Mitsubishi competes with brands like Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ford, and has a whole slew of family cars available, like the Mitsubishi ASX, Eclipse Cross, Outlander, Pajero, Pajero Sport, Xpander, and the Triton double-cab bakkie. Should you make a long-term commitment?
While Mitsubishis make excellent family vehicles, (all of their cars, except the Xpander, come equipped with six to seven airbags each), there have been some reports of mechanical issues and long waiting periods for parts, and in other instances, Mitsubishi owners have reported excellent after-sales service from the brand. Where parts availability is concerned, it's strange that customers complain, since Mitsubishi has been an equal partner in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance since 2017. The three companies are joined together through a cross-sharing agreement. The Mitsubishi footprint in SA remains small, however, and only 60 percent of components are currently shared between the three brands.
Our advice?
By all means, buy a Mitsubishi but rather sell or trade in before its warranty and service plan runs out. There are many owners out there who love their Mitsubishis with all their hearts and who wouldn't even take a second glance at another brand.
Best used Mitsubishis to buy
The ASX has an excellent reputation. I would also look into the Eclipse Cross, Mitsubishi Lancer and Mitsubishi Xpander. And unless you have a lot of extra cash to spend on fuel, steer clear of the short-wheel-base Pajero 5-door 3.2 DI-D.
According to our technical expert, Martin Pretorius, some Mitsubishis with 2.4-litre turbodiesel engines (like the Pajero Sport and Triton) have issues with their exhaust manifolds. The 2.4-litre petrol Outlander hasn't exactly scored top marks in the reliability department either.
Verdict
Mitsubishis are good for families of all ages, are practical cars to live with, and score highly in safety crash tests. I would stick to the models mentioned above, however.
