Mitsubishi 380 2005 Review

What we liked
>> Mitsubishi finally finds a pulse
>> Strong engine; poise in bends
>> Cohesive interiors on all models

Not so much
>> Controlled ride can be firm
>> Front styling still too meek

OVERVIEW
If struggling Japanese car-maker Mitsubishi wants to continue playing in Australia's lucrative and highly competitive large sedan segment, it's got to make everything count. Styling, performance, pricing, equipment - there can be no passengers this time round. Mitsubishi acknowledges this, which is why nothing is carried over from the unloved Magna. Even the name has been changed.

In a move reminiscent of Ford with the Territory SUV, Mitsubishi turned to consumers for advice. Numerous clinics and surveys revealed what Australians expect from a large sedan, and Mitsubishi has delivered. CarPoint's first drive took in hundreds of kilometres of city and country, freeways and backways, smooth and crumbling roads, in an effort to measure the Mitsubishi 380's prowess.

As a result, we can tell you that the Mitsubishi 380 is exhilarating to drive. Mitsubishi has forged the most competent weapon possible to bring the embattled car-maker back from the brink of oblivion. One question remains: Will Australia embrace the 380 sedan, or will it shy away from Mitsubishi's tarnished image?

At the time of publish Mitsubishi had not released details of pricing for the 380 model. CarPoint will publish prices once Mitsubishi releases details.

FEATURES
Mitsubishi revealed the 380 sedan in September 2005 in a canny attempt to secure clean coverage ahead of the spaghetti mess of new models and announcements around Sydney motor show time. The 380 line-up consists of five models, all sharing the same four-door body and 175kW 3.8lt V6 engine driving the front wheels. Shopping starts at the '380' and branches along two distinct 'sports' and 'prestige' channels, merging again at the chart topping GT, which combines the best of both worlds.

Body-styling, suspension settings and wheel/tyre packages change depending on the model and its sporting or prestige pretensions; all are impressively well equipped and certainly on par with competitors' models and consumer expectations.

All 380s come with electric windows and mirrors, remote central locking, cruise control and air-conditioning. An MP3-compatible CD player with six-speaker stereo is fitted standard in the base car, other models get eight speakers and an in-dash six-stacker. Safety equipment (detailed below) breaks no new ground, but rivals best practises for Australian-made cars.

The 380 base model comes with a five-speed manual transmission; the LS and LX get a subtle but tangible lift in equipment. Five-speed auto transmission with tiptronic mode is standard; 17-inch alloy wheels and sports tyres optional.

Sports fans are catered for by the VR-X model, which gains nothing in engine performance, but utilises a 17-inch wheel/tyre and suspension package to broaden its sporting prowess. Simple external touches around the front end, a subtle bootlid spoiler and clear plastic tail-light covers add menace to the 380's otherwise underplayed exterior.

Both branches meet up at the range-topping 380 GT, which combines the best of each into a $50k-plus performance and prestige hybrid. It's auto only, with 17-inch wheels and tyres, leather interior, sunroof, fully electric seats... anything and everything possible. Though the 380's 3.8lt engine is more than up to the GT's requirements, if Mitsubishi's early plan for two engine states had survived the beancounters' sharp knives, it and the VR-X would have enjoyed the added exclusivity of extra kiloWatts and therefore extra performance.

COMFORT
Each model's interior harnesses different materials to impart distinct themes suited to their price positioning. Unlike some other car designers which start with the prestige model and progressively delete features for the cheaper versions, Mitsubishi's designers fitted the basic 380 with high grade fabrics and plastics, and stepped up further for the more expensive LS/LX, VR-X and GT. In fact, the base car's quality interior and remarkable equipment levels are the high end 380s' biggest challenger.

Occupant comfort is admirable for a car which projects a lithe, compact exterior. The 380's front seats are firm and supportive, with just a hint of sculpting, but the VR-X's sports seats are a significant step beyond. All models utilise tilt adjustable steering, but a lack of telescopic adjustment on the US-built Galant (on which the 380 is based) means Australians must live without also.

Room in the cheap seats is easily capable of swallowing two six footers, though shoulder room is no better than the 380's rivals when three adults occupy the back row. Legroom is more than adequate for our tall testers, and headroom equally impressive, thanks largely to the back seat's backrest angle.

A big boot hides behind the fixed back seat, with only a ski-port allowing long load flexibility - Mitusbishi's engineers chose the handling benefits of chassis bracing behind the back seat over the added flexibility of a split folding system. A full-size spare sits beneath the boot floor.

SAFETY
Mitsubishi chose to further strengthen the US-Galant-sourced bodyshell to improve occupant protection and rigidity. This has a supplementary payoff in delivering a sturdy base on which engineers can develop sharp, responsive handling. And, as we all know, the first opportunity to survive a crash is to avoid it.

To this end, all 380s employ four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock, said to be 14 per cent quicker than Magna's. Switchable traction control is available on all bar the base model, and uses the engine's electronic throttle to temper wheelspin.

All 380s get dual front and front-side airbags, front seat belt pretensioners, and auto retracting force limiters in all positions.

MECHANICAL
We mentioned earlier that the new 380 shares nothing with the old Magna. It is actually based on the North American Galant, though Mitsubishi Australia's engineers had carte blanche to improve almost every component to meet Australian needs.

Under the bonnet of all models sits a 3.8lt, V6 petrol engine which utilises a single camshaft and four-valves per cylinder to produce 175kW of power at 5250rpm and 343Nm of torque at 4000rpm. That means the 380's got the guts to match the six-cylinder powerplants of its main rivals: Ford, Holden and Toyota.

The 3.8lt engine comes with an electronic throttle which interprets and smooths driver inputs to realise best performance - both accelerative and economically. Some models (380, VR-X) are offered with a short-throw, five-speed manual transmission; all models can be optioned with the five-speed automatic gearbox equipped with INVECS II intelligent learning and a tiptronic-style gearchanging gate.

The 380 rides on four-wheel independent suspension adapted from the Galant's MacPherson strut / multilink arrangement. Significant changes to spring and damper rates, and additional crossbracing on some models give the 380 a decidedly sporty focus. In addition all models equipped or optioned with 17-inch wheels and tyres employ a suspension package tailored to suit.

Typical of most modern cars, the devil is in the detail, but we'll restrain ourselves from voluminous discourses on suspension bushing, body isolation and panel pressings. Suffice to say the 380's body is stronger, quieter and more refined than the Magna - and could prove to be class-leading in back-to-back comparisons.

COMPETITORS
King of the local, large sedan class is the Holden Commodore, closely hounded by the Ford Falcon. But Mitsubishi, finally, has acknowledged that it can never beat these rear-drive road warriors in a country where two turning, and two "burning" wheels is written into the constitution. Instead, the 380 will try for between one-half and one-third of rear-drive volumes - around 2500 per month - with the twin tenets of luxury and value for money. Which means Camry and Avalon will be its closest rivals.

Even so, the 380 will be measured daily against Commodore and Falcon, and must prove itself to be a smarter choice. On paper the 380 has the credentials to fight hard and fast, but only a back-to-back comparison will confirm its position in the pecking order. Look to Wheels magazine (www.wheelsmag.com.au) for comparisons in the coming months.

ON THE ROAD
Slide behind the wheel of the 380 and all discussion of Mitsubishi's tenuous position stops. Marketing hype and advertising hyperbole fades into oblivion as you turn the key, and a supremely powerful 3.8lt engine fires into life. It's so quiet at idle, only the tachometer needle's position around 800revs tells you it's ticking over.

On the move, this new engine is incredibly smooth and tractable. Performance is strongest between 3000 and 5500rpm, but abundantly available elsewhere. A slight breathlessness is evident beyond 6000rpm, but with peak power at 5250, there's little need to venture beyond. Some clever tweaking of the electronic throttle software irons out driver indecision and generally provides jerk-free driving, but it comes at a price - there is a slight but noticeable delay as the system validates your throttle inputs.

Shorter gearing in the manual gearbox equates to 3000rpm at 100km/h in fifth compared to the auto's 2000rpm, which translates into a more urgent response to increased throttle pressure. The auto, meanwhile, resorts to smooth cog-dropping to pick up speed, and changes up just as seamlessly. One demerit against the auto is the positioning of the tiptronic change gate, which goes against the conventional wisdom of forward to change down, back to change up.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the 380's onroad performance is its ride. Even in the base car with 16-inch wheels and tyres, it's firm and sporty, agile and responsive at all times. Steering response beyond an initial dead zone is crisp and accurate - just the right amount of feedback advising road- and grip-conditions.

Those chasing a wafting ride oblivious to the surface beneath will not find it in the 380. Mitsubishi's development drivers decided - and we agree - that it's better to know about the road underneath the car than to iron it out altogether. For a country that enjoys driving, it's the only solution.

Step up to the 17-inch suspension package and the ride firms even further - though never to uncomfortable levels. This package is our pick, because in addition to sharpening the steering and all-but eradicating bodyroll, it deals more quickly with rough roads and undulations.

So, is the new 380 a success? Resoundingly so. If Mitsubishi fails to turn around a disastrous last three years it won't be because of the 380's failings.

But no car is perfect, and Mitsubishi must give the VR-X and GT additional engine power to press home their sporting pretensions. It's not right that the base car should be the fastest in a straight line, but while ever it carries less equipment and enjoys the same engine and transmission, it will be.