MITSUBISHI 380 VRX ROAD TEST
While I was in Adelaide during the weekend just passed, I was able to rent a Mitsubishi 380 VRX for three days from Europcar and see for myself first hand how they go.
First impressions are good. The car I’m given for the three days is a gold colour – a little loud, but unmistakable and helps to give the car some character. Turn the key and the sports exhaust sounds fantastic on start up, with a distinctive burble.
Inside, there are comfortable sports seats, and a leather steering wheel. After a bit of playing around, a comfortable driving position is found.
Second impressions are not so great. There is a tacky plastic “metal look” strip along the dashboard, which is supposed to give the car’s interior a sporty feel. Then the plastic used on the dashboard is coarse to the touch. During the three days, a couple of rattles in the stereo speakers became apparent. This car had done just 1800 km when I picked it up, so I really feel that Mitsubishi has missed the mark when it comes to providing a quality feel to the interior and the rattles lead me to question the long term build quality as well.
The dashboard itself looks okay, though I prefer the Falcon BA’s dashboard which is angled more towards the driver. The main dials (speedo and tacho) and nicely presented and easily readable. The “command centre” in the middle of the dash houses displays for the stereo controls, air conditioning temperature and outside temperature. Very easy to read.
All the controls fall easily to hand and are intuitive. There are just three complaints about the ergonomics. First, the steering wheel has tilt adjustment, but no reach adjustment. This is cost cutting at its worst, and helps make finding the ideal driving position a bit harder. Second, I couldn’t see any steering wheel mounted controls for the stereo until I looked in the handbook and discovered how well Mitsubishi hid them behind the steering wheel spokes. Third, there are no grab handles for the front passenger. Again, cost cutting.
On driving the car out of the rental firm’s yard, first thing I noticed was the steering. Well weighted, just light enough to be easy to maneuver the car around town, but with a decent level of feel.
I drove through Adelaide heading for the freeway out of town. I notice that visibility out the side and particular the rear is not great, so just as well there are big side mirrors. Upon reaching the freeway, I accelerate hard from about 40 km/h up to 100 km/h. The 5-speed auto box drops down two gears, and the car surged forward with a fantastic sound from the 3.8 litre 24-valve SOHC V6 engine. The old Magna 3.5 V6s always sounded good, this sounds fantastic, even better than the Barra180 in the Falcon. Even more impressive, there is no torque steer or kick back through the steering. Impressive considering the 380 VRX is a heavy 1,670 kg front wheel drive car putting out 175 kW and a torquey 343 Nm. Mitsubishi has done their job well by virtually eliminating the big problem of powerful front drive cars – torque steer.
The VRX is fitted with traction control, which obviously helps eliminate torque steer. However, despite several hard acceleration runs from stand still and from a rolling start, I was never able to get more than a very slight kickback from the steering, whether I had the traction control on or off. Only the most sensitive drivers would ever notice the kickback, and then only if giving it a massive bootful. Must say, I’m impressed.
Cruising on the freeway, I was impressed by the feel of refinement, smoothness, quietness and the solidity of the body. Ride is very smooth and well controlled. Occasionally the 215/55 R17 tyres will thump on the worst bumps, but it must be remembered that the VRX gets the harder sports suspension, and the thumps will be heard but not felt. As a motorway cruiser, this car could eat up hundreds of kilometers with ease. Of course, Australia is a big country, and any Aussie built car that isn’t at home in cruise mode on the freeway will not sell well.
Turning off the freeway, the road starts to twist and turn through a number bends with recommended speeds of 35 and 55 km/h. The VRX is great through here. The steering is well weighted and progressive. The car turns in quickly, there is no understeer and the bends are dismissed with the greatest of ease without actually trying too hard (I went through 55km/h bends at an indicated 70km/h with no drama). There is some body roll, which isn’t really surprising considering this is such a large car. I got the impression that one would have to be driving really recklessly to get into trouble. The only issue I had was that while the steering is well weighted and offers some feel, it doesn’t offer as much information as I’d like and doesn’t feel as alive as the steering in the Mazda6. The VRX goes exactly where pointed, feels good, but doesn’t excite in the way that the Mazda6 does through the twisty bits.
I’m happy with the tiptronic gearbox though. It doesn’t change up unless the driver tells it to and the delay between selection of the gear and computer engaging the gear is significantly reduced over the old Magna. I personally prefer tiptronic boxes where I pull back to change up and push forward to change down (as in the Ford and Mazda range). The 380’s tiptronic is set up the other way round (push forward to change up, pull back to change down), but since this is the standard set up with most manufacturers I can’t really complain.
We stopped for a while and then my colleague took over the wheel. He owns a 99 model Magna and was keen to see how the 380 compared to the older car. His first impression is similar to mine – visibility out the back is terrible. You just can’t see the corners of the car. And we’re both six-foot tall. How shorter people will get on with the poor visibility I’m not sure. His second impression is that the steering is heavier and has better feel than the Magna. Otherwise, he thinks it just a more modern, more refined, updated Magna. And herein lies the problem with the 380 – its just not enough of an advance.
On the second day, I had the car to myself. Charging up and down a narrow, twisty gorge on the way out of Adelaide heading for the Barossa valley, I’m able to really test the handling. Traction control off, turn in hard, and there’s a touch more understeer. Not enough to be a problem. Power down out of corners is great, and I’m getting used to the steering. I still wish it was really alive, but at least its got some weight and feel to it and isn’t feather light. Into the Barossa valley, the road opened out into flowing sweepers. It’s here that the 380 is in its element. Big cars don’t like really twisty roads, no matter how well resolved the dynamics are. The Falcon BA always felt best on flowing sweepers, even though it was highly competent on tighter stuff. The 380 VRX is the same. The 380 VRX is very enjoyable on flowing sweepers, and can keep up an impressive pace.
The best point of the VRX is how well resolved its dynamics are. To those that doubt that a big, powerful front wheel drive car can have decent dynamics, I suggest you go for a drive in this car. The 380’s combination of excellent handling, decent steering and comfortable and controlled ride easily matched that of the rear wheel drive Falcon BA. Only an extremely sensitive driver, or an extreme lead foot would ever experience any real understeer or any torque steer – and then only at speeds so insane I’d question that driver’s right to be on public roads. On the race track, it may be a different story, but than the VRX isn’t a racing car.
Other than its dynamics, I was impressed with the VRX’s solid feeling body, excellent refinement, great sounding engine, its smoothness, the excellent five speed auto, and the comfort of the seats.
So, at a price of A$39,980 would I consider buying on? No. The VRX is a very good car, but it is only touch better than a Falcon BA XT, and the BF XR6 is by all accounts better again and it’s the same price as a VRX. I can buy a second hand BA XT for half the price of a VRX, and the VRX is only marginally better. So the VRX just doesn’t stack up as a value for money new car prospect. It will devalue heavily on the back of heavy fleet sales and discounts to the private buyers have also already started. In two years time, a low mileage VRX will probably sell for about A$23,000.
So, in two years time, at a price of A$23,000 would I buy one? Yes. It will represent fantastic value for money as a second hand car and that’s one of the biggest problems the 380 will have to face.
In summary, the 380 is a very good car, that finally matches the acknowledged best in class Falcon, but it basically feels like a modern, more refined Magna. The Magna was a great car when it was introduced in 1996. The 380 has dropped to been merely a very good car. I have my doubts that it will save Mitsubishi’s manufacturing future in Australia. If the 380 offered an AWD option, a second, more powerful engine option, six airbags rather than four and managed to leap ahead of the Falcon rather than match it, it would have been a great car. As it stands, it’s merely a very good car.
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Originally Posted by motorsportnerd
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