Mitsubishi Diamante

regfootball · February 2003

sure, I would like to see them....I would find it odd that someone would say the car is not quiet....its way quieter than most other cars I have been in lately and is a tomb compared to my SHO.

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.

vivona · February 2003

As I find time to post them, I will post my rebuttals to unfavorable Diamante reviews. Here is the first one. Edmunds ran a near luxury comparison review in December 2000. They ranked the Diamante in last place.

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. Lets 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 Diamantes 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 didnt 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.

vivona · February 2003

SUMMARY EDITED FOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

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 Diamantes 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 Diamantes 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 Diamantes 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 GAs and the Diamante had Michelin Energy MXV4s. In the 2000 test the cars have swapped tires and the 2 dbA advantage followed the Michelins to the ES300. Why didnt 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 Diamantes 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 Diamantes lack of negatives and lowest price make a compelling case for it, not against it. I find my Diamante very easy to love.

otoluva · February 2003

Thank you for your thoughtful, knowledgeable, and informative comments. I did enjoy reading your posts and learned a great deal.
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)

vivona · February 2003

otoluva -- I agree that Mitsubishi does not market the Diamante.. at all. Even when they do a brand-wide ad, they mention Lancer, Eclipse, Galant, Montero Sport, Montero and stop there. I do not recall any mention of the Diamante in any ad -- for years, now.

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

regfootball · February 2003

saw a dealer ad for new Diamante's for 19500 this wkd.....that's cheaper than a Camry for cryin out louds......

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.

johnnyjumpstar · February 2003

I am considering purchasing a 2003 Diamnate LS because I simply love the way the car looks. I am hesitating because of the EPA estimates of 17/25. I drive 27,000 a year, but 80% of that driving is at highway speeds of 65-70 MPH. Can somone give me a real estimate of the milage I should expect? Why doesn't this car get better MPG and why doesnt it have an available 5 speed auto tranny? JJ

rodhewitt · February 2003

I've had my 2002 Diamante LS for about 17,000 miles and I've averaged 20-25 MPG. the 25 MPG figure is for exclusive hwy driving at 70-80 MPH, while my typical mixed commute results in about 22 MPG. Blame the 3.5L engine, I guess.

regfootball · February 2003

my wife drives 60 mph in stop and go freeway traffic, sometimes 80 mph and a lot of the time a dead stop bumper to bumper and she gets 27mpg that way. I don't recall what we got for mpg on our last extended freeway trip, coulda been close to 30.

not bad for a midsize 6 cyl.

grubbs1 · February 2003

Hello! I currently own a '94 D. I have owned it four three years and I love it! However, it has over 141k and things are starting to fall apart: the tracks for the sunroof have broken and now it is a pain to shut, the power antena doesn't work and it stutters when going on upgrades. Anyway, I had not looked at the D's lately and I am very impressed by the looks and how great a deal a later model D is! I have read a few pages on this board but, if I may, I would like some input on the positives and negatives of the 2002 VR-X (my preference). Thanks!

marak88 · February 2003

Hello
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

vivona · February 2003

Based on experience with our 1999 and 2002 Diamantes, we get 20 MPG in town and 29 to 30 MPG on the highway.

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

vivona · February 2003

According to the factory service manual, the heated seats share a fuse with other components like your antenna motor, trunk lid opener, CD changer, etc. so if these things are working you can rule out a blown fuse. Also, if the passenger seat is heating but the driver seat is not, you can rule out a fuse.

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

regfootball · February 2003

my wife gets 25-27 consistently in urban stop and go traffic about 60 miles a day. No complaints at all in the MPG dept.

ccancio · February 2003

Hello All,
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-

lngtonge18 · February 2003

I would replace the distributor cap to get rid of the stutter problem going uphill. It's a common problem on 92-96 D's. It's cheap and easy to replace too.

vivona · February 2003

To find the best deal, go to http://www.parts.com/index.cfm?action=findStore&makeid=24

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

rodhewitt · February 2003

Just drove 400 miles at 80-85 MPH this weekend and averaged 26 MPG. Then I drove about 150 miles of mostly city streets in L.A. and averaged 15 MPG.

marak88 · March 2003

99 diamante, there is a cool and warm air rotating knob to the left of the center air vent, I don't seem to get warm air out of it when the heater demisting (heating the windshield) or on feet (blowing air on legs) even with it turned all the way down ( as the manual says for warm air, also when I move it up it only goes about half way up unlike what the manual says move it all the way up for cold air. but it still in both cases blows cold air (even when I have my heater set on 90 degrees).
any inputs or suggestions on how to use or fix this is appreciated

thanks

vivona · March 2003

marak88- The center air vent knob operates a cable that links to a pivot arm in the A/C ductwork under the dash. If you look up under the dash, in the area behind the radio, and move the knob up and down you should be able to see the end of the cable moving the pivot arm. Chances are that the cable has come off the arm and re-attaching it will fix your problem.

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

marak88 · March 2003

Thanks Mr. Vivona, I'll try doing what you said this weekend, I'll let you know what I find out.

2001lsguy · March 2003

just thought i'd share a story about my 2001 diamante ls..........i recently took her to the dealer to have the oil switch replaced.....got her back and about 2 weeks later noticed a pretty serious oil leak....took her to a master mechanic i've known for years...turns out they over torqued the switch and cracked the whole housing and they knew it because they tried repairing it with epoxy....no more dealers for me!

diamant · March 2003

What's the magic you guys have? I have a 2002 Diamante and never got better than 22 MPH, even that on a 270 miles no-stop trip, all on cruise control. I use premium gas. Is there any special fuel add-on you use.

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.

regfootball · March 2003

i think the harder you drive the D, the better mpg it gets. my wife is a leadfoot and she drives in stop and go bumper to bumper 60 miles each day, but with stretches at 80+ mph and she gets 25-27 usually and we have needled 30mpg on rural interstates before.

vivona · March 2003

diamant- I don't think there is any magic involved. I think 29-30 MPG on a non-stop Interstate trip is normal for a Diamante. What remains to explore is why you are not getting that kind of mileage.

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

regfootball · March 2003

I forget, is there an octane requirement on our Diamantes? I instruct my wife to fill with a min. 90 octane at all times.

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.

marak88 · March 2003

I did as you recommended, I looked up under the dash, in the area behind the radio, and was be able to see the end of the cable moving the pivot arm. I re-attached it and the problem was fixed.

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.

grubbs1 · March 2003

I did as you suggested and replaced the distributor cap on my '94 D. It is now running great at 143k! Any suggestions regarding an inexpensive way to fix or replace the non-working power antena?

lngtonge18 · March 2003

Your welcome! Glad my advice helped you out. Did you notice how the distributor cap is so close to the hot intake manifold? It's no wonder the darn things crack once every 2 years.

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!

jlalex975 · March 2003

I just bought a 99 Diamante this past weekend, and it seems like a wonderfully upkept car. Does anyone have the experience of owning a DIamante that would like to share some of their best and worst moments with the car.

regfootball · March 2003

no worst moments! Its all good!

ficuss · March 2003

I have a 99 Diamonte and the most troubling thing I have had happen is that whenever I am in the car with my Nokia A T & T wireless phone, a relay under the left side of the dash vibrates wildly whenever the phone rings. It is unnerving because I don't know what that relay does. The relay also clicks when the cell phone is switched from one tower to another. It is predictable if I drive the same route for each trip. Has anyone else experienced this? My dealer cannot seem to find a problem or a cure. A T & T wireless claims no responsibility. The Diamonte has been near flawless since new with only the horn and battery needing replacement. The only other dissapointment has been the Goodyear Eagle tires. They are the noisiest tires I have ever had. I will be turning the car in in July as the lease is up. It has only 25k miles if anyone is interested.

Frank

pinto53 · March 2003

I have a 1999 Diamante with 68000 miles. I am hearing a vibrating or growl up to 5-10 M.P.H. coming from the engine.I was told by the previous owner that this sound is common in Mitsubishi Diamantes.Post#709 asked similar question but I did not find any responce to this question. Can you please respond, Thank You Pinto53.

regfootball · March 2003

Goodyears have always been noisy IMHO.

drmp · March 2003

I just switched from Sprint to At&T and boy, this AT&T Nokia transmits it's frequency to the sound system of my Honda Passport, very annoying. My wife's Verizon Motorola doesn't do it nor my previous Samsung Sprint. The AT&T Nokia must have a very strong EMF radiation, note nrain cancer?

ficuss · March 2003

I don't think it is the level of power, rather the frequency that the A T & T digital system uses. Once a radio or cell phone in this case is type accepted by the FCC the responsibility falls on the interfered with party or device to protect themselves (shield from or otherwise filter out) the interference. The fact that my other cars do not suffer from the interference from my A T & T Nokia tells me the problem is with the Mitsu, or in your case the Honda. My only concern is that I don't know what function the relay that chatters provides. Imagine if the brake modulator for ABS brakes were affected by the interference, or in the case of the newer drive by wire cars, the ramifications can be very severe. One of my other cars is a Chevy 2002 Trailblazer. It is a drive by wire SUV with 7 onboard computers. Come over to the chevy trailblazer board and check out some of the nearly 11,000 posts logged in 2 short years of production of the 3 GM tripletts. Chevy, GMC Envoy, and Olds Bravada. The Mitsu board is morgue quiet compared to this board.

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

vivona · March 2003

pinto53- It is hard to respond to the subjective "vibrating or growl up to 5-10 MPH." The Diamante exhaust does have a low humming sound to it upon acceleration, but you hear it anytime you accelerate, not just up to 10 MPH. I assume that the vibration you refer to only occurs up to 10 MPH and not upon acceleration at higher speeds. Of course, the car is quietest upon startoff and you may have the noise at higher speeds, but road and wind noise mask it.

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

donnys_gurl1 · March 2003

Hi. I was just wondering if any one owns a 1995 6cly Diamante. I have seen a lot of people driving 96-99 and a few older ones but none like mine.

ACCENT · April 2003

Just read at www.prnewswire.com that the Mitsubishi Galant is making its world debut in New York. Mitsubishi's '04 Galant will offer more power and a bold new exterior, and Mitsubishi's Diamante will also make it debut as their gleaming new flagship sedan.

regfootball · April 2003

excellent.

in the meantime SUPER diamante deals.

2002 VRX's for 22 grand
2002 ES's for well below 20 grand.

pat · April 2003

hkdragon2 - I sent you an email. If you did not get it, please email me at pat@edmunds.com. Thanks.

2001lsguy · April 2003

I JUST WANTED TO THANK MR. VIVONA FOR HIS ADVICE ON USING THE GSP9700.....MY DIAMANTE HAS NEVER RODE THIS SMOOTHLY.....WHAT A DIFFERENCE.....THANKS!

pinto53 · April 2003

To Mr.Vivona. The noise was bad alternator idler pulley.I am having trouble diagnosing a noise in my front end. I had two shops look into the problem and at first they said nothing was wrong.Upon my persistence to this noise, I was told I needed to change my front struts and outer tie rod ends.I did so and still have the noise.The noise is a thumping sound that is only very noticable on very bumpy roads where the front wheels are bouncing for a period of time.Previously I had this sound in my 1992 Grand Marquis which turned out to be bad stablizer link bushings.I told this to the repair shops and they say everything is tight and looks fine.Unfortunetly for me I do local driving on streets that are under major renovation for the next year or so.I am a perfectionist when it comes to my cars and can not stand this noise. My wife tells me to turn up the radio which does not solve the problem.Since process of elimination is too expensive, I am hoping you might have an idea whats wrong.I was also told that bushings in the rack and pinion could be the noise.Your feed back would be appreciated. Thank You Pinto53

regfootball · April 2003

anything news from any Diamante owners?

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.

dangnabbit · April 2003

Having owned a 92 Diamante LS since new, I'm looking forward to a meteor ending its wallet-thinning existence. I can't wait for the day when I say "good riddance."

Will I ever consider a Mitsubishi for my next car? Never again.

vivona · April 2003

My family has owned a 87 Galant, 89 Galant, 93 Eclipse, 93 Mirage, 96 Eclipse and currently a 99 Diamante and a 02 Diamante, all since new, and we have never had a significant problem with any of these cars.

Will we buy another Mitsubishi? You betcha!!

Mr. Vivona

vivona · April 2003

The Diamante beats the A4 in interior space, interior storage, serviceabilty, reliability and value. Personally, I like the interior and exterior style of the Diamante better than the A4. Put simply, if I didn't have a car and someone gave me an A4, I'd immediately sell it, buy a Diamante, and pocket the difference.

Your wife knows what she's talking about.

Mr. Vivona

vivona · April 2003

Happy to hear you found the cause of the growling noise. Like I had said, it is difficult to pinpoint a problem without actually hearing it. If I had heard it, I would have probably easily found the cause using a stethoscope.

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

lngtonge18 · April 2003

That website seems a little behind the times (almost 2 years in fact!). A possible "insider" Mitsubishi guy has been posting in the future vehicles forum. He stated, as does Edmunds, that the all new Galant will be released this fall, along with a more powerful Lancer and Outlander, and an all new Diamante. My guess is the new Diamante will be released in the spring of 04 as an 05 model. It's very interesting that Mitsu decided to keep the Diamante, but I'm glad they did as its a great bargain and a nice luxury car.

regfootball · April 2003

personally, the A4 is on another level up in terms of interior design and overall chic; its attention to detail is almost obsessive. I'd bet its chassis dynamics are superior in many ways as well. However, the Diamante to me is still very stylish and a good driving car despite its age in the market. If I had the extra money I would pop for a Euro car or a Maxima over the Diamante, but definitely I go with Diamante over the domestics and the more typical Asian Camcord cars.

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!

Mitsubishi Diamante

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