Motor Manuel Winter special 1985:
If it seems that this comparison has been heading towards an inevitable conclusion, you're right. At the end of the day, our testers were unanimous in agreement that the Mange is a bright new light in the family car class. It makes the Falcon and Commodore look positively old hat. In just about every area of consideration the Magna either does it as well or better than the establishment - and doe sit with a sense of responsibility related to the fact that this is an efficient motorcar that uses less fuel to do it.

The Magna has two strengths that loom large when you compare it to other attempts at breaking into the Australian Volume market. One: the concept which could be described as bold and even reasonable innovative was Australian and two: the final development work was under taken by people who know better than anybody else how to take a theme and make it work reliably and effectively... The Japanese.

It could even be said the Sigma put in a lot of ground work providing a solid foundation for the Magna. It introduced the 2.6 astron engine and developed a Mitsubishi awareness in the minds of the Australian motorist taht may not have been there otherwise.

Only two question marks remain for the Magna: whether it be able to compete with the basic-technology requirements of the boat-trailer or caravan towing markets(where the lose of leaf springs on the falcon was seen as a backward step) and how it will cope after continuous pounding for two years or so in the back-blocks. Mitsubishi has put in considerable development time in the latter area, so we can only assume the car will be up to scratch. But we wont really know until it's proven itself in the field.

Right now, the new Magna looks more than good. It will be interesting to observe the companies status on the Australian roads in 12 months time.


Accommodation.
In the back seat, we spent a lot of time climbing from one to the other before coming to the conclusion that Magna and Falcon were marginally ahead of Commodore. The Ford because it had the most deeply sprung and the most broad beamed, the Magna because not only was it wider that the Commodore it was also better in terms of foot room thanks to the minimal intrusion of the central tunnel.


Performance:

Ford XF Fairmont (carb)4.1 ltr 3 speed auto:

Top Speed: 174

400 metres: 17.1

Commodore VK (carb)3.3ltr 3 speed auto

Top Speed: 170

400 metres: 18.4

Magna TM 2.6 (carb) 4 speed auto

Top Speed: 180

400 metres: 18.0

out of those three, i'd still pick the magna...

i dunno about the falcons, but i have driven a few commodore of that age... and well, there is jsut something special about the magna. i do think mistu was more concerned about comfort than reliability... as we all know that gen1 magnas have a few little problems :)

just alone, the automatics (while these days are a little bit tempremental) would have been cutting edge technology in 85... 3 speed electronically controlled with overdrive... they are very nice transmissions, except once again... comfort i think was preference to reliabilty...

also, magnas only came in all wheel disc brakes, macpherson struts... etc... magna for teh win... only let down, the whole front wheel drive buiso and the damn turning circle :doubt:

but looking from a car manufacturers point of view: they build the cars to be comfortable so people buy them, once they get out of warranty period, they hope that you upgrade to the next model... they dont design the cars to last forever... if they did, then no-one would buy their new cars.

and that's my 2.6 cents (hahahah geddit?? 2.6? :bowrofl::bowrofl:)

and that's my 2.6 cents (hahahah geddit?? 2.6? :bowrofl::bowrofl:)

Oh dear this man needs help.

I hope the snippets from the old Magazines are pleasing for everyone, I can't figure out the frigging scanner just yet so snippets are about all I can post. I remember there is one test that includes the High Roof Sigma wagon in a comparison, hopefully I'll stumble on it soon.

VK looks better out of all the three though, especially a VK Director :)

and the damn turning circle


Funny that, there was a victoria amc meet the other night at a shopping center car-park, and we all had to turn hard to get around without hitting the parked cars (after the entrance, turning into the left small mini turn thing - for those who came on the meet).. 2 3rd gen magnas had to reverse, the commodore (cittris) being RWD got around easy, and my 1st gen got around just as easy almost. So I don't understand, as mums 2nd gen turning circle is worse than my 1st gen too.

So I don't understand, as mums 2nd gen turning circle is worse than my 1st gen too.

Yep 2nd gens have the worst turning circle of any Magna made. Hence why I no longer have mine :D Oh yeah, and the fact that they were still producing carby 4 cylinders in 1996 on the GLX model :shock:

Having said that, of the three cars there, the Magna is probably the best. Soon after though (the following year), the VL Turbo came out :P

yeah the vl commodore 6cyl was dynamite even without the turbo :cool:
only because it was powered by a jap engine :D

oh and i still give my mate **** that his vh commodore is less australian than my magna
because those early commodore's were designed by the german manufacturer opel then built in aus and tweaked to the conditions. whereas the magna was designed and built here : P

its his fault for calling my car "the rice mobile" and "the fagna"