Mitsubishi Diamante

tcole3 · January 2002

OTOLUVA -- THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT ABOUT THE DIAMANTE, I HAVE NOT HEARD A LOT ABOUT THESE CARS WHAT ARE THE CONS? THANKS

vivona · January 2002

The situation you describe sounds about right and is comparable to what I experience in both my 1999 and my wife's 2002 Diamante. Initial RPM is kept high to assure a good startup, it drops about 200 RPM when put in gear due to the load placed upon the engine when in gear. Once the engine nears normal operating temperature, the idle is adjusted by the computer to about 750 RPM. Your final idle may be a bit high. With the car idling in drive on level pavement and you foot off the brake, the car should just slightly creep forward. If it moves too easily and you have to keep a firm hold with the brakes, the idle is too high. 800 is probably still within the okay mark (I don't have the specs at hand at the moment).

The reason your car did not exhibit the changing idle before you changed the idle air control motor is most likely due to the fact that the motor was defective and couldn't provide the normal idle adjustments you are now experiencing.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · January 2002

PROS:

The Diamante is very well built and uses high grade materials. Fit and finish is excellent.

Steering is very linear with an excellent feel "on center" which makes is an easy and enjoyable car to drive.

Brakes are very competent which is good because acceleration is ample, particularly at low speeds.

Interior comfort is top rate.

Interior and exterior style is excellent. I consider the Diamante the best looking car available.

Interior storage is generous.

Underhood access to service items is very good, much better than most cars.

CONS:

Because of limited supply Mitsubishi does not promote the Diamante and demand is low, so short-term depreciation suffers.

There is no trunk pass-through (though you can still fit 8 foot boards inside the cabin by reclining the passenger seat).

The original equipment Goodyear Eagle tires are not that great. I will replace mine with Michelins or Yokohamas when they wear out.

Interior lighting could be better.

Of all the reviews I have seen, I think the following one is the most accurate:

http://www.internetautoguide.com/reviews/2001/2001_Mitsubishi_Diamante.html

Mr. Vivona

tcole3 · January 2002

regfootball · January 2002

Well, we've had our 2001 Diamante for 6 weeks now so I figure it may be a good time to provide a report.

My wife has been the primary driver, using it a minimum 60 miles a day. We have put about 2700 miles on it in six weeks, including two distance trips. Part of this report will be a comparison with my other car, a 1999 Ford Taurus SHO. The cars are similar in size, but very different, yet the two sold to about the same markets. Where it seems appropriate I will make comparisons.

Overall, we are very pleased and my wife especially loves it as an a big upgrade over her 1999 Chevy Prizm (which we still have and need to sell!!!). The car is the ES model, but still has a nice level of equipment including auto climate control, auto-off headlights, MANY cupholders, easy-adjust seats, power antenna, and stunning good looks. The car does not have aluminum wheels, power sunroof, traction control. For the price we paid used for it, I consider it a good buy.

The major attributes I have noticed about the car are.......

Styling / Interior....the Diamante (especially in our pearl white) is a looker! Somewhat reminiscent of a BMW, but still distinctive in its own way. Aggressive, yet elegant. Inside, too, is very attractive and decent plastics quality. The door panels are nice and the driver oriented layout is not confusing. The gauges are very attractive and legible. Myself, I don't prefer the "import" style window switches but most folks won't mind. The wealth of cupholders is a major plus (4 of them can be used at one time!). The radio is easy to use and there is a nice big handle for the seat adjusters on the side. The seats themselves are nice and supportive (firm). I felt the seats are a bit narrow and dig into the back a bit much; I much prefer the fabulous seats in my SHO. My wife likes the Diamante seats just fine. Maybe my butt is too big! but the Taurus SHO seats are the best I've sampled and others have commented to me how comfortable the Taurus SHO seats were (no fatigue after 4 hour trips, like a comfy cocoon). This is not at all to say the Diamante seats are bad. I would just say the seats are a solid B plus grade, if they re-shaped the bottom and back then they'd be fine IMHO.

Engine / Trans.....a good V6, but I won't say its top notch. The power is very good, especially if the transmission cooperates by downshifting quickly. Sometimes the tranny can be lazy, but not too often. The power seems to be there. I think the engine can sound a bit coarse at times in comparison to other v6's and is maybe a tad rough at idle, but at cruising speeds it settles into a nice quiet purr and rhythym. Actually, at 80mph the motor behaves much nicer and at that speed I would give the car an A. The powerplant gets smoother at higher speeds. I have owned and / or driven a few other v6's that are smoother, but again not to say the D's motor is bad. Lets say its a B plus. The motor on my SHO is much smoother and sounds sultrier and is a much nicer powerplant but we need to remember it is an aluminum V8, 60 degrees with counter balancers. I believe most folks would think the Diamante engine to be very pleasing. By the way, the engine bay in the Diamante is very well organized, good job!

Handling.....I must first say this car has steel wheels and Yokohama 376 All season tires. I don't think I can adequately judge the handling with these OEM products on the car. i would prefer the car had 16 or 17 inch aluminum rims with 225 tires before I can really judge the handling fairly (my wife won't let me buy new rims for the car!!!!). My wife and I both love the light easy steering, although I wish the steering wheel was leather wrapped. The freeway ride is almost perfect for a crusing / travel car. I think there's too much roll in turns, but again, tires. The noise level is very quiet. Overall, handling and ride, my wife far prefers the "D" because of the quietness, ride comfort, and nice steering. I prefer my SHO, but only because I like a livelier handling car, it has a firmer ride, corners with much less roll, and feels more aggressive. Yet, on the days I want to feel pampered by a more subdued driving experience, I would take the Diamante.

Build quality......the Diamante build is quite good. I am having some rear door weather stripping fall off already (frameless windows!) and the trunk closes with a cheesy "thunk", but otherwise the Diamante is built quite well. I would say it is built a bit better overall than the Taurus SHO. Both cars feels well structured, but assembly gaps are less on the Diamante and controls feel nice and slick. The Ford (Yamaha) motor is a well assembled piece under the hood, but the interior has its moments with cheesy feeling controls and big gaps here and there. Again, the Diamante scores very well in this department.

Utility.......the interior space in the Diamante is good, but I won't call it cavernous. Two 6-footers front and back is tight, but admittedly with decent comfort. There are lots of nooks in the "D" to put stuff, and the console is well laid out with nice bonuses like the lighter outlet behind the shifter (perfect for cell phones) and the 4 CUPHOLDERS!!!!! and many other thoughtful touches and little cubbies. The map pockets on the door are too small, however. Interior utility for the amount of space is very good. The trunk is OK sized, maybe a tish small, but yet bigger than my Taurus. I wish I had fold down rear seats to help give more space when I may need it in the future.

Sound system....i do not have the Infinity system of the LS, just the single CD. At first I thought it rocked....but now I'm wanting to replace it. There's just not enough power to drive loud rock music, and the speakers themselves are just typical manufacturer quality, not the level of a good aftermarket or luxury audio setup. Not neccessarily the head unit do I consider the culprit, as I like the simplicity of the controls. I would like an mp3 deck, with an AUX input for a portable hard drive player. As far as sound goes, maybe just a speaker upgrade, add a quality subwoofer and amp would do the trick but my wife won't let me touch the radio! She likes it just fine!

Reliability.......we'll find out! Aside from the mentioned weatherstripping....nothing yet. Well, ok, the power door locks jam sometimes.

conclusion on next post.....

regfootball · January 2002

Overall our MPG has varied between 20-27 mpg. I have not done testing with the car but i will say endless cruisng at 90 is no sweat.

Overall.......we are quite pleased. My wife especially loves the car, as she looks dashing in it. She works in marketing for an orchestra and she loves being seen dressed up and driving the pearl white D to concerts and such. I am sure she would give it a solid A if she were to visit these boards. And she is being very protective over the car...so she must really love it. I give the car a solid B+, willing to upgrade the car to an A if if I could put alum. wheels, wider stiffer tires on it and tighten up the suspension a bit. I am very satisfied with the car as she is...but I would still choose my Taurus SHO for everyday drive and my own trips because of the livelier, more aggressive feel of the car, and the sportier interior. Only because I have that option available to me do I say that. I get to drive both cars!!!!! If could only drive the Diamante I would be pleased as punch, as they say, and have no regrets about it. The Diamante has an edge in overall quality, and the D in relation to the car market as a whole is a quality product that deserves to sell to more owners.

Anyone considering this car for purchase....I say go for it. This is a nice car. Especially in comparison to a Camry or Accord, or as a less expensive alternative to lesser Lexus and Infiniti. I think you would be pleased as I am.

ucsc · January 2002

Hi,

My stereo controller lights on the steering wheel turned on and off frequently when my idle air intake motor went wrong. After replacement of idle air intake motor the stereo controller lights still turned on and off frequently. I just noticed this when I drove in the night.

Does this indicate that my electronic system still has problem?

Thanks!

UCSC

zimonawhim1 · February 2002

My '92 D has about 84K on it. I was thinking of switching over to synthetic oil, but was told it wouldn't be a good thing on a car this old because synthetic is "so good" it may damage old/hardened gaskets. I was also told that changing from mineral to synthetic requires running semi-synthetic(or some special blend) through before making the switch. Obviously my car has gotten this far on mineral but I've always had a curiosity about switching...
Opinions?

euclidean · February 2002

Hi Mr. Vivona,

I have read your article "ROUGH IDLE AND STALLING" and I have a question about throttle body cleaning.

I just had my throttle body cleaned by Mits dealer, but still have rough idle and was recommended to replace throttle body. But I think Mits mechanics may mess up my throttle body when they sprayed Air Intake Cleaner. The liquefied carbon may leak into and clog the bypass
passages and vacuum ports at the bottom of the throttle body.

Is there any way to check and unclog the bypass passages and vacuum ports?

Thanks!

Euclidean

tcole3 · February 2002

Well I thought I would let you know that after test driving again both the Mazda Millenia and the Diamante LS, I purchased the Diamante LS. There was really no comparison as far as the way the Diamante handled, the luxury of the interior, and the weight of the car. I felt like I was driving a much larger and heavier car than the Mazda. The Diamante far surpassed the Millenia in my opinion. I have only had it for two days but love it and feel I got a good deal for the money. If there is anything I should be looking out for -please let me know. The horn sounds cheesy, and I wish it had a pass through in the back seat area, also I wish the one I bought had the heated seat option. Oh well, all in all a great car. Thank you so much for your input.
Theresa

pat · February 2002

A major newspaper is looking to interview folks who learned how to drive stick in their adulthood, and either fell in love or hated it. Also welcome is any input on why people love to drive stick, and any unusual anecdotes about how you learned etc.

Hope to hear from you before Feb 22 via the Talk to the Press discussion or at jfallon@edmunds.com with your thoughts and contact information.

Thanks as always,

Jeannine Fallon
PR Director, Edmunds.com

regfootball · February 2002

congrats on your new purchase!

tmr2 · February 2002

I have a 2000 Diamante and sometimes the sun roof leaks after a heavy rain over night. It only seems to leak when I am on my way to work after a heavy rain. Never seems to leak if it is raining and I am driving and does not leak in a car wash?? If I have the sun shade open the water drips in my lap, and sometimes the interior molding at the top of the A pillar gets wet. I took it to the dealer when it was leaking and a service advisor told me that it is common for water to get thru the sunrook seal and that there are drain holes under the roof and they are probably plugged. This seems very odd to me and I suspect it is not true. I have an appointment in a couple days for a technician to look at it and would appreciate anyone's opinions on or experience with leaking sunroofs.
Thanks.
Tom

cho7819 · February 2002

I am strongly considering buying a 01' or 02' diamante ES for a reasonable price. My question is .. does the EBD (and new braking system) on the 02' help reduce the warping of rotors. According to this board, the 01's and earlier seem to have this problem. I absolutely cannot stand any brake chatter. Also, I think they messed up the front and rear with the design of the 02' ... but if they fixed the brake problem that will leave me content. If Mitsubishi does not fix this problem ... The next car in my driveway will be a Nissan Maxima!

lngtonge18 · February 2002

The service advisor was not lying to you. The most common cause of a sunroof leaking is a plugged up drain hole. The sunroof seal is not meant to keep all the water from coming in, but the water that does come in should escape through 4 drain holes (2 in front and 2 in back) before dripping on your head. Some compressed air should clear out the holes for you. The sunroof on my VW leaked because my 2 back drain holes were plugged up. So don't fret. They aren't trying to lie to you. Good luck.

maw1982 · February 2002

Hi all:

I am currently loking at a '99 Diamate and had the following questions after research:

1. Can this year of the car have an auto day\night mirror otion. edmunds says it was not available but the seller says it does. I have a ic of the mirror for clarifacation.

2. I read the new Diamantes had a power port behind the shifter and had rear cupholders. Does this apply to the '99s also?

3. I read that Ds also had a child seat in the rear. Did '99s have that and ,if so, where is it in the back seat?

Thanks.

vivona · February 2002

Here are answers to your questions:

1. Can this year of the car have an auto day\night mirror otion. edmunds says it was not available but the seller says it does. I have a ic of the mirror for clarifacation.

I did not see an auto day/night mirror available when I bought my 99. Such a mirror was available in the first generation Diamante and is available as an aftermarket item. Perhaps the previous owner added it.

2. I read the new Diamantes had a power port behind the shifter and had rear cupholders. Does this apply to the '99s also?

The 99 does not have the power port behind the shifter, but it would be very easy to add one by tieing into the wire that feeds the cigarette lighter in the ashtray. The 99 does have rear cupholders that pop out of the center console.

3. I read that Ds also had a child seat in the rear. Did '99s have that and ,if so, where is it in the back seat?

I don't remember the child seat being an option for the 99. I do remember that option in earlier Diamantes.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · February 2002

It may be possible that the throttle body passages got clogged by improper cleaning procedure. The only way to be sure would be to use a dentist's mirror and a light to look closely into each hole and see if it looks clear. Also, if you can determine the output of the hole goes through a hose, you can pull the other end of the hose and blow into it to see if air flows back through the hole.

A throttle body should easily last 100,000 miles or more, so if yours has lower mileage than that I doubt it needs replacing unless all your driving was done stop-and-go and the throttle plate bearings are worn causing the plate to not fit properly in the body.

Look for any hoses or wiring connectors that may have been pulled off and not properly reattached. This is a common problem when a mechanic removes connections to a part and then forgets to reconnect everything.

Try disconnecting the battery cables for a minute, then reconnect and start the car. It may still idle rough, but the computer will try to recalibrate to the cleaned throttle body. If it doesn't clear up with a day of driving, it probably won't from that point on.

The orginal cause of the rough idle may still be present. It may not have been your throttle body, but another problem like a vacuum leak, ignition problem, PCV valve, cracked distributor cap, sensor failure, Idle Speed Control motor, Throttle Position Sensor, etc. I would certainly check these before just replacing the throttle body unless your mechanic can clearly point to the specific part of the throttle body that is defective and explain why.

Mr. Vivona

tmr2 · February 2002

Thanks Ingtonge18. I just had the car in for warranty work yesterday and they cleaned the drain holes. Hopefully it will work. I guess it shows that I have had bad experiences with dealers and don't trust them

diamanteguy · February 2002

vivona-thank you for answering my question about why they dont advertise diamante's. sorry i have not had a chance to respond. thats a very good reason for not advertising the diamante, but do you think thats also why the diamante has reasonably slow sale?

diamanteguy · February 2002

Mr. Vivona- Actually i have one more question for you. I have a 1993 model, a first generation Diamante. What does the power/economy switch, located near the shifter do? i am not sure if it gives you full horsepower or what. Oh, one more thing. Is there any serious problems with the diamante (93 model) that i should be aware of?

regfootball · February 2002

I am thinking about replacing the stock steel wheels and Yokohama tires on my 2001 Diamante ES with 16" or 17" aluminum rims and some new, improved tires.

I live in MN so snow traction must be acceptable, but as much or more I am concerned about any tires they may be a good particular match for the Diamante's chassis and handling traits.

Also, do you know are the suspension and brakes on the ES and LS models the same and would my larger wheels and tires adversely affect either ride or steering and handling in your opinion?

I like the ride and handling now however I do wish the car leaned less in turns and maybe steered quicker. Sometimes the tires feel soft and thin.

Thanks!

lngtonge18 · February 2002

I may not be Vivona but I did own a 93 so I am qualified to answer your questions. The power/economy switch for the tranny simply raises the rpms where the tranny will shift gears. In power mode, the tranny will hold gears longer, shift at higher rpms, and downshift more readily in order to give you better response and quicker around town acceleration. In economy mode, the tranny shifts as soon as possible and is less willing to downshift in order to save gas. The only serious problems I can think of with the 93 D is the high incidence of front rotor warpage and the distributor cap tends to crack once a year. Your car will jerk and sputter when accelerating when your cap is cracked. Also, if you have the ES model, the SOHC V6 is known to burn oil around the valve guide seals with higher mileage so be sure to keep an eye on the dipstick a couple times a month. Otherwise, the first gen models are solid and reliable cars.

lngtonge18 · February 2002

There is no difference between the ES and LS models as far as brakes and suspension components are concerned. I would go with 16" alloy wheels and performance all season tires. It will help your car grip the road better and steer faster with little to no noticeable increases in ride harshness. The car will still lean in turns because that has to do with the shock and spring settings, but the faster response from the bigger performance tires will help lessen the effect slightly. 17" wheels will probably make your ride harsher then you would like, plus tires get real expensive once they hit that size.

mkc · February 2002

I'm not Vivona either, but I have a '93 ES I bought used in '95 which now has 135K on it....

I've had issues with front rotors similar to what others have reported. They don't seem to survive much resurfacing before needing to be replaced, either.

I actually haven't ever had a distributor cap problem, but have had the knock sensor fail and the idle control motor (or idle air motor) fail, the second of which is a documented problem per carpoint and it seems a number of our members have seen this. I've not yet seen any evidence that we're burning oil but will keep an eye on it just in case.

Aside from that, with regular maintenance, the car runs as well as any new vehicle I've driven. I haven't driven any others that seem to measure up to the first Gen D's, either.

Michelle

diamanteguy · February 2002

thank you for answering my questions. I am planning to buy a 98 in a few weeks based on my positive experinces with the 93, i think its a great car

regfootball · February 2002

thanks for the info.

I was kinda thinking a lot of what you said after some shopping on tirerack.com

The 16's are plentiful and a lot less expensive....

Ahhhhh but the expense we guys will go through to get one inch bigger.....wheels.

I just think low profile rims would look so hot on this car.

I guess I'm just dreaming anywyas. My wife won't let me change anything anyways! She likes the car way tooo much!!!!

mariposarosada · February 2002

This is odd. I'm looking at a 2000 Diamante LS. The thing is pretty much loaded. It even has traction control. But, it doesn't have fog lights. Weren't these standard for that model year and trim? Or, am I looking at a car that has been wrecked and had the front bumper replaced? Thoughts, please.

tcole3 · February 2002

First let me confess I have not read through the owner's manual. I bought the 2001 Diamante LS and I find it frustrating that I can never tell if the headlights are on or off. Am I missing something here as the panel lights up all the time? There is no indicator light that my headlights are on or off unless something is burned out? I have driven off a couple of times without turning the headlights on because the dash is lit up and I think they are on? Is there some sort of auto on/off for the headlights? I know, I know, I am reading the manual this weekend.
Thanks - Theresa

vivona · February 2002

Mitsubishi usually sells their allotment of Diamantes imported, but it takes the full model year. Neither Mitsubishi nor the dealers do anything to push the car. When Mitsubishi mentions their models, they often do not even mention the Diamante. At the International Auto Show in my town they parked the Diamante behind their counter where it was easily missed. It seems that they know they only have 12,000 to sell and that they usually sell them, so they don't want to spend any resources on increasing sales.

As to the power/economy switch, lngtonge18 did a great job answering your question.

The 93 Diamante, while still on Consumer Reports reliability survey, was quite a reliable car. The issue about brake rotors can usually be traced to improperly torqueing the lug nuts. That is almost always done by tire techs and will result in warped rotors. The warping occurs as soon as the lug nuts are improperly tightened. You don't notice anything until 3,000-5,000 miles later when the rotor wears unevenly (disk thickness variation) and that shows up as brake pulsation. Most owners conclude that their rotors just warped at that time, rather than thousands of miles earlier when a mechanic used an impact wrench on the lug nuts.

vivona · February 2002

tcole3 - My wife has a 2002 Diamante LS and has the same problem. Because the dash lights up anytime the car is running you can easily drive with the headlights off at night. She has become quite disciplined at making sure her headlights are on. She also runs the car with the fog lights always on so if she should forget to turn on the headlights, she will still have the fog lights to make the car visible to other motorists. I don't drive her car often, so I haven't discovered any easy way to guard against forgetting to turn the lights on. If my wife was complaining about the problem I would design a circuit that would use a photocell to test for exterior darkness and sense for a lights-on condition and warn her if the light were off. But she says she does fine with the headlights so I haven't been motivated to design the circuit.

Since the headlights go off when you turn off the engine, even if you leave them on, you could drive with the headlights on all the time. This would give you daytime running lights for safety and assure that you have your headlights on at night. Only drawback is the need to replace headlight lamps more often. I guess my wife sort of does that by keeping her fog lights on at all times.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · February 2002

regfootball - The LS and ES have the same suspension. You can safely go from the 15" to new 16" rims. I would recommend staying with ther rim and tire width specified for the LS model to assure that your tires clear suspension parts.

I am not sure if the speedometer gear will have to be changed out to offset the larger tire circumference. Since I have the 16" rims already, I have not had reason to check into this.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · February 2002

cho7819 - I hope you will find my brake rotor article answers all your questions:

http://www.geocities.com/diamanteowner/article2.htm

As to the EBD system. It helps with brake distribution, but it cannot help prevent pulsation if some wrench jockey uses an impact wrench on the lug nugs.

By the way, I am at 24,500 miles with the orginal rotors and they are still perfect.

My last Mitsubishi was at 110,000 miles when I traded it and it never had the rotors replaced and they were perfect. I always make sure the lug nuts are properly torqued.

Mr. Vivona

czibert · February 2002

Hey all--

I just got a '93 ES. The research seems to indicate problems with brake rotors and possible valve issues. Anything else I should be prepared for? My car is in top conditon now, but would not be surprised to see some of these things break along the way as it is an older vehicle.

Question: what is the big problem with the valves and how can it be fixed? Either permanently, or just temporarily by good maintenance.

Would love some insight from you guys. The Yahoo and AOL boards for this car are dead.

Oh...anyone else things Mitsu. made a big mistake with that Diamante nosejob for '02?? Took me a while to like the '97s and when I finally came around they screwed it all up. I still maintain that the first gen cars are the best looking. I think they look as good today as when they came out in '92.

Thanks in advance for the info!

Chris

tcole3 · February 2002

Mr. Vivona - Thanks - I will do what your wife is doing and make myself become more disciplined about the lights. I had my other car for 8 years so retraining does take discipline. I tested leaving the lights on and turning the car off but they did not turn off automatically. I thought the car would sound some sort of signal if you left the lights on but it doesn't. Thanks for help. Theresa

zimonawhim1 · February 2002

How often should I have my transmission fluid changed? Is my car equipped with a maintenance free tranny? This information I'm sure is available in my owner's manual which unfortunately I don't have and I haven't been able to find answers thus far. Help is appreciated.

hac72 · February 2002

Why would anyone consider buying a Diamante (or Mitsu)?? These cars get the worst depreciation of all the Japanese vehicles and the reliability is somewhere between Kia and Dodge. Why not buy something solid like a Maxima? Same price, but better (by far) quality and resale value. Some people just puzzle me.

czibert · February 2002

When you factor in the deep discounts available on these cars, they carry a significant price advantage for the equipment they have (either in ES or LS trim). You would have to fully max out a Maxima to get the Diamante's equipment, and pay a few thousand more.

Not sure if I would agree with you on the reliability front, they seem to be generally well-built cars. The resale becomes irrelevant if you keep the car 8-10 years. Otherwise, the best buy would be a used Diamante. They are bargains.

czibert · February 2002

It seems to me that the Diamante is simply a car without a mission. They don't really market as anything in particular, while suggesting it is a near-luxury vehicle. However, its pricing structure and features compete more with uplevel Camrys, Accords, and Maximas. I am not talking about the MSRP here, but the price people actually pay for these things.

While a solid and well built car, it has rather unremarkable technology. A four speed automatic was cutting edge in 1986, but not anymore...especially when true near-luxury cars have 5-speeds and/or some sort of manual shift capability. Everything else on the car are features that have been standard in the market place since the early-mid 90s.

The Diamante in 1992, while considerably more expensive in todays dollars, at least had features that were new and cutting edge. The trace control, adjustable-suspension w/ 11 different heights, speed-variable steering, and much more. The audio system was killer, versus decent as is characterized by new Diamantes. My point is that the car had something to set it apart. Now, it has nothing to distinguish itself.

I think Mitsubishi doesn't try to market it because they know they have truly nothing interesting to market. They need to decide if they want make this a true near-luxury car and add the appropriate accoutrements or market it as an Accord/Camry killer and slash the prices to what these things are actually selling for. Either of these moves would help to alert the US market to what excellent cars these really are.

Just my two cents...

regfootball · February 2002

nice question. but why would i pay more money for a bland honda or a cheesy pontiac?

i've been satisfied so far with my 2001 Diamante. The level of equipment for the price vs Maxima or Accord was much better. I would have had to spend 5 grand more. For what I paid used I'd bet in 4 years I'll still be able to get almost 50% of what I paid to trade. My depreciation will be nothing like a typical GM product and my upfront cost won't be usurious like a Maxima or Accord.

Plus the Diamante is an attractive car, with many features for the money and at least in comparison to Accord and Camry, feels upmarket.

lngtonge18 · February 2002

Did you turn off the car and open the driver's door? The headlights should automatically turn the lights off about 3 seconds after you open the driver's door. An alarm will also sound during this process.

tcole3 · February 2002

I will try your suggestion. I believe I did turn it off and shut the door and nothing happened, but will try again. Thanks for the suggestion.

tcole3 · March 2002

I tried your suggestion and it worked, the first time I had left the keys in the ignition. Thanks again

lngtonge18 · March 2002

Your welcome. Glad to be of some help. I knew that if my 93 Diamante and my 02 Lancer worked the same way, then your D should have the same feature.

regfootball · March 2002

I got a flyer at the auto show for a new Diamante model. The Diamante VR-X. A sports model of the Diamante. Available in one color, red. Sports suspension, spoiler. Titanium color wheels (i think). Perf. lthr. steering wheel.

Anyone else see anything on this car?

regfootball · March 2002

http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.nz/diamante_sedan.html#

looks hot! why did i get the 2001? I didn't know this was coming! Now I'm stuck with a dowdy ES when I could have this thing!

regfootball · March 2002

make sure you click on the link for vr-x, too.

sorry.

regfootball · March 2002

also click on the link for the VR. Its probably more likely the US spec VR-X will actually be closer to New Zealand's VR.

regfootball · March 2002

http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/Diamante/magnapics.html

from what i've seen this car will get a horsepower boost as well.

regfootball · March 2002

hmmmmmm not much interest......anyone visiting lately?

Mitsubishi Diamante

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles