I want to replace my trusty old V6 TS Advance and need advice on third gen Magnas and Veradas. They all look OK and therefore appearance is not a major factor, as each has it's pros and cons. Firstly which are the more reliable cars (the auto tranny is first consideration, engine and other components are also important). Are all the engines equally reliable and are they all made in Australia? Do any Magnas have Climate Control and how reliable is Mitsubishi Climate Control (I don't want a lot of problems). How does fuel consumption of 3 litre and 3.5 compare?

As in the past I will be looking for a car that has done less than 100 000km. Bought my TS at 85000km and have taken it to 250 000km without drama. I have personally done all the repairs and maintenance on it. It is still going very well and now is probably the time to look at replacing it and anyway I deserve a new and better ride.

Hear all kinds of stories about certain series 3rd gen Magnas and Veradas having more problems than other series.

I am considering a Manual (better fuel consumption, fun when not stuck in Sydney traffic and probably need less maintenance than Auto tranny.........hear stories about series 3 auto trannies lasting only 150000km before major work is needed)

Are all Verada auto? Is there a Manual Magna/ Verada with Climate Control.

Are there any paints/colours to steer clear of (other than fading prob with red)?

I would love to have a factory fitted sun roof. I had a non-factory one some time ago and enjoyed it).

What is the quality of Verada leather? and is it easy to look after?

Is four wheel drive heavy on fuel and is it expensive to maintain? Is it sluggish compared to FWD versions (extra weight).

Does anyone own the Verada type AWD/Sport (don't know what it's called)

I look forward to your comments (who will know better than you who have experience of the 3rd genners). Thanx in advance guys.

I want to replace my trusty old V6 TS Advance and need advice on third gen Magnas and Veradas. They all look OK and therefore appearance is not a major factor, as each has it's pros and cons. Firstly which are the more reliable cars (the auto tranny is first consideration, engine and other components are also important). Are all the engines equally reliable and are they all made in Australia? Do any Magnas have Climate Control and how reliable is Mitsubishi Climate Control (I don't want a lot of problems). How does fuel consumption of 3 litre and 3.5 compare?

As in the past I will be looking for a car that has done less than 100 000km. Bought my TS at 85000km and have taken it to 250 000km without drama. I have personally done all the repairs and maintenance on it. It is still going very well and now is probably the time to look at replacing it and anyway I deserve a new and better ride.

Hear all kinds of stories about certain series 3rd gen Magnas and Veradas having more problems than other series.

I am considering a Manual (better fuel consumption, fun when not stuck in Sydney traffic and probably need less maintenance than Auto tranny.........hear stories about series 3 auto trannies lasting only 150000km before major work is needed)

Are all Verada auto? Is there a Manual Magna/ Verada with Climate Control.

Are there any paints/colours to steer clear of (other than fading prob with red)?

I would love to have a factory fitted sun roof. I had a non-factory one some time ago and enjoyed it).

What is the quality of Verada leather? and is it easy to look after?

Is four wheel drive heavy on fuel and is it expensive to maintain? Is it sluggish compared to FWD versions (extra weight).

Does anyone own the Verada type AWD/Sport (don't know what it's called)

I look forward to your comments (who will know better than you who have experience of the 3rd genners). Thanx in advance guys.
The Verada GTVi AWD does not feel that much heavier when cornering but I guess thats to do
with AWD. Take off in the dry is slightly slower than a FWD GTVi (which weighs 100kgs less). In
the wet, the AWD wins hands down. Fuel economy wise, it really depends on how you drive.
When I first got it, I drove it with aheavy right foot and got 14.8l/100km in city/suburban traffic. 3
weeks ago, I decided to change my driving style and drove somewhat sedately with the
occasional heavy takeoff and got 12.5k/100km through the same route. Mind you, this was done
with 2 adults on board most of the and 1/10th of the trip with a 2 year old which means the baby
seat is always in the car as well. Haven't taken it out on the highway yet so don't know how
much it'll drink then.

The leather in the GTVi and GTVi AWD are the black perforated leather. Nice and cool in the
summer heat. I just use Mothers leather conditioner on it once in a while.

I've only had one paid service (7500km) and it was $260 from memory I think.

The series L and W magna and veradas also have way more safety features. A more rigid shell,
better on centre feel in the steering. Four airbags. Mine also has seatbelt pretensioners, ABS
with EBD and anti-submarining rear seats that drop the cushion during a frontal collision.

Try and Get a TJ VR-X series 2 2002 model. You get the best balance of everything...good equipment (climate control etc) good reliable motor with extra herbs, and the sporty side of things that come with the VR-X I used to drive manuals but this one is the 5 speed tiptronic and i must say that its awkward at the start in the tippy mode but once you get used to it its a blast. Fuel consumption is around 10-11.5l/100 with 50/50 suburb/hwy driving.
This may seem a bias choice but in the end you get a great looking magna that caters for a wide range of uses sport/luxo/touring/plodding around etc....
In the end its your choice ...it think most Third gens have very good reliability as long as you know the histroy of the car.........have fun deciding!!!

The AWD Verada & sports are 2 different specifications: Magna AWD Sports enjoy a few kW over the Verada AWD due to a better (read louder) factory exhaust and doesn't come with leather and wood panel, sun roof...etc.

the AWDs are your typical family magna which handles better around corners and in the wet but you'll pay for it with higher fuel consuption. There's a lot of weight in front so steering & cornering isn't as linear as one would hope. Good Raliart brakes & good grip.

to your questions:
1. Climate control - no probs with mine, however i've read that pulleys can cause annoying rattle and advise sought for problems with the a/c with enough frequency in here to be concerned.

2. Paint - i believe all modern cars should have their paint systems & colours done right in this day and age to ensure there's no fading or other problems of the like. However, my AWD factory fitted skirts are a shade different to the rest of the car - oh well.:cry:

3. Leather - good as any I know.

4. sluggish - yes. To be fair, i'm comparing: AWD, having 2X weight, 2.5X power & up to 4X grip of my featherweight mx-5. AWD's very sluggish & does not take corners as well. AWD @ 11.7l/100km under sedate mode still consumes approx 2X fuel mx-5. Guess which car gets more road time.

If you're into the market for a car, please let me encourage you to not to limit your choice to one brand/type in order to gain the most value for your money

i personally reckon the best value for money third gen magna you can currently buy is a TL or TW VR model with a manual. Performance as good as anything else (except a ralliart), heaps of standard equipment, its a TL so its much more refined then a TJ or prior models and the price of a second hand one is quite good. Thats what i would buy, but it really comes down to driving a good variety of different models and finding out what you like best

AVOID AT ALL COSTS the 3L V6 4sp AUTO

this gearbox is prone to failure after about 100,000kms

The AWD Verada & sports are 2 different specifications: Magna AWD Sports enjoy a few kW over the Verada AWD due to a better (read louder) factory exhaust and doesn't come with leather and wood panel, sun roof...etc.

the AWDs are your typical family magna which handles better around corners and in the wet but you'll pay for it with higher fuel consuption. There's a lot of weight in front so steering & cornering isn't as linear as one would hope. Good Raliart brakes & good grip.

to your questions:
1. Climate control - no probs with mine, however i've read that pulleys can cause annoying rattle and advise sought for problems with the a/c with enough frequency in here to be concerned.

2. Paint - i believe all modern cars should have their paint systems & colours done right in this day and age to ensure there's no fading or other problems of the like. However, my AWD factory fitted skirts are a shade different to the rest of the car - oh well.:cry:

3. Leather - good as any I know.

4. sluggish - yes. To be fair, i'm comparing: AWD, having 2X weight, 2.5X power & up to 4X grip of my featherweight mx-5. AWD's very sluggish & does not take corners as well. AWD @ 11.7l/100km under sedate mode still consumes approx 2X fuel mx-5. Guess which car gets more road time.

If you're into the market for a car, please let me encourage you to not to limit your choice to one brand/type in order to gain the most value for your money
The KJ Verada AWD and KL Verada AWD had the standard engine but mines the GTVi AWD
which has the VRX engine. Mine takes corners nicely. You just have to adjust to how an AWD
vehicle takes a corner.

Also has 2.5x the space. Its not a sports car no matter how hard I try to tell myself differentely. Im happy with mine though. After doing my suspension and changing to lower profile tyres it has made the world of difference. The extra grip is great and the lack of torque steer brilliant, its definitely not sluggish off the mark. Off the mark its quicker than most cars its only once you get to 50-60km its not as fast as other magnas(still not by much). There is a vast difference in steering feel between TJ to TL. Verada leather (black perforated in mine) is quite good, its not a soft nappa leather but it seems to be wearing well, also perforated is much cooler. AS for fuel they can consume a fair bit in heavy city traffic but are fine on the open road. Good car all in all.


The AWD Verada & sports are 2 different specifications: Magna AWD Sports enjoy a few kW over the Verada AWD due to a better (read louder) factory exhaust and doesn't come with leather and wood panel, sun roof...etc.

the AWDs are your typical family magna which handles better around corners and in the wet but you'll pay for it with higher fuel consuption. There's a lot of weight in front so steering & cornering isn't as linear as one would hope. Good Raliart brakes & good grip.

to your questions:
1. Climate control - no probs with mine, however i've read that pulleys can cause annoying rattle and advise sought for problems with the a/c with enough frequency in here to be concerned.

2. Paint - i believe all modern cars should have their paint systems & colours done right in this day and age to ensure there's no fading or other problems of the like. However, my AWD factory fitted skirts are a shade different to the rest of the car - oh well.:cry:

3. Leather - good as any I know.

4. sluggish - yes. To be fair, i'm comparing: AWD, having 2X weight, 2.5X power & up to 4X grip of my featherweight mx-5. AWD's very sluggish & does not take corners as well. AWD @ 11.7l/100km under sedate mode still consumes approx 2X fuel mx-5. Guess which car gets more road time.

If you're into the market for a car, please let me encourage you to not to limit your choice to one brand/type in order to gain the most value for your money

The KJ Verada AWD and KL Verada AWD had the standard engine but mines the GTVi AWD
which has the VRX engine. Mine takes corners nicely. You just have to adjust to how an AWD
vehicle takes a corner.
Re AWD and cornering: I believe you're right. To me AWD body roll and little steering feedback does not inspire confidence at first. Again just my opinion as I don't drive my cars to their limits to be an authority on the difference. Clearly the mx-5 and the AWD will be on opposite sites of any comparison scale, where depending on criteria, one will be made of it and the other isn't.

Definitely prefers to be in the AWD when raining & going into town, but for sheer driving pleasure will little chance being stationary in traffic with a clear view up a Hilux bum in front and a Falcon/commy/magna door handle on the side it'll have to be the MX-5. :)