Mitsubishi Magna

fancy closing down this factory. just check these review statistics. 2% bad 98% good. mine is still going strong. you can't fault this machine. it's the magnaratti of Australian cars. if you are reading this your obviously considering an old car. but just look at what awesomeness used to get built here. now we only make coffees and… Read more

sandwiches. poor de- developing country. when this car doesv pack it in I'll miss maggi but we'd possibly mastered quantum physics and id have saved up enough dough for a teleporting machine. "I BLAME THE GOVERNMENT!"

Excellent car, even at 21 years old – I have a 2003 Magna LS with 175,000 trouble free kilometres. Quiet. Comfortable. Reliable. Cheap to service. What's not to like? The V6 has a great engine note and certainly has good power for freeway driving/overtaking. It can be a little thirsty, but nothing too crazy. Being 21 years old, there are some age related maintenance niggles like the… Read more

MAF sensor needing replacing and slight oil leak that all the 6G74 engines develop, but other than that nothing to suggest the vehicle won't go for another 175,000kms. Overall, if you can find a well maintained example and keep up with servicing, you will have a great piece of Australian motoring history serve you for years to come.

Terrible car – Do not buy this car, nothing but trouble since buying it. I was always in and out if the mechanics, and even the mechanics couldn’t find an answer to the problems.’ Show details

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.

Best cheap used car to buy – If you are on a tight budget, and you need a car to get to work or school/study then these are a great option, especially if you live or work in a rural area and you commute on country roads. They are simple enough and common enough that parts are available at every wrecking yard and any mechanic will be able to fix any problems. They’re far more… Read more

refined than the equivalent commodore or falcon and have great low down torque, making them really effortless to drive and overtake. And their unloved status makes them amazingly good value compared with the Toyota Camry that if you’re looking at cars this price point, you’re probably finding are considerably more expensive.

We’ve had our current Magna a year now, but across our whole extended family, we’ve had 13 of them. All of them driven to 300k+ km with minimal problems and no repairs or maintenance more than $500 (not including tyres). They do burn oil though so you gotta keep an eye on it, check it every couple of weeks and make sure you don’t run it dry.

The worst thing about them is the lack of technology, and so you’re going to want to bring a Bluetooth speaker in the car, or an fm transmitter or even change out the head unit for one with Bluetooth so you can listen to your own music and podcasts etc.

Couldn't kill it with a stick! – This 1990 TP is gift from heaven. Bought the old girl back in July '07 for $400. So far its done over 450K and runs and sounds like a vehicle with less than a 100Ks on it. It has never broken down or spent a day off the road, apart from one or two repairs. Spent less than 5K on repairs in that twelve year time period. As I'm a house sitter I… Read more

get to go some very serious distances. From Mareeba to Hobart, and a lot of places in between. I've been told these are a crap car. Uh huh. When cars aren't maintained, that is certainly the case, but this baby is cared for and bits and pieces replaced when necessary. But those bits, now, are like chasing rare art works. But so far so good.

It gets around 30 to the gallon on average on the highway (fully loaded with my worldly goods) and a bit less around town. I only use 98. I've used some maths to figure that using 91, is false economy. I also use the Proma fuel and oil additives. Brilliant stuff. Highly recommended. Frankly, every time I drive it, at the start or end of whatever trip, I simply have to say, "Thanks, Lord, for one of the best cars on the road. I am most grateful".

Awesome – Great aussie built car, had mine 10 years and going strong still. Cant beat good old aussie manufacturing. Those that bag out the car, have no idea what they are talking about. Show details

Great car – I have a 2004 lancer vrx it has 89,000 on the clock it's now done over 205,000 and still goes fine probably one of the best car I've had ,would definitely but another one if I was able too Show details

Great buy – Probably the most astute purchase I ever made. Bought a '05 VRX AWD in '07 for $15,500 (almost a third of the new price!) with 59,000 km on the odo, looking & going like new, smooth powerful engine, handles any road, plenty of legroom, big boot. Only tyres & brake-pads & annual service. Now done 267,000 & finally blew the heater core. Fixed that & intend keeping it going for a while yet. Show details

Ahead of its time – Bought this car in 2004. Apart from standard servicing, all i've replaced is a headlight globe. That is it. With 300k on the clock she still runs like a dream. Smooth, good power, comfortable. It is still a daily drive. No oil leaks and uses a tiny amount of oil between servicing. In fact I'm so impressed I've bought a mint VRX TL for garaging. Show details

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

Beautiful car – Have had this car, the LS version, V6 since 2010, bought second hand with 80K on the clock. Has been an absolute great car. Goes like a rocket. The Gallant V6 motor is super. Now has 240K on clock and still going great. Some oil leaks to fix now but that is normal.  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.

RELIABLE CAR – I drive the Magna daily. It came with a factory fitted Impco LPG system. I have owned the car since new and have done 160,000 kms with no issues. It has been serviced regularly every 10,000 kms. Having dual fuel is brilliant especially now with the cost of petrol. You can run this car for the price of a small 4 cylinder hatch. It is such a reliable car I have no reason to part with it.  Show details

Most reliable car owned – Partners first car (10 years ago) serviced every 12 months lately as not used much, was every 6. The only single item we've had to replace in ten years outside of scheduled maintenance as per the manual was the heater core for as it had corroded. Whoever says Magnas are not reliable has never owner one. 255,000km and counting.  Show details

Great Car. Even though it's near 20 years old – I purchased my Magna for $850 back in July 2018, and with 5 months rego, what a bargain. Obviously at this price it needed some minor work. However after spending some money on it getting it mechanically sound again and ship shape, it now literally drives like a brand new car. Being a TH Sports Edition, with 288000 on the clock, damn, never before… Read more

have i had a car that drives this well, with this many kms on the clock. Handles great, drives like a sports car, and goes fast. Very impressed at a car with such age, could still be in the condition externally and internally and mechanically, goes like the clappers.

To make matter worse the bloke i brought it from hadn't looked after it, meaning no oil changes etc for over 4 years. After 2 seperate oil changes 1000km apart, everything is how it should be and after putting into a local mechanic for timing belt, fan belt, a couple of gaskets replaced and some other minor work like brakes, rotors etc, she is a brand new car again so to speak. I highly recommend this type of car to anyone looking for a reliable and exceptional run about.

Most underrated Australian car – If kept up with maintenance you cant get a better family car, big boot for the double pram. If serviced regularly they drive really nice and are very reliable, I'm definitely planning to keep mine for a long time, just fix what us needed and keep up to services and you'll have a good car for a long time.  Show details

Excellent car – Got mine second hand. It had just over 100,000 k's . It now has 351,000 & still going strong. Plenty of power, plenty of room for a family, great for trips. A little thirsty for around town driving. Good handling. Found it to have a bit of oversteer but not a huge problem. Just passed it on to my son to add another 100,000 or so  Show details

Never misses a beat – I had a TF Magna and loved it but wanted the sexy looking TL model which I have now owned for ten years and has 268,000 km on it. Mainly driven around the city but has been to Kalbarri and done 100mph no problems. Also it is after market duel fuel LPG and I occasionally run it on ULP91 to lubricate the ignition. The roof lining collapsed but cost… Read more

$200 to have relined. Paint fading on roof as most older cars do. Electric window controls broke but bought another from a wrecker. Parts are so cheap.. although an interior door handle is tough to find! Servicing is easy and uses no water or oil! I am now looking for another one with low kilometres!!!

Smooth ride and exceptional reliability – I am currently driving a 1999 Altera LS TH. I use this car for my job as I work in the community, I do transports and drive to people's houses. I recently hit over 200,000 KMs, and have done about 50k KMs in this car since I bought it. I've never had any break downs and it's never missed a beat. The only trouble I have is that it burns a bit of… Read more

oil, but I have heard for most V6 magnas, a lot have the same issue. Fuel efficiency wise, depends on how much travelling I am doing, but as a lot of it is starting and stopping, I can be putting a lot of fuel in over a period of 2 weeks ($100 - $150)... I enjoy my car and I love the power behind it, there is also plenty of room inside to stretch your legs.

I just wish it was a bit more fuel efficient and didn't burn through oil!

Reliable work horse – Mine does 1000km per week and has now done 435,000km, in my travels on country roads to and from work. Averaging 8.1L per 100km it is remarkably fuel efficient for a car of its age. It is very comfortable to drive and due to regular servicing I have never had a mechanical issue. Still running very well, and I would recommend to anyone seeking a reliable work horse.  Show details

Outstanding car – It is one of the best car of the segment. runs smooth, and has a superb grip on the road. It is a 6 cylinder car, so is a bit heavy on fuel, but the power u get is amazing. It is a great car for family. great design and super comfortable seats with ample space inside.  Show details

Never fashionable or cool, but one of the best Aussie built cars ever – With my simple 3.5 litre TJ Executive wagon nudging 300,000km, only now starting to use a bit of oil and never having had anything let go that wasn't an expected wear item, it has now surpassed what I've ever had out of an Aussie Ford (XF) or Holden (VL). It hasn't seen a garage a day in it's life and how it isn't rusting is a complete mystery… Read more

(try that with a VL!). Even in '86 the Magna was better built than the VL or XF but with that horrifically bad 2.4 Astron II it deserved to get hounded by all. What the Adelaide crew did to arrive (peak IMO) in 2002 at the TJ was amazing. A superbly built car with an engine like a dynamo. Find one that has been well looked after and with less than 200k on the clock and you have a fine car that will be cheap to run, more power, bigger boot and lower fuel consumption than a typical SUV plus spare parts everywhere and sensible tyre sizes. Only hitch is how far the world has moved in safety terms; if you want safety, you can't look as far back as 2002. Sure, at the time it was up there; it stops quicker than a Falcon or Commodore or the same vintage (higher power to weight too, ahem), it has ABS, EBD and an Airbag or two but that doesn't cut it in 2017 and it no doubt dropped off the bottom of the ANCAP scale a while ago..if that's on the priority list for you. For now, I'm enjoying the last few years before inevitable retirement (of the car that it).

The undervalued car, Magna – Magna is undervalued for some reason can't figure out why but probably people didn't like v6 with front wheel drive ? Like typical Mitsubishi you can Service Magna at long intervals and it won't matter. V6 with fuel economy close 4cylinder sedan but smoothness and comfort exceeds small sedans of course. It's nice and silent when it's… Read more

running and stays smooth and stable at speeds exceeding 100kmph too.

Mine is manual vrx and returns fuel economy of 7.8L/100km in highway driving and about 8.3L/100km in city driving.

I love it totally.

TJ VRX MAGNA I LOVE THIS CAR – From the moment I first jumped in this car I was in aww!!! I turned the ignition and the dash lights up red what a shock then turn the ignition again and the engine roars to life pull out of the driveway and take it for a test drive down the road oh!!! the power so smooth the way it holds you firmly into the seat with the sheer amount of torque… Read more

and the sound of the engine resonating through the exhaust.These cars were so underrated Mitsubishi's biggest mistake were they were not advertising the amount of power and torque from the 3.5 litre power plant and how it was delivered to such a beautifully refined transmission these cars were quicker than falcons and commodores of this era this includes their sport models and V8s I have had this car now for 7 years and I spare no expense at all on this car it still looks looks as beautiful as the day I got it drives like new it has 230000ks on the odometer I only use all the quality fluids for it I have never had an issue with the car it never uses oil.The transmission is still perfect after all these years shift is so smooth still pink oil every service. The interior is absolutely stunning still looks like showroom finish I could not recommend a more well built refined car that still is up with today's technology in performance believe me the amount of audi's and BMW's that try to get me to race off at the lights but I never do I baby it everywhere although I do get the compliment's on the way it looks this was by far one of Australia's best built car's I do believe they are the WOLF IN SHEEP"s CLOTHING this is coming from someone who was a dead set Ford fan that took this particular car for a test drive and was sold within about 30 seconds of driving it that's my opinion anyways.

TJ all the way! – I reckon the TJ is the best looking, the last 2 models frontal treatment, was a matter of what were they thinking?! When they came out in 2000, I was seriously considering buying the VR/X model, I was driving a TP at the time, (am still driving a TP -not the same one though) anyway, recently I bought a 2000 TJ Executive, in awesome condition, for $300. The performance is better than my 300SE Mercedes (which cost considerably more)  Show details

400,000ks+ magna – The car is perfect has over 425000 ks on the odo and it still runs like brandnew never had the gearbox or engine fixed or replaced has never been serviced and runs like a dream, still my favourite car and as a manual! Gears go through beautifully and will never regret my decision with the roomy interior  Show details

Probably Australia's most underrated car. Reliable. Comfortable. Powerful. Efficient – A lot of people like to bag magna's. They gained a negative reputation after the second series had gearbox problems. The third series is pretty much bullet proof and well above the Holden and Ford. The 3.5 litre engine is smooth and efficient. If you are looking for a cheap reliable used car, look for a Magna built after 1997 with one or two… Read more

owners and a full service history, and it will be hard to go wrong. My 99 Model has 215 000km now, and while it's getting pretty banged up on the outside, doesn't use a drop of oil or water between services and still drives very well.

Reliable, powerful, smooth drive, 12 years 200 Kms on the clock and still going. Go Magna! – Performance is perfect still going the way it was bought, very smooth handling quick response on wheel turns. Noise is quite compared to other cars. Dash is great of course not as fancy as current models (12 years later) but I will still say better than most of current model Toyotas. It's MY2004 but when I bought it in 2008 it had already done… Read more

70Ks I have since done 130 and got it converted on LPG, and it is quite cheap to run cost me around 30-35 to do 400Ks per tank (60 lts).

Great car, only things I have changed are the tyres and brakes over the period.

Gotta Love This Car – I have a 2005 TW VR-X. I LOVE IT! It has tons of grunt when needed and can also be a Sunday crawler when you want it to be. The interior isn't as modern as other cars of its age but who cares? It's a Magna and Magna owners know what they want out of a car. The engine is powerful enough to tow with and the transmission doesn't change gears… Read more

when not needed unlike other cars.

The headlights light up EVERYTHING on the road at night (especially the high beam) and the VR-X styling on the dash makes it look like its out of a European car.

As can be expected with a V6, fuel can be a concern but it's all in the way you drive.

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.

Great car – I have owned my magna for almost four years now, I have done 130,000 ks, vehicle has done 220,000 ks all up. Only replaced tyres and brakes. Easy to drive with good vision out all windows. Have towed campervan easily no problems. Highly recommended for a first car. Probably a bit thirsty for city driving as you have a big six cylinder motor.… Read more

Average about 9.5 litres per 100ks country driving....just purrs along on the freeways. Not much road noise.plenty of go for passing

Super reliable 2001 Solara – Purchased brand new for $32k including tow bar. Very powerful car. Easily pulls our 12ft Jayco Eagle. Put on gas in 2008 when the govt. had all those rebates available. Conversion ended up only costing $270! Gets about 480 kms on a tank of gas, about 400 kms if towing on on highway. 650 kms on petrol, under 600 kms if towing. Gone through a… Read more

few batteries over the years and had a small oil leak that was easily fixed.

New front and rear shockers a five years ago.

Very disappointed that Bridgestone stopped making RE92 tyres. They suited this car perfectly.

Driven 240,000 kms now and only put two and a half new sets on!

Would love to buy a new car, but this old girl is fantastic. Never thought we would have this car for 14 years. Probably last a few more before wear and tear starts to get the better of her. Showing her age now with bits and pieces of the interior peeling. Also a few squeaks and groans...but she is in better shape than us after 14 years in the family.

This car has been so good that we bought a Lancer to replace our small car a few years ago. Hope that Mitsy gives us over 10 years of service as well!

Great car – I've had my TJ magna for over a year now, i got it with about 138'000ks in July 2014, up to date its now clocked over 165'000ks. Really responsive and quick when you need to overtake, i have the 5spd manual, and i can get up a steep hill with 5 people in 5th gear quite comfortably! it's not a hard manual to drive, its fairly easy and the way the… Read more

gears are set up is quite nice in the magna. I have the executive model, but it has a few added features like power windows and a rear spoiler which makes the car real sporty looking. I regularly clean my car so i have no paint fade or any clear coat peeling like a majority of magnas i see. If you care for your car then it will look good! so far I've had no major issues, i did have to replace the heater core which was a task and a half, my father was able to do it for me because all the mechanics were charging and arm and a leg because of the effort it is to change it! and I do need to look at replacing the rear muffler as it has some rust and sounds shocking (common problem in magnas) I try to put premium fuel in my car and never let it get to the red light. It can be a bit heavy on the juice, but I have a heavy foot so that's probably the reason why, I normally average about 11lt per 100, although long trips are brilliant!

It's reasonable comfy but ford has more head room, being a bigger bloke i find it difficult to sit in the back seat of the magnas as I don't have any space above my head! ill probably keep the car for another year or 2 as its got reasonably low k's and is running really good!