Just spent 3 weeks driving about in Australia in a car that I rented - a Mitsubishi 380 SX.
I am pretty sure that these are not available anywhere in Europe but I am wondering what comes close.
Really enjoyed driving it and was extremely comfortable. The only snag for anybody who lives in the UK was the 3.8 litre V6.
To buy out there, you are looking at about AUD 35,000 (which looks like GBP 15 - 17,000) which in my books it a lot of car for the money.
One option is to import one to the UK, but (aside from all the issues with import alone) I will bet that the corrosion protection for cars out there is nothing compared to what we get for cars built to UK spec. I dont even want to start thinking of parts availability...
Have a look at: www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/mitssite/jsp/pages/ve...7
Lets get thinking...
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Looks like a vectra I think?
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Vectra VXR saloon, might have to wait a while before it comes into your budget. Twin-turbo 2.8 V6.
Otherwise, the Mondeo ST 220 thingy has a big V6 engine - as does the previous hot Vectra (3.2 V6?)
If you´re thinking Japanese, the Subaru Legacy 3.0 springs to mind, and the guys on here who drive them absolutely love them.
Left-field choice - VW Passat W8, 275BHP, 4WD, they depreciate heavily so could well be in budget. Plus you get 2 more cylinders and a burbly engine.
Others will be along with more specific advice.
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Any resemblance to a Vectra is accidental, I'm sure;
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_380
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I meant second generation not first generation, anyway ROVER 75 V8 MG one thats a muscle car
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380sx appears to be the same car that's badged as the new Galant in the US.
By curious coincidence, I rented a Galant a few years ago when I was in the US and loved it, so I have since bought one. Previous model though.
Curiously, when I was back in the US a couple of years ago... the car I rented that came closest was a Hyundai Sonata. You can get a new 3.3l Auto in the UK for 20k - I bet its packed with kit.
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Hmmmm I rented a 380 whilst out in Oz at xmas. I was very dissapointed with the cheap plastics and the general dullness of the car interior. It certainly didn't inspire me to go out and buy one. I will stick with my Volvo S60 T5.
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The previous poster who said that it was badged as a Galant in the US was correct. Maybe Galants are imported to Europe somewhere. I suspect any big Jap car would be quite good. Camry's and Nissan's would be candidates.
As for the 380 - it is proving hard to sell in Australia. It hasn't shifted anything like Mitsubishi hoped for. I would expect them to have depreciation of about 50% by 18 month old on the Australian second hand market. As far as I know the only place they are exported to is NZ. There may be a few in the Middle East but it would be few.
I wouldn't touch it in the UK. Not because it is a bad car. It is actually quite good however you would have an orphan car with no dealer back up, no spares, no panels if you have a ding and no resale value. Look for a Camry or a Nissan Maxima or similar.
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As well as the other alternatives mentioned there are a couple of Holdens on autotrader, one of which looks like a Monaro estate
also quite a lot of Mitsubish Legnums which look a bit different
A company called Dream Science were at the Ford Fair a few years ago who claimed to import a veriety of Ford Performace Vehicles (F6 and GT series) from Aus and they cost about £30K at the time. Can't find any mention of it on their website now though.
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Just spent 3 weeks driving about in Australia in a car that I rented - a Mitsubishi 380 SX.
>>>>
I did much the same last year in Oz in a Toyota Camry which I liked and I thought was a lot of quality car for not much money.
But, of course, you can't buy them here.
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From the Wikipedia link:
There have also been changes to 70% of the American car to create a car more suited to the Australian market, such as the use of higher quality materials and new sophisticated suspension designs.
So there you have it: Australians are more sophisticated than Americans. };---)
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"Australians are more sophisticated than Americans"
Like we didn't know that already.
It was good while I was out there but I will be leaving it alone for sure. As if I could afford to run it anyway!!!
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