just got back from driving a red 380 vrx manual. must say i liked it very much, so did the wife. very quiet, plenty of grunt. handles & brakes really nice. aprox. $41k on road. completely different car to drive than my tj. obviously. nothing wrong with tj & its still under new car warranty for 12 more months so why change. see how the 380 fairs and maybe have a look at a later date. did notice some quality issue with interior but u get that with any vehicle. overall impressed.

I have just created this thread and will be merging any new threads on the experience of test driving a 380 here. Please post your first hand experiences with driving a 380 here. We accept that it is an exciting time, but it will be good to keep it to one thread...

...so tell us how it was!

(stickied)

I had the pleasure of taking a 380 VRX Auto for a quick fang on Wednesday at work

had a meresly 4kms when the guy from PD brought it up from straight off the truck, a few of us took it for a spin and gave it back with 14kms on it lol.

I was quite suprised with how well it went for a brand new engine I got the keys at 11kms for my go and thought it wouldn't be keen to rev out, but I was wrong.

handle and brake well, acceleration is great. I just find short people will have trouble seeing out the back, something that caught my eye even though I'm 6ft tall.

I found out how well TCL works as the road was a bit damp when I was out in it.

Be interesting to see how they go sales wise, we have had plenty of interest but no sales yet.

Rob

Wait till people see them on the road (as company cars most likely)... general interest will soon pick up then I am sure. People want to see how they go first... especially with such a radical change.

I also drove the 380 today, white base model... Was pretty nice... Acceleration seemed a little uninspiring when left in Drive, kinda flat and hard to make it jump down a gear or two.. But it was unreal when you popped it over to tiptronic mode.

Pulled up on the side of the highway, threw it into 1st, then got up to 5000-6000rpm in the first few gears heading back onto the highway... And wow... It revved up soo quick and got to 100kph so quick, i was amazed. Great performance in tiptronic mode, but i didn't like the performance when just left as pure auto.

Other Pros:
- Quiet engine, especially when idling... Cabin was almost silent.
- Was demonstated the LCD computer in the GT which looks very cool/useful
- The 3-position memory for seats in the GT was cool also
- Good features, even on the base model (probably better than Falcon XTs or Commodore Execs)

Other Cons:
- Brakes were kinda touchy/felt weird, but I was told they outperform holden/ford by a good car length
- Interior is kinda crappy imo... especially the stereo/air con controls and steering wheel
- Too expensive new, wait 12 months and pick one up for heaps cheaper

My mum has a 2004 (TL i think) magna which I've driven.. And to be honest, there's not really that much difference between that and a 380 in my opinion... performance is stronger in 380, engine is quieter, but that's about it.

And for the price, i can't really justify $35000 for it. Better off waiting 6-12 months and picking up one with 10-20000kms for a lot cheaper.

If you're looking for something to compare the 380 to, in the $30-45k price range, check out some of these:

Holden Lumina: $32,990 (exec with $6000 worth of extras)
Holden SV6: $39,690 (great drivetrain with 5-speed auto with paddles, 190kw 3.6L)
Subaru Liberty 2.5i: $37,490 (proven dynamics, def. worth a test)
Nissan Maxima ST-L: $38,990 (great, smooth, but a little ugly)
Honda Accord Euro Luxury: $40,500 (with leather interior + goodies, 4cyl but)
Ford BF Fairmont (out soon): ~$42,965 (personlly i think the fords are overrated)

The 380 in short: Nice car, but not much different from previous magna, and prolly not worth $$$, especially the more expensive models (i.e. LS/LX/VRX/GT).

base model-ugly but so r xt falc& exec commodore. s/man said vrx & gt will be volume sellers. he also said he wont stock ls/lx. yeah brake did feel soft in the pedal but easily outperformed tj/l/w. very quiet compared 2 tj. same deal while tj is under warranty no need 2 offload. give it 12 months & think 2nd hand 380 will be a bargain. not because of fault of car but people tend to think of mitsy large car as being 2nd rate. bad 4 them good 4 us who know better.

s/man said vrx & gt will be volume sellers. he also said he wont stock ls/lx.

Wow, I wish I had access to the same crystal ball the salesman has.

The 380 will be the biggest volume seller - that's what most of the fleets will pick, and seeing that 7-9/10 sales are fleet sales...

well i remember hearing on the news (dunno if this has been mentioned) when they were first showing the 380 all over the tv, that the SA government has agreed to buy them :) so maybe theyre looking at their pollies driving 380s instead of statesmans?

yep here:
http://www.ministers.sa.gov.au/minister.asp?mId=3&pId=6&sId=5403


13-10-2005
GOVERNMENT TO BUY 500 MITSUBISHI 380s


The State Government has ordered 133 of the new Mitsubishi 380s and expects to have around 500 by June, Premier Mike Rann announced today at the official launch of the Mitsubishi flagship at the Sydney Motor Show.

``This is a proud day not only for Tom Phillips, but for all of the workers at Mitsubishi who have worked so hard to build this new car and have worked so hard to make sure it’s an Australian built car,’’ Mr Rann said.

``The 380 is the future of Mitsubishi and I have no doubt it will be a great success for the company and will guarantee that it will continue to make cars in Adelaide for a long time to come.

``For all of those who fought so hard to keep Mitsubishi in Adelaide this is an historic day.

``And it is a day that the sceptics, those that had tried to bury Mitsubishi, said would never come.
``But under the inspired leadership of Tom Phillips who worked relentlessly day and night to save this company Mitsubishi has emerged as a stronger, more vibrant company that has delivered one of the most eagerly anticipated cars in the State’s history.

``There was also great bi-partisan political support for Tom in his efforts to keep Mitsubishi alive.

``Deputy Premier Kevin Foley and Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane flew to Tokyo on several occasions to meet with Mitsubishi executives and their efforts were also vital in ensuring a future for the company in South Australia.

``The State Government is committed to doing its bit to make the 380 a success.

``As a Government we have already ordered 133 of the 380s and we expect that to grow to about 190 by the end of the month and 500 by June.

Well, my 2c worth....looked at a 380, sat in a 380, couldnt find one single feature that I liked about it....I can imagine it has good power ect., probably really quite an all....but it is just plain UGLY inside and out.........nup, the TJ-KJ range is as far as I go with mitsu...ohh and of course thier Ralliarts!.......you'll never see me owning a 380....very boring interior.....STOP......i lied, I like the colour of the dash lights........it stops there though unfortunately :cry:

probably put this in the wrong thread, but im sure the Mods will move it if yu's dont like it!

Well, my 2c worth....looked at a 380, sat in a 380, couldnt find one single feature that I liked about it....I can imagine it has good power ect., probably really quite an all....but it is just plain UGLY inside and out.........nup, the TJ-KJ range is as far as I go with mitsu...ohh and of course thier Ralliarts!.......you'll never see me owning a 380....very boring interior.....STOP......i lied, I like the colour of the dash lights........it stops there though unfortunately :cry:

probably put this in the wrong thread, but im sure the Mods will move it if yu's dont like it!

You are just going thru the thing we all do, when faced with a new model, of our fave car: You emotionally want to hang on to your TJ, and can't really face moving over to a new car. So you make up reasons, subconciously, to say how you don't like the new car, and want to stay with the old. We all do it.

Plus, you might be like me, and don't have 40 big ones for a VR-X. :D

Plus, you might be like me, and don't have 40 big ones for a VR-X. :D

Yup, I dont have 40k for a new car........the 380 might grow on me........but im not sure....the Magna\Verada models after the TJ/KJ range have never grown on me, i just cant handle the front end....makes me think.....how ugly, as soon as I see one, that hasnt changed.....I just dont like spaced out euro headlights.....the 380 still heads down that path......but they are even bulkier......the paras on my KJ are just sooooo sweet, thats how a front end should look.....if they hadve utiliesed similar lights on the 380, it probly would be much better looking, and I also do not like the design of the tail lights, but most cars are like that now.......is FAR to easy to break them (how the top of the tail lights is designed - there should always be metal at the top to help protect them from knocks when putting stuff in or taking stuff out of the boot.

The centre console reminds me instantly of the BA falcon, very plain.......what a headache it must be if you wanted an aftermarket head unit in it, designed to hinder people who want better than stock sound!!!........andlastly....it must be front wheel drive????...hanvt looked into it.......Mitsu's biggest mistake......Aussies LOVE RWD, would be a much better car......I hate FWD, I just live with it!, but I spose the TCL makes it a bit easier to manage!

Posted from my other thread.

Where to start.

My wife and I arrive at the dealership, we get shown the base model 380, oh yeah baby, then the 380 VRX in Blue :shock: hot stuff mama, I wanna drive that one,,,hehehe.
So we leave the dealership in a gold VRX tiptronic optioned with leather.

My first impression is this thing is built like a tank, so solid in every area.
There is a nice note from the VRX exhuast.
The motor revs freely upto 6grand, the gearbox holds gears.
The motor can be heard up high in the rev range with a real super note.
At idle the car almost has a lumpy cam feel to it, which I thought very cool, although ever so subtle.

Make no mistake about the handling of this car, it will outperform many cars, it does not feel large to drive, infact feels super light.
It is a handling masterpiece, and you really feel you can push it to the limits without loosing it, very sure footed.

Power, oh the power, at first I thought does'nt feel like too much power until you look at the speedo, holy crap, blasting onto the freeway I was doing 130ks without a thought, very nice.
Remember this is the auto!!!
I have a feeling the wheels mag is bending the truth a little in its quarter mile times, it certainly feels much quicker then what they are saying.
One quote from the mag said "after a gentle ease away launch, the 380s manual through gears performance holds its own against the opposition, with 0-100km/h taking 7.3 seconds."
Well how about an aggresive launch from an experienced front wheel driver, then you would be easily under 7seconds to 100.

The brakes, absolutely phenomenal, these have to be experienced, it is just unreal, and the salesman egged me on to try them, so after two stomps on the peddles from 100ks I can assure you they work wonders, and no peddle shudder from ABS.

The seating is very comfy, think of the best leather suite you have sat in at Harvey Norman and you would be getting the idea.

When you start the car it has the most wicked display above the vents, of course it is a blue lcd, and it draws the silouette of the 380 upon startup, you can change this as well.
It tells you everything, from outside temp, to which door is open, and the list just goes on and on.

The steering wheel feels very sporty, as well as the dash, everything lights up in blue leds, ultra cool, especially on the silver background.

On our drive everyone had a good look at the car, it really pulls the looks, one guy in a Ford AU followed us and stopped back at the dealership and he wanted to have a good look over it, was really funny cause his eyes where bulging out of his head.

My first impression of the car is that it will sell well, it looks unreal, goes unreal, handles unreal, and the interior is spot on technical sexy bootylicious!!!

I want one.

Oh and when you get back in your magna, you realise your magna is a big POS. lol

You are just going thru the thing we all do, when faced with a new model, of our fave car: You emotionally want to hang on to your TJ, and can't really face moving over to a new car. So you make up reasons, subconciously, to say how you don't like the new car, and want to stay with the old. We all do it.

Plus, you might be like me, and don't have 40 big ones for a VR-X. :D

probably right, but i cant help but think get over it! So sick of people saying the TJ was the be all and end all of mitsubishi's! The TL may not have looked better then the TJ, but its a considerably better car! And now the 380 has come along, i am quite convinced it is considerably better then the TL, let alone the old TJ

I still think the TJ is a good looker however compared to the TL and 380, I have trouble finding any other area where is it better. Hmmm, the upper model TL's have no digital climate control display like the TE-TJ's. As a result, it's difficult to pick a Verada dash from a ES. They should have kept that or redesigned it. But they have it in the 380 so thats good. Expensive cars definitely need at least one decent digital display. Heck, the BA has a decent one even in the base model.

I am absolutely over these 'startled rabbit' looking headlights which are appearing more and more these days. Some raise back over the front quarter panels so much they are just asking to be smashed in the next hail storm.

However, of all the Magnas my favorite would have to be a KH XI Verada with optitronic instruments. Well look at that it's not even a TJ :D

Had a drive of the base model 380, apart from the fact the sales guy was sitting next to me which put a stop to me really testing the 380 and only drove it for say 3kms (sucked). I was quite impressed at how quite it is and the smooth handling. I however did not like the so called spoiler and the large badges (you'd think they would have learned from the 2003-2005 magnas)

Hi all
I just test drive a 380GT yesterday
have to say front looks good, rear looks rear
The interior is ok, but I don't like all the hard plastic stuff
at almost $50k, I expect more quality.
Engine and handling is really good, the sales guy didn't care what I did :D
Is not a bad job Mitsubishi did to this car, but I think is over priced
The sales told me the base model is close to $40k drive away.

There was a EVO9 park infront of the 380GT
I might go back for a retest :badgrin:

All I can say... IM IN LOVE with the GT, they had a base GT model that I drove (also drove the VRX a while back (search the threads).. and WOW, quiet, smooth, etc.. I had a grin from ear to ear after test driving the car. The only gripe (but I know ill get over it) is the rear lights, didnt like it segmented like that.

I like to say thanks to Lee Trent from Melville Mitsubishi for all his help).

And I might be able to get a couple of 380GT's for the next WA cruise (fingers crossed).

drove the 380 VRX in the Classic Adelaide Rally. Awesome handling, extremely surprised at how well it handled and how responsive it is. The manual is definitelyl the way to go if you can. The LCD screen is awesome, especially the start up little display. Pretty cool.

The auto is a little more sluggish, but still very good and a step up from the TL magna. Very happy with it, but unfortunately we got the pre-release model and we broke the trans. :P I probably had a hard life being a test / press car.

Yes, they can be thrown sideways into corners on tarmac. :P

but like most of you have discovered at $50k..... it's only a tiny little bit off the price of an Evo 9. I think I'd save up just a few more months and go for the Evo anyday. Don't forget, Recaro makes baby seats.

Cheers. lol

I had the pleasure of going to a pre release for the 380 nearly 2 weeks before the official launch and a drive day at eastern creek race track.
we had a v6 Camry, BA falcon, and VY commodore as comparison cars.
We did brake acceleration tests, Slalom tests and a lots of laps around the track.

The 380 out performed, out handled and felt a lot safer than the other cars.

I Would reccomend a 380 to any one looking at a large car thats handles so well!

Oh and when you get back in your magna, you realise your magna is a big POS. lol

Im the opposite mate hehehe

I recently took a 380 VRX Black Manual with Sunroof and Leather loved the car but there was something about it that just didnt make sense to me/ just didnt seem right i dont know exacly what it is but when i got back into my TJ VRX it was ahhh my baby :)

Dont get me wrong tho the car is fantastic but there is just something about the interior look that just doesnt float my boat

Cheers

Heath

there was something about it that just didnt make sense to me/ just didnt seem right i dont know exacly what it is but when i got back into my TJ VRX it was ahhh my baby :)



Was it the height feel of the seating position?? That was one of my dislikes, it just felt like you were sitting really high for mine.

right.. havent driven one, but mum did the other day..

she works for the Australian Maritime College and they have just gotten 3 of them (2 LX's and a GT - which is the big bosses) and she said the LX is nice to drive.. but the most, well, surprising thing she said was that the base models cost them $24,700 plus on roads.. thats fleet price or something.. thats an impressive discount :shock:

I went to my local Mitsubishi dealership today and was looking around the 380s they had there - 1 of each type (base, LS, LX, VRX and GT). A salesguy comes up to me and introduces himself to me and starts giving me a few figures etc about it.. I laughed and said.. yeah don't worry mate.. I already know pretty much all the details on the car... used to have a Magna etc... he goes alright.. was talking to him a bit more about it.. then he asks me.. hey u got time? you can take it for a drive if u want? I was like "no doubt".

I must say it's probably the best car I've driven! I have drive BA Falcons and VY Commodores etc.. and the 380 is head and shoulders above the Falcon or Commodore. the turning circle is MUCH better than than the Magna which is what I hated most about the Magna. The interior on even the base model is VERY nice. It appears and feels to be a much better built car.. and It doesn't seem all plastic fantastic like the BA Falcon looks in my opinion.

The car is silky smooth, and u can hardly even tell when the car is changing gears.. It was sitting on 1500 RPM in 5th gear on the freeway.... It got up to 120km/h with ease.... I also liked the steering wheel and the feel of the steering wheel. It wasn't too light and not too heavy.. just right :)

Looking at the car is one thing.. It looked good.. but I was like meh.. it's only once u drive it that u TRUELY understand / appreciate it. I'm seriously considering getting one as it is much better than the Commodore or Falcon. The only thing that may prevent me from getting one in the future is what the new VE Commodore will be like when it's released in less than 6 months.

So to anyone who hasn't driven the 380 but doesn't think much of it.. my advice is to TAKE IT FOR A DRIVE! It's the only way to know whether or not you like it. I want one! It's leaps and bounds ahead of the TL / TW Magna too. Interior wise / exterior wise / performance wise / handling wise / and the turning circle is MUCH better.

Only thing I disliked about the car was the headroom. My head was touching the roof when i was in the backseat. The front seat was fine though when I was driving it because I just adjusted it.

took one for a spin the other day.. kind of..

now that i work for Mitsubishi (as a car detailer) i drive one of these things nearly every day.. I had to take the dealer principals car (380 GT) and clean it up and yes.. they are a nice car

...but - rear vision out the back of them is something that needs work on.. sure you'd get used to it but becuase their ass is so high, you cant see anyone/thing behind you..

but yeah.. im more in love with the evo 9 in the showroom rather than the numerous 380s that have to get detailed

my next door neighbour picked his gold 380 VRX on saturday (only had delivery klm on it.
lt me have a quick fang around the block so nice and smoooooth and quiet
the guy is 65 years old, and had a TH Verada Xi that he traded in.
he had his verada advertised for $11500 with 98k on the clock and all belts and services done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.. wish i had the $$ to buy it.. what a bargain, no one even looked at it for over 3 weeks, so he traded it. what a shame
anyways, back to the VRX.. the seats are fantastic, the initial startup on the screen is soo cool. and the new car smell... mmmmmmmmm

My mom was looking to buy a new car last month. So she told me to go find one for her.

I drove the 380 more than the others, just because i had never driven one before. Its definatly a nice car, looks great, has plenty of power and has great options as standard. The interiour was nice, roomy and so quiet i couldn't believe it. Great car and I bought the VX instead only because there was a red one with a spoiler and ex demo cheap and I wanted mom to have a flashy car instead of just the safe old taxi look. There is so little between the pick of aussie family cars atm, the only thing to sway someone would be price and if they are a bias towards rwd.

Whats a 380 worth new now days for the sporty model with base engine? The VX was 25,000 :redface: less than 10,000km on it and warrenty to 2011, falcon was a little more but it didn't have a spoiler and they had no red ones :cry: IMHO it goes Falcon>380>Comma but there is so little in it, colour is enough to sway it :)

a VX with less than 10,000 k's? Must have been sitting around not doing much for 4-5 years

I think its a pitty that they stuffed with the original shape as when they went to the long head lights in the last model I feel they really lost the plot !
Plus the new model took so long to come on board and it ended up really like a look alike maxima come magna come 380 ! why mess with some thing thats not broke ! Go figure !
Hey when is the next run ? Nothing in the events calendar for Jan or Feb !!!
Greg
Go hard or go home ! :gtfo:

No offense but why would you buy a VX now? I admit they drive just as good as a VZ but why would you pay $25k for a VX even if had done 10,000km. I mean if it's a V8 you've got a good engine but you'll be forking $$$$ on petrol. And if its a V6, GOOD LUCK!, We had a Vt Calais before we got our Verada and the V6 engine in that gave us problem after problem. Mainly the starter motor, and the radiator. It also seemed very lagging from the time you put your foot on the accelerator to when it actually sped up. You can say your commodore doesn't have this, but everyone I've driven (apart from the alloytec) had this problem. It just doesn't give an instant response; largely to do with the fact that it is an old engine. I mean I know your mum probably doesn't care which car she drives but man, she could've had a much better car then that price.

It also seemed very lagging from the time you put your foot on the accelerator to when it actually sped up. You can say your commodore doesn't have this, but everyone I've driven (apart from the alloytec) had this problem. It just doesn't give an instant response; largely to do with the fact that it is an old engine.

Dude get your facts right. Accelerating response is not "largely to do with the fact it is an old engine". If you have ever driven a VN series 1 Commodore you will realise this.

The gen 3 V8 which you say is a "good engine" is an EXTREMELY old engine.

Besides I think you'll find that he didn't mean a VX Commodore, rather a VZ. They stopped making VX Commodores in 2002.

Besides I think you'll find that he didn't mean a VX Commodore, rather a VZ. They stopped making VX Commodores in 2002.
How do you know what year it is? Did I miss something in his post?

Sorry about the engine comment, I was just speaking from the Commodores we had in the past, being VR - VT. Which all suffered from this problem. They were all V6's, and it was only the GenIII in comparison with the ecotec 3.8 that seemed better.

If he did mean VZ I wouldn't have critisised him as much, but in comparison to the 380 any commodore appears dated (thats why I can't wait for the VE to be released). Though, he didn't state a year I just couldn't see a Holden dealer having a demo model Vx sitting in there car yard for nearly 4 years. I also thought it would be strange for him to state it was a Vx twice in the same reply.

My wife and I drove a 380 and the VRX model last week. Both models had good acceleration, brakes and handling. The VRX had a tighter and I felt better suspension than the base 380 and I enjoyed driving it.

The base 380’s passenger seats gave me a sore butt and my wife (who has a bad back) found the passenger seat too small, felt smaller than the Magna lso typically no lumbar support and didn’t like the drivers seat. The VRX seats were comfortable.
The dealer offered us a good trade in, but not enough to consider getting rid of my TJ Magna. We were offerd a VRX demo with I think 5000Kms, but we didn’t like the colour. We weren’t enticed by the buy now and get 5 years free service as we had our doubts.

We thought about it over the next couple of days and while we could have got one in white we decided against the 380VRX, partly because our TJ magna is very good, though my wife cannot drive it much as the driving position hurts her back. Also our old Ford Fairlane will be cheaper than $40K to fix!

But our specific reasons for rejecting and being disappointed with the 380 (even the VRX) were that the boot is smaller than a Ford Focus, which we also test drove, sure more power in the 380 but also higher fuel consumption. The rear visibility isn’t good, the back seats won’t fold down like every other car, and not sure I liked the design of the central display in the VRX not sure about the size of the front passenger seat in both cars.

We will have to replace our 1990’s Ford Fairlane some day, but because of the small boot in the 380 I’m not sure whether we would consider an ex-fleet one next year. The Ford Focus or a Ford Fairmont may be better value. Teh Ford Focus is teh same width as the 380!

I put my order in for a Electro Blue VR-X with sunroof last weekend.

I've only driven the base 380 thus far, and all the comments about quietness, solidity, performance and handling seem spot on to me. It all translates into a 'tightness' on the road that is very confidence inspiring.

I've had the following as my company cars, so will attempt to do an evaluation against them:
TJ AWD LS 5spd Auto
TJ Sports 5spd Auto
TL Verada Ei 5spd Auto
TL Verada Xi 5spd Auto
Lancer Sportswagon VR-X 4spd Auto

Drove a Yellow VR-X and a base 380..

PHAT AS!

The VR-X definetely had a feeling of slight tighter suspension.. If you want a family sedan that gives you that hint of sports car feel.. Definetely has got that get up n go.. But I like how smooth the base model was.. you can't hear anything else.. but the MP3 CD Player!

All in all.. I really like the car.. I am going out for a lil drive tonight!

SuFz :rant:

I love'em. I work for Europcar and we have both base and VRX!:cool: and I try to get one almost every week (40 bucks well spent). But coz there's no guarantee I sometimes end up with TW Magna or BA Falcon:rant:

Unless you drive hard there's very little difference b/w base and VRX. VRX exhaust is nice tho. That's why I reckon the alleged 190kW RalliArt 380 thats due for release midyear (according to Rob McEniry in Wheels) should go into VRX and GT. Perhaps they can strike a deal with Sprintex to factory fit a supercharger on and boost power to around 230+kW. THEN they can call it Ralliart

And some advise for those looking at getting a used car - DON'T BUY AN EX-RENTAL!!!

And some advise for those looking at getting a used car - DON'T BUY AN EX-RENTAL!!!



Yeh, my sisters have been driving around Victoria in a couple of rentals.:bowrofl: They didn't like them because they were blue :nuts:

I drove a 380 today... sweet ride but i dont think they are an upgrade on the magna. Ill stick to the TF

I had a good long hard look at a 380 the other day.
Did not drive it, but will base my opinions off the looks.
The outside is stunning, absolutely awesome car on the outside, good paint, awesome front end.
Interior - Seats were nice, very similar to magna seats though (bit more comfortable). Not a fan of the steering wheel, though the audio buttons are handy.
Stock stereo sounded nice.
The rear does slope down a lot harsher than the magna, but the seat is angled in a little to combat this. Gearstick had a very nice feel to it and was very well designed (apart from the plastic bit, this was an auto).

The dash is where my main problems lie. No easy option for aftermarket head unit. The actual styling of the dash didn't do much for me, almost looked like they've cut and pasted different designs together, no where near as smooth as the magna dash was. Instrument cluster was quite different, but not too bad (would be good once getting used to).
The knobs for the climate control etc. felt almost too "simple". I'm not sure how to describe it but almost looked like a kids toy.

Engine sounded nice and quiet when started up.

So as i said this is totally based off the looks, but to be honest, looks play a very important part in buying a car. I know i would have seconds thoughts buying a 380 based on the fact that the dash didn't do it for me. Let's be honest, its one of the most things you will constantly see while driving, so you want it to look good.
This is all my opinion, some may say that they found the dash an upgrade.

*EDIT*
Also didn't like the size of the boot, was quite small.

And some advise for those looking at getting a used car - DON'T BUY AN EX-RENTAL!!!

Umm, I'm a bit inexperienced in this, mind if I ask the downsides of buying 1? I'm rather attracted by prices from dealers at $13-15k Dreiveaway ie. incl stamp duty for TL Magnas, mileage 50-100k km. I would've thot they get full stamped dealer service history, incl major service, crucial change of timing belt, etc. at the higher mileages making them a sound buy - ?

Well I can tell you for a fact that none of them get serviced properly nor to they get treated with any deal of respect like a private owner would.

I get frustrated when I plead to have certain cars serviced of which are way overdue (some up to 20000kms overdue!!!:shock: ).

When getting washed the cheapest washing methods are used and at the end of their rental cycle (for most cars btw 40k and 60k kms) their paint looks a little worse for ware. Sure you can polish and buff it out, but it already starts to look a little faded - as in a 5+ year-old car, not after 18 months.

You also have to take into account that every man and his dog would have driven it and who knows how they treated it or what they've done in it.

As much work as possible is put into preparing these vehicles for sale, and at the end of the day if you want a great deal, go for it. But for me I'd rather pay just that little bit extra for a car in the best condition possible condition with low mileage and full history. Look hard though, because there are a select few with full history - and if you find one at a bargain basement price, it's a winner!:)

Going back to the thread topic, I drove a silver 380LS to Adelaide and back on the weekend (family wedding). Twas very nice with leather and whatnot, bloody comfortable as :D. Rest reminder came in handy, as did the ECM (auto dimming mirror) with 99% of vehicles being trucks (drove at night).

If I were in the market for a new car I'd definetly get a 380 (partly because I'm obsessed with the triple diamond). Each variant I would consider, even base model with all the discounting that's hapenning. VRX/GT obviously look better, though LS/LX interior is beautiful, and LS has it's appeal with slightly softer ride on 16"s.

Decisions, decisions...:think: :)

And they're all such nice cars. The 380LS/LX interior is bloody beauftiful (the LX especially, the leather :bowrofl:). My mum wants the LX and that will be her next her (most likely anyway). I want the GT but considering you can get a 380LX for like $35k with under 10,000km on the clock I know what my choice is. Some of which have the parking sensors and bluetooth aswell. And with the money left over I'll go to an auto trimmers specialist and get them to replace all the 'fake' wood in the car with real wood panelling (like a Lexus).

It's my birthday today, i'm only 17 so i only get minor prezzies. Unfortunately no where near enough to get a 380 (my parents gave me $300 and cleared me of my $600 debt I owe for the engineers report for one of my cars). So maybe in 2 years time when you can pick up a decent one for around $20 (base and maybe LS) you'll see me driving in one.

It's my birthday today, i'm only 17 so i only get minor prezzies. Unfortunately no where near enough to get a 380 (my parents gave me $300 and cleared me of my $600 debt I owe for the engineers report for one of my cars). So maybe in 2 years time when you can pick up a decent one for around $20 (base and maybe LS) you'll see me driving in one.

Well happy birthday buddy:thumbsup:

Let's hope we'll all be in a 380 as soon as possible... but lets not forget our, er, bank robbery option...:bowrofl:

Well happy birthday buddy

Let's hope we'll all be in a 380 as soon as possible... but lets not forget our, er, bank robbery option...

Thanx.

Yeah, I'd like the day where every man (or woman) and his/her dog had a 380. As for the bank robbery option, it may be all set to go soon, just some more planning and we'll have enough to put a few 380's in each of our driveways :D

Well happy birthday buddy:thumbsup:

Let's hope we'll all be in a 380 as soon as possible... but lets not forget our, er, bank robbery option...:bowrofl:

What we all need is someone here to win the big ONE in lotto.So we can all have a 380 eachlol

What we all need is someone here to win the big ONE in lotto.So we can all have a 380 eachlol

Yeah I'll have 2 molten red GT's to go thanx!!!lol

Edit: yay, my 50th post!:)

What we all need is someone here to win the big ONE in lotto.So we can all have a 380 each

Hmm... soundz nice. My parents have won Div. 2 once in the mid 90's which was like $60k, half decent money back then. My dad buy's tickets everyweek and sometimes I chip in if he buys a few. Hopefully one day he wins Div 1 as he keeps going on about getting the newer 5 series or the new Passat. And if it happens to be a week that I pay half (or even a full amount for a ticket), then I'll be rolling in it too.

Initially I would spend some $$$$ on giving some ppl prezzies, maybe some ppl off this forum some 380's (maybe give some to particular ppl and have a competition to raise money on here for something). Maybe I'd donate money to MMAL or buy up big in Mitsubishi shares on the Japanese market and demand that they expand the number of models made in Australia so they cover different market segments and become the most Australian brand.

It all just depends on the day when I (and my family) win a decent amount (ie. a few million) comes.

The possibilities are endless :cool:

Hi just joined up to AMC and just thought I would let you know that Melville Mitsubishi in WA has a 380 VRX in Electro for sale that they have lowered and aslo put a bigger spoiler on the boot ( similar to XR6 ) It's also a demo model. Pick up my new VRX (white) tomorrow :D Company car. Have had commodores for the last 10 years, and wanted a change. Never thought about the VRX until I just bought the wife a new Mitsubishi Outlander and saw a VRX on the show room floor. A week later I test drove the Electro one mentioed above. Very nice! Smooth, quiet plenty of power and room and you just seem to get so much more car for your money compared to a Falcon or Commodore. Can't wait!

Hi just joined up to AMC and just thought I would let you know that Melville Mitsubishi in WA has a 380 VRX in Electro for sale that they have lowered and aslo put a bigger spoiler on the boot ( similar to XR6 ) It's also a demo model. Pick up my new VRX (white) tomorrow :D Company car. Have had commodores for the last 10 years, and wanted a change. Never thought about the VRX until I just bought the wife a new Mitsubishi Outlander and saw a VRX on the show room floor. A week later I test drove the Electro one mentioed above. Very nice! Smooth, quiet plenty of power and room and you just seem to get so much more car for your money compared to a Falcon or Commodore. Can't wait!
Word. Nice score man. I'm sure you'll be very pleased with the VRX as a welcomed change to the Commodores. Enjoy the ride!

my daddy brought a VR-X manual one home ands i got to drive it. it did gd burnouts (stunk out the car) goes very fast but feels very big compaired to my TS and has bad blind spots overall 6.5 / 10

Just drove a Manual VRX 380.. Only had 65kms on it.. brand newie.. Cant believe my mate chucked the keys to me and said go for it. He hasnt even owned it 24hours yet! :)


Gearbox feels smoother than the TJ..
Feels nice on the road (not as harsh as the ralliart) ....

Wish they put an LSD in them though.. Put it into a corner and chucked it back to 2nd and the inside wheel lite up (same thing my TJ Sports used to do to me).. I dont get that problem in the Ralliart with the LSD... Doesn't feel quite as quick as the Ralliart BUT everything is probably still very tight and i didnt really like the idea of floggy the **** outa this guys brand new car...

Overall very nice car.. I'd personally chuck 20s on it and slam it but my mate is happy with it that way it is...

Hey all i drove a 380 the other day... i must say... its nice ride... and ive never driven a 5 speed before but it was really smooth and i liked heaps!!!
Take off power seemed high aswell... i much prefered the 380 then my parents BA XR6!!!

my daddy brought a VR-X manual one home ands i got to drive it. it did gd burnouts (stunk out the car) goes very fast but feels very big compaired to my TS and has bad blind spots overall 6.5 / 10
And this is a perfect example why i DO NOT buy ex-demo vehicles :).

And this is a perfect example why i DO NOT buy ex-demo vehicles :).

:stoopid:

and if you saw what actually happens with some of the so called "brand new" vehicles at dealerships then you'd think twice about buying a brand new car aswell..

and if you saw what actually happens with some of the so called "brand new" vehicles at dealerships then you'd think twice about buying a brand new car aswell..

As I don't know what may exactly happen with some brand-new vehicles at dealer ships I hope its not at Mitsu ones.

Just out of interest did you see that story on Today Tonight about the woman who bought a Camry and it was just a vehicle they had supposedly been repaired but she bought,ordered and waited for a brand new car. They got it tested and she was 100% right as well and she wants Toyota to give her a new one and the dealership is refusing.

Have been driving one of the first 380 base models as a co. car for a while now, it has just under 20k on it and it's due for a set of front tyres already which I think is a little poor.

Other than that, car has been excellent. Nice light drive, fairly quick in all areas, good brakes, good to tow with.

A VY Commodore seems like a lead box now when I have to drive one again.

Only thing I have had an issue with (rather than a problem) is the boot opening (too small) and the fact that the back of the back seat does not fold down, there is just a small ski-port hole. This means that it is very restrictive when wanting to put large or long things in the car.

Test drove a 380 VRX on the day that Mitsubishi announced the series 2. Funny, I was looking at the GT but they didn't have one on the lot to test drive so took out the VRX. Was very impressed and convinced myself that I didn't need the leather and other GT bits. Logged on to the web site later that day to find they had released the series 2 and upgraded the VRX. Side by side comparison couldn't justify the extra expense of the GT for very little extra. They also took out the sun roof on the GT and listed it as an accessory.

So, I started a new job and picked the VRX as my company car. Got the Electro coloured VRX with sun roof (free as it turned out), bluetooth (went for a better, non factory option made by the same OEM as the Mitsu option with voice recognition that works the same as the factory version with the LCD display and radio), towpack, mud flaps, mats and not much else. Will post pics in the RIDE section though I posted boot strut/hinge pics in another thread already. Been driving Mitsubishi cars for years. The last three cars have all been new Veradas and I didn't even think of going to another manufacturer. Last year I just hoped they didn't add the grille of the US Galant which I had driven as a rental on a business trip the year it was first released in that shape.

I'm very happy with the car so far and can recommend it to anyone considering this model...

Zarbs

Well Done.

What was the biggest difference coming from the Verada?

Just drove a Manual VRX 380.. Only had 65kms on it.. brand newie.. Cant believe my mate chucked the keys to me and said go for it. He hasnt even owned it 24hours yet! :)


Doesn't feel quite as quick as the Ralliart BUT everything is probably still very tight and i didnt really like the idea of floggy the **** outa this guys brand new car...

..

These engines are really tight and mine still feels "doughy" in the top end 4000-5000rpm after 1500km. It also has very little torque around town which is not what I remembered from driving another demo VRX and base 380.
I was talking with a Mitsi Parts guy today who has the SX. He said after the first service his was much, much better.
I am beginning to suspect there is a running-in mode that limits torque (if you read up on this model the engine management for speed limiting and TCL works on limiting torque) and is reset to normal at the first service.
I'll soon find out because mine is going in for the first service on Thursday.

What was the biggest difference coming from the Verada?

The physical dimensions. I find the only issue with the 380 is the rear end observation. I actual backed into a car behind me because I couldn't see it. I'm now much more diligent than I ever had to be in the Verada's.

On your torque post - I have found that my VRX (now at 4100 Kms) is very quick off the mark when compared to the Verada. I must admit that I did not take much note prior to the first service. It certainly jumps away from the dead stop now.

Yeah, ur right.
I get embarrassed coz I still can't park it properly when reversing in at work. I have to use the mirrors to line up.

You're right about off the line; it's very quick, even mine. I particularly like the sound of the auto quick changing under hard throttle.

I'm used to the Verada's torque but my KE 4 speed is no match for the VRX. Pulling up the Gateway bridge today in my old car next to a 380ES and it just powered away. I had to smile.

I get embarrassed coz I still can't park it properly when reversing in at work.

I have a perfect drive up and park spot (with a pillar on the left side for those who don't care for their rides or those of others) in the company parking garage to get around this. Just have to get to work early enough to get dibs on it every day...

Zarbs

I rented a 380 SX whan i was holidaying in Tassie the other week and i loved it! The steering is a big improvement over the TF i have and the engine feels strong even though the car put on weight. The ride and handling are spot on and the brakes were great.

It was the 5 speed auto and for an auto box it was ok apart from the hunting when you had the cruise set and you encountered a hill... To fix that all you do it tip the lever over to manual and lock 5th in and that cured the constant kicking down. The engine has the torque to sustain 5th but i felt it was too sensitive to kicking down. The only other gripe was the air vents not being able to be shut off and the boot is way smaller than my TF!

drove a manual vrx yesterday, darn those things need a decent zorst!! couldnt hear the bugger. didnt feel as quick as the sports but man felt like it was built like a tank!! and no touque steer at all!!! felt like it would handle another 50kw no worries at all. loved the handling. will prob get one when the lease runs out on the magna.......hmmm ralliart 380:drool:

im not a fan of then plus my th exec munched a vrx

I just had a 380 ES while over in NZ(9000kms on the clock), did just on 3000kms in 3 weeks in all sorts of weather. Brakes are excellent, they looked like they were 300mm rotors up front. Handling was very good, although the car wasn't a real fan of the really tight and twisty stuff - may be more suited to a sports model like VRX. Acceleration was very good too, TCL seemed a bit dodgy though, passing in the wet had the wheels spinning at 100 kms an hour. Felt a little torque steer in the dry but all in all a very impressive car. The looks seemed to grow on me too, the cars colour was silver which may have helped in that dept.

Hired a VE Omega (10,000kms on the clock)for the 300km trip back home to Canberra. VE seemed slow and gutless - engine made all the right noises though. VE has a bit bigger boot but space wise the cars are fairly similar for load carrying. People space in the VE is slightly bigger and it did feel very roomy. The ride in the Omega model was not up to what I quite expected from the latest 'fantastic' commodore, wallowing a bitmaybe I just got a bit spoiled in the 380.
Steering had good straight ahead feel, but seemed a little too keen in the initial turn into corners meaning you had to re-adjust the cars line a little more than you expected. Still a nice looking car but only better than the 380 in the space dept and only slightly at that.

Only had a short drive in the VE but I definitely would not buy a Omega over a 380 thats for sure, maybe the SV models are better - they would have to be to beat the 380.

I drive a 380GT as my company car, Its great on fuel, comfortable
but i still like my KJ II Wagon.

Hi all, i just brought a 380 VRX auto. Awesome car i love the handling and the power it has. I upgraded from a 1991 laser so it is a big step up for me. My 380 has leather seats and sunroof and is electro blue in colour. Just one question has anyone upgraded the speakers in the 380. i have the premuim audio system but noticed that the rear speakers are only rated to 15watts. Also my front LHS speaker also crackles so i was wondering if anyone has replaced the speakers with another brand and used the same headunit. If so what does it sound like? Thanks everyone.