Mitsubishi Diamante

Year / Model Reviewed:
pre 1997 Mitsubishi Diamante Wagon

Strengths:
Reliable, comfortable, solid

Weaknesses:
Brakes, fuel pump, electric windows

Summary:
(pre 1997 Model) - I think this model (the wagon) is Mitsubishi's knock-off of an Audi. Bought it from a dealer in Md. It was coming off a Budget Renta-a-Car leaase, so I got it for $15K w/13K miles and drivetrain warranty until 2001! Strong engine, solid car, luxurious for it's class. Very few made (in Australia, no less!) so not high on car-thieves' list, thus low insurance. Strangely, the front brake rotors have had to be retrimmed twice and need it again; they keep warping (may be an overtightening from an earlier servicing and so just this car) Needed a new battery last year and new fuel pump 3/99. Otherwise, a great car and great value! Too bad they stopped making the wagon.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.29 of 5, 7.00 votes

Price Paid:  $18000.00 from CarMax

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 Diamante LS

Strengths:
Quite Interior, Smooth Engine, Interior Appointments, Price, Exterior Sytle.

Weaknesses:
Seat bottom could be deeper for taller drivers.

Summary:
On the night of July 6, 2004, I purchased a 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante LS with 12,000 miles. It is black with tan leather interior. The car is in immaculate condition. It possesses almost every conceivable luxury, sunroof, automatic climate control, heated seats, traction control, outside temperature, wood, leather, CD player, antilock brakes, rear seat center arm rest, garage door opener, power driver and passenger seats, seat memory… The features that I was looking for in a new car (ranked in order of importance): 1. Quiet, rattle free, luxury interior. 2. Smooth, powerful, quiet 6-cylinder engine. 3. Attractive body. 4. Good vehicle quality, inexpensive to repair. 5. 1-2 year old car with low mileage for approximately $20,000. As I drove to work this morning, I marveled at the quite interior and smooth ride. While I am a smooth, conservative driver, I could not help testing the Diamante’s power. To borrow a term coined by Rolls Royce engineers, this car possesses “waftability”, that is, strong, silent, graceful acceleration. As I merged onto the highway, the anxious Benz that was crowding my bumper faded in the rear view mirror. The engine seems smoother than some of the other cars that I considered, including Acura, BMW, and Audi. The other engines were loud and buzzy in comparison. While the Nissan Maxima possessed a very smooth and potent V6, ultimately the Maxima’s stark, plain, sporty interior could not compete with the Diamante’s more upscale, civilized cabin. I really love the wood accents in the Diamante. The Audi has by far the nicest interior of any car in this luxury class. However, like the other cars in this class (Lexus, Infinity, BMW, Mercedes, Audi-A4, Volkswagon-Passat), the Audi was priced several thousand dollars more than the 1-year old Diamante. Ultimately, I paid $18,000 for the Diamante, which was about $6,000 less than my other serious consideration, a 2002 Audi A4 Quattro with 40K. While I liked the A4’s interior and exterior styling far more, the Audi’s expensive repair costs and significantly higher price made the Diamante an easy choice. I read every Diamante review that I could find from individuals and auto magazines. The reviews by owners were very helpful with regard to how much of a bargain this car is on the used car market. I can’t believe they cost less than some Accords, Camrys, and Maximas. The Diamante is undoubtedly a superior vehicle. A couple of the auto magazine reviews gave me some apprehension regarding the Diamante’s performance. In particular, they mentioned body roll while cornering and nose-dive under hard braking. My concerns were quickly dispelled after driving the Diamante. I drove around an exit ramp at a high rate of speed and felt virtually no body-lean. Additionally, I braked relatively hard at a traffic light and did not experience nose-dive. Unless you drive your Diamante like some maniac working for an automotive magazine, the car handles very satisfyingly. In fact, the handling is far superior to my old, sporty, two-door coupe. The most important aspect of car for me is comfortable seating in a quite rattle free interior that is well appointed with wood/leather. I found the interior to be very quiet, with very good insulation from road noise. There are no rattles in this car. The seating is adequately comfortable for my 6 foot 3 inch body. In respect for the Diamante’s Australian origin, my first musical experience had to be an Australian musician. Admittedly, my collection of Aussie music on CD is quite limited to only “Men at Work”, “Frente”, and “ABBA”. I choose the 1996 Men At Word song “Down Under”. I had a huge smile as I sang the following words during my first morning commute: Traveling in a fried-out combie On a hippie trail, head full of zombie I met a strange lady, she made me nervous She took me in and gave me breakfast And she said, "Do you come from a land down under? Where women glow and men plunder? Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover I can’t wait for my ride home, enjoying some “Frente” in my luxury sedan. Perhaps I may even be tempted to experience more “waftability”.

Similar Products Used:
Audi A4, Nissan Altima, Nissan Maxima, Acura TL

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
4.67 of 5, 6.00 votes

Price Paid:  $10900.00 from used car

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Diamante ES

Strengths:
used price, power, size, looks

Weaknesses:
handling, although this is a 4400 pound vehicle.

Summary:
After only driving Hondas for the last 15 years I am thrilled with the Diamante. Fast, quiet, power everything, smooth and looks good. Never heard of it before and I was a little apprehensive. After driving the vehicle to work for a week I would not give it up. Not a good buy new but a great car for the money if you can pick one up used.

Similar Products Used:
civic, oddy

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Price Paid:  $15995.00 from used car dealer

Strengths:
Like the seat memory. Love the leather seats. Handling. Power. Styling.

Weaknesses:
Don't really care for the European driving position--I would rather have a slight bend in my elbows. After playing around with the seat, I did find a driving position I can live with.

Summary:
The best car I have owned. Handles great, plenty of power, styling is nicely understated on the inside, shares design cues with BMW and Lincoln. Cockpit does not look like a 747--they did a nice job of consolidating buttons and functions so that interior design is clean yet controls are easy to use. Engine moves the car along pretty well, and has a nice sound on hard acceleration. No problem with automatic transmission, which apparently adapts to how you drive. Plenty of space for passengers and luggage. I get a lot of compliments on the styling. Very little road noise comes into the passenger compartment. Feels great on the highway. Leans nicely into corners and gives you a great sense of control. Got a real bargain on this car. For some reason it went over 120 days at the dealer and he had it marked below the trade in he allowed for it. It had 21000 miles and was in very nice shape.

Similar Products Used:
Mercedes CLK 320. Cadillac DeVille. Contour SVT.

Price Paid:  $18500.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 LS

Strengths:
Lots of extras at no extra cost. Decent pickup from standstill and when passing. Nice leather seats etc.

Weaknesses:
Some quirky things such as: no automatic day/nite mirror(this level of car should have). No running lights. Radio and clock can be hard to read in daylight. If door left ajar inside lights stay on....How do you spell DEAD BATTERY ??? No pass-thru from trunk to backseat.

Summary:
Over quite pleased with vehicle. Has good looks and confortable for up to four adults. Get 19-21 mpg local and 29-30 highway. Has lots of extras at a reasonable price.