Hi all,

I've been thinking of upgrading from my 99 TH to a 2004/5 TL or TW. I've looked at a few and while they are nice upgrades for the most part (cruise control!) im after a bit of advice.

Firstly, I'm put off by their lack of locks. Only one lock on the entire vehicle on these models, and the kicker is both the TLs ive tried had stiff/sticky lock mechanisms. (They weren't even high mileage) Is it possible to somehow equip one of these late model magnas with a normal amount of locks? Perhaps installing a boot lock would be too difficult, but even having a passenger lock as backup would give me more peace of mind. I've found http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106146&highlight=door+lock which describes servicing the locks, but having a backup to get in the car would still be preferable.

I'm also curious about the transmissions in them. My TH has a regular transmission but the TL/TW ive tried have the sports trannys and i've read a lot on here about them not being as reliable - if i recall properly due to their 'wave spring' failing. Is this a serious concern if the car shifts smoothly?

Any other tips or what to look out for?

Finally, i'm thinking $2500 - $3000 seems about right for a medium mileage 2004-2005 magna with a service history (not neglected) and maybe up to $4k for a verada. I'm basing that off seeing 2008 380's for ~$5000 in good nick and 3-4 years newer. Does this sound reasonable?

Maybe i should bite the bullet and just get a 380 :confused:

Cheers
fiveseven

I've had my TJ since 2008 and put the key in the driver's door maybe 3 or 4 times, and never in the passenger door or tailgate. The fob is reliable, they can go a bit funny with age but are a replaceable item, at least for now.

I'm not aware of the sports shift tranny having more problems than the standard one, at least at an engineering level. Maybe the sports shift encourages more 'spirited' driving, leading to a greater likelihood of failure if not properly maintained, but I'm guessing. Re the wave-spring, it is one of many things that can cause tranny failure and while it is a recognised point of failure it isn't anything to be concerned about if you keep your transmission fluid in good nick. I believe the wavespring was revised to a more robust type in later boxes anyway, I don't know when it came in or if there's any way to recognise it externally but others may.

I'm a wagon nut so the 380's out for me, which is a damn shame 'cos it's a very, very nice ride.

Thanks for the info re the transmission, glad it was probably an idle worry. I'm suprised your fob has been reliable as my fob has broken twice, and the magnas ive looked at have had broken fobs too. Ive resoldered my fob twice as the plastic battery harness snaps off the PCB when bumped/dropped, and i suspect thats the case with many of them. A useful tool but i don't trust it to not suddenly break on me.

Wave spring was fixed in the later series. I used sports shift in my KW AWD GTVi all the time from new and after 150K and 9.5 years, I had no transmission issues and I drive it hard.

As for locks, they were done to reduce chance of theft etc. All 2004+ cars are like that. Again, no issues with the fob. And only ever tried to use the key once to lock after battery died but as they are electro mechanical, you can't lock with key when battery is dead.

Finally, i'm thinking $2500 - $3000 seems about right for a medium mileage 2004-2005 magna with a service history (not neglected) and maybe up to $4k for a verada. I'm basing that off seeing 2008 380's for ~$5000 in good nick and 3-4 years newer. Does this sound reasonable?



TL/TW Magnas in good condition and low km are getting scarcer and fetch $5K where I am and 380s go for $8K, so those prices you quote are really good if they apply where you live.

Door and ignition locks need cleaning out and lubricating regularly if you want to avoid accelerated wear. Did the ones on the 2011 Lancer a couple of days ago.

On the Magna, the driver's door can still be locked and unlocked with the key even if the battery is flat. That part is mechanical, but locking/unlocking all doors with the key and a flat battery won't work.

Remotes are available on eBay and from your local MrMinit key cutting shop.

Whatever you buy, if you buy, make sure you get the second key with it. Costly to get a second one.

The addition of tiptronic to the 4 speeds was all in the electrics. There was no change to the gearbox itself.

I'd at least take a 380 for a test drive as it's a fair step up from 3rd gens in general, and they age well too.

The addition of tiptronic to the 4 speeds was all in the electrics. There was no change to the gearbox itself.

I'd at least take a 380 for a test drive as it's a fair step up from 3rd gens in general, and they age well too.

+1 on the gearbox. I'd trust a TL/TW gearbox more than one in a '99 Magna, actually.

The TL/TWs seem to suffer from the seat fabrics wearing holes in them and the headlining coming loose. 380 may not have those problems.

I'm suprised your fob has been reliable as my fob has broken twice, and the magnas ive looked at have had broken fobs too. Ive resoldered my fob twice as the plastic battery harness snaps off the PCB when bumped/dropped, and i suspect thats the case with many of them. A useful tool but i don't trust it to not suddenly break on me.

I'm only on my second fob and only replaced the original a year or two ago, and the new one (OEM) is still perfect. The old one still works, it's just a bit temperamental. The battery holder did indeed break off the PCB, I used a wad of paper on top of the battery to hold it in place. The main problem was gunk leaching from the rubbery buttons into the micro-switches making them stick down, I was eventually able to clean it up sufficiently to work but decided to replace it anyway.

For the new fob, I popped a couple of strategic globs of Araldite between the holder and the PCB to reinforce the soldering, silly design to rely on soldering as a mechanical connection to something with the weight of the battery holder. I suspect the reliability of the fobs is directly proportional to how much care you take with them.

304000klm later and driven regularly in tiptronic I cant report any issues. GEE, i better find some wood now i said that !!
Tranny new oil or a flush every 40000 klm
2nd fob since 2003

304000klm later and driven regularly in tiptronic I cant report any issues. GEE, i better find some wood now i said that !!
Tranny new oil or a flush every 40000 klm
2nd fob since 2003

Almost identical to my experience, except 315,000 :)

Very interesting about the tiptronic not being a mechanical change Red Valdez! Ups my confidence as i already trust my TH's tranny quite a lot. It's way more responsive than the Falcon trannys in my (limited) experience.

Well im going to give a 380 a test drive this weekend.


The TL/TWs seem to suffer from the seat fabrics wearing holes in them and the headlining coming loose. 380 may not have those problems.
Funny you should mention the fabrics - the TLs i saw all have had worn drivers seat fabric too.

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I'd at least take a 380 for a test drive as it's a fair step up from 3rd gens in general, and they age well too.
What would u say are the key benefits of a 380 over a 3rd gen? Obviously its got a more powerful motor, but is there anyyhing else?
Its interesting, when I first saw the 380 I thought they were ugly, both inside and out.
Still do. Not trying to insult 380 members here, its all subjective, but thats how I feel.
They never appealed to me on any level. Something about the styling puts me off.

The 380 engine is better, but the 380 is heavier - so most of the benefit is wasted. I much prefer the 380 engine, but the 6g74 in my TL feels more refined - it's silky smooth under hard acceleration.

The main benefit of the 380 apart from the engine, is the build quality. These things are made from quality parts and are manufactured to a remarkably high standard. I've never closed a door on a 380 that doesn't have a perfect, reassuring thud of a very accurately built chassis.

By the time my Magna was 8 years old, I'd started having to throw a few parts at it. Plastic surrounds started to crack. The fake leather gear boot started flaking. The seat fabric was wearing, and the carpet started to disintegrate.

My 380 is now 8 years old, and is like the day I bought it. Looked after, they are very, VERY well built and reliable (not that the Magna wasnt).

The 380 engine is better, but the 380 is heavier - so most of the benefit is wasted. I much prefer the 380 engine, but the 6g74 in my TL feels more refined - it's silky smooth under hard acceleration.

The main benefit of the 380 apart from the engine, is the build quality. These things are made from quality parts and are manufactured to a remarkably high standard. I've never closed a door on a 380 that doesn't have a perfect, reassuring thud of a very accurately built chassis.

By the time my Magna was 8 years old, I'd started having to throw a few parts at it. Plastic surrounds started to crack. The fake leather gear boot started flaking. The seat fabric was wearing, and the carpet started to disintegrate.

My 380 is now 8 years old, and is like the day I bought it. Looked after, they are very, VERY well built and reliable (not that the Magna wasnt).
I've always had seat covers in the KH and the seat coverings are all still very good looking.
Carpet is original, but starting to shed a bit. Once again always had floor mats.
Dash mat kept the dash good.

The quality issues, if they are, are always behind the scenes. Flimsy plastic screws, lightweight materials behind dash and under carpets, in doors and so on. All fits together well and looks solid on the outside. I wonder about the luxury cars and how robust the inside parts are? Do they do better?
But having said that its all reliable and no annoying squeaks. Nothing falling apart* on the KH as yet and its now at 16 years and 250k's.

*except for the door lock on drivers door being a little erratic, and 2 screws i threaded in a door when i used too much force... Oh and the rear window seal developing a rash...

From the first post:

"Finally, i'm thinking $2500 - $3000 seems about right for a medium mileage 2004-2005 magna with a service history (not neglected) and maybe up to $4k for a verada. I'm basing that off seeing 2008 380's for ~$5000 in good nick and 3-4 years newer. "

I'm still wondering in which mythical country these prices apply. lol

From the first post:

"Finally, i'm thinking $2500 - $3000 seems about right for a medium mileage 2004-2005 magna with a service history (not neglected) and maybe up to $4k for a verada. I'm basing that off seeing 2008 380's for ~$5000 in good nick and 3-4 years newer. "

I'm still wondering in which mythical country these prices apply. lol

Looking around the internets on various sites, those prices seem to be pretty spot on. Saw a very nice tl/w yesty on Carsales in WA, pretty low kays, around 170 iirc for 1500. A mint 1 owner tw awd VRX just sold around the corner from me for 5200, i just missed out on that. There's bargains to be had.

Well sold in one day. http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mitsubishi-Magna-2004/SSE-AD-3972299/?Cr=0

Nice!

Yeah prices are about right, no 3rd gen is worth much now....

Saw a fella advertise a 2004 (I think) tl awd.......200, 000km 8 grand......... bwahahahahaha

What would u say are the key benefits of a 380 over a 3rd gen?

In the OP he's case he should consider that a base 380 has a 5 speed auto (rather than 4 speed on a base TL/TW) and completely stock for stock a 380 would be definitely quicker than a 4 speed auto TL/TW and probably a fraction quicker than a 5 speed auto TL/TW.

If I had to sum it up, the 380 is quieter, far smoother, more refined, better built, and feels much more confident on the road. As they stand my 380 is a bit quicker than my old VR-X, and the extra torque down low (coupled with the transmission gearing) makes it a comfy drive.

And as I mentioned the 380s age very well. My 380 is fast approaching the age that I sold my old TJ VR-X at (380 is 10.5 years old, 157k km and the VR-X was sold at 11 years and 176k km) but has caused me far less mechanical drama and, unlike the Magna, has maintained it's level of refinement.

Yes it's not as nice looking as the 3rd gens. Yes they are heavy cars. Yes they may not be worth the upgrade over a 3rd gen (for some). But I think they're worth the test drive, at the very least.

For what it's worth, when I was car shopping I had my heart set on a 2007-2009 Subaru Liberty (either the 3.0R or the B4/GT) but found the 380 to be a nicer cruiser - and was $10k cheaper.

I would recommend getting a KL/KW Verada

Thanks for all the advice guys, lots of stuff to consider.


Looking around the internets on various sites, those prices seem to be pretty spot on. Saw a very nice tl/w yesty on Carsales in WA, pretty low kays, around 170 iirc for 1500. A mint 1 owner tw awd VRX just sold around the corner from me for 5200, i just missed out on that. There's bargains to be had.

Well sold in one day. http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mitsubishi-Magna-2004/SSE-AD-3972299/?Cr=0

Damn, i was just looking at that add the other day but didnt get round to calling them last weekend!

As you say, bargins to be had. Im sure there are magnas selling for what you say MadMax but from the state of the general economy it seems like a buyers market at the moment. Too many HSV Clubsports and SS's being sold second hand from laid-off FIFO workers :)