I've calculated it at about 7L per 100km. The 70 litre fuel tank can last up to 6 weeks.It's smooth engine and road noise is very quiet on good roads.The interior is designed very nicely. Everything is easy to reach and use. The newer models are well equipped standard equipment including things like cruise control, electric windows and ABS. It’s cheap to insure and maintain. I’ve always got it serviced at Mitsubishi. I think this is essential for all modern cars and would never get servicing at the average mechanic. It has usual service intervals at 15,000km.I’ve found it to be very reliable, high quality and advanced technology. This is as most Japanese cars. I’ve read other reviews about it, which confirmed that this car has almost as high quality, reliability and durability as Toyotas. It has been a great car to own. It's fuel efficient, especially on the highway. Around town it uses about 10L per 100km, on the highway I've calculated it at about 7L per 100km. The 70 litre fuel tank can last up to 6 weeks. It's On poor roads there is a bit of road and tire noise plus it isn’t very smooth. This car’s handling in these conditions is better than average than I’ve experienced. But this is important to me so my next car would be either a Toyota Camry or Lexus. Now that the car is getting older and has travelled high kilometres there’s usually extras when servicing. I recently had to get the air conditioner compressor replaced, which cost $1,600. Breaks seem to need regular work. I’ll need to replace the disk break rotors soon that will cost about $700. Magnas seem to depreciate more than other sedans such as Camry, Commodore and Falcon. This is good for used car buyers, but bad news for new car buyers. But the savings in other areas make up for this.