2005 Mitsubishi Grandis Reviews

These two people movers from Mitsubishi and Honda hit the market a few months ago amid an advertising campaign portraying them as sexy.They are not your usual people-movers, being sleeker and lower without a driving position like a mini-bus.Seated in the cockpit of the Honda, you almost feel like you are driving a sedan. It has a natty little dash-mounted gear shift a finger away from the wheel.The drawback is that rear room is not good and access to the third row difficult.The Grandis feels less like a sedan from the cockpit. It has a similar stubby shifter, but it's a bit further from the wheel and you sit a little more upright and bus-like. The advantage is that it has more room in the back and better access to the third row.So if it's a driver decision, it's the Honda; if it's a family decision, it has to be the Grandis.The Grandis started life behind the eight ball when it was launched first in June, only to be undercut on price two weeks later by the Odyssey.At $7000 less than the previous model, Odyssey had the price advantage over the Grandis until Mitsubishi counter-punched with thousands of dollars of extras.My family was ferried around to school, dancing, work, etc for a week in the BA Grandis and could not have been happier with the accommodation and appointments.They found the deep-velour seats comfortable and supportive.The second row was like a huge loungechair, while it was easy to flip up the third row which has plenty of legroom even for adults.With the third row deployed, there is virtually no room for luggage, even less than in the back of the three-seater Kluger, Territory or LandCruiser.However, the seats are split 50:50 in the third row and 60:40 in the second to provide a two-one-one seating pattern option and room to carry a longer load.The kids loved the aircraft-style flip-down dinner trays in the back of the front seats, the many cup holders and cubby holders around the cabin, the separate airconditioning controls and vents for second and third row passengers, and the second separate sunroof.From a driver's point of view, I was not so impressed.The new 121kW 2.4-litre MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve lift and timing Electronic Control) engine does not feel as refined or responsive as the Honda's i-VTEC. But it is quieter than Honda's "screamer".Power and torque figures are similarin the Grandis and Odyssey, but the former gets its torque a lot earlier, which is handy.It meant the INVECS II four-speed automatic was not required to kick down as often for hills, load and acceleration, which is just as well as it was reluctant in full-auto mode.The sequential shifter needs to be worked if you want it to respond.Brakes felt a little spongy and wanted to push back against your foot, although stopping power seemed up to the task of a heavily loaded people mover.Suspension seems a little slower to respond in the Grandis than the Odyssey which is sharp and nimble.The Grandis always feels like the back end is half a phase out of sync with the front.And without controls on the steering wheel as in the Odyssey, it's a big distraction to reach across to the left side of the sound system to alter the volume button.

Motor vehicles are no different. Things you thought you couldn't live without – or so the salesman told you – can become a burden while the silly little bit of frippery you found annoying becomes a godsend as you grow to appreciate it.A motor vehicle will be the second-biggest purchase most people will make in their lives, a decision usually based on a preconceived desire, an advertising campaign and a short drive. Reviewing and test driving cars can have similar pitfalls.Hopping into a spanking new auto every week is certainly not all bad – in fact it is pretty good – but the truth is that an impression quickly gained can colour an opinion long held. From next week The Daily Telegraph will expand its road-test coverage to include a series of longer-term tests where the cars are assessed closer to the manner they would be by the average buyer.Over the months we will report on what's good and not so good about the car you may be contemplating buying. There will be reports on what it costs to run and service; what makes it a pleasure to own; and the things that make you wish you had spent a little longer looking around before signing on the dotted line.Mitsubishi's new Grandis people mover has barely been off the road since it joined the CARSguide stable last month.Its size and interior space have regularly been put to the test.In the first few weeks it has travelled more than 2300km and needed to be refuelled six times. The car was delivered with just half a tank of fuel.The $43,990 seven-seater has doubled as a semi-official car at a wedding ferrying guests to and from. A measure of its generous leg room is that adult passengers were able to sit comfortably in all three rows.With seats folded down the Grandis' claims to have copious rear loading space were also tested. It was able to carry five disassembled bicycles plus bags in the rear to a family outing.On the plus side the first impression of the car is that its 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine is sprightly. Around town, including when loaded with passengers, the car has plenty of zip. The engine develops 121kW at 6000rpm and has 217Nm of torque at 4000rpm.Its large rear lights display has gained positive comments and the car has proved both flexible and roomy.On the negative side the interior trim of this base model car is a little basic and the lack of sound system controls on the steering wheel on a car of this price is worrying.Fuel use is also running higher than Mitsubishi claimed initially.While easily able to carry seven people the Grandis's seating capabilities were not put the test this time around.With no kids to fill the back seats, nearly all the Grandis's 1000km were with just one or two passengers.A trip down to Wakefield Park and back saw Grandis' freeway manners put tested.With cruise control activated, the armrest folded down and the favourite CD playing its tunes the best way to describe the trip was like that it is like cruising the freeway in a giant and comfortable lounge chair.It was smooth and quiet along all but the roughest sections the freeway, although at 3000rpm it was revving higher than preferred.The only fault was in the cruise control.Encountering some giant-sized hills on the way there and back, the cruise control would drop a gear and see the Grandis revving well in excess of 4000rpm to get back up the steep incline.Once it was up the hill it took a while for the cruise control to kick down a gear – so even on the flat we were doing more than 4000rpm.Steering-wheel mounted radio controls would help, as the volume knob is a stretch.Fuel-wise, the Grandis travelled 570km on the one tank. Ahead of an upcoming trip it had cosmetic surgery with a tow bar fitted.

Some luggage, as well, plus a surfboard or two on the roof.But buyers are not necessarily parents of burgeoning families.Increasingly, people seeking more versatility in their cars are moving away from traditional sedans – hence the explosion of sports utility vehicles.Manufacturers have picked up on the trend and there are few better examples of the redefining of the commercial van-turned-people mover design than the Odyssey and Grandis.Visually the Grandis easily identifies its multi-seat role. It's relatively tall, comes with a wedge-shaped nose and vertical tail and has a row of school-bus windows.The Odyssey looks less like a van, though the hearse shape of the low-slung wagon categorises it as a multi-seater.Both have a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels through an automatic gearbox and both cost about the same since Mitsubishi slashed the Grandis price by $4000 to compete with the Honda.It also dropped the Grandis base model, so you get the Luxury specification for a big discount with some leftover base model Grandis models selling for $38,990.Both have seven seats spread over three rows, with a foldable rear row and a centre row that slides fore and aft on rollers.The Grandis's rear row can be folded flat on to the cargo floor by effortlessly pulling levers, while the Odyssey – in its Luxury version – has an electric motor that does it all for you.Both have four conventional doors – as opposed to sliding doors – with a lift-up rear hatch.You can walk from the front seats to the centre seats thanks to a low centre console (Grandis) or fold-down console (Odyssey).Both have armrests for the front seat occupants, centre-console gearshift, a wave-form dashboard, lots of cupholders and – on the negative side – temporary spare tyres. For me, that rules both out as country holiday tourers.Internally the Grandis presents a functional, if not overly uninspiring, cabin with a neat dashboard.The Odyssey gets steering wheel-mounted controls for cruise and radio functions, while the Grandis demands the driver lean to the left to fiddle with the radio tuner and volume control – not easy to use or high on safety.But the Grandis gets a proper handbrake lever, while the Odyssey has an awkward foot-operated parking pedal typical of a US car. Then again, the Odyssey shines with faux wood and metal trim to brighten up the dashboard and is enhanced by soft leather upholstery.The Grandis gets soft velour upholstery, which is my personal preference because leather tends to either roast or freeze human skin in sympathy with the ambient temperature.Seating space is good on both vehicles. There is room for five adults plus two children, or perhaps six adults at a squeeze.The cargo room remaining with the three seat rows intact is slightly bigger on the Grandis.Safety features are almost identical. Both get dual front airbags and side and curtain airbags, plus seat-belt pretensioners with load limiters on the front seats, head restraints and front and rear crumple zones.Both have ABS with brake-force distribution and five child safety-seat anchor points.The Grandis has seven lap-sash seatbelts but the Odyssey has only six, giving the middle row centre seat a lap belt.On the road the two start to announce their differences.The Grandis is much more engaging to drive. It relates better to the driver, has more road feel and feels more nimble and sporty than the Odyssey.Part of that impression is due to the steering set-up, and the characteristics of the engine. The MIVEC engine – which simply translates as a variable-valve system – produces strong low-end torque and a revvy top-end.On paper it's more powerful than the similarly equipped Honda engine but only by a mere 3kW.Where the Grandis is sports-oriented, the Odyssey is all soft centred.Both are easy to drive and have a tight turning circle.The Odyssey's ride is compliant and supple. Although the driving experience is somewhat distant, with virtually no engine/tyre/road noise, it wins over occupants. It is more attuned to demands of slow-moving traffic conditions, while the Grandis feels more at home on sweeping country roads.People movers come with an expectation of having commanding height and, therefore, good visibility.That's the case with the Grandis, though the low-line Odyssey offers no more outlook than a conventional sedan.Both models have bulky A-pillars (windscreen pillars) and fat vertical buttresses. As a result, drivers of both vehicles have some difficulty spotting traffic coming at right angles. This is worse in the Odyssey because it is so low.The Honda isn't low because the company is trying to make life easy for you – it's below 1.6m high to avoid a height penalty in Tokyo car park stacks.On matters of visibility, both vehicles have sloping bonnets that are invisible to the driver, making parking a practised art.Given the similarity in price, the Honda Odyssey wins on quality but it could also have higher repair and servicing costs.

So the TV commercial says, anyway. All cars now, it seems, have to be "sexy". Even those designed specially for those who have "been there, done that".I don't know about making me want to start a family. Actually, I do know. I don't want another family. I already have my "little people". Now I just need to move them – plus all their mates who invariably tag along.This is where the Grandis comes in very handy. It's a seven-seat people mover. But not your average box-shaped, slam-the-sliding-door kind of van. It's still long and wide – hence the name, I guess – but it's been slicked up with sleek lines, cool lights (even on the side mirrors) and a pointy front end. The dash is all swirls and waves. I'm sure it's very feng shui, but it's huge. This is the Mr Big of dashes.There's no hope of reaching the front window. It's one of the few times that wheel-mounted radio controls would have come in handy. Pity there weren't any.A few funky additions to the Grandis are the pull-up tray tables in the back of the front seats. You could be forgiven for thinking you're in a plane – except there's much more room in this people mover.And the gearshift lever is plonked right in the middle of the dash. Now that's cool.On the practical side, the Grandis is powered by a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder with a four-speed auto transmission. It puts out (see, there's another reference to sex) 121kW at 6000rpm with 217Nm on tap at 4000rpm. In Girl Torque, that means there's plenty of oomph to get you up any hill ... even with half the footy team on board.Parking is a daunting prospect ... it's a long way to the back window when you're looking in the rear-view mirror. But it's actually quite easy, thanks again to the light steering and a tight turning circle. All those parental chores like ferrying the kids to footy become easy thanks to a versatile seating plan.Bucket seats offer all the comfort you need up front. The second row of seats splits 60/40 and also reclines – just in case the kids need a quick kip on the way to the game. The third row of seats, which splits 50/50, is optional. Either sit them up for the tag-along tacklers or leave them folded flat and take advantage of all the room for footy bags, boots, jackets and other paraphernalia you might need.And when you're at the big game ... flip the rear seats to face out, lift the back hatch and watch in comfort and out of the rain.

The sleek seven-seater will replace not one but two existing Mitsubishi models – the popular but aging Nimbus people mover and larger, rather awkward looking van-based Starwagon.In terms of size, it is longer, wider and heavier than both predecessors, but considerably more powerful.With regard to price it sits somewhere in between, but arguably better value than both – as well as the competition.Grandis hits the market this week priced from $45,710.Mitsubishi says Grandis which it describes as an "active recreation tourer" spearheads a complete model makeover that will see seven new cars launched before the end of next year.They include a long waited replacement for the bread and butter Magna that may be called something else.Mitsu is considering "three or four" other names for the car.In fact, it may even hold a national competition to pick the name."Hopefully, it (the Grandis) will be the catalyst to start some serious brand building," says Mitsubishi's embattled boss Tom Phillips.Grandis continues the controversial style pioneered by Mitsu's global style guru Olivier Boulay.It is a style that many motoring commentators believe is largely responsible for the failure of the Magna.However, unlike the Magna, it is the first car to appear here that has been designed from the ground up.The racy, bullet shaped front and sleek flowing lines certainly look better in a more narrow body.In another first, the 2.4-litre four cylinder engine features Mitsu's version of variable valve timing called MIVEC.The result is more power and better fuel economy.The 2.4-litre SOHC engine develops 121kW of power at 6000rpm and 217Nm of torque at 4000rpm.Transmission is a four-speed, tipshift style auto with the changer lever mounted high on the dash within easy reach of the driver.Claimed fuel economy is excellent at 10.4L/100km.The engine develops more powerful than any four cylinder competitor and Grandis ticks all the boxes in the features department and then some.However, even Mitsubishi's figures confirm that growth in the people mover segment has been virtually stagnant over the past 10 years and it is not expecting to sell great numbers of the car.On the road Grandis feels flat, stable and very car like, easy to steer and easy to change gear.It is reasonably quick off the line with two people aboard, but performance is sure to diminish with additional passengers.Hills will be especially hard work with a full complement.We were able to give the car a testing workout over some trying, twisty roads and can report the car handles reasonably well, with early understeer and some bump steer through rougher corners.Fortunately ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution are standard.Front, side and curtain airbags are also standard.Cars such as the Grandis are all about flexibility and the rear seats can be arranged in a number of different configurations.The second row seats three people in a 60:40 split, with four floor positions for varying amounts of legroom, and seat bottoms that incline for greater comfort.The third row seats two with reasonable legroom but reduced headroom makes it more suitable for children.These two seats pack into the floor when not needed, either together or individually, and also have an incline function.The rear seats can also be flipped for a grandstand style seating looking backwards with the tailgate raised – but this is only when the car is stationary.Grandis is priced from $45,710, with a luxury pack adding an extra $3745. Twin sunroofs can be specified separately at $2000.