Hey guys.
I'm looking to get a Magna 2002 model (TJ, i think) as a first car. I'm almost 18 and have seen a decent one at a local dealership. Our family has always had the newest and the "best" (dad's wank factor, mostly). we have an FG falcon and had a VE Calais before that.

Now I've been thinking a Magna to be the way to go. I do have a few questions though:

Does the tiptronic function the same way as Holdens and Fords? That is, if you push it over to the left and dont tap it, does it go into a sports mode, and delay gear shifts? or does it have no affect and simply change gears when you tap up or down.
Once the gear is changed using tiptronic, will it stay in that gear? if I stop at the lights, tap it over, push it to the (-) side and accelerate, will it stay in first until i change it? or will it change.
What are some other differences between this and a Commodore or a Falcon? I'm aware it doesn't have any gimmicks that new cars have such as an instrument cluster command screen and all that, but what are some differences that may make or break me getting this car.


Cheers for the help guys. I actually do prefer this car. Not too girly, and by the sounds of it still has a decent amount of grunt. Not saying I'm a hoon, but can make a bit of noise on the highway if I want too :happy:

Hey guys.
I'm looking to get a Magna 2002 model (TJ, i think) as a first car. I'm almost 18 and have seen a decent one at a local dealership. Our family has always had the newest and the "best" (dad's wank factor, mostly). we have an FG falcon and had a VE Calais before that.

Now I've been thinking a Magna to be the way to go. I do have a few questions though:

Does the tiptronic function the same way as Holdens and Fords? That is, if you push it over to the left and dont tap it, does it go into a sports mode, and delay gear shifts? or does it have no affect and simply change gears when you tap up or down.
Once the gear is changed using tiptronic, will it stay in that gear? if I stop at the lights, tap it over, push it to the (-) side and accelerate, will it stay in first until i change it? or will it change.
What are some other differences between this and a Commodore or a Falcon? I'm aware it doesn't have any gimmicks that new cars have such as an instrument cluster command screen and all that, but what are some differences that may make or break me getting this car.


Cheers for the help guys. I actually do prefer this car. Not too girly, and by the sounds of it still has a decent amount of grunt. Not saying I'm a hoon, but can make a bit of noise on the highway if I want too :happy:

Exact same position i was in last year, The magna is great so much car for less price then a falcodore.
The tippy is pretty good, as far as i know it holds the gear all the way to the limiter however it wont let you go into any gear but 1st for a takeoff and you have to be doing over 50km/h to go into 5th.

If this is the way you want to go i reccomend an 02 TJ VRX, seem to be the best value for money and they look insane.

Exact same position i was in last year, The magna is great so much car for less price then a falcodore.
The tippy is pretty good, as far as i know it holds the gear all the way to the limiter however it wont let you go into any gear but 1st for a takeoff and you have to be doing over 50km/h to go into 5th.

If this is the way you want to go i reccomend an 02 TJ VRX, seem to be the best value for money and they look insane.

Sweet cheers. Yeah, the Falcon doesnt let you launch in anything but 1st or 2nd, and it locks out 5th until about 50k's, 6th is about 90k's.

I was looking at the VRX, I'd get one but haven't seen any locally yet. I'm currently writing up a list of things I need to check for in the car. Me and mum asked the usuals, RWC and all that. but more comfort features etc. I think it had A/C, assuming thats the little snowflake button? haha. And the power windows, the one thing i didnt check.

I had an 02 tj vrx it was a series 2. It had climate control and power windows, some even have a sunroof. Seriously i was so happy with the comfort of it. Only upgrade to it really is a Ralliart but the price is a bit more and the bodykit isn't as nice.

Does the tiptronic function the same way as Holdens and Fords? That is, if you push it over to the left and dont tap it, does it go into a sports mode, and delay gear shifts? or does it have no affect and simply change gears when you tap up or down.
There's no 'Sports' mode on the Magna tiptronic. Putting it sideways into tiptronic will lock it into whatever gear it was just in.

The tiptronic is also the reverse of what is used on Falcons and Commodores.


Once the gear is changed using tiptronic, will it stay in that gear? if I stop at the lights, tap it over, push it to the (-) side and accelerate, will it stay in first until i change it? or will it change.
Tiptronic holds gears.


What are some other differences between this and a Commodore or a Falcon? I'm aware it doesn't have any gimmicks that new cars have such as an instrument cluster command screen and all that, but what are some differences that may make or break me getting this car.
A TJ is a 10 year old car so you can't expect it to have all the flashy gadgets that the newer cars have. Apart from that though, they're still a good buy.

To give you an idea, I have a TJ VR-X... my mum drives a VE SS, dad drives a FPV F6X. They're both bloody nice cars (I get to drive them pretty regularly too), but I have no dramas hopping back into my Magna. Yeah the Magna isn't quite as quick in a straight line, and lacks some of the flashiness of the other two... but I still really enjoy driving it :happy:

Biggest things you'll notice is that the Magna has an appalling turning circle, and the steering will feel quite vague (especially compared to the VE).

Biggest things you'll notice is that the Magna has an appalling turning circle, and the steering will feel quite vague (especially compared to the VE).

How much difference is the turning circle? enough to make parking a challenge? and when you say the steering feels vague, what do you mean, like turning the wheel requires more turns?

There is a noticeable difference in the turning circle but shouldn't be enough to sway you off of it.

The steering feels lighter but no, does not require more turns.

A Magna is a fair size car so it was never going to be easy to park lol Having said that, I do find the VE easier to park because of the better turning circle. The Magna certainly isn't impossible to park, but you will need to be prepared for the occasional 3 pointer.

The steering feel is quite light in the Magnas. If you turn the steering wheel on a VE, there's a good weight to it - there's nearly nothing on the Magna.

Neither is substantial enough an issue to put you off purchasing the car - they're just the biggest differences (aside from the bleeding obvious) that I can think of.

I test drove a 2000 TJ Wagon first - steering felt horrible - point it straight ahead and you had to turn the wheel a 1/4 turn before the thing changed direction.
Then I found out about AWD versions and the first one of those I drove was awesome and I bought it (2003 model). Steering is much much better, although turning circle is still horrible.
I used to be good at parking, but now taking 3 attempts to get into a spot is pretty common for me.

Tiptronic will hold the gear you tell it to be in when you accelerate, even bouncing off the rev limiter.
It will downshift automatically as you slow down though - this I find annoying as I sometimes don't know what gear it's in.
You can move off in 1st or 2nd, you can shift to 3rd almost straight away (over 15kph at a guess) it's about 45kph before I can select 5th gear.

My AWD is slower than most FWD Magnas, but even still most other cars on the road are much slower than me accelerating normally and upshifting at the lowest rpm possible - pickup and acceleration at low rpm is actually quite nice.

My TJ II AWD has climate control, power windows, power antenna, electric mirrors. I upgraded the stereo with DVD, bluetooth, sub and hopefully soon navigation, and all up I am very comfortable with the car and features.

Happy shopping and keep your eyes open as I constantly see bargains available on Magnas. IMO they have the be one of the best bang for buck cars available.

From the TL up the steering is much 'heavier' which gives the impression it's tighter. Much nicer to drive!

I think the TJ Ralliarts also got that upgraded steering rack.

Tiptronic is great, holds gears up to redline, although when you stop at the lights, it will eventually select 1st for you

I figured I'd weigh in, as about 2 weeks ago, I was in your exact position, Judd (I'm even in VIC, too).

I have been looking for a new car for about 6 months now, my current car refuses to die, but I know it's about to and I'd rather get a new one before it kills itself.

I've been through Skylines, BMW E46s, Integras, Falcodores and just about every other popular "kids" car. The other guys are right, the biggest difference you'll immediately notice when driving a Magna, is that the steering is very light. Something I really like about Magnas (except the Ralliart), they're quite subtle, they don't look "boring", but aren't screaming "I WANT ATTENTION", unlike a lot of Falcodores. Get a VR-X for super-awesomeness, the bodykit looks amazing on them.

Long story short, I should be picking up my KH Verada Xi soon. :D

Oh yeah, if you prefer a bit more "class", have a look at the Veradas, I fell in love with the one I found. Low Ks (150k), "Xi" model (all the extras as standard), $5000. Through a dealer, too. I got them to pay for the RACV inspection and fix up a couple things.

Off-Topic: You're from Vic, where abouts? I'm in North-West Metro (Sydenham).

I was in same situation, the magna are diff, you don't see as many on roads, i went from have 4 commodores to a TJ VRX and i am pretty happy with it, pillar less window frames, has a sunroof, nice comfy and easy to find interior, i went the VRX cos the package with the wheels and the kit is already done, no need to spend $$ on wheels and extra's, it has everything i need.

be mindful on the auto tranmissions and check for a history, also drive the car when its cold if possible, i just had to do an auto in mine at 200k...but other then that its a great car, great power and styling with plenty of room for more, good stereo options too in these cars.


hope that helps.

I'm receiving mixed signals about the steering: some are saying it feels light and some saying it feels heavy and solid? We currently have both the FG falcon and a new-ish Hilux. The FG is really stiff when turning, and when you release it while the car is turning in a circle, it will continue travelling in that circle while slowly returning. Versus the Hilux, which the wheel turns easily. although i guess that might have something to do with it requiring 3 times the turning rotations.


I figured I'd weigh in, as about 2 weeks ago, I was in your exact position, Judd (I'm even in VIC, too).

I have been looking for a new car for about 6 months now, my current car refuses to die, but I know it's about to and I'd rather get a new one before it kills itself.

I've been through Skylines, BMW E46s, Integras, Falcodores and just about every other popular "kids" car. The other guys are right, the biggest difference you'll immediately notice when driving a Magna, is that the steering is very light. Something I really like about Magnas (except the Ralliart), they're quite subtle, they don't look "boring", but aren't screaming "I WANT ATTENTION", unlike a lot of Falcodores. Get a VR-X for super-awesomeness, the bodykit looks amazing on them.

Long story short, I should be picking up my KH Verada Xi soon. :D

Oh yeah, if you prefer a bit more "class", have a look at the Veradas, I fell in love with the one I found. Low Ks (150k), "Xi" model (all the extras as standard), $5000. Through a dealer, too. I got them to pay for the RACV inspection and fix up a couple things.

Off-Topic: You're from Vic, where abouts? I'm in North-West Metro (Sydenham).

Haha, I'm in Shepparton, about 200km north of Melbourne. Unfortunantly there's bugger-all cars to look at out here. If I want to see a car, I have to look at whats on the road, the very limited range in car yards, drive 100km to Bendigo and look there, or go to Melbourne :\ That's why its heaps easier to find out as much as possible online etc.

Come to magna meet and ill be haply to let you test drive my car. That is if you can wait 2 weeks

I was about to suggest that too HaydenVRX, you beat me too it. Best advice is to go to a meet, drive and see some of the cars and make your mind up from there. Also consider private sales as I hear RWC's are worth dick anyways.

Always get an idependant inspection, thats my advice here.

Boosty

I'll totally be coming down to the next meet.

Got the call from the dealer today, car is ready and pending a secondary RACV inspection as per my request. Should have it Wednesday! :)

I'm so damn happy!

I love the "loose" steering in my TF wagon! I guess its a thing of personal preference, I also didn't think the turning circle was that bad! but I guess its not compared to a Statto

Hi, just wondering why you suggest to drive the car when its cold? is there a problem when they are cold that you don't notice when they are hot? cheers


I was in same situation, the magna are diff, you don't see as many on roads, i went from have 4 commodores to a TJ VRX and i am pretty happy with it, pillar less window frames, has a sunroof, nice comfy and easy to find interior, i went the VRX cos the package with the wheels and the kit is already done, no need to spend $$ on wheels and extra's, it has everything i need.

be mindful on the auto tranmissions and check for a history, also drive the car when its cold if possible, i just had to do an auto in mine at 200k...but other then that its a great car, great power and styling with plenty of room for more, good stereo options too in these cars.


hope that helps.