Hi all,

I'm looking at buying a 2003 AWD TJ (FWD isn't for me) and I was wondering why they are so cheap? Some as low as $19K here in Perth down from $37K in a car just 2 years old.

Do they have any kind of known problems, etc? What's the deal?

I would love to hear from any AWD owners or if any of you Magna owners have any comments.


Regards,

Sean.

I've had my 2002 KJ Verada AWD for 18 months and l have to say i've been thrilled to bits with it all that time. Initially l thought it was a "tad" noisy particularly in the exhaust but now that the car has clocked up 13,000 k's it has settled down nicely.

Some people comment on the fuel consumption. It's not as good as the FWD. I've just arrived home from a trip to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for the Shannon's Historic Motor Race meeting and averaged 9.3L/100. I'm quite content with that figure.

Don't forget, when the new model comes out in October in FWD guise only, the TJ..TL Magna / KJ..KL Verada, l suspect, will be much sought after.

I love my KL verada, I had a manual TE before that and the AWD is so much better, KL much much better car too. As for fuel consumption it can be pretty horrendous if you floor it around town but was fine on the higway. I suppose you get that from moving over 1700kg quickly. I put my old wheels on and it made a massive difference from the stock crappy tires, these were only 235/47 17". Love AWD.

I bought a TJ AWB back in Oct 04 and am stoked with it. You can put your foot down in any conditions on any surface and it just goes. Handling is so neutral through corners you'll forget what understeer/oversteer was. Just take one for a long test drive and you'll be sold. I was!

My fuel ecomomy is 8.0-9.0 on a trip and 12.0-13.0 around town. That's a bit worse than I'd hoped for but still better than the 3.8l commodore I had before.

I'm not aware of any problem with the AWD and, like you, I did ask around and did a bit of research before buying. There were a few comments about drive train harshness but I haven't noticed it. It may only be apparent if you are familiar with a FWD as a comparison.

I also went through the "they're so cheap, what's wrong with them?" thing and decided it's just the bad publicity that Mitsi went through regarding their future in Aust. As Tensixty6 noted they may be a collectors item when AWD gets dropped from the new model.

The TJ AWDs are really good value cars at this time -ie. cheap- due to a combination of adverse management judgement & coincidences hitting all at once, including bad publicity of the mother co. due to cover ups of a defect in japan, rumours of winding up aust business and then, that simulteneously thru it all, the 2004 Magna look wasn't as well received as it was hoped world wide - which is just amazing considering the modern marketing & business facilities available to ensure these things don't happen.

Well, it did - forcing Mitsubishis hand in discounting current model to move sales, with the unavoidable & devastating side effect of killing the value off model line 2003 Magnas and earlier. What a debacle. & the market worldwide reacted the same way they always react to dumb management decisions & stupidity - they don't buy it.

Apart from that, the TJ AWD is a competent package. Very crisp, quiet & smooth where there's little you'll find you want to add or mod to make it better. Fuel's tad disadvantaged compared to the FWDs but thats the trade off in AWDs. I'm geting 9.5 Hwy and 12.5 City.

Magna's are very well priced now making them a bargain, however checking the flip side of the coin: just don't expect any resale value later.

Thanks for all your comments guys. I think I'll be looking for a TJ Sports AWD.

Base model TJ AWDs were offerred by the major car rental firms Budget, Hertz etc in 2002, 2003... so they're likely to be hitting the used car market over last 12 mths, pressing down prices.


Melb Airport's rental car park had a huge lot of new Verada Xis in recent weeks.

Hey Flange,

I just purchased a TJ Sports AWD and am very happy. The wife likes it too so I generally have to wrestle the keys from her to get a drive.

In the limited time I have driven it (bought it on the weekend) I've found it to be everything the previous car wasn't (that was an EF Falcon). If I was to gripe about anything it would probably be the fuel consumption and a tiny bit of wind noise around the front driver's side pillar but that is really nit picking. The fuel consumption is still much better than EF.

If you can get a good condition, low mileage AWD you'll be laughing... lol

Howdy Fellow AWD Collectors Item Owners!

That's right, the AWD is as good as a collector's item now as already stated. If you wanted AWD safety in spades and a big(ish) torquey 6 to boot than you've found your folly.

1L bigger than an Outback or Impreza (except H6, but that's a nuisance, wheezy engine), uses half the fuel of a ford territory, is mechanically as reliable as gravity.

Forget torque steer.

Get a flowed TB and a tranny cooler and you're set.

A dirty big exhaust helps too. I've got a few metres of 3" pipe and torque picked up in spades.

Don't worry about FWD being quicker; which platform would you rather super/turbo charge??!! :D

Paint it bright yellow too!!

Hi all,

I'm looking at buying a 2003 AWD TJ (FWD isn't for me) and I was wondering why they are so cheap? Some as low as $19K here in Perth down from $37K in a car just 2 years old.

Do they have any kind of known problems, etc? What's the deal?

I would love to hear from any AWD owners or if any of you Magna owners have any comments.


Regards,

Sean.


Just got my Verada AWD 2003 (Got it now for 2 day's)

And I must say that In comparison to the TH magna I had (And VZ Company car)..... there is no comparison.

Quiet, smooth......... and powerfull (Not as nipie around town as the FWD)

I get 12 - 13 L in town and 9.0 - 10.5 at the freeway.

Just makes you wonder ........... WHY all cars are not like this AWD

Any way I had all my frends and family try it out and every one was STUND as to how well this car drives and performs, compaired it to the Ford XR6, and other cars that frends have.

So I expect to have lots of fun with this one.


:badgrin:

Just got my Verada AWD 2003 (Got it now for 2 day's)

And I must say that In comparison to the TH magna I had (And VZ Company car)..... there is no comparison.

Quiet, smooth......... and powerfull (Not as nipie around town as the FWD)

I get 12 - 13 L in town and 9.0 - 10.5 at the freeway.

Just makes you wonder ........... WHY all cars are not like this AWD

Any way I had all my frends and family try it out and every one was STUND as to how well this car drives and performs, compaired it to the Ford XR6, and other cars that frends have.

So I expect to have lots of fun with this one.


:badgrin:


I also picked up a TL AWD just over a week ago as an upgrade from a '94 TS. It is a VERY nice vehicle to drive. Took it for a test run from Brisbane to Toowoomba and back and it is a pleasure to drive. Just looking for a tow bar now!

Enjoy, the AWD's are a great car ( so my wife tells me :) )

Just looking for a tow bar now!

Enjoy, the AWD's are a great car ( so my wife tells me :) )
Got a tow bar installed at ARB in Albury for $160. It was a 1200kg one by Hayman Reese. The cable is in the boot and hides under the panel on the lower elft of teh boot and the bar hides under the rear bumper and with the tongue off the bumper insert hides it all. Ao you can't see that the car has a tow bar at all.

I use it so rearely that I don't need it on all the time.

Got a tow bar installed at ARB in Albury for $160. It was a 1200kg one by Hayman Reese. The cable is in the boot and hides under the panel on the lower elft of teh boot and the bar hides under the rear bumper and with the tongue off the bumper insert hides it all. Ao you can't see that the car has a tow bar at all.

I use it so rearely that I don't need it on all the time.

I think there is an ARB place around the corner from where I live in Brisbane so I will give them a call and see what they can do! Thanks!

i bought a march 2003 tj awd - i am impressed with it

consumption is heavier than my previous car - vr commodore . .. .but the mitsi is a much quicker car, and in the wet it has amazing levels of grip. . . .it also stops v v v v vwell


will test economy asap!

tnks

simon

Also bought a March 2003 AWD Sports a year ago.

Sticks like glue!!

Actually there is a bit of turn in understeer - put the Whiteline rear sway bar in, that fixes it.

The Sport comes with Bridgestone Potenza GII's as standard. Pretty grippy but noisy.

I have just changed, Friday, the rims to 17x8" with Falken 234/45/zr17 512's. Much quieter, turns in fabulously now. Haven't yet dared find the grip limit with the new rubber!!

Brakes. leaves most cars for dead.

Wet road, well plant the foot to the floor and watch the falcadores dissappear in the mirror or fishtail off the road!!

Wet corners & roundabouts, well play the throttle and power slide round!!

Overall a fabulous package, my boss has a very nice BMW 3 series, has ridden in mine several times and his comment is that he cannot beleive that the car is so good for the money.

I just hope that the 380 comes in an AWD version in a couple of years!!

Bought my KJ AWD Verada in March & have done 9,000km in it - 2 long country trips and plenty of weekend trips.

Fantastic in the wet, good through mud and flooded roads.

Its now done 23,000km and the engine has loosened up a bit - its fun to drive.

Its a great car. Highly recommend them to anyone.

I'd just like to add my few cents worth of comments. I saw the Magna/Verada at the motor show in brisbane in Feb. 2003. It looked good and so I bought it there and then, had my first test drive in it when I took delivery a few weeks later, and i have loved it ever since. :D
After the "new feel" wears off and you get to push the car a bit you realise that the car is very good, holds the road very well and is smooth and reasonably powerfull( now i want more power but thats normal as im used to using all it has). :badgrin:
Too bad about the reputation and resale value of Mitsi's tho. The car now is valued well under what its worth , so i guess i'll have to keep it for awhile(give it some boost i think). :confused:
Under steer is a problem, but only when pushed hard :shock: , but the awd system is bloody good and the brakes are fantastic

How does everyone rate the gearbox? I've found it very strong considering the redline punishment I have given it when in a bad mood.

I'm only bugged sometimes by the reluctance to kick back. I enjoy the 3000rpm band for coming out of corners and roundabouts etc, not the 1500 the box says I need. 3rd gear at 25kmh.

Mine takes off from lights etc in 2nd gear most of the time - hence slower take offs. I know if I gas it more it will kick back.

Driving like a complete pussy I managed to get my fuel down from 11.1/100 to 9.8l/100. Very unsatifying driving experience - like being a passenger in a taxi on the freeway when you're sober. :doubt: You get quickly bored and want to travel at LEAST on the speed limit.

I'm a first time writer on this list. Just joined to add my praise for a vastly underrated car

I've owned a KJ Verada AWD for over a year. One of the ex-hire cars someone wrote about. I purchased it with 33000 on the clock, and I've done 37000km in a year. The car is great. Handling and brakes are exceptional, economy so so but a trade off for the other qualities. City and country driving are a joy. I never get tired of driving the car, not so with my previous AU II Fairmont. I've previously owned a Subaru Liberty and then an Outback and I think this car is better. Certainly more powerful and sporty, and as good a handler. I always feel sorry for Mitsubishi, who build a better product than other local makers, but can't convince the market.

The only sour note is a gearbox whine. The local Mitsubishi dealer looked at it today and the auto will need to be replaced, under warranty thankfully.

Has anyone else had any problems with the transmission?

I always feel sorry for Mitsubishi, who build a better product than other local makers, but can't convince the market.
Not enuf drunk deadsh!ts in their Ads or half naked women maybe?

They had a good Ad for the AWD until some do-gooder (probably a GMH Exec) wrote a sob letter to the Broadcasting watchdog. Nunce.

TJ2 Sports AWD does rawxor !