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In 2003 it would be fair to say the Diamante doesn't stack up to a lot of other cars since it was last new in 97....but in 2003 you can buy a Diamante really cheap. Where I see the Diamante fitting in at this time is as a dashing alternative to the automitive jello of Camry and Accord and as a definite upgrade over the plethora of GM mid and large yuckmobiles. I mean, Regal vs. Diamante! NO BRAINER! Grand Prix vs. Diamante. NO BRAINER!
Realsitically the D is no longer able to be compared to say, a Lexus ES300 in Luxury, nor an Acura TL, nor a BMW 3......I surely think someone looking hard at a Camry should at least test drive a Diamante. Accords too for that matter.
The Diamante will be 90% of the engineering excellence of those two cars and has more style and elegance.....more of an aura to it. I saw an ad this weekend for new 2002 VR-x's for 22k.....what a deal.......No way I would plunk down 27g's for a Camry when I can get a just as loaded D for 22.
See the review at http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/43924/page001.- html
Here is the rebuttal I had posted soon after the review:
I found the Edmunds report on near luxury cars to be about the worst review of its type I have ever read.
First, I had a problem with the test methodology. Too much emphasis was placed on performance not indicative of real world driving. For instance, I recently rented a Jeep and drove up rocky mountain roads and climbed up boulders in Moab, UT. Under those conditions the Jeep is king and a luxury car would be useless. But on a long drive on the highway, the Jeep would be a piece of crap and a luxury car would be king. Each type of vehicle has an intended use in which it shines. No vehicle does everything well. A person buys a luxury car for good performance and reasonable handling well within the capabilities of every one of the cars tested. Good styling, interior comfort front and rear, a quiet ride, interior storage space, luxury appointments and a good stereo are certainly more important than being one second faster in a 0-60 race or being able to run through a slalom a second faster. In real world driving you rarely push a luxury car to these performance limits, but you see, feel and use all the other qualities every day.
Including a personal rating based on “I would buy it with cost no option” is useless in real world choices where cost is an option. Let’s not forget the price spread was $10,000. Also, the choice of cars was poor. According to market research the 300M, 328i, Acura TL and Volvo are bought by 40-43 year olds and the other cars are bought by 46-51 year old buyers. A comparison should be between similar-priced cars that appeal to the same group of buyers and based on criteria they use when selecting their car. This review missed the mark by a long shot.
I thought negative comments about the Diamante showed the usual bias the press has against Mitsubishi products. The console lid is conveniently made to open from either side, but if you try to pull it up from the front (forcibly, I should add), both latches will activate and the lid will come off. I have never had a problem with using the lid the way it was intended. To judge the Diamante’s overall build quality by the design of the console lid is just plain stupid. I am amazed at the exceptional build quality of my Diamante. It has had zero defects. The higher-rated (by Edmunds) 300M had build quality issues that are a real concern. I would never consider buying a poorly built car like the 300M.
The adaptive transmission of the Diamante is designed to learn the driving habits of the driver, not eight different testers determined to push the car to its limits. I never have a problem getting exactly the performance and shifts I want. I would expect the Edmund testers to be smarter than misuse the intended design of the transmission, then criticize it. I have read many other reviews of the Diamante and transmission performance is listed as a strong point.
The seat in the Diamante was criticized for not having a height adjustment. That is not true. In fact, it has two height adjustments, one for the front and one for the rear. You can adjust tilt and height by using the two controls in unison. And one look at the picture in the report will tell you that the Diamante does indeed have lateral bolstering despite the testers comments to the contrary
I am at a loss to understand the criticism about the climate controls being above the radio. Their centers are only three inches apart. You hardly have to move your wrist to move from one to the other. The same arrangement is found on the Audi and Acura, but that didn’t bother the testers. Why was it an issue on the Diamante?
Edmunds did admit the Diamante shined in rear roominess, a quiet ride, the stereo system and overall styling. These are high on the list of qualities that I consider important. In fact, when you eliminate the Acura for its noise on coarse pavement, poor rear seat room and cheap feeling leather seats, the 300M for its poor build quality and noisy ride, the BMW for its high price, small rear seat, lack of interior storage space and small trunk, the Saab 9-5 for its high price and noisy ride, the Volvo for its excessive price and the Audi for its small rear seat, you are left with the Diamante and Lexus to choose from. The Diamante wins on price already, but by giving up the heated seats and chrome wheels, the Diamante comes down to a MSRP of $29,960, making it an even greater value. I made that choice and absolutely love my Diamante. I think Edmunds has misled many prospective buyers that would certainly appreciate the Diamante if they drove one for themselves.
The Nine-Car Comparo of $30,000 Sedans (February 2000) was a good article with useful comparative objective test results, but I take issue with the subjective rankings, particularly that of the Diamante.
Noting that all of the cars were excellent, “with no overt winners or losers,” you admit that the ranking was based on “blatant subjectivity.” That defeats the very purpose of a comparison article, which is to guide a prospective purchaser to the best choice. It would have been better to have ranked all as a tie for first place and then invite the reader to use the subjective comments and the objective test results to make their own choices. Many readers will miss the subjectivity of the rankings and conclude that there is quite an objective difference between the top and bottom ranked cars.
Since you were compelled to rank the cars, I disagree with the last place ranking of the Diamante. In almost every objective performance test the Diamante beat the ES300. Millenia and Lincoln LS, but costs $2,600 to $6,800 less. Your subjective comments for the Diamante included no negatives other than being it being undistinguished. Positive comments for the other eight cars were offset by notable negatives such as excessive styling, body roll, jittery road manners, cramped interior, interior noise, poor lane change and braking, etc. The Diamante’s mid-pack test results, lack of criticisms and lowest price should at least have earned it fourth or fifth place, perhaps higher.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
You might conclude that readers would read all of the introductory text and understand that the rankings were subjective. But as you know many people scan articles and only remember about 20% of what they read. I am a regular participant in web forums and every initial comment I have read about the article has taken the rankings as factual measurements of quality, value and performance. Even after I point out the admitted subjectivity of the rankings the forum participants still say, yes, but such and such car is better because it ranked higher.
As a very satisfied owner of a Diamante, I get unhappy when I see it kicked to last place because it, in your subjective opinion, lacked any distinctiveness. I think outperforming competitors as the Millenia, ES300 and Lincoln LS, and costing thousands less, is quite distinctive. I think having its own platform rather than being based on the platform of a cheaper car is quite distinctive. I think the exterior is a lot more distinctive than the TL (Accord-like) or ES300 (Camry-like) and certainly much more attractive than the Bonneville or Volvo. And how could you give the Lincoln LS a higher rating for exterior styling when it is so obviously a Diamante exterior clone?
Subjective rankings tend to be inconsistent. For example, the Diamante and ES300 appeared in both the February 1997 and the February 2000 C&D tests essentially unchanged. In the February 1997 test the ES300 ranked first and the Diamante ranked third, but in the 2000 test the Diamante drops all the way to last place and the ES300 only slips to third? The Diamante’s rear seat or exterior styling has not changed since 1997, but the ratings for both dropped a few points.
Personal preferences can influence subjective comments to contradict objective test results. For instance, the Diamante is quieter than the Lincoln LS, but the Diamante is called “average” and the LS has “vault-like quietness.” The Diamante outperformed the ES300 in almost every performance test, but the Diamante’s performance was called “well” and the ES300 was “more than adequate”.
Subjective comments are further influenced by the “halo effect” that causes the evaluator to exaggerate the positives and ignore or rationalize the negatives. By weighting positive factors beyond negative factors, a car with at least one extreme positive has a much better chance at a higher subjective ranking despite offsetting negatives. The Diamante was “hard to criticize” but almost every other car in the test had a negative that could knock it out of consideration for a serious buyer. Once you actually own a car you find that you may rarely use that great 0-100 acceleration and that controversial styling is suddenly out of style, whereas the negatives, like jittery road manners, cramped interior, noise, etc., become more irritating. Or, worse yet, taking over 200 feet to stop from 70 has just cost you your life!
The 2000 Diamante outperformed the TL in braking and lane-change. You rationalize the bottom ranking of the TL in these areas by suggesting that a tire change would be a quick fix for the problem. In the 1997 test the Diamante led the class with interior quietness that was 2 dbA lower than the ES300. In the 2000 test the ES300 leads the class with interior quietness that is 2 dbA lower than the Diamante. Both cars are unchanged. What happened? In 1997 the ES300 had Goodyear Eagles GA’s and the Diamante had Michelin Energy MXV4’s. In the 2000 test the cars have swapped tires and the 2 dbA advantage followed the Michelins to the ES300. Why didn’t you suggest that the Diamante would have tied in quietness with a quick fix tire change? And, according to the 1997 test, that tire change would have improved the Diamante’s ride and skidpad scores.
Had the test taken into account predicted reliability, the “solid Mitsubishi reliability” of the Diamante would certainly have scored better than the known poor reliability of the 300M, S70 and Bonneville and the likely poor reliability of the Lincoln LS.
To subjectively rate cars for their distinctive positives only provides no real value to the prospective buyer other than to express the personal preferences and prejudices of some automotive editors that may not represent your demographics or tastes at all. I liken it to being fixed up with a blind date, and we all know how unsuccessful that is!
So, after reading the article I disagree and would say it was a shameless cop-out.
In my opinion, the Diamante’s lack of negatives and lowest price make a compelling case for it, not against it. I find my Diamante very easy to love.
The Diamante is one of my favorite cars and I'm- like you- taken aback every time I read a negative review about it.
Although I have never owned one ( driven it a few times) but very impressed by it, and once came close to buy one but negotiation broke down with the dealer over the price so I went and got another town car.
Having owned 3 town cars in the past I obviously appreciate a smooth comfortable and quiet ride and that's one of the things the Diamante delivers.
On an other note I tend to blame Mitsubishi for the D's low sales for not aggressively marketing the ( FORGOTTEN CAR)
I know that the capacity of the Australia factory limits the availability of the Diamante. As I recall, the most they could probably get would be about 20,000 per year, around 10,000 more than they sell now. Advertising is very expensive and it is probably cost prohibitive to launch a Diamante campaign on the hope that they sell 10,000 more cars a year. But it doesn't cost Mitsubishi any more to add the Diamante to "corporate" ads. For some reason, they just rely on dealer traffic and word of mouth.
They last time I spoke with Mitsubishi about this they said they had planned some Diamante advertising, but that was a couple of years ago and I never saw any evidence of advertising.
Mr. Vivona
I dunno whether the figure of 10,000 units per year is true or not but I see them all over the place here in MSP. There is 2 other ones in my townhouse complex alone. That makes 3 out of about 250 cars.
not bad for a midsize 6 cyl.
I'm a new owner of a 99 diamante with heated seats,great car but for some reason when i turn the heated seat switch on I don't feel the driver seat getting hot, is there something special i have to do or fuses that i need to check or maybe reset something so i can get my heated seat to work.
please help, any ideas are appreciated
Now, if you drive in heavy city traffic where you spend half the time idling and rarely get over 30 MPH, you can expect your mileage to be in the 15-17 range. This is worst case and even a little 4-cyl car gets poor mileage under these conditions.
By the same token, if you fill up and just drive on the Interstate for a few hundred miles and fill up again, you will get the best case mileage. We just finished an Interstate trip, averaging 60-75 MPH, and got 30.2 MPG.
Based on your 80% highway mileage, I would expect an overall average of 25 to 27 MPG.
Mr. Vivona
If just the driver seat is not working, I would check for any unplugged cables under the seat. Going beyond this requires experience with automotive electronics to check individual components.
Mr. Vivona
Anybody know of a good on-line seller of Mitsi parts?
Some web sites that I have visited seem to be from the same parts source with the same so-so prices (ie not that cheap!) - when you add shipping, I might as well get it locally.
Some sites offer free-shipping over $50, which is great. No sales tax and free shipping, combine that with lower parts prices ...it's great!
-C-
Then click on each listed online seller and check out some representative prices and shipping deals. It is true that the cost of shipping may offset the discount for small purchases, but with the average discount at 25% and in many cases no sales tax, the savings will offset the 6% or so they charge for shipping.
You may want to visit each site listed on the Parts.com web site and find who has the lowest shipping and best discount. I recall that West Broad Mitsubishi at http://www.parts.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=40
had good prices and a low shipping charge. But they may not be the best deal, so check it out and let us know.
Mr. Vivona
any inputs or suggestions on how to use or fix this is appreciated
thanks
To see the area I am talking about, you have to have your head down under the dash on the left side of the console, about where your right shin is when you are driving. Use a light to illuminate the area behind the radio and look for something moving when you move the knob.
If this doesn't work, let me know and we can investigate further.
Mr. Vivona
I will be using this car for commuting (45 miles one way) and would appreciate any tip to make fuel consumption better.
I spoke with a local Mitsubishi dealership and they were of no help. They ran computer diagnostics and didn't find anything abnormal. They try to blame it on my driving habit but I told them I drive on cruise control.
First, 30 MPG is what you get when you fill up completely, drive only non-stop on the Interstate for several hundred miles and then fill up again as soon as you stop. It is the "best case" mileage. It appears that your 270 mile trip was just that. But, how fast was that cruise control set for? 30 MPG at 70 MPH is possible. If you were cruising at 80 or 85 MPH, that certainly will affect mileage.
The biggest variable is in-town driving. With any car, driving where you creep slowly, idle, creep slowly, idle, etc. will drop mileage to 14-15 MPG, even lower. Include some of this driving in a trip and the overall average mileage will drop.
Assuming you were doing everything right in your Interstate mileage test, then you would have to look for all the usual factors that would affect gas mileage, such as tire pressure, ignition timing, clogged air filter, cold weather, fuel leak, vacuum leak, defective component, even an odometer that reads low. Another thing to watch out for in a non-stop Interstate driving test is the gas filler nozzle clicking off prematurely on the original fill-up and then topping off on the final fill-up.
But the place to start is back at the dealer. The computer diagnosis done by the dealer may have been just a sensor code check. That only tells you if a sensor is not giving the computer a signal within the expected range. Did they check the timing? Did they check the air/fuel ratio? Did they check for a vacuum hose leak? Did they check the other things I mentioned in the previous paragraph?
I use no fuel additives and recommend against them. I use mid-grade in both Diamantes and get excellent results.
Mr. Vivona
Usually she will get close to or over 400 miles on a tank between fills. Our interstate trips we will drive at 80+ mph and still get wonderful mileage.
I run the tires at 36-40 psi and use fuel system cleaner 2-3 times a year.
Its rare to get below 25mpg in everyday urban driving.
The D is sweet when it comes to MPG.
Thanks Mr. vivona
Now if I only get my heated seats to work, i'll be set.
also my MPG, I got 28 mpg driving, traveling at 80 mph, 120 mile trip.
As for the antennae, mine was broke before I got the car. It already had a stationary small black rubber antennae in place of the power one. You could replace the power antennae with an aftermarket one from your local parts store (discount auto, napa, autozone) for about $40. Just make sure it has a connection for the power source from your radio so it automatically goes up and down when you turn the radio on and off. They aren't terribly hard to replace. You will need to pull down the trunk lining on the side and have access to a wrench. If you can handle the hassle, a regular antennae that goes up and down via your hand costs a mere $15. But only do that if you can remember to push the antennae down in bad neighborhoods or when going through a car wash. Good luck!
Frank
By the way, the brain cancer thing is no small concern, but the newer digital phones use much less power than the older analog phones. It is still best to exercise caution and if possible use a hands free device with the phone. Nokia has a earbud style hands free cord. It works very well and even sounds better than the phone speaker. As a rule I wouldn't let young children use cell phones regularily without giving them a hands free way of using the phone.
Frank
It is possible you are hearing a very low groan that may occur only upon first startup and drive-off after the car has sat for a time? That is probably the power steering fluid coming up to pressure. In the 1997 Diamante there was a Technical Service Bulletin that referred to a vibration in the steering wheel upon initial startup and they changed the design of the power steering hose to eliminate fluid swirling. Your 1999 should have the new hose design, though.
Another thing it may be is air rushing into the throttle body. Upon a quick start you open the throttle faster and further than usual in regular driving and the inrushing air can make a low growl.
Without hearing it myself, I can't be sure if what you are hearing is normal, or indicative of a problem. My 1999 is, in my subjective opinion, quiet upon takeoff.
Mr. Vivona
in the meantime SUPER diamante deals.
2002 VRX's for 22 grand
2002 ES's for well below 20 grand.
nothing here to report. My wife drives ours all the time so i don't know what's going on with mine (hers). I can't get the keys away from her.
i mentioned something about moving her up to an Audi A4 cause of cheap leases and she didn't want anything to do with it.
I know the Diamante isn't a competitor for an A4 in any real way. Right now I think folks would be surprised at how attractively priced the Diamante is in terms of cash out the door price.
I saw a black VRX with everything except moonroof with a buy it now price of 21,995. A lot of folks checking out loaded Accords and Camry's pushing 30 grand ought to at least take a test drive of a Diamante. Its a nice option that could save some dough but still you'd have a well built car.
Will I ever consider a Mitsubishi for my next car? Never again.
Will we buy another Mitsubishi? You betcha!!
Mr. Vivona
Your wife knows what she's talking about.
Mr. Vivona
As to your thumping noise on bumpy roads, it is a shame that a mechanic caused you to pay the cost of strut and tie rod replacement without fixing the problem. It is better to diagnose the cause of the problem first, then pay to replace the part rather than just replace parts until you find it. Granted, it is often hard to pinpoint the cause of a noise because the parts transmit the sound. But it is worth a try.
First, make sure your power steering hose is not flapping against the timing belt cover. You can see the 1" diamanter black hose by looking down the passenger side of the engine bay in the area just above the belt pulleys. If that hose was too close to the timing belt cover, it could conceivably thump against it when you hit a bump. Just wrap some foam weatherstripping around it where it is hitting the cover and test drive to see if that does it. It's a longshot, but worth a try.
The most usual cause of thumping on bumpy roads is a lower ball joint that has worn out of tolerance. But many other things can cause a thumping sound. The best approach is for you or a mechanic to use an electronic chassis stethoscope to monitor several areas around the suspension at the same time to see if you can locate the source of the noise. Electronic mechanic chassis stethoscopes are cheap and useful for locating automotive sounds. You can get one at http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/STE-6600.html for about $100. Just be real careful to locate your wires where they will not interfere with the movements of the suspenion or engine.
Please keep me updated on your progress.
Mr. Vivona
Everyone I know always complements us on how nice a car our Diamante is. No way do I tell them I paid barely over 15 grand for the car (used with 10k miles on it). They all seem to think it cost me 25,000+. I should have ante'd up a little more for the LS instead of the ES.
I saw a VRX on the dealer lot the other day with 18" custom wheels. NICE!