Advice on buying a Magna please. - Page 2

jaydee · 11-10-2010, 06:55 PM

Interesting stats guys, thanks for taking the time to research it, I didn't even think of it that way.
Anyway, I have till december to look around and make up my mind.

Auturbo6 · 11-10-2010, 07:37 PM

The magna TF on is a good car, id be looking at a TJ 3.5, manuals are good fun, Make sure the Auto oil is cherry red or walk away. Have always wondered why mitsubishi screwed up the gear ratios in the Auto, 2nd goes all the way to 160km\h, making second sluggish on accelleration.

Dave_au · 11-10-2010, 07:55 PM

I've got a 2003 model TJ Series 2 Sports with about 128,000 on the clock as the daily driver (had it since 42,000/Dec 2004, ex-govt car). It has been the most reliable car that I have owned to date, doesn't leak oil, doesn't blow smoke, hasn't broken CVs (despite spirited driving).

What does go wrong with these cars is largely cosmetic, but annoying. Out of the warranty issues I have experienced, the following has occurred:

- warped passenger airbag (replaced)
- paint peeling off rubber around rear screen (replaced)
- fuel gauge failure (replaced).

My only word of warning is be careful with the automatic transmissions as these will be tempermental if not serviced to spec with Mitsubishi's own transmission fluid. Walk away from any cars with a questionable service history.

PM me if you have any queries, I'm both on here and aussiemagna.

Cheers

Dave

big_landau · 12-10-2010, 12:30 PM

magna's are a good car if they are looked after and used as a driver.i have also seen plenty of magna's still going after many years of abuse.

KYSBF · 12-10-2010, 01:54 PM

My mate bought a 1996 with 180k on it, replaced the CVs, couple of tyres and whacked 12 mths rego on it for $900 on the road, with a genuine RWC. That gives you a daily and also and extra coupla grand for Falc!!

Mad_Aussie · 12-10-2010, 02:03 PM

Advice on buying a Magna - Don't!
I know its a personal opinion and everything, but Magnas are horrible cars to drive! And if you're concerned about fuel costs, a 3.5L v6 won't exactly be the most frugal thing out there.

If you're simply after something that's going to be reliable etc but still has enough poke to keep you happy, why not look at jzx90 chasers/cressidas? Fuel usage would be only slightly lighter than the magna, granted, but you'd get all the vip jap luxuries, and a turbo! Hell, even late 80's soarers, albeit slow and ugly, are still great cheap cars. Even r32's and 33's are becoming cheap as chips, you can pick up a rb20 manual 32 for around 4-5k's these days. It'll have low k's (some still under or just over 100,000kms), and will be mountains of fun!
And if you want to go even cheaper - get an r31 manual! The rb30's in those go forever, and don't have the overheating issues that VL's have. They go for like $500-1000. Plus, you've got a rear wheel drive, funky 80's jap styling, heaps of room in the front and back, and they are so simple to work on. Put a spool in the diff and you've got a competent track day car too. I've owned and built six r31's now, so I'm a little biased hehe...

Magnas on the other hand, are impossible to re-sell, fall apart, feel like you're driving a bucket of day old vomit, and make some of the worst engine sounds you'll come across.

But again, just personal opinion. But there is a real good reason that Magnas are worth less than Protons.

aussie muscle · 12-10-2010, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pauljh74

Buy a cardigan to wear while you drive it

i think asking about magna's on a ford forum he deserved that.

SumoDog68 · 12-10-2010, 03:26 PM

Magna is a good car. I ve had mine (tj wagon) for five years and put 100k on it without any problems.
Mine is a manual and slightly modded with boge shocks king springs big brakes and quality rubber. Best part is it's sleeper status . Funiest thing is everyone thinks they got a quicker car so when stopping at traffic lights they all make sure they are not behind me even if they drive a corolla

SumoDog68 · 12-10-2010, 03:31 PM

http://www.autospeed.com/A_109590/cms/article.html

Interesting reading for those who think Magnas and cardigans go together. ;-)

MexicanBatman · 12-10-2010, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

Magna is a good car. I ve had mine (tj wagon) for five years and put 100k on it without any problems.
Mine is a manual and slightly modded with boge shocks king springs big brakes and quality rubber. Best part is it's sleeper status . Funiest thing is everyone thinks they got a quicker car so when stopping at traffic lights they all make sure they are not behind me even if they drive a corolla

Yeah little do people know that a manual 3.5 can be peddled to a mid 14 1/4 by a decent driver, regardless of model be it ralliart or the first of the 3.5s driven well they can all get into the 14's and surprise lots of people, I can tell you right now that my awd magna shiits on my fg on twisty roads be it wet or dry, too bad it was too slow even modified it only cut 14.4s but other than straight line it was better than the fg imho, and at least it has an lsd!! Lol silly ford...

wrongwaynorris · 12-10-2010, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

Yeah I know a Magna

so don't start on me.

I do have a 351 XC, but as a daily driver I want a car I can drive without watching the fuel gauge.

I have seen late 90's up to 2002 Magnas for about 4-5 grand, dual air bags, ABS, cruise, A/C with a 3.5 V6.

I have looked at Mazdas, Toyotas but for value my research is leading me towards a Magna because I want the safety features and want to keep it under 5K.

So does anyone have some tips on how bad/good a particular year is? Is the 3 litre better/worse than the 3.5, manual/auto which is more reliable, I would prefer an auto.

Cheers,JD

Best advice I can give is DONT buy one , have you actually driven one yet , especially in the wet . Hideous cars . boring , understeer off the road in the wet , torque steer wildy , just plain nasty cars . I bought an EF Futura for $1,000.00 and its a million times better than any Magna can ever be .

SumoDog68 · 12-10-2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrongwaynorris

Best advice I can give is DONT buy one , have you actually driven one yet , especially in the wet . Hideous cars . boring , understeer off the road in the wet , torque steer wildy , just plain nasty cars . I bought an EF Futura for $1,000.00 and its a million times better than any Magna can ever be .

EF's are renowned for their wet weather handling .

nstg8a · 12-10-2010, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

EF's are renowned for their wet weather handling .

lol, thats what i was thinking.... im willing to bet those bagging magnas have never actually owned one.

build quality is generally better, reliability better. grunty responsive V6, good looking cars if the right model, imo the only thing they got wrong was the fwd.

Mad_Aussie · 12-10-2010, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nstg8a

lol, thats what i was thinking.... im willing to bet those bagging magnas have never actually owned one.

build quality is generally better, reliability better. grunty responsive V6, good looking cars if the right model, imo the only thing they got wrong was the fwd.

I owned two, granded with the FILTHY ASTRON OF HORRIBLE DOOM and not the v6, but the gf's family has two of the 3.5's.

Terrible, terrible cars.

And as far as wet weather handling goes, my old 180b thrasher with no bushes and no rear brake shoes is a better wet weather car than a magna - and this is track proven!

SumoDog68 · 12-10-2010, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad_Aussie

I owned two, granded with the FILTHY ASTRON OF HORRIBLE DOOM and not the v6, but the gf's family has two of the 3.5's.

Terrible, terrible cars.

And as far as wet weather handling goes, my old 180b thrasher with no bushes and no rear brake shoes is a better wet weather car than a magna - and this is track proven!

In that case I have no choice but to agree with you Mad Aussie - EF falcon or 180B would be a better buy .
With $$ saved one could buy a lot of recreational drugs. What do you recommend Mad Aussie ?

Paxton · 12-10-2010, 07:42 PM

The 3.5 Litre is an absolute ball-tearer. If you get a chance to drive a Manual one, you'll never regret it. There was one in my family (TL VR-X) that I regret not buying. Manual, Koni Shocks (basically a TJ Ralliart underneath), Ralliart wheels, leather, the works. It was better built than my Territory, and went better than my XR6 VCT. It was a handful in the wet, but no more so than a Falcon.

I'm willing to be that most of the naysayers here haven't been behind weel of one, and base their opinion on the one with a different coloured door at their local Woolies. The later ones are absolutely brilliant, especially with the 6G74. That thing sounds and performs brilliantly. Just keep servicing the thing, and it'll be as reliable as any Falcon.

**SSD-85** · 12-10-2010, 07:55 PM

Well my first car was a TP Magna SE. So yes, mine had the god-awful 2.6 Astron in it. Very smooth and cushy ride, and if i turned up the stereo enough I wouldnt hear the CV joints. It met its fate by blowing a head gasket, having its timing chain break and shatter the valves in 3 cylinders. Blew smoke like a steam train and accelerated about as fast as one too. Interestingly, the auto was the most faultless mechanical part.

I cannot speak for later models, but id steer clear of any fitted with the above engine. I have heard good things about the 3.5 in later models.

Mad_Aussie · 12-10-2010, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

In that case I have no choice but to agree with you Mad Aussie - EF falcon or 180B would be a better buy .
With $$ saved one could buy a lot of recreational drugs. What do you recommend Mad Aussie ?

Well although I haven't done a volumetric measurement of an EF falcon's boot, I do believe you'd get well over half a dozen pounds in the back of a 180b. It's probably going to be more fuel efficient than an EF, good for those long cross-Nullarbor trips.

In all seriousness, I can't understand why so many people are praising the Magna. It was the car that nearly killed Mitsubishi Australia. It's an awful piece of engineering.

If you really must find yourself a Mitsu, try to hunt down a Galant or a Legnum. Twin turbo v6 with a tiptronic, very nice cars.
I just seriously feel that you're going to regret owning a Magna quite a lot. Take some more alternative choices for a drive first eh.

Windsor220 · 12-10-2010, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad_Aussie

Well although I haven't done a volumetric measurement of an EF falcon's boot, I do believe you'd get well over half a dozen pounds in the back of a 180b. It's probably going to be more fuel efficient than an EF, good for those long cross-Nullarbor trips.

In all seriousness, I can't understand why so many people are praising the Magna. It was the car that nearly killed Mitsubishi Australia. It's an awful piece of engineering.

If you really must find yourself a Mitsu, try to hunt down a Galant or a Legnum. Twin turbo v6 with a tiptronic, very nice cars.
I just seriously feel that you're going to regret owning a Magna quite a lot. Take some more alternative choices for a drive first eh.

It was the early Magnas(late 80s, early 90s) that gave them a bad rep. TE (95) onwards were good cars. I think TE even won car of the year. Comparing base models, Mitsus V6 and auto were so much better than the old ecotec and Ford 6(pre BA). If you think Magnas are terrible engineering then you obviously havent driven very many cars.

I was looking at a Legnum a few years ago. Was very slow and the interior is similar to the TR/TS Magnas.

BOSHOG · 12-10-2010, 09:01 PM

the boot in my TH solara was a fair whack bigger than the boot in my BA XR8, as was the boot in my 03 STI. a big car doesnt always mean a big boot

wrongwaynorris · 13-10-2010, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nstg8a

lol, thats what i was thinking.... im willing to bet those bagging magnas have never actually owned one.

build quality is generally better, reliability better. grunty responsive V6, good looking cars if the right model, imo the only thing they got wrong was the fwd.

I have actually driven ( but never owned and never ever will ) quite a few of them , how do you think I know they understeer off the road in the wet and have abominable torque steer . As for the relative merits of the EF vs Magna any racetrack , anyday , any weather , the Magna will lose touch with and watch the EF dissapear into the distance very very very soon .

REVto10 · 13-10-2010, 12:21 PM

I have thought about doing the same as a daily, but I decided against it du to the bad rep these Magnas have. You're always better off with a 4 banger for a daily as it's cheap and you don't care if it gets stolen or damaged.

Loot at Toyota Corolla or early 00 Camry even though I shudder at the thought.

big_landau · 13-10-2010, 12:50 PM

funny thing about the bad rep magnas get is it mostly from people who have never owned them.

Dave_au · 13-10-2010, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrongwaynorris

I have actually driven ( but never owned and never ever will ) quite a few of them , how do you think I know they understeer off the road in the wet and have abominable torque steer . As for the relative merits of the EF vs Magna any racetrack , anyday , any weather , the Magna will lose touch with and watch the EF dissapear into the distance very very very soon .

Those comments are inconsistent with the various critical reviews that autospeed has done on the Magna.

I am reasonably quite confident that you would struggle to prove with evidence (lap times, quarter mile times, critical peer review) that an EF is superior to a TE onwards Magna.

MexicanBatman · 13-10-2010, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrongwaynorris

I have actually driven ( but never owned and never ever will ) quite a few of them , how do you think I know they understeer off the road in the wet and have abominable torque steer . As for the relative merits of the EF vs Magna any racetrack , anyday , any weather , the Magna will lose touch with and watch the EF dissapear into the distance very very very soon .

You couldn't be more wrong, jump on to amc forums, look up the people who take them to Wakefield etc... A manual 3.5 with proper rubber and cheap shocks can get better track times than a late model turbo, you'd be suprised how well these shiitboxes in your eyes go, I had an ef and it's wasn't a patch on the magna3.5s I've owned and driven.... And like mentioned my fg other than strait line can't match the awd magna I used to own either

pottery beige · 13-10-2010, 02:36 PM

boo hoo to the magna bashers.. i have 3 GT's in the shed and still prefer to get around in a $1000 POS old laser.. park anywhere anytime... goodluck with the search and enjoy all the extra quality time spent in the beast.....

beaver700 · 14-10-2010, 01:11 PM

Steer clear of automatics. They are poor quality. You need to baby them and service them every 50k so they dont start slipping! There is also a circlip which breaks and become lodged into the oil pump, causing transmission failure. I went through 2 auto gearboxes in a few months

Mad_Aussie · 14-10-2010, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windsor220

If you think Magnas are terrible engineering then you obviously havent driven very many cars.

I've been a driver for the skippers club for years (private Chauffeur), been involved in motorsport since I started karting when I was 14, and have owned more cars in the last 10 years than I can count on my hands.
CSB I know, but I'm sure that i'm just as qualified as most to quite confidently claim that Magnas are truly awful cars. There are definately worse cars out there, but they are pretty damn terrible. I would turn your statement around and say that if you truly think a Magna is a "good" car, then you clearly haven't driven many good cars.

grandpa_spec_F6 · 14-10-2010, 02:43 PM

I have to come to the magna's defense on this one. Friend of mine blew up his 3.5 engine, simply due to old age. $400 and a weekend later, he and his old man had the car up and running, thing bloody flew by what he said.

Personally I'd been thinking of a little TX5 runabout or a Magna, but I ended up getting the bike as I can take it off road with my mates

pottery beige · 14-10-2010, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad_Aussie

I've been a driver for the skippers club for years (private Chauffeur), been involved in motorsport since I started karting when I was 14, and have owned more cars in the last 10 years than I can count on my hands.
CSB I know, but I'm sure that i'm just as qualified as most to quite confidently claim that Magnas are truly awful cars. There are definately worse cars out there, but they are pretty damn terrible. I would turn your statement around and say that if you truly think a Magna is a "good" car, then you clearly haven't driven many good cars.

ffs... the OP is only after a second get around car....... so in the rating of cars scheme my $1000 POS laser with its power steering, heater, air con, intermittent wipers, cheap rego and no one wants to steal it makes my XA GT look like an awfull car........ LLoLL......